Free hair cuts help parents save back-to-school cash

For some low-income Eastern Iowa families, back-to-school budgets are eaten up by purchasing pencils, paper and clothes leaving little room for other essentials like hair cuts.

“School money gets really tight,” said Shannon Anderson, a parent of two children who are preparing to go back to school this week.

Anderson was among 40 low-income families in the Cedar Rapids area who received coupons from Fix Salon, 110 3rd Ave, SW, for free hair cuts.

“I was excited,” Anderson said.

Anderson, along with her children Michael, 12, and Elizabeth, 6, received the free cuts Sunday afternoon.

“It's great,” said Elizabeth who starts first grade on Thursday.

Michael said his haircut got rid of pesky hair hanging in his face.

“I can pay attention more and listen to the teacher,” said Michael who starts seventh grade on Thursday.

Juliet Pae-Corr, owner of Fix Salon, and her client, Monica Maltby, organized the idea after Maltby said she was going to stop coloring her hair and thought the money she usually spent on that service could be spread to other families.

“I feel really good knowing that we can help someone go back to school with more self-esteem,” Pae-Corr said.

Maltby said she hopes that the hair cuts will help the students who received them “be happy about the way they look and confident when they're around all those other kids that they look good.”

Fix Salon hopes to have similar event next year. Pae-Corr said the free hair cuts offered this year saved local low-income families about $1600 that they would have paid for the same cut.