I'm going to get out of here early today and get a haircut. Back when I had a good job at a successful startup company and a great job at an unsuccessful startup company, I used to go to a salon in Los Altos for my monthly haircut. Lindsay, a bouncy young girl, would shampoo me, clip my hairs, and tell me that the gray looked good on me. She would spend half an hour making me look and feel good, and then charge me a small fortune.

Lindsay drifted off to the city of angels and I slid into unemployment followed by the crappy job I currently hold. When it came time to get a haircut, I rationalized a less expensive hair cut as a means of saving money. I went to a small shop near the local Starbucks, and got a trim for over half what Lindsay used to charge. I hated it. I didn't like it when I left the shop. I didn't like it the next morning. I didn't like it when it grew out.

I tried a few more places with varying results. The best place was a small hole in the wall shop run by some young Vietnamese girls. For $12 I got a haircut that didn't look too bad. The next time I went by, they were closed, out of business.

I finally decided that saving money by getting lousy haircuts was counter productive. I believe if you feel good about the way you look, other people will notice. I started going back to the swanky salon in swanky Los Altos. Lisa isn't as young or excited as Lindsay was but she gives me a great haircut. It costs a fortune, but I know I look good.