Lesson 13: Using Gift Certificates Wisely

A while ago I was given a gift certificate for $25 for Aveda. It just so happens that I will be needing a brow wax and hair cut in the now, so I have decided to use it. Here are my calculations. A brow wax and hair cut combined at Aveda will create a total of

$25 for brows + $50 haircut= $75 minus the $25 certificate which will bring you back to $50

If I use my gift certificate there I will only pay for the hair cut, but there is still a calculation of tips. Tips are 15% so I will take 10% of $50 which is $5.00 and divide the $5 in half to get my 5% which will come out to $5.00 + $2.50= $7.50 in tips owed for the hair cut. But when you tip at a salon you don't want to look gauche by using pocket change so that comes out to $8.00 total. Then you have to take into account the brow waxing tip. You might have got the service for free but the associate still expects a tip. In Calculation, %15 of $25 is $3.75 for a tip, but that is rounded out into $4 - 5. So your equation will look something like this:

-$25 + $50 +$8+$5 = $63 total for everything not including tax

Then I thought about it. I don't have a uni-brow, so there obviously isn't that much of a problem with them for me to spend $25. No matter if I will be getting the service for free, the price exceeds the maximum threshold I am willing to pay for the service. I just need them to be groomed not excavated to perfection. So I decided to go with Paul Brown, which charges $16. I would then put the $25 certificate to use in decreasing the cost of my hair cut. Now my equation looks like this:

$20 brow wax + $50 hair cut - $25 certificate = $45

We still need to add in the tips so I will re-write the equation like this:

$20 wax + $4 tip + $25 discounted cut + $8 tip = $57 total for everything not including tax

If I compare the two prices $63 - $52 = $11 savings total

So by figuring out the maximum threshold I am willing to spend, then distributing the services by cost, I can create an opportunity to save. Anyway, my font and spacing is all wacky, I'll try to fix it later. Wow even blogger (my service provider) is anti-math!

An opinion of the political work climate in Oahu

Interestingly enough during night school, someone made a comment about trouble in the work place. One of my class mates commented that the work persona in Hawaii is different that that of the mainland. In Hawaii things are more passive aggressive and it's all about who you know not necessarily what you know. This is a bit disturbing. It shows that people here would rather go about sabotaging others in a sneeky way rather than be upfront about the real issues. It shows that people here are a whole would rather hire their good friend kimo who will probably do a so-so or not so great job rather than joe who might be an excellent worker. These claims are not new, but they frustrate me. It's extremely annoying to have to deal with this type of climate that exists when you are trying not to be apart of it. In psychology I learned that one of the tests psychologists use to measure sanity is a group picture exercise. A psychologist will show a picture to a group of people and solicit individual answers. If a person continually answers differently than the group they are prompted for further evaluation. So, because I refuse to be apart of this climate does this make me abnormal? Having a different opinion can be educational. Having a different opinion can change the way things are done. Having a different opinion can create better methods of doing things. I know from experience that it is very hard to get people to envision change, especially adults. As a consumer I want to explore all options fully before spending my money on something. As a person I want to help others see it that way too. I want people to see that they don't have to be passive aggressive, because that type of behavior never promotes a solution. I want to help people give others a chance, not just because of familiarity, but because they have quality services or products. If I can do all of that then maybe things could be better, because I sure don't want to be known as coming from Hawaii the USA's most passive aggressive state. Speaking of being angry here is a fun little thing that combines anger and humor; its great. (not a pop up link)