The Millionaire Next Door

Barbershops, 91% Profitable but Not the U.S. Senate’s

A recent news headline read: “Senate even losing money on haircuts; Critics say $400K deficit for hair salon symbolic as Congress seeks military, domestic program cuts.”  Yes, even in these times when families are struggling financially, our government in Washington is providing subsidized haircuts for members of the U.S. Senate.


Last year the Senate Hair Care Barbershop (SHCB)/Salon ran a $401,000 deficit providing $20 cuts to senators, staff . . . .


Just imagine it, members of Congress, many of whom want to dictate how American business owners operate their enterprises, can’t even run a profit making barbershop.  According to my research, turning a profit via the hair cutting route should be easy even for Washington.  There are nearly 100,000 barbershops in America.  The large majority of them (91%) are profitable.  Overall their profit on receipts is 38%.


Ah, you might suggest that to turn a profit perhaps the SHCB should charge more for a haircut.  Why not charge what the millionaires in this country pay?  The typical millionaire pays only $16.00 (median, tip included) for his haircut; one in four pays under $12.00.  The threshold at the 75th percentile is just over $24.00.


Could it be that our representatives in Washington are not only big spenders of “the money of the people” but also of their own?  Afterall, in spite of the haircut subsidy, many are spending more for their cut than the typical millionaire.  Perhaps we the people should sponsor a reorientation program for our elected representatives, sort of a crusade.  Can you see busloads of senators, both Democrats and Republicans, visiting millionaire next door type business owners at work.  I’m certain that they will find no subsidized, in house barbershops during their visits.  Perhaps, after their tour, our representatives will grow to appreciate better what the so-called rich are really like.

2 thoughts on “Barbershops, 91% Profitable but Not the U.S. Senate’s”

  1. My sister is a licensed cosmetologist. She also has been trained, though not licensed, as a barber. I assisted her setting up her books electronically. At $20 bucks a pop, I am completely befuddled at where the profit loss is for the senate barbershop. I’d love to get my licensed forensic auditor brother-in-law into their books! Of course, when he’s finished with his audits, people generally go to jail.

  2. Wait, that means the loss equates to 20,000 haircuts that we the people paid for! With only 100 Senate offices, that means each Senate office received 200 such haircuts in a year’s time or about 4 per week!My being bald, I fail to understand how they can use this many haircuts. Any stats on the hair count for male millionaires next door.

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