Even if you're not that crazy about frugal living, every household tries to keep expenses low wherever (and whenever) it's possible.

Family haircuts are one of those things that might fly under your radar. Especially if you've got a few kids running around the house, haircutting costs can really pile up. At the same time, though, quite a few people hesitate to go the home clippers' way. For some, it seems a bit difficult and/or they worry they won't be able to shape proper haircuts.

Others have actually given it a try before and were left disappointed. Why? They either grabbed a cheap set of clippers that didn't perform as expected or got broken in no time.

Are these really significant obstacles, though?

As you can guess: not at all! First, by only keeping a few basics in mind, you can achieve easy, fast and presentable home haircuts. Second, there is such a thing as hair clippers that combine affordable price with durability and professional performance.

5 basics of choosing a good home haircutting kit...

Similar to all other decisions you're making as a mom, being well-informed is your shortcut to pleasant results. Here's a few important points to consider:

Pick a reputable brand: The 3 top brands are Wahl, Oster and Andis, with Remington clippers also being popular recently. Out of these, Wahl seem to have the most family haircutting kits.

Here's Wahl's typical clipper design, and a lightweight Remington model perfect for buzzcuts:

Take note of the accessories you get: The more, the better! Especially if everyone's hairstyle differs a lot, you'll need more clipper guards to control the cutting length.

Consider the material the clipper's made of: You don't want cheap plastic for sure. However, you also don't want a full or half-metal body: these can heat up a lot. If you do a few haircuts one after another, it will be inconvenient both for you and your husband/kids.

Check how easy the maintenance is: Some clippers come with washable blades – you can just rinse them under the tap. Others require more careful post-haircut cleanup and more regular oiling.

Decide - corded or cordless: wireless hair cutters are very flexible and more lightweight. However, battery life can become a problem if you need to do a lot of haircuts in one go.

How to make a home haircut look more professional?

Seriously: you don't need to be a pro to achieve great results. Just remember to do a little bit of blending and cleanup work along with the haircut.

Blending is easy: a lot of clippers have a lever on their side. It looks like this:

You can push it up or down to control the cutting length. 

On top of that, most quality home haircutting kits include at least several guards that further help you layer the hair. They're numbered from #1 to #8 usually, with #1 leaving the hair at 1/8", and #8 at 1". 

A general practice is to leave the sides and back a bit shorter, while the top stays a bit longer.

So for example, you can leave the sides and back at #4 (1/2") while the top is at #7 (7/8".) You can further "bridge" the different lengths by blending with a #6 (3/4") along the lines where they meet.

Here's a few clipper guards, it's easy to distinguish between them. Most of them also have the cutting length written too:

Cleaning up and touching up with scissors or a clipper/trimmer also makes your home cut neater. Remember to clean up around the ears and back of the neck (or sideburns, if you've got beard fans!) While these might look like small details to you, they will tremendously improve how your cut turned out!

A good set of clippers will pay for itself in no time and will last you for quite a few years. Just remember to clean the blades and oil them after giving the family a haircut and you'll be golden!