I've seen firsthand how coloring your hair yourself can be a mistake. If your goal is orange hair, great go for it, but if you're going for an auburn color or subtle strawberry blonde it's best to invest in the cost of a professional hair dresser. Not only do they have the professional tools at their fingertips to do the job much better than I do, they have seen what NOT to do when coloring hair. Also, they have the time I am paying them to devote their attention to me, unlike me being in a hurry to get onto another chore in a busy working woman/mom day.

Sheet rocking your bedroom can sound like a simple chore which will save you oodles of cash that you won't have to pay a contractor to take time to do. However, they again have the tools to do the job right the first time and the experience to get it done much more quickly and with exceedingly better looking results (often a benefit). When you show off your newly remodeled bedroom to family and friends you don't have to be afraid that they're going to notice the tape lines and mis-matched textures on the wall.

Another lesson I've learned is not to buy shoes simply because there is a killer sale going on. I recently went to Seattle (much bigger city then Bend) for a shopping spree. The lovely sales woman (at a not to be named shoe store) was expert in selling me on the super cute pumps I walked in to look at. Not only were they higher than my normal work or go out on an evening shoe, but they were a bit too small. I liked them though, and they were on sale, so I could buy them in both red and black for the price of one pair!! Sounded good to me. Oh, she also said if I picked up a nice little hand bag, she'd throw in 30% off on that too. I bought it all! Now home, the first time I wore the to die for red pumps my feet ached in 15 minutes of the 2 hour standing cocktail party I went to. I was limping out to my car by the end of the evening. I haven't worn the black pair and they're hidden up in the dark recesses of my closet. What a waste!

Hiring a professional advertising company is much like hiring a professional contractor. What you get from a good advertising agency is the experience that they have had in media buying and strategic planning to get the professional results you are looking for from your marketing investment. They can provide you with the tools to craft the campaign, place the media buy and expect realistic results from your investment. They have seen many different types of businesses successfuly market and more importantly have seen unsuccessful campaigns. They will also resist the temptation to buy the package of the day just because it's on sale.