To think dying hair at a salon is a rip off?

[Noodlebugs1981]

I've been dying my hair in a salon for the past few years. I look forward to it and love pampering. My grey bits are getting pronounced I need it done every 6 weeks or so - and at £60-£100 a go, it's an expense I'd rather not have! Also, with two small kids it's time out I don't really have. My hairdresser/s have always said shop brought dyes are much more damaging/drying/"you can tell a shop brought product by the state of their hair" than the ones you get in hairdressers. Am I being gullible? Or should I get jump into shop brought dyes. I understand this is a small problem in today's world, but just interested in views of (non-biased) hairdressers!

I have a mobile hairdresser who does cut and colour every 6 weeks for about £40-£50 (depending on if I have blow dry I think). She is happy to put colour on my roots then go and leave me to rinse off which costs less as she isn't here as long. I'm very grey, so top up roots only with a box halfway between visits. Twice a year I have highlights to make the colour more interesting, and twice a year keratin treatment really helps with the condition.

Also good for condition is shampoo as little as you can get away with it, and use sulfate-free products

I have my roots salon dyed very 4 weeks. You can reduce the price by maybe not having the blow dry and also by only getting it cut every 3 months. Just getting the roots done also only takes about 1hr.