The owner of a hair salon in a small town enjoyed the serenity of knowing that his was the only salon in town. He was responsible for cutting and styling the hair of just about every resident.

His income allowed him to live comfortably and even send all of his six children to college.

Unfortunately, big business showed up one day. Right across the street from his busy little hair salon sprang up one of those new full-service franchises.

The media campaign began immediately. Ads in newspapers, magazines and billboards announced: “EVERYTHING FOR $6! $6 haircuts, $6 perms, $6 manicures, everything for $6.”

Soon, all of his customers, and even his neighbors, began visiting the salon across the street, and his salon sat empty. Desperate, he hired an expensive consultant. “I’m finished,” he moaned. “It’s impossible for me, just one little business owner, to compete with that big, powerful corporation. I can’t match their prices, and I sure cannot beat them. I might as well throw in the towel now!”

The consultant squinted at the salon across the street and took a very long pause. He responded: “Not just yet. Not just yet.”

With that, the consultant picked up the phone and dialed the town’s only billboard company. He said, “Yes, on top of our salon … big letters: ‘WE FIX $6 HAIRCUTS!'”

The salon owner’s business returned, slowly at first but then with a vengeance. He did not try to put his competition out of business, and he did not apologize for his higher prices. He knew he offered something the competition could not. Sure, he needed the help of a good coach to find his solution, but he made it through the tough times. He didn’t throw up his hands and quit. He turned a roadblock into a detour that brought him through on a slightly different path.

What challenge are you facing right now? Are you deeply in debt? So strapped financially that you come up short every month? Feel you’re just one paycheck from getting tossed out onto the street? You need a solution, my friend! You need to see that roadblock as an opportunity to discover a new route. There is a solution. Your job is to find it.

Years ago I found myself in quite a pickle: unemployed with debts the size of Mt. Everest and no savings. I found my solution in creating a newsletter, “Cheapskate Monthly,” which is now the blog “Debt-Proof Living.” This blog is now in its 15th year. I’ve written 26 books and sold 1.4 millions copies. Was I an English major? Did I know I could write? No. Did I have a clue about the business of publishing? No, but my heart told my head to go for it. Suffice it to say, I conquered that mountain and have gone on to create a business and a life that I absolutely love.

Charles Schultz once said: “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use!” Maybe it’s time for you to get yourself into a higher gear. Stop thinking about throwing in the towel, and start looking for the solution!

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UGLY TOILET RINGS

Q: How can you remove the ring around the water line in the toilet? I have tried everything on the market, and nothing removes this ring. I have well water. I have tried many of your suggestions, but do you have any others?

A: Toilet bowl rings are the result of hard water and mineral deposits that develop from the toilet not being flushed multiple times during the day. No amount of scrubbing, harsh chemical cleaners or bleach will completely remove a serious buildup like yours, especially when it’s the result of very hard well water. The solution to that ring along with any other stubborn stains is using a pumice stone — the same thing you might use for callused heals. It won’t scratch or damage the toilet. Any pumice stone will work, but I prefer one with a handle like Pumie Toilet Bowl Ring Remover, which is designed specifically for this problem.

CO-SIGNING

STUDENT LOANS

Q: You recently had a short message for college students in your column. In it, you mentioned how kids could get take out federal student loans with no co-signer. Our issue (and some might find fault in us as parents) is that we don’t want to co-sign for our daughter. I believe that in our state she has to be 18 to sign for a loan, and she will still be 17 upon entering college this fall. Where did you find federal loans that could be applied for without a co-signer?

A: You are referring to a legal argument known as “defense of infancy” that says the signing of a contract by a minor does not create a binding obligation. This was eliminated by the Higher Education Amendments of 1992. Your 17-year-old daughter will have the legal capacity to obligate herself to the terms and conditions of a federal student loan on her signature alone. By the same token, she could never use the defense of infancy argument against collection of a student loan.

Thanks for writing and being such a loyal reader. It means the world to me!

U.S. CENSUS

BUREAU SURVEYS

Q: My husband and I keep receiving requests from the U.S. Census Bureau to schedule an interview to discuss our household expenditures. This survey is supposedly voluntary. Have you ever heard of this? We don’t want to participate; we feel it’s an invasion of privacy. We trust your advice and perspective. What do you think?

A: The U.S. Census Bureau does use surveys as a method of collecting and analyzing social, economic and geographic data to provide information about the conditions of the United States, states and counties. But unlike the census it takes every 10 years, in which citizens are required by law to participate, these surveys are completely voluntary.

You are wise to be suspicious and concerned about your privacy. The Census Bureau warns folks on its website about scam artists posing as bureau officials. If you do not want to participate in a survey, opt out. You have every right to do that. If you suspect this is a scam artist after your information or you want to verify that whomever is contacting you is legitimate, contact the U.S. Census Bureau directly.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving. com and author of 18 books, including her latest, “Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?” You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate. com.