Cosmetology as a Sideline?

I've been coloring my own hair for many years, with varying degrees of success. In the last few years, less successful experiences have included a head that was red on the top half and light brown on the bottom and a color so dark that I washed my hair a dozen times to lighten the shade. The last shampoo included about a cup of peroxide, which finally did the trick.

Before Christmas last year, I decided that from now on I would go to a professional for my coloring in the future. However, my natural frugality kicked in when I worked my last paid day and I've gone back to the home salon. This morning I decided that I'd try some auburn highlights. I split a dose of Nice'n Easy lightest auburn into two applications and used my gloved fingers to mix the color through my hair. The result looked a little "chunky" so I switched to a comb and ended up with a fully moistened head, though I could see that some sections were a little light.

Final result: pretty good. It looks more like auburn with blondish highlights, but it's reasonably attractive. And I still have one more application for next time.