I'm a hairdresser slut. Really a one cut stand sort of girl. Sometimes I splurge - my last cut was $65, and I've paid $100 for all over color plus highlights. Sometimes its me, the cheap box of color from Walgreens, and the cut from Cost Cutters for $14.
Cost Cutters can be good, or it can be horrible. If you are lucky enough to get a regular stylist who does a good job, it can work just fine. However, its certainly a no-frills sort of experience. However, you can also get people who can't hack it in a "real" salon. I cried for two days after my last Cost Cutters haircut - and probably won't go back.
I've had some luck with Cost Cutters with the "spend a decent amount to get it cut in a salon once a year - have Cost Cutters trim it up every six weeks." However, that was how I ended up in tears - to me, telling someone to "trim" should not involve anyone cutting three inches off anywhere.
Had a wonderful hairdresser with a great eye for color who did my hair for a while - we actually had a "lasting relationship" and the $40 he charged me for a foil plus all over was worth every penny - three times better than the $19 box of Loreal with Highlights at home for twice the cost. However, he left (the reason I'm such a slut - I've been dumped by too many hairdressers - just when you start to think its a long term thing, they go and move or decide to stop cutting hair or switch to limited hours during the workday).
Paying more does not guarentee a better cut or color, but does seem to up your chances of getting one. And seems to add to the perks - i.e. if I go to Cost Cutters I get a cheap cut - but no shampoo, no blow dry and style. I spend three times as much and I'll get a shampoo, head and neck massage and blow dry, herbal tea - which turns getting a haircut from a utilitarian exercise into an hour mini-pamper.
When more than one person asks you that, you know something is wrong. Another time my mom said something looked funny, so I went back to the salon and the owner looked at my hair and exclaimed "Oh my god"! That didn't sound good.
I'm willing to sacrifice their hair. 
) and haven't looked back.
My hairdresser is a wonderful French woman, who is about 70 years old now - so who knows how long she'll still be working. She's at the Hair Cuttery at the mall, and I go out of my way a little to see her (she's like 30 or 40 miles away, but I go to Disney or do volunteer work on those days also).
That $13 will last months since I only color every 5 weeks and it's a lot of stuff! I am growing it out so she sometimes trims my bangs too, but that's about it. So, I guess I spend close to nothing now!
