Buddy of mine bought clippers to save money and ended up spending way more than a barber would've cost. First the clippers, then he messed up the back so bad he had to pay someone to fix it anyway. Then he needed guards, better scissors, a mirror setup, all that stuff. By the time he got decent at it he'd already dropped like 80 bucks on gear. Unless you're doing a basic buzz all over, the learning curve alone costs you either money or a few weeks of looking rough.