Blonde vs Brunette

This is my ever-lasting struggle. Blonde or brunette? I naturally have a light brown/mousey hair colour (with a few grey hairs thrown in for good measure!) - the one that can easily be lightened to a caramel blonde or darkened to a chocolate brunette. Every couple of years I start thinking about changing my hair colour to the one that I am NOT sporting. I swear I must drive my hairdresser crazy some times... I currently have blonde highlights through the top of my hair (with very bad regrowth)... Being on a budget has meant that my trips to the hairdresser every 6 weeks have changed to approximately every 12 weeks (or longer!).

So, I have been thinking about dyeing my own hair at home - but I am scared to do it, a) because my hairdresser may yell at me, and b) because what if I hate it and I have to go through the whole lightening process again? Uggh.

But there are many pros for home hair colouring - cheaper; I can do it more regularly to hide those little greys; I'll get a nice even hair colour; my hair will look glossy and healthy. And changing to brunette means that I won't have the unsightly regrowth anymore. But sometimes I feel like brunette seems so boring on me - that it makes me look like a 'plain jane'... See the torment that I'm in?!!

Does anyone have any tips for me? If you dye your hair at home, which hair colour do you use? Should I go permanent or semi-permanent?