Personal Grooming Savings For A Great Look
If we were all to sit and write out what it costs to maintain our personal grooming habits each month, it would probably be shocking. Even frugal people may not notice how a hair cut and color, nail work, and/or contacts take a big chunk out of your monthly budget. There are other alternatives, and if you don’t mind doing things yourself, you can save quite a bit of money, even if the look isn’t exactly model perfect. Or, as in the case of dental or eye work, you may want to fund the work now, while still employed, by either using cash advance loans or some other form of credit.
Hair Cuts
You can cut your own hair, although it’s not as easy as having someone cut it for you. For women, it’s easy enough to just let it grow long and only cut the ends from time to time to keep it from showing too many split ends. Separate shampoos and conditioners can be costly too, and using one all-in-one formula can save money over the long run. Just be sure to use a formula that really supplies the necessary nutrients and conditioners to keep it in top shape. Then, it will look good no matter what. If you’re used to running to the salon every few weeks, try and stretch it out a bit. The longer you wait to go, the more money you save. If you’ve never tried coloring your hair at home, have a go at it. Just be aware that it’s easier to darken hair than to lighten it. Highlights and blond colors are almost always better done in a salon.
Nail Work
This can be very expensive too, if done every few weeks. Once done, touch-ups are necessary, and it can be traumatizing to go without fixing a broken fake nail. It will take time to release the nails from your own natural nails and it may look bad for a few weeks. After that, stick to your own natural beauties for everyday wear and just file and color at home to save yourself a ton of money. For special occasions, splurge and go to the salon.
Eye And Dental Work
By far, the most expensive personal care is eye care and dental work. No one likes to wear glasses, but contacts are very expensive, in comparison. No one wants to walk around with gaps in their teeth or a yellow smile. You should budget these expenses on a yearly basis as it isn’t just a cosmetic fix. Eye and dental problems can be the indicators of more serious conditions, so it never pays to be cheap in this area. Instead, if you have access to a flexible spending account, use it to budget these expenses and that will save you your tax rate on this type of work. Haggle with dentists if you don’t have insurance, and offer to pay cash without an insurer. They may be willing to go down if they don’t have to file a claim. If you are insured, take advantage now of any eye or dental benefits you may have, so that you won’t need to spend them out-of-pocket, should you end up laid off or unemployed suddenly.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under Saving Money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
