It’s only natural to want to look and feel your best. Expensive beauty products tempt all of us at one time or another from the pages of magazines, websites, stores, salons and friends’ recommendations…and all too often come with seriously high price tags. Here are a few tips for cutting costs when it comes to your appearance so you can stay beautiful on a budget.
1) Work from the inside out.
One of the best things you can do to look your best on many levels is focus on improving your health through exercise and eating well. You’re likely to notice changes in your skin, hair, the shape of your body, muscle tone, posture and more. Even better – it doesn’t have to cost a thing. You don’t need costly gym memberships or special equipment to exercise; simply get outside and start moving! In some cases healthy food such as fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein can cost more than processed junk food but this isn’t always the case, particularly when you cook at home rather than eating out. Factor in the likelihood of reduced medical costs over the long term and getting healthy is very friendly on your wallet!
Getting enough sleep will also improve not only how you feel but your appearance as well. How much is enough varies greatly from person to person; you might need 8-9 hours of shuteye a night while your best friend wakes up refreshed after only 7 hours.
2) Skip the highest price items.
Some products and treatments tend to be costly no matter how much you shop around for a bargain. Colouring or highlighting hair is one example. It is expensive, time consuming and must be done frequently to maintain the look. Try going back to your roots and living with your natural colour for a few months. You might find that you don’t miss the old colour and you certainly won’t miss spending all that money on trips to the salon. As an added bonus, many people find that their hair has more shine, moisture, and body when not dyed or coloured.
Other high cost expensive items include microdermabrasion, anti-aging creams or treatments and electrolysis.
3) Do it yourself.
Pass on the salon and pamper yourself in the comfort of your home. The trick is to invest in the crucial tools of the trade so you’re more likely to be pleased with the results and less likely to go running back to the pros. For example, if you’re hooked on weekly manicures you probably won’t be happy with 99-cent polish that chips after a few hours. But for the cost of 1 or two manicures, you can buy salon-quality nail polish, cuticle cream, a nail file and anything else you might need, which will last for a few months of keeping your hands looking lovely.
A few more examples: skip a costly blowout and invest in a high quality flat iron – you can likely find one for about the same cost as just one professional ‘do or indulge in a luxurious at-home facial by adding fragrant herbs and/or essential oils to hot water in a sink and leaning over the water, allowing the steam to hydrate your skin and improve circulation.
What’s your favourite budget beauty trick?
Anna writes for the popular personal finance blog, Good Cents Savings, which helps you save money, stick to a budget, and live well on less. She is also the mother of a five year old daughter who is worth every penny!
Great tips. By reevaluating what I spend money on, I can cut out the less important items or do things differently, and save money. Thanks for the reminder to take a look at ways I spend.
I save enormously, since I don’t buy anything of this sort at all. Perhaps a lip balm every now and again and that’s it.