Things you refuse to pay for

bedpotato_2

Pardon me if a thread like this already exists, but I haven't found one.

I can never get over how much money many women throw away every month on things that they regard as essential but are in fact luxuries, because they're paying someone else to do something they could do themselves for free.

Haircuts, blow dries, updos, wedding makeup, massages, manicures, spray tans, pedicures, facials, spa days, body scrubs - am I missing something, or is that the lot? :eek:

Apart from the huge savings, I like to have complete control over what's done to my own body, so prefer to do things myself - MY WAY! Also, I don't like the concept of being touched by a perfect stranger.

Here's how I save money:

I cut my own hair

see here for blunt cut instructions: http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/
or here for layered cut instructions :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYMyJ-LR8so&feature=relmfu

I do all my own hair treatments

I do my own manicure

I do my own pedicure

I make and apply my own body scrub (sugar and olive oil)

I remove my own *cough, cough* body hair

I pluck my own eyebrows

Sadly, though, I am unable to give myself a back massage. My powers are limited. :rotfl:

Does anyone else do these things at home?

Here's another moneysaving tip. In the past when I was skint and didn't know what present to get my mum, I gave her a homemade voucher for a massage with me! She was really happy. You could do this for your mum or OH. Give them a massage or a facial or a pamper day in their own home with the products they're used to. Save yourself the money of buying them a present, and save them the money of going to a spa, hairdresser, or whatever, and running the risk of having a reaction to unfamiliar products.

nicolax

must admit when money is a bit tight i will trim my fringe if cant afford a haircut

i do enjoy going to the hairdressers or for a massage (although i dont do it often!) sometimes it just nice to sit back, relax and be papered especially love the head massage you get at the hairdressers!
but to save some moeny asking for a voucher for the local spa for my birthday so can use it throughout the year for massages/facials/whatever treatment i fancy!

bedpotato_2

nicolax wrote: »

sometimes it just nice to sit back, relax and be papered especially love the head massage you get at the hairdressers!

Oh yes! That's another thing I can't really do on myself. It is so relaxing that you end up nearly falling asleep, and you don't want to have to be the one who's getting the massage AND giving it both at the same time! :rotfl:

Valentina2

Hi,
I found your post interesting. I think that now with all the magazines telling us there are "must have" clothes, beauty products and treatments etc., often people start to see luxuries as essentials. I don´t treat myself to the things you mention, apart from a haircut twice a year, because I can´t afford them and I class them as treats. Sometimes when it´s my birthday and my partner asks me what I´d like, I ask for a facial or a manicure and thoroughly enjoy the treat but as you point out, luxuries are what these types of treatments are and if you can´t afford them, you should go without and not kid yourself that you need them.

shandyclover

I do all of the above bar cutting my hair, like you I am not keen on strangers doing too much to me!

I get my hair cut by a trainee hairdresser. It's free though and the salon tells me they have a hard time finding people with my hair length and texture, and it's all needed to complete the training. The trainees are so happy when I come in so I almost feel like I am doing them a favor!

I have 4 teen DD's and they often do the home spas/facials/manicures etc.etc. on a rainy weekend, or if one of them is down about something, the others will give them a pampering. I think it's a lovely idea and makes me so happy to see though they may squabble they all love each other to bits!

As far as the fake tanning, the most I do is use 'holiday skin' in summer. A poll was published in the paper here in Ireland not long ago, asking what beauty regime men hated, it came out a whopping 75% wished girls would give up the fake tan.

bedpotato_2

Indeed, Valentina! Sorry to harp on about this, but people on this forum who currently get their hair cut at a salon should consider doing it themselves and putting the money they would have spent into a tin.

I started cutting my own hair in 2006 and stopped going to salons. I gave up the hair dye as well. I used to pay a fortune at salons because I have thick hair and they often charged me extra. Cheeky so-and-sos. I'm curious to know how much money would now be in my tin!

Approx. £50 for highlights, cut and blowdry roughly every three months = £200 per year.

If I've done the maths right, since 2006 I have saved a whopping £1,200 (and I now have healthy, shiny, virgin hair to boot, cut exactly the way I like it).

Oh that's a good one, Shandyclover. I'd forgotten about hairdressing students needing people to practice on and doing it for free. I'm sure many moneysavers get their hair cut for free that way. That way is fine for people who don't care too much how it turns out, but I'm far too fussy about my hair to ever want to go back to a hairdresser.

I agree men seem to hate fake tans; I suspect they hate false eyelashes, too!

Edit: I just wanted to say that this sentence made me laugh:

Shandyclover wrote:

I have 4 teen DD's

because I didn't understand it at first. I thought it was text speak, and was puzzled to picture you as having fourteen boobs, all of which were DD cups! :rotfl:

elisebutt65

I get my hair done at the college I work at, though I do splash out at T & G once or twice a year when they put the board out for reduced prices. I do my own colouring though.

I get my brows threaded by a little Indian shop for £2 every few months, then pluck them myself in between.

I do my own waxing & exfoliating though.

I have to go to chiropodist a few times a year as I don't want to hack at my own feet with a scalpel :@, but regularly do my own mani/pedi.

I absolutely hate massages- people other than bf touching me - ugh!!!! I even hate the head massage at the hairdressers!

Ziggazee

I do all my own beauty treatments apart from my hair (only because I now have it highlighted) but I do trim my own fringe inbetween haircuts. I like to get my eyebrows threaded when I can be bothered going but normally just pluck them. Decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure last month for my birthday but to be honest my own DIY efforts are just as good. I just don't see the sense in paying someone to do something I can do myself, I'd rather have a new dress or pair of shoes :-)

glowgirl_2

I do my own hair including cutting,colouring and extensions and make up including false lashes, all beauty treatments including chemical peels and my own fake tan at least twice a week using a professional product. I simply don't trust anyone else and no one understands my skin and hair like I do, if something goes wrong I only have myself to blame, however I do have some excellent beauty professionals I can ask for advice if necessary.

I can't seem to shape my eyebrows like a professional does so I have them threaded at a pricey £13:eek: each month, I have to pay this as I live in the sticks and this is the nearest place to get them done, in fact with traveling it costs more_pale_.

I don't make my own skincare products although I would love to I just don't have the time but this could be a good way of saving and controlling ingredients.

MrsE_2

I get my hair coloured 6 times a year, all over colour & highlights. I couldn't do that myself, I get it cut every other colour, so 3 times per year.
I'm going to get my nails put back on as I miss them, I can't do those.

I'm recently seperated so will have to do without the other things I used to get occasionally, like spray-tans, eyelashes, reflexology, massages, facials, pedicures.

But the hair & nails are ESSENTIALS not luxuries.

angelil

Great thread!

As for me:

bedpotato wrote: »

Haircuts/blow dries

I go to the hairdresser max twice a year. I really am a wash and go kind of girl and my hair grows really slowly so I like to give it half a chance

updos

Do these myself when I can be bothered (read: not often)

wedding makeup

Did this myself and haven't regretted it for a second

massages

Have only ever been for a massage once - loved it, except the oil they used made my clothes oily too!! Nooo!!

manicures, pedicures, facials, spa days

Again, one of those once-or-twice a year things.

spray tans

Would quite simply never ever get any sort of fake tan. Hate how it looks.

body scrubs

I do my own...can't imagine why anyone would ever pay for that?!

I remove my own *cough, cough* body hair

This I do pay for - but at only €12-€18 a month for my whole body (cheapest salon in town!) I can't complain. All my attempts at home waxing have been disastrous.

I pluck my own eyebrows

Me too

So on the whole all fairly :money: