Perhaps, like me, you want to hibernate through this bad economy. Sort of put it out of your mind until -- miraculously! -- it goes away and the country has fully recovered. In the meantime, here are 23 tips to save on haircuts, color and care:
5 Ways to Save on Shampoo
Here are some tips and tricks to save on your shampoo costs this year:
- You only need to lather once. You don't need to repeat. Shampoo companies use the "rinse and repeat" wording to sell more product.
- Skip the fancy schmancy shampoos and conditioners. You can get a good product in your basic grocery store. Save your money on other items that are worth the splurge.
- Buy a jumbo size bottle of shampoo (cost per ounce is cheaper). Instead of buying a bottle for each shower, divvy up the jumbo bottle among bottles of shampoo you already have on hand. It doesn't really matter if you mix shampoos.
- Add water to shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap to make it go further. Businesses (like every gym I've ever belonged to) do this all the time in public spaces. You can do this especially when you're down to the last bit of shampoo in the bottle, add water and shake it vigorously. You'll get a couple washings out of it.
- Take all those mini shampoos you or your husband collected over the years on business trips and place the mini bottles in the bathroom in a gorgeous bowl and work your way through them. The variety is actually good for your hair.
5 Ways to Save on Haircuts
Here, I share 5 tips on how to save money on a haircut when your money is tight:
- A really great haircut will last a good 3 months, according to Eva Scrivo of Eva Scrivo Salon in NYC. Ask your stylist for a cut that will grow out well. Your stylist doesn't want to lose your business in a bad economy and the savings at the end of the year add up.
- If you have a simple haircut, consider finding a cheaper salon. My friend Heather, who is a doctor, always gets her hair cut in a strip mall where the cuts run her about $20. She has a good, simple haircut with a few layers. There's no need to splurge on a simple cut.
- Take advantage of beauty schools and training nights at established salons. You can get an excellent cut at a salon that's in the business of training students. Check the yellow pages for a local beauty school or call a large salon in your area and ask if they offer haircuts by stylists-in-training.
- Consider growing out your short haircut. Short hair needs to be trimmed every 3-5 weeks, whereas longer hair needs less maintenance.
- Put away your blow dryer and let hair air dry. Blow dryers can be damaging to hair, which leads to split ends, which leads to more frequent salon visits.
Save Money on Your Bangs (Yes, You Read That Correctly)
- Learn how to cut your own bangs. Invest in a good pair hair-cutting shears and never cut hair when it's wet (when hairs dry, they shrink). Smooth down the bangs and snip at them at little at a time with the shears held at a slight angle with the tips pointing up. You don't want to cut across because the cut will look unnatural and likely uneven.
- Don't want to cut your own bangs? Most salons offers free bang trims. Make sure yours does.
Save Money on Hair Color
- If you have colored hair, use a shampoo created for color-treated hair. The mild formulation won't rob your hair of its color, making your pricey hairstyle last a lot longer.
- If you get all-over color and not highlights, skip the salon color and do it yourself. There are some great drugstore hair color brands. See How to Do Hair Color Yourself.
Save Money on Hair Care
- No matter your hair type, condition with every shampoo and deep condition hair at least once a week. Healthy hair means fewer trips to the salon. Invest in a good conditioner, like Kerastase Age Recharge Masque. If you have fine hair, only condition the bottom third of your hair. If you have dry or color-treated hair, deep condition with every wash.
- If you have curly hair, cut down on your shampooing. Curly hair does not need to be washed more than once a week. Some women with curly hair NEVER use shampoo. You'll save money on shampoo and the cost of trims because your hair will remain healthy, longer. See "10 secrets to styling curly hair". Like curly hair, dry hair does not need to be washed often. It does need to be conditioned, however. When you wash, always condition.
- You can skip the fancy salon shampoos for one of the Top 10 Drugstore Products for Hair.
- If you can't live without your pricey salon shampoos, consider cutting back elsewhere in your beauty regimen. For example, Vogue contributor Marina Rust says in the February 2009 issue that she can't live without her Philip B shampoos ($54 for an 8 oz. bottle), but she doesn't need fancy eye makeup remover so she's going to keep the shampoo, but she's getting the eye makeup remover from the drugstore from here on out. See the ranges in prices for yourself.
- If you have oily hair, skip the fancy dry shampoos and apply baby powder to your crown and roots to soak up excess oils between shampoos.
These tips work for anyone of any budget. Keep these tips in mind as you go through life and watch as your savings increase over time!
