Every gal likes to look good, right? I find myself skimping more when it comes to my personal expenses, though, than any other budget category. I tell myself that I don’t really need that face cream. And I can do without that conditioner, right?
The truth is, however, that I don’t have to sacrifice all of my little luxuries if I learn to shop for them smartly. I’ve learned over the years a few frugal secrets to keeping my favorite cosmetics and beauty supplies while still keeping the budget in check.
Clip Coupons – I am always surprised by how many coupons in my Sunday paper relate to beauty products. Eye shadows, hair coloring kits, and foundations: they’re all in the coupon circular. I’ve also recently started getting little books in the mail from Target that are filled with coupons for various items. I religiously save these coupons and look for opportunities to combine them with sales to maximize my savings. It may mean that I purchase something well before I run out of my current supply. However, purchasing the products at the lowest price possibly ensures that I will have it on hand when I run out and also keeps me from paying top price for it.
Check out CVS or Walgreens – A quick visit to Walgreens’ website recently, for instance, revealed a “Buy One Get One Free” sale on Loreal products and sale prices on Neutrogena products. Be sure to keep an eye out for Walgreens’ Register Rewards or use CVS Rewards card to get the best buys possible.
Use Pumps to Regulate Usage – Did you know that most people use too much shampoo or conditioner? Have you ever seen how much hand soap the kids will squirt into their hands when they wash them? You can eliminate this waste by using a pump. Kids will know that they only need one squirt of soap. Likewise, you can get away with one pump or two of shampoo every day. The longer you can stretch your purchases out, the more you can save.
Use Everyday Household Items to Replace Specialty Beauty Items – Over the years, I’ve developed a few little tricks of my own that work in a pinch. You can use baby oil as a makeup remover. You can also use baby oil as a hot oil treatment for hair.
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Hey all you savvy beauties! I’ve started looking at the ingredient list of some of my favorite items… lo and behold, my favorite facial and my teen’s most functioning cleanser had witch hazel as the first ingredient. Works like a charm at a tiny fraction of the cost. Many other products can easily and inexpensively be homemade – mostly with things you already have in your cupboard! Add a few drops of essential oil and ta ta!
Tracy
I have a lot of tips about that here: http://www.naturalfrugality.com/healthtips/grooming/. One thing I’m really enjoying lately is different ways to tame the curl in my hair. Pin curls are amazing and I seriously wonder why women don’t really do them anymore.
I want to learn how to do those and rag rollers right.
Dollar stores can also be good places to find low-price cosmetics, especially if you find a good dollar store.
Loved your tips! I also recently read a study that shows cheaper moisturizers such as Vaseline and Dove are probably better than the high-end, department-store brands, if they contain an ingredient called GQ, which apparently works better than the stuff in the expensive products. Frugal can be better!
Carol
http://www.FrugalLivingPress.com