cleaning up my beauty routine & saving money while I’m at it

At present it works, since the humidity makes straightening my naturally wavy/frizzy hair pointless & it’s hot, so my hair’s pulled up most days anyway.

my savings: about $150 a year

2) salon hair cuts
I actually got up the courage & trimmed my hair myself a few weeks ago, thanks to this post by Anna.

I’m okay with less than stellar results (although I was surprised at how quick & easy it was) because a) it’s summertime & my hair is always pulled up into a messy top not so it doesn’t matter anyway & b) I’m trying to grow my hair out long so a simple trim to cut off the dead ends does the trick.

I spent $70 for German professional shears because I’d like to be able to cut my hair (for now) & my girls hair at least until they’re teenagers & I wanted a good, reliable set.

If you’re not feeling adventurous, or you have high maintenance cut, a cheaper route than the salon is beauty schools, where a hair cut will cost $8-$15. Ask for the senior students, & expect that it will take longer than a normal salon cut.

my savings: $150-$200 a year

3) new clothes
I have a hard time with this one.

I really would love some more current fashions than all the stuff I bought in 2011 & everything in my closet is more conducive for Utah weather (ie. cold), but I’m making do. I have several skirts & a few summery casual dresses that work well in this insane heat.

And who am I kidding? I have plenty of clothes to last me a few more years.

To make it easier, I stay away from Target & any malls, since I know it will only make feel bad. Not only that, I’m at home 90% of the time, & some days the only people who see what I wear is Joseph, my kids, & the people at their school, which makes having “the latest” fashions much less important.

Of course, you could say, well, I’m only going to get clothes from a second hand place, yard sales, or when it’s “on sale.” Unless you only have 2 t-shirts & a pair of shorts, most likely you have plenty of clothes & not shopping/spending money is much, much easier than trying to spend only a small amount.

my savings: Not sure. But not spending any money on clothes is definitely saving me money!

You might surprise yourself by how much you like your skin & face if you let it be naked for awhile. Of course mascara & a bit of natural lip gloss look good on any woman, & don’t cost much, so I’m not going to shame anyone for sticking with these basics.

I still can’t say I’m at the point where I love my naked face, but I can say I’m definitely more comfortable with it now that I ever have been.

my savings: $200-$300 a year

5) face wash & lotions
Currently, I use Dr. Bronner’s soap & coconut oil to remove mascara. I use coconut oil as a moisturizer for my face & body. But this is Texas after all, & very humid, so there’s little to no chance of skin getting dry.

I have super sensitive skin, (even the “for sensitive skin” stuff often
irritates me) so this very simple straight forward routine is something to which my skin is responding quite well.

my savings: $100-$150 a year

Bottom line:

Simplifying my beauty routine, is saving me a minimum of $700 a year (which doesn’t account for clothing).

You could save as much, or more, depending on your current routines.

Not only that, but something I’m realizing is how beauty products feed on beauty products, & I’m wondering if someone isn’t making a lot of money on the fact that we all want to be youthful, sexy, & beautiful & we’re willing to pay (a lot!) for it.

Think about it. Shampoo cleans your hair, yes, but it also drys out your hair too, so you’ll need a good conditioner for that. You buy some foundation, but it’s not just that, you’ll need a foundation brush, then powder to go over it & a powder brush to apply the powder. And then of course you’ll need a good makeup remover & cleanser to avoid build up & break outs.

Further, I’m not sure it’s in our best interest to be in a routine of applying a daily dose of toxic chemicals & carcinogens to our body & hair. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of great organic & “natural” beauty products out there, but a lot of it is snake oil &/or not as organic & wholesome as we’re led to believe.

You may think: “No way could I give up my MAC makeup, or my $40 haircuts. I have to have those things.”

I know, because I used to think that, too.

But the way that I look at it, is it’s a small sacrifice now, so I can have greater freedom & choices later.

I don’t want to be 40 years old, with 4 or 5 kids who are getting ready to go to college while we still have student loans, not a penny in savings, with a dazed look on face asking myself, “where did all my money go?”

Further reading: 10 Things the Beauty Industry Won’t Tell You

 ♥♥

Do you have any natural beauty money saving tips or tricks?
Please share!