MemberMan… some of these numbers… 🤤🤤🤤 i dont think I could afford it even if I earned 3 times what I do or had the time to get all this done.. but even of i had the money and the time I would feel so uncomfortable spending so much on myself.
MemberImMrsSnow : I guess it’s perspective, right? I have never felt uncomfortable. Lol. Of course, all my bills are paid including the percentage for savings. And I KNOW if I had children or skipped out on bills, I would feel guilty as hell. Not the case though. You have to do what works for you, right?
Memberzoraneale : Yup. It also stems from low self esteem fom too though.. and from my mom’s… and from growimg up poor. She was alway very low maintenance and so am I. I mean get this: out of the 2 of us I was the first one who got a professional mani/pedi at age 28 for the first time! I felt so spoiled! Like that is weird! She is 53 and still never got one. She used to at some point get her hair cut and colored which was like $100 every couple months and I was like wow!! I always had her colour my hair out of the box. This past June for my wedding wad the first time i had a cut AND coulour at the salon. I was nauseous at the cash register. This isn’t right..
MemberI might spend an average of $5/month on makeup. I usually only get my hair cut once a year for $15. If I get a massage, it’s because of back pain and is less than once a year. I’m far from the most attractive person out there, but I guess appearance just isn’t that important to me.
MemberHair – usually I get a cut once per 3 months.. past two visits I’ve gotten balayage and then ombre, so that doubles the price. So usually $35/mo, lately $70/mo.
Makeup – Let’s say the cost averages out to $10/mo. No idea truly.
Waxing – $15/mo (I only get my face waxed.. I can do the rest of my body)
Massage – $96/mo, after tip, though I use my flex account to pay so that brings it down to $69
MemberImMrsSnow : Wow! Now, that’s a a different story. It’s cool if you are low maintenance because that’s your thang, but it’s a whole nother tale when it’s based on low self esteem. You deserved to pampered, if that’s what you want and if you can afford it. If you think you’d enjoy a monthly mani and pedi, go for it! A massage, do it! Baylage on those tresses, go for it!
Just think of it this way, would you want your daughter to treat herself the way you treat yourself? If not, do something to change it. Again, no need to be a pampered princess, but if you WANT it, know that you deserve it. It’s ok to spoil yourself occasionally. It doesn’t have to be a be weekly extravaganza like yours truly, but paying attention to yourself is perfectly fine.
Youll always be a saver, and that’s awesome. Paying my savings account is priority one for me. But, if you have some left over cash to play with, go ahead and treat yo’self!
Memberzoraneale : well my financial situation is still pretty tight but I CAN afford to get a little bit pampered now and then. I feel ok about a little bit but before the wedding I did so much omg, I had to remind myself I was the bride.. all eyes on me… the fact that I was nowhere the weight i wanted to be was eating away at me, so i had to try really hard to get all polished to feel pretty and girly.. i had my eyebrows, eyelashes, nails, hair, facial, extensions done before the wedding, I litteraly had my first ever facial at 32.
As for my future daughter (if I have one) i will try damn hard not to instill any low self esteem into her or make her feel how i was feeling and brough up. I am doing a complete values and mindset overhaul right now. I just recently realised my mom has a lot of narcissistic tendencies and behaviours… but that is a whole ither tipic. Dont wanna totally hijack this thread!
MemberLast time I got my nails done was over 7 years ago. As for hair, I went to supercuts a year ago and had them cut it while it was dry.
Monthly costs to maintain myself….probably nothing?… I work two jobs, and pay for rent/living expensives/tuition/and also spend any money left over towards traveling and buying electronics or scuba gear. :/
I think I’m pretty weird. I never got into shoes, handbags, makeup (I have basic stuff-eyebrow pencil and mascara) ….I dunno…
Memberzoraneale : No makeup in that pic? That’s amazing! I might need to think about getting facials! What kind do you get? I have melasma on my forehead though so I like to cover that up with foundation.
Membersweatergal007 : None. Although, to be fair I do have my brows tinted and mink lashes on. Lol. That replaces the makeup. I guess it can be called semi permanent makeup since I only have to get it done every couple of weeks, and then I don’t have to think about it. What I meant was no foundation. I get a personalized facial because my skin is super sensitive, so the fragrances and chemicals put on my skin have to be very specific. It leaves my skin feeling soooo hydrated. I recommend.
Memberzoraneale : My husband calls this my monthly beautification:
$50 eyelash refill
$60 nails
$18 eyebrow wax (plan to try microblading soon…my eyelash gal does this)
$70 massage or facial (alternate via Massage Envy membership)
$130 hair
$? periodic make-up purchases
MemberI’m a DIY girl, no shade to ladies who get everything done, I just don’t enjoy spending my time or money on beauty stuff. I hate going to spas and getting manicures and don’t find that kind of thing relaxing at all, I’d rather spend big on travel/fun experiences.
Face sunscreen/body sunscreen- $5/month
Argan oil- $10/month
Exfoliating scrub – $0 make myself from brown sugar and olive oil, which is in the grocery budget
Moisturizing face mask- $0 make myself from honey and olive oil, which is in the grocery budget
Hair cuts- $0, I cut my own hair
Eyebrows- $0, I do my own
Epsom salts- $.25 for baths, I buy it at Costco
Razors- $5/month, from dorco, I shave it all so I go through a lot
Shampoo and Conditioner- $12, I buy fancy stuff and have super thick/long hair
Detangler- $6/month, again I get fancy stuff
Makeup- $5/month, I only buy like twice a year (cheap mascara, cheap eyeliner, nice brow pencil, cheap eye shadow)
Nails- $1.33/month, I buy two bottles a year and keep my toenails painted at all times, no nail polish on my hands as it always chips off from cooking/being active anyway
That still comes out at $44.58 a month, which seems like a lot to me since it adds up to $534.96 a year, or $5,349.60 every 10 years!
Percentage of net income spent on beauty each year: 0.7 %
Membersauvblanclover : thanks for including percentage of income, that’s super interesting! data nerd here, lol. I’m adding that to my answer now 🙂
MemberLilliV : Agreed, percentage of income is a vital stat when it comes to spending. I think it’s also key to do it based on net income and not pre-tax income. A lot of people rationalize spending based on pre-tax income when that’s not really what they bring home.
Here’s a percentage calculator for any bees who aren’t comfortable with math:
http://www.onlineconversion.com/percentcalc.htm
MemberHair: $75 haircut once every 3 months or so. Add tip and possibly buying a product at the salon and it’s closer to $100, so let’s say $30 a month
Makeup: Variable. I mostly buy Tarte/Urban Decay/Benefit, so it’s pricey when I do buy stuff. I recently spent $80 at Sephora. But I will go months without buying anything new and then splurge when it’s time to replace stuff or occasionally if I just want to try a new color, etc. I don’t really play around with makeup, just buy basics like foundation/mascara/blush/lipstick in neutral shades, but I do wear light makeup daily so I replace it regularly. Average $30 month?
Nails: $10/month? I don’t get manis/pedis often, though I did have a phase a few years ago where I was doing it regularly ($60 every 3 weeks). These days it’s more like a few times a year because I’m on a poor grad student budget. I got my nails done once this summer and before that I got them done for Valentines. But I’ll probably splurge on a mani/pedi soon because I just got engaged and I want to show off my hands. 🙂 I’ll also buy a new polish occassionally.
Gym: 0 currently (have been running outdoors) but $25/month for the class pass I intend to buy soon. I can use the school gym for free.
Spa: Maybe 300/year or $25/month for very occasional spa services (massage/facial a few times a year), though to be fair, most of the times I’ve gotten spa services in the last year have been gifts. I’ve splurged on one real massage, one chair massage at the nail salon, and one facial in the past year, for about $200 total.
Skincare: This also really varies. Sometimes I’ll spend $100+ on new face wash, toner, moisturizer, etc. Maybe $20/month.
Drugstore: $20-$50/month on miscelanous drug store hygiene & cosmetic products like body lotion/nail files/occasional white strips, etc.
Brows: I spent a year growing out my brows so I’ll only go to a pricey “brow expert” now, so it’s about $50 every 6 weeks
Total: $150-200/month on average but it’s very variable. Some months I only buy lotion and some months I might splurge on a massage, get my nails done, or get a haircut.