The Ultimate Guide to Beauty on a Budget - Ramsey Solutions

When it comes to beauty, there are so many things that we think we need to improve. We want our lashes lifted, our nails manicured, and our legs lasered! And it’s not easy on our budgets.

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I recently saw a study commissioned by Groupon on beauty spending habits. According to the survey, women who invest in their appearance spend an average of $3,756 every year on beauty.1 You guys, that adds up to the cost of a house over a lifetime!

When I was a kid, Suave made a commercial where two gorgeous women with long, flowing hair are laughing and walking arm in arm. One of them uses Suave, and the other—gasp!—pays full price for the salon brand. But which one? Enter the famous line: “If you can’t tell, why should we?”

The commercial was cheesy, but it was right. You can look like a million bucks on a tight budget, and no one will know the difference. Here are 10 beauty secrets that will keep your budget happy.

1. Haircuts and Manicures

Women know a good haircut can cost upwards of $50. Add some color, and suddenly you’re into the hundreds!

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But here’s the secret to getting a great cut for significantly less: Book an appointment at your local cosmetology school. These students are up on the latest hair trends, but they also need practice. If you’re nervous about a first-day student butchering your locks, ask for a more experienced stylist—and make sure he or she is being supervised.

While you’re at it, check out their prices on manicures, pedicures and eyebrow shaping. Or buy a gel set and do it yourself at home.

2. Shampoos and Conditioners 

There are two main ways to save money on quality shampoo and conditioner. The first is to shop at off-price stores like Ross, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls. The only downside is that the selection constantly changes. So, buy what you can when you see your favorite products, because they might not be there the next time—just don’t blow your budget on impulse. For example, if you go ahead and buy it when you see it in the store, just be sure to adjust your budget so you can keep hitting your financial goals.

The second way is to buy store-brand or generic versions of the designer product. For example, I have it on very good authority that Kirkland Signature Professional Salon Formula Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner at Costco are made by Pureology. Switching to Costco’s version will put $50 per bottle back in your budget.

3. Hairspray and Texture Spray

Don’t assume that just because it’s at the drugstore or grocery store means it’s no good. In fact, many times, my local Kroger surprises me with the high-end brands they carry. But if you’re getting out of debt or building an emergency fund, beauty on a budget means trying less expensive brands.

And don’t forget to check Amazon when you’re comparing prices. My favorite hair product of all time is L’Oréal Paris Advanced Boost It Spray (I use it on my roots), and it’s less than $4 on Amazon. Check out the video below for all of my favorite hair styling products under $10 and how I use them in my daily routine:

4. Fashionable Eyewear

As someone who kept tiny, round, out-of-style eyeglasses for decades, I understand how hard it is to bite the bullet and spend money on new glasses. But these days, it’s so easy to update your look with online companies like Warby Parker or Zenni.

With Warby Parker, all you have to do is choose five different frames to try from their website. They’ll ship your choices right to your door so you can try them on in the comfort of your own home. Once you know which ones you want, you return the frames, submit your prescription, and get a cute new pair of glasses for cheap!

The best part is that these companies believe eyewear should be affordable. Getting your glasses through one of them will keep your bill under $100. (Praise hands emoji!)

5. Statement Earrings

Everyone loves the big, bold statement earrings these days—including me. They can make any outfit more fun!

Which leads me to one of my favorite fashion hacks of the last decade. Are you ready? Get your statement earrings on Amazon. They come in every color and style imaginable, and they’re so dang cheap—like this 20-pack for $22. Yes, for real. I wear these on The Rachel Cruze Show all the time, and I love them!  I have the money tendency of quantity over quality, so this makes my heart sing.

6. Skin Care 

Regardless of what some infomercial or your dermatologist sold you on years ago, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a good skin care routine. A investigation researched the real differences between high-end moisturizers and the ones you can buy at a drugstore.2 They found that both expensive and affordable moisturizers use the same ingredients.

Dr. Rachel Nazarian reported, “Hyaluronic acid is hyaluronic acid. A brand like Neutrogena will make a phenomenal one that, to me, is just as good as these fancy ones that you’ll pay $100, $200 for.”

If you’re spending hundreds on skin care, this is a great area to put money back in your budget. Personally, I swear by CeraVe facial moisturizer. It’s cheap, it has SPF coverage, and you can get it at any drugstore.

7. Massages and Facials 

You don’t have to wait for Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day to hit the spa. If you have a massage school in town, you can snag a quick shiatsu for $20–30. Or check with your local cosmetology school for deals on a professional-quality facial.

One of my favorite skin care techniques is called dermaplaning. It involves scraping the top layer of dead skin off of your face with a small razor. It sounds crazy, but it will leave your skin feeling the smoothest it’s ever been! Watch a couple tutorials on YouTube, order the tool from Amazon for cheap, and you’re good to go. Trust me, if I can do it at home, you can too!

8. Makeup Brushes

When it comes to beauty items that bust the budget, I know people love high-quality makeup brushes. I have a really nice one for applying foundation. But for the basics like eye shadow and blush, the affordable drugstore brushes work just as well, and they last forever. And you can wash the brush every so often with soap and warm water.

9. Workout Plans

Peloton and Beachbody don’t own the market on working out from home. There are literally hundreds of millions of FREE workout videos on YouTube, with thousands of instructors coaching you through the workout style of your choice: yoga, Pilates, HIIT, weight training, you name it.

If you need the motivation of going to an actual gym, there are several chains like Workout Anytime that start around $10/month. Your local YMCA will also have a sliding scale where your monthly fee is based on your income.

10. Frequency

One of the best ways to maintain beauty on a budget is to simply cut back. If you want to make your money go further, you’ll need to reconsider weekly manicures or monthly false eyelashes. If you wash your hair every other day instead of daily, your shampoo and conditioner will last twice as long. And what if you went minimalist with your makeup? How much time and money would that save you?

Picture yourself 20 or 30 years from now, living in retirement. Will touching up your highlights twice a year instead of once every six weeks have a major impact on what you’re doing? It might, if you invested that money instead.

What if you could save $3,000 on beauty this year? How much faster would you be out of debt? How much sooner would you finish up your emergency fund?

When you’re in control over your money, you feel confident in yourself. You’re living out your values and creating a life you love. How beautiful is that?

If you’re on this journey to get out of debt and build wealth, I want to walk alongside you. My new book, Know Yourself, Know Your Money, will show you why you spend money the way you do and what to do about it.

With new releases coming out left, right and centre, it’s enough to make us beauty aficionados weak at the knees. I mean, the Barbie beauty collabs alone have had me in add-to-cart mode for weeks!  

For more information, please visit Eye Cosmetics.

Combine this with re-blossoming social calendars beckoning beauty appointments into full swing, and a wedding on the horizon, and it can certainly make me guilty of spending quite a few dollars on products and appointments. 

Now don’t get me wrong — beauty is one of my passions, so I’m more than happy to splash some of my hard-earned cash on the goods. But sometimes even us hardcore devotees can do with some reigning in. 

Watch: Dirt build up wreaked havoc on your makeup draw? Here's the quick fix. Post continues below.

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Whether I’m saving my dollars for a special occasion, or just feeling a little frugal, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for when I’m trying to spend a little less dough on the beauty front. 

Before we jump in, a quick reminder that everyone’s skin is unique, so be sure to patch-test goodies that are new to you and seek advice if you’re unsure if a certain product is right for you. 

I’m not a dermatologist or a financial advisor — always seek professional advice.  

1. Clean up my bathroom cupboard.

A bathroom cupboard clean-out is top of the list for a few reasons. Firstly, it is immensely satisfying. Sorting, organising, making things look all neat and pretty… it all brings me a great sense of calm. 

Secondly, it helps me bid adieu to products that have reached their expiration date.  

I’m pretty good at using skincare products until they’re all the way empty (a money-saving hack of its own!) but certain less frequently used makeup products can be harder to get through. 

But finally, and most importantly for the topic in question, it helps remind me how many hardworking products I already own. I just recently re-discovered a whole stack of lipsticks I forgot about, which consequently helped me fight the urge to buy any more for the office-outfit rotation. 

It’s much harder to justify fresh buys when you’re well acquainted with your already stellar line-up.  

2. Plan out my beauty routine with products I already have.

Just like outfit planning inspires fresh excitement for the threads you already own, planning your beauty routine can remind you that you’ve got a flurry of options good to go.

So, I often do just that. Once I’ve taken stock of the goods I already have, I like to plan out routines featuring said prods: morning skincare and evening skincare, and makeup looks for the week. I just write them out as a note on my — nothing fancy — but enough to do the trick. 

3. Do my own nails. 

Getting my nails done is all fun and games until I get trapped in a never-ending cycle of re-application. I tell myself that I’ll go in just to get the gel removed, and end up coming out with pink glittery nails and another hit to the ol’ bank account. Oops. 

DIY-ing my nails is one of my go-to ways to save a little extra cash on the beauty front. Plus, much like cleaning out the bathroom cupboard, I find the whole process really calming and rewarding. 

My favourite time to do my own nails is Friday night, in front of the TV. 

I’ll do the full kit and caboodle — base coat, two coats of colour, top coat — while binge-watching something good for the soul. And all of it for much less than an in-store mani! 

Here's some nail polish inspo for your next DIY sesh: 

• Essie Ballet Slippers, $15.99, is a fan fave. Classic, timeless, cheap! 

• Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Wine Stock, currently $12.99, is a perfectly moody yet polished winter colour. 

• Kester Black Rouge, $28, is one of my most worn polishes ever. The best red. 

• Chanel Le Vernis 505, $43, is a cult colour that never fails. Plus, it’s a bougee buy that’s still less than most nail salon experiences. 

4. Search out discounts on things I actually need.

If I realise that I’m close to running out of something I really need (think cleanser, SPF, shampoo) and haven’t uncovered a substitute in the great bathroom cupboard cleanout, I get my discount on. 

There are lots of ways you can nab a cheeky discount on beauty. Some sites offer a percentage or dollar value off for a first-time purchase, so it’s worth seeing if you can get what you need from a reliable site that offers one of these. Lots of online retailers also allow you to add items to your wishlist and get notifications when they go on sale. 

This also applies to skin treatments and services — I keep an eye out for special packages and discounts at my favourite treatment spots and add them to my account. 

This one is double-y smart because when my skin has had a professional treatment, it’s looking and feeling its best and therefore doesn’t require me to introduce an extra flurry of at-home products. Savvy! 

5. Allow a treat.

Going cold turkey on all beauty products is a recipe for disaster for me. I end up getting crazy FOMO, which can lead to reckless and unnecessary purchases.  

Instead, I still allow myself a considered purchase or two, making sure it’s something I will absolutely use and will bring me lots of delight — I’ll try a sample to make sure it’s ticking all the boxes. After all, I said spending less, not spending nothing! 

What are some things you do to save on beauty products? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Instagram/@hannahrabbitt.

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