Tip #2 Cut-price beauty

Let’s face it.  As much as I like to deny it, looks can sometimes be important.  But beauty treatments, to me at least, have less to do with the beauty side, and more to do with having a few hours of pampering with the phone turned off, where nothing else matters. 

Problem: beauty treatments are expensive

Solution: don’t go to the professionals

In the past few years, I’ve realised that student salons and spas are just as good as professional places, will take longer (more relaxation time!) and cost WAY less.

As a direct price comparison, last year I spent ₤87 from my birthday money on a haircut, facial, and eyebrow wax at a high-end salon in London.  This year, I’m getting a haircut, facial, and manicure and will be paying ₤28 pounds. 

The haircut is free because I will be a hair model for a student hairdresser.  The facial, at ₤18 pounds, and the manicure, at ₤10, are cheap because student spas don’t charge for labour, only materials.

Total savings: ₤59

Hair modelling opportunities can be found by searching “free haircut” or similar key words on local internet posting boards such as gumtree in the UK or kijiji in Canada.  Searching for student spas in your area will turn up results for cheap beauty treatments.

(Note: the cheapest thing would, of course, be to not get any sort of haircut or beauty treatments.  But I’m unwilling to give up my yearly birthday pampering)