Frugal Fridays: Saving Money At The Salon!

Good Evening!

Initially I started a ridiculously long post on frugal living. As you're aware, my husband and I are 100% debt free. To be honest, we've never really been in debt (after my first year of University I had a HECS debt which is a kind of student loan in Australia, but I promptly paid that off after the first year and paid all subsequent classes outright). Staying out of debt and staying frugal is a lot easier than getting back on track if your finances are a train wreck! Anyway, I thought it would be cute to share some frugal tips with you each Friday, starting with today!

Saving Money At The Salon

As you can probably gather, I am a girly girl. I love clothes, I love makeup, I love looking and feeling pretty. However, pretty often comes with a price tag! 

I worked in the hotel industry for 6 years and image was everything. I had to look put together and presentable at all times! This meant perfectly manicured nails, neat and styled hair, and professional looking makeup. 

I admit that I got Acrylic Nails for years. Also, I used to spend about $200 every month at the salon on my hair alone! Mind you, I used to have a good job. But looking back, I cringe at how much money I spent! 

My Frugal Friday Solution? Your Local Beauty School! 

Actually, they're called Cosmetology Schools nowadays, but we all know I'm stuck in a bit of a time warp! 

Now, don't cringe and back away- don't think "Oh my goodness I don't want some amateur kid touching my hair! What if they mess it up?". At most schools, they won't let the students run wild on your hair, but don't expect the salon experience to be as quick as you're used to either. Plan to be there at least a few hours.

Why?

Depending on the level of the student, he/she has to consult with their teacher before and after every major step to ensure they are getting it right and to ensure that you are happy with the progress! It seems tedious at first, but wouldn't you rather that process than for some poor stylist to send your hair candy pink like Frenchie in Grease?

Also, be aware that the teacher may take over your hair and use you as a demonstration for the rest of the class. This has happened to me a few times. I don't mind. Actually, I find it really interesting!

The best thing about all of this though is the money you can save. For a color and cut, I would spend anywhere between $20-$30 depending on whether I had any coupons and what exactly I had done! This is HUGE savings on your regular salon bill! A cut and blowout alone I believe was about $8-$10 at the particular school salon I went to! 

Another advantage beyond helping students achieve their dream of becoming stylists, is I found them to be a lot more welcoming of new ideas, styles and techniques. Usually, if I told a regular stylist to give me something retro or to give me victory rolls they would look at me like I was out of my mind! Students on the other hand want to learn and want to experiment- so tell them you want color, curls, a Veronica Lake Peek a boo Bang or anything in between, and they'll most likely happily strive to get it right!

I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful young lady at the school Salon do my hair every time for the past year and a half. She recently graduated however and is moving on- and unfortunately as I'm in the process of relocation too I won't get to see her! However, she always put in 100% effort and always did an amazing job with my hair! 

You better believe I'll be going back to Cosmetology School Salons to get my hair done after I have relocated to St. Louis for good! The savings are worth it! In one year alone, of opting for the Cosmetology School Salon over a regular Stylist- I saved over $2000!

Also, I started doing my own nails and toenails as opposed to getting them done at a nail spa (another $1200 in savings over the course of the year!). 

My nails are a bit shabbier since I don't have acrylics anymore, and my toenails aren't always as shiny and painted as they used to be, but my hair is just as good as it's ever been and the savings have made the small sacrifice worth it! 

So look up your local Beauty School today! Ask about their salon hours and pricing- you may just find your new favorite future hair stylist, and save a lot of money in the process!

Until next time,

Stay Glamorous!