I struggle to maintain a chic and flawless look on a budget throughout the semester, and I am sure I’m not alone. As college students, we are notoriously known to be “broke.” Well, it’s probably because it is usually true. Even with campus jobs or part time jobs, it is still hard to afford groceries, school supplies, books, bills, gas, etc., without even penciling in extra cash for the latest shoes and clothing trends, best makeup brands, hair products to keep your locks flowing, nail appointments, eyebrow waxes, and especially those 30 dollar haircuts with 75 dollar highlights. YIKES. I find crafty ways to fit these luxurious, yet somewhat necessary, items or appointments into my budget, here is how you can too!
Clothing and Shoes
Although you may find yourself drooling over a new faux fur vest at BCBG, it is important to ask yourself four important questions before making the purchase.
1) How many different outfits could I make with this one piece of clothing?
2) Is this a purchase that I could wear not only to class, but to a future or current job?
3) Will the material last a long time, how many years can I expect to receive out of this piece?
4) Do I have room in my budget for this?
After you ask yourself those four questions, you will immediately know if it’s a must buy or a must let go. As a student, you should think about what bills you have to pay this month or what is a more important item that you need to purchase; such as new dress pants for your internship. Also, through my experience working in retail for the past 6 years, I will be the first to reassure you that EVERYTHING goes on sale. Most retail stores will only keep brand new items at their full prices for a couple of weeks before they either mark the prices down OR offer coupons for their store. Keep checking your e-mail or the stores website to find out if your fave pieces are at a more reasonable price at a later date.
Make Up / Eyebrow Waxes & Threading/ Nail Appointments
Next up, make up is sometimes a girl’s best friend or maybe her worst nightmare, depending on how much she spends after she walks into Sephora. A wonderful way to cut back on your spending is to know what you should spend the extra cash on and what you shouldn’t. My general guidelines:
1) I prefer to buy more expensive bronzers, loose powders, concealers, and blush. I have found that a lot of other less expensive brands MAY contain more harsh chemicals. Also, although the face make up products may be more expensive, I can truly see a difference in the amount of time the product lasts and how much easier it is to apply to my skin.
2) When it comes to lipsticks, glosses, mascaras, and eye liners I usually stick to the drug store brands. There are TONS of wonderful products that work just as well as MAC, Clinique, Channel, and YSL. Check out this awesome website to find drugstore makeup dupes: Total Beauty.
In addition to make up, many girls feel that it is necessary to get their nails and eye brows done at least once or twice a month. Well, who can blame them, but it can add up very quickly and leave a huge dent in your wallet. In the current economy, an eyebrow wax or thread costs at least 10-15 dollars per appointment and a mani/pedi ranges, but usually starts at around 35 to 50 dollars, or more.
Uhm hello, that will add up FAST. So, a great way to save is to be creative and treat yourself at home! There are many helpful tips and tricks on Youtube and women’s blogs all over the web. Check out these helpful links to give you the tricks of the trade for mani/pedis, eyebrow threading and waxing, and even acrylic tips! Love it.
Hair and Products
When it comes to getting my hair done, I follow one simple rule. Go to a professional. As I try to save money with mostly everything I do, this is not one of them. In the past, I have attempted to dye my hair myself and let me tell you, it has been disastrous. Now, this may not happen to everyone, but for me I would rather splurge in this area, especially for highlights. A super fab way that you can save money for your new doo is to check out websites such as: Living Social, Yipit, and Groupon. There are constantly savings for Salons all over the country. You can find deals for cuts, highlights, even keratin smoothing treatments, and it’s as easy as typing in your zip code.
If you are looking for the best hair products, have a discussion with your hair stylist. This doesn’t mean that you have to buy the products at the salon, but most of the time salon owners will offer different specials for the products. If you are more comfortable with drugstore brands for your lovely locks, check out this website for the BEST tips and tricks: Women’s Day.