Let’s face it, a visit to your local nail shop for a pedicure leaves you feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to walk across the world. But when it’s time to pay for the service I often I ask myself if it was totally worth it the money spent?
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As a working mom, I value moments like this to treat myself. However, recently I decided to start my debt free journey while looking at my spending habits little things like a $25-35 bi-weekly or monthly pedicure simply added up over time.
So, unfortunately, my pedicure fund was the first thing to get slashed!
How do I maintain my feet without this service?
I’m happy to say there are two solutions!
Solution #1: Simply reduce the cost but not the visit. Instead of visiting the nail salon and getting a full-service pedicure (socking, wine, massage chair, the whole nine yards) I simply get a COLOR CHANGE. This service includes removal of old polish, nail trimming, and a new pop of color.
Most importantly this visit only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, it allows me to get out of the house, and hang out in a relaxing environment.
The cost of a COLOR CHANGE can vary based on the salon. However, the service typically only sets me back between $8 -12 bucks a huge difference ($17-27) from the cost of a full-service pedicure.
Solution#2: The second solution is to simply give myself a shower DIY salon perfect pedicure. To pull this off it takes five little tools most of which I keep on hand (pumice, shower gel, nail file, nail clipper, and cute nail polish). The first thing I do is remove any old polish, and give my toe nails a quick trim, and file them to my desired shape. When I want to be fancy about it, I might even use a bit of oil around my cuticle prior to the shower for added moisture.
Right before it’s time to exit the shower I add a bit of shower gel to my pumice and use it to scrub away any dead skin on the heels, the big toe, the bottom surface, and on the side of the foot. After a good scrubbing, I check to see if my heels are soft to the touch (no rough skin) then I move on the next foot. If not I repeat the process again until smooth, usually two good scrubs do the job.
Once my feet are dry I add a nice pop of color. Followed by a top coat of clear polish to seal it. Finally, I give my feet that extra bit of softness they deserve by massaging in Vaseline with Cocoa Butter or Coconut Oil to finish the process.
This method only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Also with using items on hand it cost me nothing for a salon perfect pedicure. The best part is these tools can be used for several pedicures.
As a result, within two months I’ve saved $50-70 on a full-service pedicure and $16-24 on my color change services. Over the course of a year, the savings help me achieve my goals of becoming debt free.
I’m always looking for solutions to help me continue to live a full life yet save a dime.
Tell me how you would have solved this issue, or if you have used either of these strategies. If so how did they work out for you? Do you still use these methods, and would you recommend them to friends or family looking to cut back?
Thanks for reading, liking, and sharing!
~Monique
