Fashion Tips from Recessionista

Dollar is soaring, rupee is falling, pay checks are coming but some figures are missing = My life at this exact moment. Recession has hit hard, rather harder than I predicted, expected or hoped. Nonetheless there are things in our regular lives which can’t be compromised and likewise there are things in our lives which can do with some adjustments. Trust me, adjustments are smaller but they can make big differences, economically.

Couple of months back I was regular to beauty parlours for manicure-pedicure, hair spa, body massage, face clean-up and many more things. But since I have spotted ONE missing figure from my pay check, I had to convince myself to spend wisely and save nicely. Last month I had decided to give a miss to professional beauty treatments and gave myself head-toe beauty treatment at home at minimal prices and to be honest I saved an amount of money which seemed quite a lot and which I was spending without much consideration before this recession phase.

Let’s have a glance at my before and after beauty expenditure.

Before Recession My Spending On Grooming Treatments:

- Hair Spa (Twice a month)- INR 2000 ($32)

 

- Manicure (Twice a month)- INR 1000 ($16)

 

- Pedicure (Twice a month)- INR 1000 ($16)


- Body Massage (Twice a month)- INR 3000 (Approx. $49)

- Face Clean Up (Twice a month) INR 1500 (Approx. $25)

Total spending= INR 8500 ( $138)

Current Spending On Grooming Treatments:

- Instead of going to hair spa, I have decided to use homemade egg white head mask twice a month and hair massage with Luke warm almond oil which followed by covering the hair with hot towel and leaving it for 5 minutes (repeat the same 3 more times) for twice a month.

Cost= Total of 6 egg whites = INR 42 (Less than a dollar)

          Bottle of Almond Oil = INR 500 ($8)

Total cost= INR 542 (Less than $9)

- Instead of going to the Parlour for Manicure-Pedicure, I bought a mani-pedi kit, a bottle of shampoo, packet of Epsom salt, pumice stone and a scrubber. Fill the bucket with bearably hot water mix a dollop of shampoo and half a spoon of Epsom salt and stir it well. Remove any previously applied nail-polish, dip your feet in the water for 10 minutes and then work on one feet at a time. First use pumice stone and then scrubber to get rid of all the dead skin. Clipped and shape your nails, apply some cream (any cream) on your cuticles and push them backward. Clean your feet and apply any nail-polish of your choice. For manicure, fill a deep dish or small tub (something like popcorn tub) with a bearably hot water, mix a dollop of shampoo and half a spoon of Epsom salt and repeat the same procedure as you had previously done on your feet.

Cost: Mani-pedi kit = INR 500 ($8)

           Pumice Stone = INR 25 (50 cents)

           Scrubber = INR 200 ( $3)

           Shampoo =INR 165 ($2, 50 cents)

            Epsom Salt INR 350 (Approx $6)

Total Cost= INR 1240 ($21) 

- Nothing can beat a professional body massage but still you can attain a certain level of relaxation and satisfaction with an alternative. I bought a bottle of body scrub and used the Epsom salt from the packet which I used for mani-pedi. Take a generous amount of body scrub on your palm and scrub yourself lavishly and then take a bath with lukewarm water and mix a spoon of Epsom salt in the water. You will feel positively relaxed.

Cost= Body Scrub= INR 600 (Approx $10)

           Epsom Salt = Used from the same packet.

- For face clean-up I bought a pot of face scrub and a pot of face pack. First wash your face and pat it dry. Take some face scrub on your palm, mix few drops of water and apply on your face. Massage your face in circular motions. Clean your face and fill the steamer with water (if you don’t have steamer than boil water in a pan) and take the steam for 3-4 minutes. Then use the black head remover tool on your nose, forehead and chin area. Then take an Ice cube from your freezer and rub it on your face. Pat your face dry and apply the face pack and wash your face after 20 minutes. Later apply some moisturiser.

Cost= Face Scrub= INR 300 (Approx. $5)

           Face Pack= INR 350 (Approx $6)    

Total Cost= INR 650 (Approx $11)

 

Grand Total = INR 3032 ( Approx $50)

All in all I saved= INR 5468 ($85)

If you are like me, struggling to maintain your life and style in this ever falling economy than I would strongly advice, spend wisely, save nicely.