For the last few weeks, I have been researching ways of saving money on hair care. Here are some tips that could help you stretch your beauty budget. Thanks to all those who contributed.

Tip 1.
I go to a hair dresser that has a salon built onto her house and her prices are very reasonable. The price of a color, haircut, deep conditioning and blow dry is $23.00. I'm very satisfied with her work and have even referred a friend to her.

Tip 2.
Choose a style that lasts a while between cuttings and doesn't require a lot of styling products.

Tip 3.
Choose hairstyles to work with rather than against your hair type.

Tip 4.
To make my shampoo go further, I keep an empty bottle in the shower next to the current bottle of shampoo I am using. When I am ready to lather up, I squirt a SMALL amount of shampoo into the empty bottle. I then add a ‘shot’ of water and shake it lightly. This distributes the shampoo over my hair more evenly, while using less. It also lathers up much faster than doing it the conventional way.

Tip 5.
Collect complimentary and sample bottles and packages of hair care products and send them along when going on short trips. This is especially good for kids who tend to forget to bring things home.

Tip 6.
To cut down on the cost of hair care, we cut our own. I cut my husband's and son's and then my husband cuts mine. I recently purchased the book, ‘Cutting Your Family's Hair’ by Gloria Handel. The directions and illustrations are excellent and she gives recipes for hair care products you can make at home.

Tip 7.
Find a beauty school or college in your area. For simple perms and cuts, they are just fine and much less expensive then the traditional salon.

Tip 8.
Give up perms, hair-coloring and highlighting. Let your hair grow to below your shoulders and get a friend to trim it straight across every few months. Trim your own bangs, if you have them. Long hair can be worn down, in a ponytail, in a braid, in a French braid, or up in a bun. It doesn't have to be blown dry or curled or set. And without chemicals, coloring, and heat it can repair itself and
look shiny and healthy. Beautiful! Easy! Feminine! Cheap!

Tip 9.
instead of using the expensive detangler products from the store, I make a homemade version using 1 part conditioner to 10 parts water. I put it into a recycled pump hair spray bottle. It works wonderfully.

Tip 10.
Most hair does not benefit from daily washing with shampoo or from being washed twice in one bathing as some shampoo manufacturers suggest. Actually, doing these things can dry out your hair and scalp and make them prone to other problems. Find the least expensive shampoo that works for your hair, and use it
only as often and in the quantity that is necessary to keep your hair healthy and manageable.

Article by Naomi Knudsen
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