Cutting Costs After Getting Cut: Personal Care

Because there is only so much change that you can find in the couch cushions

Cutting Costs After Getting Cut is a series on Sack Hacks dedicated to helping you figure out how to manage your finances and potentially limited budget while you go through career transition. Check out these articles for generating savings through coupons, budget changes, or lifestyle changes!

"You are asking me to cut out the one thing that makes me feel good when I am going through a tough time?"

I know, it’s cruel. But in tough times hard decisions must be made. While cuts will need to be made to get spending under control when there is no money coming there is a limit. And you are going to want to keep some amount of personal care items as a line item in your budget to as not offend anyone by your grooming (or smell) in an interview. Below are some guidelines on what should stay in your personal care budget and what should be ditched.

Each category has a rating for whether it should stay in your budget:

KEEP - This is essential and should be kept in your budget in some capacity

MODIFY - some scenarios may allow for this to be kept. Consider other options to keep this expense low

LOSE - You don't need this. Say goodbye

HAIRCUTS - KEEP

You can’t look unkept when entering the job market, and how your hair and clothes look are as much a part of your first impression as your personality. While this is still a must have in a time of low income, there are some potential things you can do to lessen the financial burden of visiting the hairdresser

Some tips for bringing down the budget:

• Talk to your stylist - if you and the person that does your hair are close, tell them that you are going through a rough period and ask if there are any discounts you could take advantage of until you have a new job. You never know until you try?

• Choose a different stylist - if you aren't particularly close with your stylist, changing stylists or locations can be a big price savings. If you want to stay at the same location, see if maybe someone else's rate is potentially cheaper than who you have used in the past (going from a Master Stylist to a Senior Stylist for example)

• Do your hair at home - this is only if you have someone trustworthy in your life to help you. Otherwise looking like you went through a lawn mower on your head during a job interview is not ideal!

• Space out your appointments - if you have a longer style that requires less maintenance, try spacing out the time between haircuts to allow for more cost savings in between

MANICURE/PEDICURE - LOSE

While having healthy nails that are taken care of is important, having anything elaborate is not needed. Your nails shouldn't be at the forefront of your dress during the interview process anyway. While it might be hard to break up with your manicurist, doing your nails is one of the accessible personal care activities you can do at home.

What to do instead:

• Do your nails at home yourself- Learn how to give yourself a manicure and a pedicure at home. Keep in mind it will take time to get good at it so don’t let the first few attempts discourage you from the practice completely

• Have a “self care” party - invite over some friends or schedule time with your spouse/partner for a pampering session. This is great if you have friends going through financial hardship as well, as it lets you hang out without spending tons of money

• Use press on or sticker nails - if you can't get the hang of it yourself no matter what you try, go for the press on and sticker nail options.

Practice, practice, practice (especially painting that dominant hand)

MASSAGES/FACIALS - LOSE

If you thought this was a necessity I have bad news for you. Unless you are experiencing some kind of medical issue that requires you to receive massages (and you should be seeing if you can bill that through your insurance if that is the case) there is no excuse to keep this in the budget.

But getting pampered during a rough time can feel better than ever. Give the below a try if you are feeling particularly deprived.

What to do instead:

• Good skincare starts at home - any dermatologist or esthetician will tell you that they can only do much if your routine at home is bad. Have a regular skincare routine if you don't already to help alleviate skin issues.

• Ask your partner or friend for a massage - it might not be professional quality, but it can scratch the itch of having someone work the knots out of your back

• Ask for gift cards - if you have a birthday or holiday coming up where you typically receive a gift, ask for a gift card to a massage studio or esthetician so that you can relax without spending money.

MAKEUP/SKINCARE - MODIFY

For anyone reading this who thought for sure this section would say “Lose” you are probably relieved that it does not. That is because the society we live in rewards women who wear makeup and men/women that take care of their skin in the workplace. Due to this, you can’t just cut these out cold turkey. Instead look into maximizing a small budget for these items.

Tips for lowering the budget:

• Drugstore, not Sephora - now is the time to go from designer brands to drugstore brands. Check out YouTube for ideas on drugstore dupes of some of your favorite items.

• No buying backups - you are only replacing items when they have completely run out. No purchasing for the future.

• Use your samples - if you are like me there are hundreds of samples perfume, makeup, and skincare products littered around your house. Now is the time to try these out. You may even find a new favorite!

COSMETIC ENHANCMENTS (INCLUDING BOTOX & FILLER) - MODIFY

Again, this one may come as a shock to not be a "Lose". But before you jump for joy, there is a lot of nuances to this answer.

If you are someone who has been getting filler and Botox for a while, there would be some drastic effects to your face to just stopping completely. Cutting it out cold turkey could lead to facial asymmetry. Another reason is that ageism is also alive and well in the workforce. 78% of people ages 40-65 have experienced some type of ageism in the workplace. If these products give you a more youthful experience, it may make you more appealing to recruiters. (I don't agree with it, but it's the way of the world right now unfortunately).

If you are getting treatments right now, consider these alternatives:

• Less is more - don't cut it out completely, but see if you can get by with less units or longer time periods in between sessions

• Find a less expensive practitioner - Check what the rates are per unit of filler/Botox in your area and see if there is a facility that potentially charges less.

• Wait for a special - lots of med spas have discount pricing at certain times of the year. Wait to purchase units until you can get a discount per unit.

HYGIENE TOILETRIES (BATH PRODUCTS, HAIR PRODUCTS) - MODIFY

For a lot of people this won’t be something that they are spending significantly on already. If you are already shopping at Target or Walmart for your shampoo and lotion essentials then you are good to do. But do you like a fancy hair mask? Or potentially want a luxurious shave gel? Those wants need to be on the back burner while your finances are in limbo.

Some things to try:

• Make your own products - try making your face or hair masks at home with simple ingredients

• Shop in bulk - these are products you actually will go through quickly as opposed to makeup, so if there is a 2 for 1 deal this is where it is ok to buy a little in advance

Quality products doesn't always mean expensive products

CLOTHING - LOSE

The only clothing you might “need” right now is a formal business attire for interviewing. That is it. Do not go out and buy new gym clothes since you now have more available time to work out. Do not buy comfortable clothes because you are around the house more. Do not buy business casual clothing for your eventual return to the office. Just no. You don’t need any of it. Not even if it's on sale. If anything, this is your opportunity to go through your closet and selling excess items for cash.

Do you still need the interview outfit? Look at these steps first before pulling out you cash:

• Borrow from friends - if one of your friends isn't on the job hunt then they may have the clothes already just sitting collecting dust and won't mind loaning it out for a friend in need

• Shop in thrift stores - Goodwill and ThreadUp are a good place to start if you want to spend as little as possible. They regularly have items that are new with tags to choose from, so if you are freaked out by used clothes it is still an option!

• Look into charity programs - Most large cities have a charity program for unemployed or underemployed residents to receive donated business clothes at little or no costs. Dress for Success and Career Gear are great options to look into for business professional clothing.

Are you looking at the products littering your bathroom sink more critically? Checking what you budgeted for next month at the salon? If so then my work is done.

If cutting these items out of your day-to-day life feels particularly frustrating, remember that your job loss is a stumbling block in your overall long life. You will be able to enjoy some of the finer things again one day, and they may feel even sweeter than they did before!