To be shocked how much "ordinary" people spend on grooming?

[Daygals]

Let's start by explaining that by ordinary, I mean people on average incomes living not unusual lives. What is normal might also be regional, I live in a world of fake tans and long fake lashes.

I am shockingly low maintenance but I thought I might make a bit of an effort for a special occasion and have my brows tidied and nails done, so I looked up some salons and price lists and this is where my shock comes from.

I had no idea these things are so expensive. The list I'm looking at is a fairly basis salon, nothing upmarket and includes things lots of people I know would consider "need" doing on a regular basis.

The prices are probably fair from the point of view of the therapist's time but I can't imagine spending this on myself on a regualar basis.

Eye lashes £40
HD Brows £20
Gel Nails £30
Pedicure £20
Hair cut £40
Hair colour £80

That's before waxing and and more luxury treatments like facials or anti-aging stuff.

I don't know how often it all needs doing (monthly?) but I know lots of people who are always "done" like this I can't fathom how it's even possible/

That really isn't low maintenance

I don't buy any of those things OP, never have and never will.
Apart from a £50 haircut twice a year as advised by my hairdresser.
I do my own nails, eyebrows, and don't colour my hair.
You don't have to spend all that money. I'd say most people couldn't afford that, it's certainly not normal.

I'm with you OP

I can't get over what is budgeted as a "normal" cost for things. I know lots of people are doing the cheaper option but among my friends, it's pretty normal to pay £60 for a cut and colour and then be amazed that I won't do the same.

I agree it's personal choice. I'm just surprised that a market for such a lot of grooming has done so well. I thought more women would say "not interested".

Yes mintich. It's very much the norm here isn't it? Even for school girls and we are really not in an affluent area.

Obviously people are more than entitled to spend as they see fit, I just wonder how it's possible.

tilly how is that low maintenance?!

Being low maintenance saves me a fucking fortune.

Me too. I'm almost entirely DIY except for hair (cut, £35, every 6 weeks, and colour, £40, every 12 weeks) and I have a pedicure every 4-5 weeks during the summer months (£45). In the winter, my feet stay inside my socks and sprout carbuncles.

I invested in a Lumea about 3 years ago and it was best £200 I've ever spent. It's probably paid for itself now, my legs, pits and bikini line are virtually hair-free, so no waxing or razors for me.

It does seem strange to me that one the one had we have a backlash against the convention that women should wear high heels etc but so many are spending so much time and money on these things.

I wonder who they're doing it for. No doubt they would say for them selves but I don't buy the look good feel good thing. It's only going to make you feel good if you care about what others see - you're not looking at yourself most of the time!

I read on here about people who have regular bikini waxing, and that seems horrifically expensive.

I get my hair cut every 6-8 weeks, and my eyebrows threaded every month. I dye my hair at home. When I had less money, I grew my hair long and plucked my own eyebrows. When I had more money, I had my eyelashes dyed and my hair coloured in a salon. And sometimes I would get manicures, but mostly not.

I spend:

£50 every three weeks for nails and toes
£40 every three weeks for eyelashes
£20 every 2/3 weeks eyebrows
£40/50 a month on tan
£400 every six months on Botox/fillers
£70 every six weeks on hair
£35 every three weeks on a wax

Seems an awful lot written down! I’m lucky to be on a reasonable income but the above seems to be pretty standard amongst my friends who mostly earn a lot less - guessing £25-35k a year.

I get my eyebrows threaded every 2-3 weeks (£4) acrylic nails every 3-4 weeks (£25) and I spend about £20 a month on fake tan (do it at home, no spray tans). Tbf I have dark brown, decent eyebrows and long dark eyelashes so no need for tinting/lash extensions/microbladibg etc.

Other than that I probably spend about £30 per month on makeup, skincare, hair products etc.

I can afford what I spend on grooming but I couldn't afford more so I don't spend it 🤷‍♀️

OK, maybe I just thought I was low maintenance.

I'm 23, many girls my age get their HD brows (£14-22), eyelash extensions (£20-40), nails (£20-30), tan (£??), hair (£??) etc all done regularly.

Personally, the only thing I get done fairly regularly (every 3 - 6 weeks depending on my schedule and re-growth) is an eyebrow wax, and I would seriously question paying over £5 for that!

I don't know how people afford it????

I consider myself pretty low maintenance. I don't wear make up or get tans or fake eyelashes. In late 50s so no need to be too glamourous.
But l get my hair coloured every month , cut every 3 months and blow dry every week.
I get brows done monthly .l have paid for laser and get waxing all Summer.
I try to stop myself falling apart and keep a good side out.

Oh yes and I get a haircut when my hair looks crap probably every 6 months or so, but again I have quite healthy hair and I don't over style or colour it so it's low maintenance. Spend about £30 on wash, cut anf blow dry at a cheap local salon.

I had my eyebrows plucked £9, I’m allergic to lots of stuff so won’t risk a wax and a haircut, just a dry trim at the express barbers this week for £7. They only do dry hair cuts for men and women, and just as good a trim as the £35 I paid a few months ago. I get my eyebrows done a couple of times a year and just tidy in between.

My brows are microbladed, only had one session and not needed a top up. I thread them myself
Botox twice a year, £99 a time
Hair cut every 4 months, £10 dry cut
That's it I think. Do my own nails and dermaplaning

I don’t do any of those things (OK maybe haircut twice a year) but more because I can’t afford the time than the money

I actually can’t remember the last time I spent money on grooming
I’m a nail-biter, so manicures/acrylic nails etc are pointless for me.
My best friend is an eyebrow wizard, so she does them for me and will not let me pay her! (I usually make her dinner or something as a thankyou!).
My mum is hairdresser so does my hair for me (cut and colour).
I used to spend money on intimate waxing and kept up with matainence, so pubage is sparse enough these days for me to take care of it at home with my own waxing kit.

If I paid for all of those things with salons/independent beauty therapists, I dread to think how much it would cost Probably the most I spend on anything cosmetic is £26 every 4ish months on my favourite foundation

I don’t think the prices are that bad aside from the brows, ‘hd brows’ aren’t necessary. Is that where they also tint and fill in your brows with makeup instead of just shaping them?

It probably seems more expensive to you as you’re trying to have it all done at once, whereas others stagger their beauty treatments throughout the year. Eg you may not colour your hair as often as you get it cut, or as often as you get a manicure/infill etc. Or after you regularly have waxing appointments, your body hair growth slows down so you don’t visit as much further down the line etc. So most people don’t do all of that weekly/monthly.

tilly it's interesting that you think you are low maintenance though.

I had a compliment on my DIY haircut this weekend, my mum thought it was a bit wonky but I wouldn't let her tidy it up in case she cut too much off.

I do occasionally go to the £10 barber place in case it's gotten really wonky but it's curly so not much difference really.

I did go through a stage of having a bee in my bonnet about this because it feels as if grooming standards in workplaces are getting higher for women. But there's nothing I can do about that really.

I’m definitely low maintainance - hair cut using mobile hairdresser every 7 weeks, coloured by same person twice a year, and that’s it! No nails, eyebrows, wax (shaver in the bath), pedicure etc.

Do you know how much money men are spending?

Guys from my office go to expensive hairdressers, get proper manicure, pretty sure half of them have fake tan, they spend more than me on dental treatments...

Some posters on MN seem to think that grooming, holidays, treats, kids parties even, are extravagant. But WHAT do they spend their money on? What's the point of earning a living if you can't make yourself feel and look good?

I so agree op Certainly seems to add up and feeds into the 'because I'm worth it' thing. Of course, self care is to be applauded but it seems a pity that is so focussed on outward appearances and, often but not always, the fake plastic look.

I hate those tinted eyebrows you see everywhere. Had mine shaped and tinted a few years ago before a holiday, my mother guilted me into it and what a dissapointment that was! Three days later, all tint gone and the tweezers were back out. Fake tan makes me itch, would rather just sit in the sun and get some Vitamin D. Hair cut maybe every three or four months, £40. I cannot stand anyone touching my nails with an emery board so manicures are out and hate the fake nail look. Nothing nicer than short, neat, clean and shiny nails. I respect other people don't agree and can speand their cash as they like. I just am surprised at how expensive such regular 'maintenance' is.

It's trendy to get your eyebrows done, but I'm giving that one a miss.

It's a fad, but once the fad passes you can't exactly stop. Every time you bugger about with them the growth rate kicks up a notch.

@tillytoodles1
No one begrudges what you are spending, you don't need to justify it to us. Just your statement that you are low maintenance is what we disagree with.