how much are your monthly grooming expenses?

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 12:30 am

For some reason, although I grew up in a wealthy home, we were not JAP-y at all, and its not that our parents were cheap, its just that for some reason, grooming expenses (regular mani pedi, waxing, hair, etc) were reserved for special occasions or extreme necessity (along with clothes for some reason)

During that time I didnt mind it since im not the type either way to spend $$$ in make up and other treatments that BH I didnt really need, but once I got married I realized that its been 2 years + since my last mani and pedi....and I took on shaving instead of waxing.

the truth is that I dont really have the extra $$$ to spend on grooming at the time, but maybe since I was already used to leaving myself "al-naturale" for the most part, and since dh didnt mind my natural self, then grooming expenses never made it to the "no matter what" list, like food and the such... but for some reason I now wish I was more taken care of, like everyone else seems to be...

what about you? are grooming expenses a must? what can you live without?

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 12:34 am

I'm like you in that I'm natural now, except in the summer when I need to shave.
When I was single I got a manicure every 10 days, a pedicure before I went on vacation. Same for waxings, before vacation and in the summer time.
Now the only grooming expenses I have are for pharmacy face scrubs.

TwinsMommy

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:00 am

My monthly CAN'T DO WITHOUT is an eyebrow wax. And skin care products, but I get those half off through my company.

Manis and pedis I get when I have time, but with 2 year old twins I don't often have time. An eyebrow wax is 5 minutes, but a mani/pedi..... ugh, then I'd need more babysitting time.

Clothes is something else I wish I had time for. I have the money for clothes, but not enough time to go shop. Smile

Temilia

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:03 am

monthly underarm and bikini wax.
I don't get regular mani/ pedis or facials or anything like that. When I was single I got them much more often, but now I only get them when my dh tells me to treat myself Smile

otherwise it's just the monthly wax.
I have done it for so long I can't imagine not doing it.

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:09 am

I use someone in my home, so the time isn't that much of an issue. I call her when the kids are all asleep. Waxing is a must for me! I usually do a mani or a pedi along with that. I would do both if I wouldn't need to think about the $. Before yomtov or a simcha I'll do a mani regardless if I'm having her come for waxing. I just go into one of the local places. Mani without polish takes pretty fast.

Atali

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:20 am

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

none. ive never in my life had a manicure, pedicure, or waxing, and never will!

what about your eyebrows? Confused

What makes you think that everyone waxes their eyebrows? Some of us have other things to spend our money on.

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:27 am

Atali wrote:

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

none. ive never in my life had a manicure, pedicure, or waxing, and never will!

what about your eyebrows? Confused

What makes you think that everyone waxes their eyebrows? Some of us have other things to spend our money on.

your eyebrows look like they are groomed.

Atali

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:29 am

amother wrote:

Atali wrote:

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

none. ive never in my life had a manicure, pedicure, or waxing, and never will!

what about your eyebrows? Confused

What makes you think that everyone waxes their eyebrows? Some of us have other things to spend our money on.

your eyebrows look like they are groomed.

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 1:34 am

Atali wrote:

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

none. ive never in my life had a manicure, pedicure, or waxing, and never will!

what about your eyebrows? Confused

What makes you think that everyone waxes their eyebrows? Some of us have other things to spend our money on.

Right, I never waxed my eyebrows either. Maybe if I would have had unsightly bushy ones I would have done something, but I dont, so I see no reason in spending time and money for perfectly shaped eyebrows. I do sometimes tweeze some stray hairs though.

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 2:58 am

It's funny - I also grew up in a fairly wealthy home, and my mother hasn't had a mani or pedi - ever! I didn't until I was in shidduchim and friends told me that whatever I did before was the past but now it's important... I walked into the nail salon and didn't even know what to do!

When I was single, I occasionally got a mani every week before Shabbos, but more often every other week or once a month. Pedicures I would get occasionally - every few months - more because it's healthy to have all the dead skin removed and not because I was showing off my toes!

Tangentially, I absolutely hate cutting my nails - almost to the point of a phobia - I'm terrified I'll cut them too short and it will HURT! So when my nails really need to be cut, I prefer just paying a salon (which is so cheap in Brooklyn) than doing it myself.

I don't think DH cares much. Occasionally when he notices my nails are painted, he comments "oooh" but it doesn't phase him too much, so it's not like I would do it for him. So now I get a mani occasionally and pedi even more occasionally. The truth is that I'm pregnant too and haven't wanted to go in often because of all the fumes.

Side note: when I went to mikvah before my wedding, I was VERY close with the mikvah lady - I was getting a wedding mani after so didn't go to a salon to have my nails cut before - so I just tried to do it myself. She cut them a little shorter while I turned around and closed my eyes!!!

amother

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 3:00 am

Amother above 1:58 who just said I grew up in a wealthy family.

PS: My mother bought the cheapest shampoo/conditioner 2-in-1 and said it was all made from the same stuff anyway!

In retrospect I respect a certain simplicity and not being so into gashmius / mgusham.

Seraph

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 3:33 am

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

none. ive never in my life had a manicure, pedicure, or waxing, and never will!

what about your eyebrows? Confused

Some people don't need to, because they have decent eyebrows to begin with. And if anything is necessary to fix it, you can learn to pluck it yourself.
I rarely have to do my eyebrows- bh I was blessed with no need to do that. Once in a blue moon I'll pluck a few stray hairs, but my shape is fine and I dont have many stray hairs...

Seraph

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 3:39 am

I've gotten a professional manicure once or twice in my life when I was single. There was no point because I know how to file my nails prettily myself, and nail polish chips on me within a few minutes of the manicure, so it was a waste of money. Never got a pedicure.
I know someone dirt poor but puts manicures and pedicures and professional hair styling (a blow and styling) on her list of necessities, even before food... It boggles my mind how someone can have no money and yet spends it on extravagances like this. But then I spoke to my husband and he pointed out that the mitzva of giving tzedaka is to give people tzedaka so they can live the type of life they were used to- that a rich person turned poor should be given more tzedaka so they can live with what they were accustomed to. This dirt poor get manicure lady used to be rich and for so long got manis, pedis and hair styling that its become a need for her...

Fox

Sun, Oct 25 2009, 5:42 am

I will admit that I had electrolysis done years ago on my eyebrows and stray facial hair. My dentist did it -- she combined dental work and electrolysis in the same chair! How cool is that!? But that was well over a decade ago.

Aside from soap and occasional dry cleaning . . . nothing.

Of course, it was a little depressing when I took one of those magazine quizzes while waiting in a doctor's office. The title was "How High-Maintenance Are You?" I got a negative score. Like the OP, I wasn't raised to spend a lot on grooming, but a negative score!? I was kind of insulted!