How to Pamper Yourself Inexpensively

Now more than ever we need a little pampering after being cooped up for so long. Learn how to pamper yourself at home and take the money you save on DIY beauty and start an emergency fund.

Don;t forget the check out A Simple Makeup & Beauty Routine

1. Get a Pedicure

During sandal season I indulge in pedicures to keep my little piggy’s pretty. To save money and still feel pampered I’ll check Groupon for deals in my area then treat myself to a real store-bought pedicure. Every 2 weeks afterward I go in for a simple polish change and maintain my feet at home using an Amope Pedi Perfect. My polish of choice is the breathable nail polish by INGLOT.
It’s fairly easy to find a pedicure for $20-$30 and a polish change is generally under $10. The cost to keep my toes in tip-top shape is under $100 for the summer.

I love my at home foot mask by Patchology

2. Indulge in a Massage

Groupon or Living Social are great places to find an inexpensive massage and oh so relaxing. Again this is something I treat myself to at the beginning of each season.

3. Treat yourself to a Facial

Again check Groupon, it really is the go-to for the frugal kittens pampering needs. I prefer facials that really give me a good bang for my buck, maybe a glycolic peel or microdermabrasion to peel away the dull upper layers of my skin. Again this is something I only do a couple of times a year, usually in the Fall and Winter months. I maintain my complexion at home using a simple salicylic acid cleanser and the sonic exfoliator.

4. Give yourself an at-home manicure

I rarely have this done professionally because it’s so much easier to do at home compared to a pedicure. You don’t need much: a nail file, base coat, top coat, polish, cuticle remover, nail oil to keep your cuticles nice and supple, and an orange stick.

5. Spend a day of pampering at home

1. Kick everyone out of the house
2. Take a nice hot bath
3. Make yourself a cup of tea
4. Apply face mask
5. Watch romantic comedy
6. Flip through fashion magazines
7. Give yourself a manicure

A Few Ideas to Find Discounts:

Who hasn’t heard of GROUPON and websites like Living Social, these are great discount sites! I’ve used them many times and been able to reduce the already low prices by applying a few money saving techniques or dare I say, GROUPON hacks.   I tend to pass on the expensive beauty treatments but with a few GROUPON hacks you can indulge in the occasional massage, body treatment or luxury pedicure and still stay within your frugal beauty budget. Every Urban Kitten should have a frugal beauty budget!

• Buy a discounted Groupon Gift Card. It’s easy to find discounted gift cards on sites like "giftcardgranny" or others. If you are over 50 and a member of AARP you can take advantage of the 10% discount on select gift cards.
• Check your credit card benefits, sometimes there are special promos that will give you and extra discount for purchases made through Groupon.  Remember to pay off your card in full otherwise any discount is lost with interest.
• Groupon site discounts, sometimes you can get an extra 20% off during certain promotional periods.
• 4. Don’t forget to sign up at Rakuten for even more savings.

By using these techniques, you can end up with an incredibly discounted manicure, pedicure, massage or other personal pampering treatment.

Sample Discount:

These calculations are examples of past discounts found on the mentioned sites. Discounts and rebates are constantly being updated.

Original Cost of Treatment:             $75.00 - Massage Treatment
Retailers Groupon Price:                 $49.00
After Groupon site discount 20%     $39.00
After Rakuten rebate of 5%               $37.00

You pay the $39.00 using a discounted gift card, the $39.00 after Groupon's discount actually only costs $33.00. If you purchased a $50 Groupon gift card for $45.00 and used $39.00 you still have $11.00 of buying power left on the gift card and you get a $2.00 rebate from Rakuten. I never said math was my thing, but you get the idea here.

You can also use this technique for purchasing Spa Wish gift cards, just make sure you have researched which Spa’s accept the cards and if there are any other restrictions. Spa Wish gift cards can regularly be found for a 20-30% discount.