Hello Dear Reader,
I’m not growing old gracefully, in fact, I’m fighting the ageing process. There is nothing more ageing than having aching tired feet. They work hard for us so we need to look after them. A local beauty salon has a ‘fixed price’ tariff notice, which I pass on my way to work. It said that standard pedicures were £16.50! Here’s my version of how to save a few quid. I shower and don’t bathe, so I don’t get to soak my toes. I set up a little spa in my bedroom with a bowl of warm soapy water; I use a swirl of shower gel. I then soak my feet for ten minutes.
Next, I use an exfoliating creme which I massage into my feet for three minutes on each foot. I was given some as a gift, but you can use a handful of soapy lather and a sprinkle of table salt and just work it round your feet. I then rinse and soak my feet again for another minute of so.
Then, I use a cuticle stick to run round the edges of my nails, I don’t push the cuticle back but just clean off my nails.
I make sure my nails are trimmed and filed. Can you believe they charge £16.50 for this! It took me no time at all.
I finished with moisturising my feet, I usually just use a body moisturiser, but again, I’ve been given some as a gift and my feet and toes have been well looked after. I may not spend hardly any money on myself, but I still make time to look after my well being. I do this once a week and there are people who have a pedicure or manicure that often! So, by doing this myself, I save £858 a year! Plus, I look after my feet so they can carry me around in comfort!
Spend days
1st July =£0
2nd July = big monthly shop £72 - Lidl
3rd July = £0
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs
For a frugal manicure - massage baby oil and sugar in to your hands and then soak in a bowl of warm water - bliss!
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I've only ever paid for a pedicure when I was too pregnant to reach my feet. Think of the things you could buy with £800!
Caroline
xxx
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Great! Me and my 11 year old daughter did something similar at the weekend, from the 'pamper' chapter of her 'Girls book of how to be the best at everything'. We kept the body butter on cotton socked feet overnight, for feet that were supposed to look 10 years younger by the morning, and buffed the nails with olive oil!
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Lovely and relaxing …When I worked as a teacher's aide, one of the ladies gasped in horror when I proudly told her I had never had a professional mani/pedicure in my life (she did this AFTER admiring my hands). Ha…I wouldn't stick my tootsies in one of those much-used tubs for anything.
You are a lovely lady, and all of us need to take good care of ourselves so that we can take good care of others.
Lisa-Miami, FL
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I use olive oil, sugar and lemon juice, I live in toe post sandals and the lemon juice helps to lighten my skin. I use this in my hands and elbows as well. I have to do it myself, my feet are so ticklish I would be doing the dying fly if anyone else touched them. Plus I am far too tight to pay Pam
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I have never had a pedicure, nor a manicure in my life. Even if I had money to spare I wouldn't spend the money on that, rather see something for it. I must admit to being vague about foot care but do use an abrasive thingy in the bath (don't have a shower, tank downstairs), do under my feet and around my heels, but don't do much else apart from cut and file my nails.
I occasionally put nail polish on my hands, luckily when I cut my nails fairly short, they grow very fast. Long nails unless I want them long for an occasion, don't go very well with bike maintenance.
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Pedicures are not always a luxury. It is really difficult to do your nails if you are in a wheelchair, if you have a severe vision impairment, or if you have arthritis in your legs. The list goes on. Fungal infections can easily get a hold on your feet if you live in a hot climate like I do or if you travel a lot. Stay away from salons and practitioners who do not sterilise everything after each client.
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I do this but with olive oil. :-)x
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As I've got older I notice my toenails get harder, so the usual nail-clippers won't work on them.
Local senior citizen services offer a nail-cutting service, which I tried at the cost of £12.
Thinking that this, at once a month is £144 a year, I invested £3.69 (ebay) in a decent pair of toenail clippers and so far have managed to cut them myself.
The inevitable consequences of growing older are the lack of suppleness, often weight gain, and less dexterity, so I guess eventually I'm going to be back getting somebody else to cut them.
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That's a serious saving over the course of a year.
I've never had a professional manicure or pedicure, I can't stand people messing with my feet anyway.
Do it all myself once a week like you. It does make your feet feel absolutely relaxed afterwards. I usually do it just before bedtime then put LOADS of cream on to soak in overnight, you do have to remember NOT to jump out of bed for anything though, it makes it VERY slippy on the laminate floor 🙂 Maybe I should use the sock idea!!
Sue xx
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I always used to do my own feet but now, a) I cannot see well and b) arthritis makes cutting my toe nails difficult so I have had to resort to getting my nails cut the charge is £12.00 and we both go once every 2 months. As far as I am concerned its monry well spent. OH has very thick nails and its impossible to trim them at home.
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I love sitting and soaking my feet.
It feels like a real treat.
There's a salon near my home that charges astronomical prices for manicures, waxing and some strange thing called threading where they seem to rip your eyebrows out with a bit of cotton.
I could never spend my money on that.
Your feet look very pampered and it's very satisfying to use goodies that someone has bought you.
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Proof that looking after yourself doesn't have to cost money.
- Pam
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What a coincidence! Whilst walking home from work I was thinking I must pamper my feet.
I have rather neglected everything recently and am taking baby steps to get back on top.
Thank you for that.
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I have never even thought about paying for a pedicure or manicure. Much prefer doing it myself, more hygeinic I think. Like Pam said, my feet are too tickly for anyone else to manage lol. I use a bowl of warm soapy water to soak my tootsies or simetimes I get my bubbly foot spa out. Very relaxing.
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I think the thing at pedicures is that you are paying for someone else to do it to you. I am not one for regular pedicures and have paid for them 2 in my life as a treat. But I have to say that it was one of the best things ever. For £16.50 or whatever it was at the time, cheaper I thi as I was in America. But it was the most amazingly pampereing thing I have ever done. And at the time it was absolutely and utterly worth it! It was like walking on clouds afterwards. They did this dip your feet in wax thing. I felt like a princess. something having some one massage your feet with scented oil. Seriously you can't really get more pampered. Anyway, there is also something incredibly self caring about doing your own too. It's like your connection to the ground. Look after your roots. Something very instant about that
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