Coloring your hair at home is not nearly as difficult as it may seem. I’ve done it for the low low price of $4 before and it not only saved me a truckload of money, it took less than an hour. That was one of the things I hated the most about visits to the hair salon. It would literally end up being a large part of the day.

Here are some tips for trying it out yourself. Trust me, there are a lot of horror stories out there about at home hair coloring projects. Unless you do it intentionally, your hair is not likely to end up green.

1.  Don’t choose a hair color more than 2 shades lighter or darker. If you’re naturally a dark brunette and you want to be platinum blonde, maybe save that for the professionals. This would be the only time I would think you risk ending up with an odd color. The reason for this is because you cannot control the peroxide in premixed hair color.

2. Use vaseline or cream around your hairline to protect yourself from stains. It makes it a lot easier to rub off the hair color without scraping your scalp at the same time.

3.  Select the box of hair color that is a) in  your price range and b) the shade  you want. Honestly, I’ve tried the very cheapest brands as well as the more expensive and haven’t noticed any difference in quality. Sometimes the pricier ones smell a little better but that’s about it.

4.  Go for the extra color saver conditioners. I’m not sure if it makes a difference but if you’re debating between a box that has one and a box that doesn’t, go with the one that does. The conditioners not only take away some of the home hair color odor and usually have a nice scent, but they also serve as a sealant sometimes for the hair color. I have also noticed that the conditioner really conditions quite well and leaves the hair pretty shiny, which you want when you’ve just colored your hair.

5.  Do not jump in the shower to rinse your hair color out. I did this once because I thought it would be easier than trying to blindly rinse in the sink and it resulted in an auburn mess. Hair color is sometimes darker than what it shows on your head and no matter how careful I was in the shower, I had a dark red color all over the shower curtain, the walls, the tub and me. Use the kitchen sink if  you can, they’re usually larger and that sprayer thing works really well.

6. Get everything ready first. Put down old towels as well as having some on hand. Wear an old tshirt and be prepared to wipe up any spills immediately to avoid stains.

7.  Read and follow the directions on the box. If you’ve colored your hair before, it’s easy to think we just do what we always do, but always take a second to, at the very least, skim through the instructions and see if there is anything new. This is your hair remember, don’t mess it up because you didn’t read the directions.

8.  Watch the time. Leaving hair color on too long can result in permanent damage. Alternatively, if you wash it out too soon, the color may not take and you’ve just wasted your time and money on a color that’ll wash out in 2 days. Not only that, the color won’t be as rich as you expected.

9.  Keep it simple. You’re doing it at home because it’s supposed to be easier and cheaper. Save the highlights, lowlights, and chunks for the professionals and stick to a great all over color.

10. Wash your hair a couple days before coloring. If you can, use a deep conditioning treatment. This will allow the natural oils in your hair to rebuild which will help protect your scalp from the chemicals of coloring and help your color set better. Do not wash your hair right before coloring as it could end up drying it out quite a bit.

Most of all, have fun, try something new and relax. It may be easier if you pair up with a friend or family member. It not only makes it a little easier having extra hands, it can end up being  a nice girl’s (or guy’s) night in.

There are a few basic supplies you’ll need that don’t cost much and can be used over and over again. Here are the basics:

Nail Polish Remover and Cotton Balls- Obviously to remove old polish.

Hand Lotion- any kind will do, nothing fancy is necessary. Keep some of the little bottles to refill and carry in your purse or keep at work. Moisturized hands and fingers will keep them looking young.

Nail File- I like the ones that include buff and shine edges in case I don’t want or have time to do a full manicure. I suggest a stronger grade file for toes as sometimes they seem to be thicker than fingernails. Maybe it’s just my toes.

Nail Polish – Most manicures include a bottom clear coat, a nail polish, and a clear top coat. I’ve found that the bottom coat isn’t necessary unless you’re using a color of polish that will stain your nails, like Fire Engine Red. If you’re really in a hurry, the clear top coat isn’t necessary either, it does give the nails a nice shiny finish. It will also look more like a professional manicure with the top coat as well as seal in the polish so it’ll last longer.

Steps for the Home Manicure and Pedicure

1. Wash and dry hands. If you have time soak your fingers for a couple minutes to make the cuticles soft and easy to push down. This step can be done anytime you’re in the shower or bath also. I should also mention that all nail polish should be removed before you wash your hands.

2. File your fingernails, straight on the sides and across the top for square nails (which don’t break as quickly) or round the edges if you prefer the oval shape (which makes the nails look longer). Use the buffing edge or a buffing nail file to smooth out any ridges in the nails. This will help the polish go on easier and will look better.

3. Apply the polish, one stroke in the middle then one on each side. Let dry and apply a second coat of color and after that one has dried apply the top coat.

4. Lotion your hands after the polish is completely dry. If you put the lotion on before the polish, it could mix with the polish and become oily.

Tips for Pedicures:

1. If you’re giving yourself a home pedicure, soak your feet for a while. It’s a nice relaxer after work and will help loosen any dry or rough skin on the feet and toes. There are inexpensive buffers for the rough parts of your feet that are a good investment and will help keep off the dead skin.

2. If you have extremely dry skin on your feet, try soaking them in a bath of water and then applying vaseline to them before bed. Cover with warm socks and wash off in the morning.

Manicure and Pedicure Extras

If you feel like trying something different, there are cheap kits to do your own French manicures. Also consider trying the stencils or decals. There are rhinestones, flower stickers and all sorts of artsy things you can try for usually just a couple bucks. Way cheaper than going to the salon and you can usually buy a packet that will last a while.

There is also a number of types of quick dry sprays that you may want to buy just to keep on hand if you’re in a hurry. This isn’t a necessity though, I’ve found that most polishes dry relatively quickly.

Always keep a bottle of clear polish on hand. Clear nail polish has saved me many times and can be applied without giving yourself a full blown manicure. It will appear as though you do have perfectly manicured nails even if you don’t.

Stained nails can be freshened up by soaking them in peroxide for a while. Clean nails with a coat of clear nail polish can sometimes pass for a light French manicure.

My daughter and I actually do manicures and pedicures together on the weekends. It’s a fun and cheap activity that makes us feel pretty. Once you get into the habit of doing your own, you’ll see how much more relaxing it is at home…and save a ton of money.

Operation Where in the Heck is My Money Going? (WITHIMMG)
Day 9-30.00 gas, filled up the car. Actually cost 29.40 for some reason there was some kind of discount. I’ll stop at that gas station more often.
Day 10-2.00 juice and chips
5.00 stopped for fast food. I have an excuse but I’ll leave that out.

I ran out of dryer sheets this weekend and I usually don’t think twice about buying them, usually at the Dollar Store, of course, but I’ve noticed that there are recipes online for anything a cheap person could think of. If it’s sold in a store, I’d bet money that someone somewhere figured out how to make it at home out of a coffee filter.

I’m right about dryer sheets, at least. I found numerous recipes online for making them at home, and with coffee filters. I’m not sure if homemade dryer sheets make sense unless they’re eco-friendlier than store bought ones or if it’s just a quick fix when you run out.

I know I’m cheap and most of the time I act like I’m starving myself to death for a budget but I’m wondering when cheap is too cheap. Like obnoxiously cheap. Is researching, making and using a less effective product worth not spending the two bucks on dryer sheets?

Well, in this case I decided to try it out and see. I just happened to have the supplies needed on hand and it scores a 10 on the Lazy Person’s Easiness Scale.

Homemade Dryer Sheets: Supplies Needed

Coffee Filters (Before I figured out coffee filters came in different sizes I bought a ton of them that were too little.)

Liquid Fabric Softener (Bought at the Dollar Store a million years ago but I never know when to pour it in the washer.)

Paper Clips or something to hang the homemade dryer sheets.

Easy Directions for Homemade Dryer Sheets

Basically, you soak the coffee filters for about 30 seconds in the fabric softener, hang them to dry and store them in a coffee container or bowl until you use them in the dryer.

I’ll post how it goes. Hopefully my dryer doesn’t catch on fire or anything.

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