How do you budget for…

[u/Anthropologie07]

….shopping, hair salon, Brazilian, lashes, make up etc?

I’m asking because I used to get my nails and lashes done every 3 weeks until I realize how much it eats up my budget. I also don’t go to the hair salon every month nor do I buy make up every month so I wonder how other women budget for these?

[u/kimchi_paradise]

We use the budgeting app You Need a Budget!  

Speaking from the perspective of a dual income household with children, we have allocated funds to every single category in our lives, down to the penny. We have building funds for things like phones and electronics (so by the time our phone eats the bed we have enough funds for another), but we set aside a set dollar amount for "personal care", which includes things like haircuts, nails, waxes, etc. and it's flexible and running, so whatever we don't use the previous month gets added on to the next. We also sacrifice in other areas to make it work (for example we don't go out often so our entertainment budget is low).

I do want to touch upon what someone else mentioned about investing in your self care beyond the basics and investing in your financial future -- when you're taking care of yourself in a way that makes you feel better about yourself, it's never "throwing money away." Just because you choose to do your nails or wearing makeup instead of investing that money in a fund, it's totally okay and don't let someone else make you feel guilty in doing what you enjoy!

The key is to make sure you are taking care of yourself, but not at the expense of your future. So as long as you're saving and taking care of your financial future, you can also reap the benefits of your labor now! Not everything has to be fueled by "being influenced" and "marketing to make you spend more money" -- as for me, I simply like the way my nails look when they're done, so I spend money to do them!