What do these items have in common?

Last week in my short series of blogs on how to beat the recession I talked about food shopping. This week I’ll be talking about health and beauty on a budget, and again life coach Rosemary McLean and super-scrimper Zofia Millar are at hand.

1. Buy cosmetics when they are special offer, and get better quality at reduced prices.

2. Use leftover face cream as hand cream, and cut the top of any tube, so you can scoop out the last cream. There’s always more left than you think!

3. Become a product tester and receive free products – this is NOT recommended if you’re allergic to certain ingredients. Also note that the fewer ingredients in a product, the less likely it is to cause an allergic reaction.

4. Choose a brand of cosmetics with many different products and ranges because it makes it easier to find one which suits your skin. It’s also worth bearing in mind that brands such as Lancôme, Biotherm, Garnier, and Body Shop are all part of the L’Oreal Group, and that research into the more expensive brands filters down to the cheaper ones.

5. Don’t wash your hair more than once even if it says so on the bottle. This is a ploy from shampoo manufacturers to get you to buy more of their products.

6. Have your hair done when salons need models.

7. Vaseline is a girl’s best friend – it’s a cuticle moisturiser, lip balm, and eyebrows & eyelash treatment all rolled into one.

8. Your kitchen cabinet is full of beauty products:

   – Use olive oil on dry and cracked feet, then slip on a pair of cotton socks. Can be done overnight for maximum effect.

   – Use the coffee grounds from your morning coffee to give your hands a luxurious treatment. It contains natural oils to moisturise, caffeine to invigorate, and provides an exfoliating effect. Rinse with warm water only (no soap), and finish off with hand cream. Your hands might smell like a mocca-flavoured tiramisu, but they’ll be as soft as a baby’s bottom.

   – Drink plenty of water (tap water is fine), and eat fresh fruit. The humble apple is particularly good because apart from vitamins and minerals it contains pectin to help lower cholesterol.

9. Get a folding exercise bike, and work out in your living room in front of the TV. You can

   

   Chicago 1955 – picture courtesy of 22 Words via Retronaut

   watch your favourite programmes and save on an expensive gym membership at the same time!

10. Get exercise tips from YouTube videos. Here’s some advice for a thigh workout which I find particularly useful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iu5YIRExsQ

11. Or you could skip. Varying the speed and intensity could burn off as much as 20 kcal per minute. Just be mindful of where you do it….