So I have really fine, long, straight hair. We are talking baby fine. And several years ago, I got a free sample of a conditioner from a salon. I fell in love. It is the best ever... perfect for my kind of hair.
So a 34-oz bottle costs... $50.
I bought some last February and it ran out about two weeks ago. I have tried some cheaper conditioners since then, but they don't work nearly as well.
Now, when I think about it as $50 for conditioner, I want to scream. But the giant bottle usually lasts about 9-10 months. So then it's just $5-6 per month... which doesn't sound nearly so bad.
I know, it's crazy.
Painful Price of Stocking Up
January 11th, 2011 at 05:46 am
January 11th, 2011 at 10:46 am 1294742762
Next get a piggy bank at the dollar store and every week put away $1-$1.50 (depending on how long this bottle will last and allow for a 5-10% price increase). By the time you need another bottle it will already be paid for.
January 11th, 2011 at 12:12 pm 1294747963
January 11th, 2011 at 12:58 pm 1294750718
January 11th, 2011 at 02:12 pm 1294755121
I could do cheaper shampoo/conditioner but I refuse because I found something that works well for me and smells good. (I have fine, but wavy hair.)
Anyway, don't be like m MIL. Her entire life, she has bought the cheapest shampoo available-- think White Rain, Suave-- AND cut it with water, and always wonders why her hair won't do anything.
January 11th, 2011 at 02:27 pm 1294756076
This is such an excellent thought, and one that bears repeating. To me, being frugal is not about depriving yourself of everything and being a miser for the sake of it. It's about cutting costs on things that don't matter to you (and this will vary from one person to the next) so that you can spend money, even splurge, if need be, on things that DO matter to you.
January 11th, 2011 at 02:57 pm 1294757839
It is not the kind of thing to add water to. I wouldn't ever do it. And I very carefully use just as much as I need... and I hide it from my kids so that no one else accidentally uses it.
T-O-R: My MIL is the same way!
And I don't really worry about buying it or having the cash to pay for it. It just feels a little painful each time I buy that bottle for $50. It's only once a year or so, and as soon as I remind myself how long I can make it last, I'm okay with it.
It's just funny. I am so, so careful with my spending. An uninformed person from the outside would laugh at me refusing to pay more than 50 cents for a tube of toothpaste and then dashing to the fanciest salon in town to buy this conditioner!
January 11th, 2011 at 03:03 pm 1294758223
As someone with very fine, long straight hair, too, can you please share the name of this wonderful product? I've tried the gamut and would be willing to pay for something that someone like me has tried and deemed true!
January 11th, 2011 at 03:13 pm 1294758802
The brand is Bumble and Bumble and it is called "Super Rich Conditioner." I also really like their "Thickening Shampoo," but alas, it is $50 per bottle, too! I can get away with cheap shampoo if I use the good conditioner. I think you can get the "travel size" for around $8, which is a total rip! --- but a smaller risk than $50.
And remember, I swim a lot, so my hair needs that intense conditioner!
January 11th, 2011 at 03:48 pm 1294760886
January 11th, 2011 at 06:11 pm 1294769517
BUT, if there was no alternative, I completely agree with the others. Are you worth the $5 per month? Of course!
January 12th, 2011 at 12:44 am 1294793054
I just bought it locally, but thanks for the thoughts on better bargains online. Sometimes I just prefer to buy in my town and support the businesses here.
ABSOLUTELY I'm worth $5 a month. That's why I've been buying the stuff for 4 years!
January 14th, 2011 at 05:31 pm 1295026319