Hi there!
My name is Emma and I live in San Francisco. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, but lived in NYC for several years before moving back. During my time as a New Yorker, I worked as a freelance makeup artist and blogger at How To Afford Luxury.
After getting engaged, I moved back to SF to plan my wedding and build my career. During my first year back, I started working with clients on the side and created a website to begin building my brand.
I am now fully self-employed; I teach clients how to do their own makeup, do freelance graphic design & illustration work, and focus on developing my blog content for How To Afford Luxury.
I am a fan of the nail salon. It’s where I go to relax, unwind and enjoy my time. However, the cost of a manicure and pedicure sometimes feels like a luxury that I can’t afford. So, I’ve come up with a game plan to make sure that I can still get my nails done on a regular basis at a price point that is affordable.
I don’t have the answer for everyone when it comes to saving money at the nail salon, but I wanted to share how I do it.
In this post:
How To Afford A Luxury Nail Salon Experience On A Budget
1. Groupon
2. Yelp
3. Recycle Your Manicures & Pedicures
4. Avoid Extras That Cost Extra
5. Do Your Research
6. Find A Regular Spot
7. Look For Deals And Discounts From The Nail Salon Directly
I am a high-income earner in Manhattan. This is my journey to financial independence and early retirement!
I graduated from my top 5 target MBA program with a hefty six figure salary. I started working at age 21 as an undergrad, and I have been paying taxes since then. I am currently 25.
I have been reading the MMM blog for the past two years and I am a huge fan of Mr. Money Mustache and the Frugalwoods.
My goal is to reach financial independence by age 40, but I think it might be achievable earlier than that.
My husband and I are both high income earners in our fields (he is also an MBA). We met in college when we were both on full scholarships, so we were highly motivated to earn as much money as possible to pay off our student loans ASAP. We definitely came from lower-middle class families who would have never paid for our education, so we knew that if we wanted a college degree, we would have to work hard to get it.
We earned over $200k after graduating with our MBAs – the first year out of school was rough because of all the student loan payments, but we are pretty happy now with our current job situations. We still live very
If you have ever been to San Francisco, one of the first things you will notice is that it is an incredibly expensive city to live in.
Rent is the most obvious example. A small studio apartment will cost you over $2000 a month. That is more than what I pay for my mortgage in the suburbs where I live now, and I have been renting in San Francisco!
How do people afford to live in a place like San Francisco? How do they eat at fine restaurants or get their nails done regularly? My answer: they don’t. Even people who make a lot of money spend their money on rent and other necessities and can’t afford luxury items. And the people who can afford the luxury items are not actually spending their own money on them.
I am talking about credit card points and frequent flier miles. If you know how these programs work and know when to use them, you can get almost anything for free. As an example, I got a $500 dinner for $5 using frequent diner points I earned from dining out so much at one restaurant that my bill was comped every time after that!
After years of doing this, I decided to share my strategies with others so that they too can take advantage of
I’m always looking for ways to save money on beauty products and personal grooming. I recently watched a documentary called Hot Girls Wanted that focused on the amateur porn industry in Miami. It was fascinating, and I highly recommend it.
One of the takeaways from the film is that working in this industry can be pretty lucrative for young women from small towns. While most of these women have reasonable expenses, their biggest expense is hair, nails and make-up. This makes sense because these girls are expected to look perfect for their shoots.
While watching this part of the documentary, I got to thinking about how expensive it must be for these girls to get all dolled up for work. And then I thought about my own hair and nail appointments, which cost me a pretty penny each month. That’s when I decided it was time to find a way to cut back on these costs.
I researched mobile nail services and stumbled upon one called ManicurEase that comes right to your door! After some persuasion (because I am always skeptical), I decided I would give it a try. My stylist was great and my nails looked exactly how I wanted them too. My only regret is not trying this service sooner!
I’m a frequent mani-pedi-goer. I’ve tried many nail salons in New York City and I have a list of my Top 5 Nail Salons in NYC. The list is based on quality, customer service, value, ambiance, and cleanliness.
1. Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa
This is my favorite nail salon of all time! There are many locations in NYC and the service is always consistent. They have an extensive list of polishes to choose from with high-end brands like Chanel and Dior as well as their own custom colors designed by Jin Soon herself. Expect to pay $20-$25 for a mani and $35-$45 for a mani-pedi. If you go on Tuesdays after 4pm or Wednesdays before 4pm, you get 10% off your services.
2. Sundays
Sundays is known for its non-toxic polishes that are safe even during pregnancy (and they sell them so you can re-create your look at home). But what I love most about Sundays is the ambiance – it’s clean, simple, and minimalist with lots of natural light and white walls. Their individual treatment rooms are open air and private while still
The Top Rated Nail Salons Near Me For Your Next Manicure
Nail salons come in all shapes and sizes. Some are geared towards girls who want the perfect manicure, some are geared towards the guy who wants to man up his nails, and some are just for fun. The key to finding a great nail salon is to do your research before you go. You should look into their service, location, their prices and other factors before you even make an appointment.
Nails need to be taken care of every once in a while like the rest of your body. They need to be cut and trimmed, as well as being cared for with specially designed products. If you want to find the best rated nail salons near me in your area then you need to use these tips.
First thing that you should do is take a look around at the different nail salons near me that you can find. Look at how they advertise their services, what products they use and what their prices are. Do not just go with the nearest one because it may not be right for you. Make sure that you have checked out several different ones so that you can make an informed decision about which one would be best for your nails and your lifestyle.
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