I love visiting my hairdresser, Marie. She always makes me feel like a new woman. Even though I enjoy my salon visits, I hate spending money on my hair. As a busy stay at home mom, I don’t see much of a point to buy fancy shampoos or treatments. My hair is last on my list of things to do in the morning. Most the the time it gets thrown up into a messy bun so little fingers won’t pull on it. My problem is that even though I don’t care to spend a lot of time or money on my hair, I still want it to look good. Isn’t it every woman’s dream to wake up with a beautiful bed head?

Last time I visited Marie, I voiced my concern about spending less money on hair on my hair while still attempting to look decent. I trust her and knew she’d be able to give me some tips. She’s the cutest little French woman who also shares a love for saving money. Every time I’m in her salon we end up swapping frugal living tips.

[bctt tweet=”Beautiful hair doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. #eatdrinksave”]

Marie taught me that beautiful hair doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. In fact, healthy hair shouldn’t take much money to maintain at all. I’m so happy she shared these 11 hair tips that will save you money.

1. Don’t wash your hair everyday.

Shampooing less often can make your hair healthier. Yes, healthier!

The logic behind this is pretty simple: the less you process and touch your hair, the less it breaks. Think of how dry your hands get in the winter when you wash them obsessively. The same idea applies to your hair. The more you shampoo, the more you potentially remove oils needed to protect hair shafts and keep the scalp healthy and moisturized.

Another benefit? Your hair color will last longer. Minerals in shower water can dull blondes, strip color from reds, and cause brunettes to lose richness. Skipping washing every so often will extend the life of your color.

2. Shampoo with baking soda.

Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water. For shoulder length hair, mix about 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 3 times that amount of water in a small squeeze bottle. You can adjust this depending on your hair length.

Apply the baking soda and water mixture to dry or wet hair by starting at the roots and working to the ends. Let it sit for 1-3 minutes then rinse with warm water. After washing and rinsing, you’ll want to apply a vinegar rinse.

3. Use an apple cider vinegar rinse.

Pour 1/2 C. of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 C. of water as a final rinse to your hair.

This helps with dry scalp and dandruff. It also acts as a natural detangler as well as helps stimulate growth!

4. Focus on hair before clothing

Refrain from buying clothes you don’t need, and spend the money at a reputable salon instead. A good haircut lasts longer and looks better.

5. Use organic coconut oil

You can use it as a pre-shampoo conditioner where you massage the oil onto dry hair and leave it on for an hour or longer. Even overnight! This can help combat “the frizzies”.

6. Listen to your hairdresser

The professional advice will keep you out of trouble. We all want to look like movie stars, but your hair density, texture, and lifestyle has to be considered before you make any drastic decision. As a hairdresser, I want happy clients who will come back to me with total trust and confidence.

7. Buy the best products for your hair

Don’t buy the nicest products or the ones with the best scents, buy what works for your hair type instead. Again, trust your hairdresser. Be honest about your price point and ask for their suggestions. Don’t forget that everything you put into your skin and scalp goes into your body. We only have one and we want to protect it as much as possible. “Regular” shampoo contains a lot of harmful chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, diethanolamine, parabens and fragrances. You may pay more for the better products, but they are better for you in the long run.

8. You don’t need a huge selection of hair products

Less is more! Be selective and only buy a few good products you’ll use every day. Again, ask the professionals. Your hairdresser can help you figure out what you need and what to toss.

9. Don’t over process when you get color

Take time in between colors. Too much color and too many colors can over process your hair, causing you to spend more time and money to get it back into shape.

10. Forget fancy hair sunscreens, wear a hat

If you spend a lot of time in the sun, wear a hat to avoid burning your scalp.

11. Use heat sparingly

Flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers can be very damaging to your hair. Use them as little as possible. Too much will fry your hair, take the shine away and diminish the density of your hair, making you spend more time and money on products and services to revive your hair.

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These tips make me so happy!

I personally follow a lot of these tips such as using heat sparingly and trusting my hairdresser. I’m about to start using baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner. I can’t wait to see the difference. I’ve always bought cheap shampoo and conditioner so I’m eager to see how well my hair does once I stop using the “bad” products.

Naples friends- if you are looking for a good hairdresser check out Marie at Allure et Beaute. Her salon has been voted best in Southwest Florida for 12 years in a row!

Do you follow any of these tips?