DIY Nail Care: Save Money with Salon-Worthy At-Home Manicures

If you love getting your nails done, but you don’t love the cost, you can get beautiful nails at home for a fraction of what you’d pay at the salon.

In fact, some people say they save more than $1,000 per year doing their own manicures and pedicures.

Here’s how you can, too.

1. Do your Own Gel Manicures

Although it seems like a small price to pay for one visit to the salon, frequent visits add up fast. Since gel polish only lasts for about two weeks (longer if you’re lucky), relying on a salon means going in twice a month, or 24 times per year. It’s much cheaper to do your own nails at home.

For instance, if you’re used to paying $35 plus tip twice a month for each gel manicure, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can do them at home for far less.

It’s not hard to give yourself a nice manicure, and supplies, like foil nail designs, are affordable and easy to get. If you have friends who also want to save money and do their nails at home, you can do each other’s nails.

That might be a good option if you don’t feel comfortable using your non-dominant hand. Although, with enough practice, it will become easy to use your non-dominant hand to do your nails.

2. Talk to your Nail Artist

If you have an existing relationship with a nail artist, don’t cancel your appointments just yet. Talk to them and ask if they can cut the price down by eliminating some of the services you usually get, like removing old polish.

You can also ask them to share tips with you for doing your own nails at home once in a while. If you have good rapport with your nail artist, they’ll probably be happy to share some tips and tricks.

Since most nail salons also sell polish, you can continue supporting the business by buying from them at least once in a while. Or just stop in for a manicure every few months to show your support.

3. Watch YouTube Tutorials

YouTube is full of tutorials for manicures, pedicures, and any kind of nail art you might want to try. You can learn a lot by subscribing to the channels you like, especially when it comes to learning how to apply more complex types of nail art.

4. Invest in your Own Supplies

If you’re going to do your own manicures and pedicures at home, you’ll need to get some basic supplies:
Nail clippers

• A nail file
• A cuticle pusher
• Cuticle oil
• Nail polish

It’s easiest to get all of these tools in a manicure set, and when you do, you’ll also get a nice little carrying case for everything, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything (just remember to put each piece back where it goes).

5. Get Press-Ons

Press-ons were popular in the 80s and 90s, and seem to have made a massive comeback. Press-on nails and press-on tips are useful and convenient when your goal is to cut back on how much you spend getting your nails done.

Doing your own nail art can be fun and exciting, but it can also get old fast if you’re short on time. Having acrylic press-ons in your nail kit will help you save time since they are affordable and come with pre-existing designs.

6. Learn How to Remove Your Polish

Whether you completely break the cycle of visiting the nail salon or just want to save a little bit of money, you’ll save the most by removing your polish at home.

Removing regular nail polish is easy with standard polish remover, but if you’re using hard gel, you may want to check out some of the steam-off products on the market.

Reserve Salon Visits as a Special Treat

While it’s great to want to support small businesses and nail artists, the reality is that it gets expensive fast. Doing your nails at home can save you thousands of dollars. However, just because you want to save money doesn’t mean you have to skip the salon altogether.

If you like the atmosphere and enjoy being pampered, there’s nothing wrong with getting your nails done at the salon as a treat.