Long on Hair, Short on Cash: How do YOU do it?

[swords & roses]

I'd love to hear how other Long-hairs-on-a-budget like me make it work. :)

I'd love to try all the good-for-you products out there, buy high quality combs & brushes, get some ficcares, and oh how I've been wanting a Lark's Creation Squiggly for almost 2 years!!! But I'm not in a stage where I can put money towards such luxuries. I did have to splurge on a $6 brush yesterday, because my old one has lost over 1/3 of the bristles, another 1/3 are bent over, & its finally being declared as dead. Hopefully that new brush doesn't throw off this month's budget.

Here's how I manage my waist-length locks without breaking the bank:
Wash every other day with V05 shampoo & conditioner ($1/bottle, & lasts me several months). Comb wet hair with a plastic comb I think I got for about $1 or $2 a year ago. Brush dry hair daily with a hard bristle brush to detangle. (New brush is a combo of hard & soft bristles.) At the office, it goes up in a lazy wrap bun, held by a plastic clip that looks like a ficcare, but came from Claire's. I think it was $3 or $4, & I've had it for a year or two. When I'm not at the office, it's in a ponytail with a regular old hair tie, or it's down.

So how about you? How do you care for your hair without spending a fortune?

[Angela_Rose]

On a budget, indeed. I am currently unemployed and trying to scrape by on less than $400/month.
The dollar store plus my once-a-week wash/condition schedule is a big help. I buy my shampoo at the local dollar store, and it's alovely shampoo. It's a knockoff of the $10/bottle Argan Oil blue bottle stuff... for A DOLLAR. Woo. I splurge on my conditioner, but spending $4.99 on a bottle of Suave every three months keeps my budget down. Many of my hair toys were given to me o rI found them at ridiculous bargains. I did wait to buy my comb until it went on closeout... from $7 doen to $1.99, so there are good ways to do it.

[Crumpet]

Weirdly, I think that its easier to spend less money on hair if you follow the Mane Forum. Its those pesky Ficcares that cause all of the problems! :)

Shampoo and condish can be cheap (I like cone free and those can be cheap too) -- expensive definitely doesn't mean better. Looking at ingredients helps to save time and money.

Treatments such as coconut oil are the best and real cooking-quality coconut oil is super cheap and lasts forever.

Self-trims are free after purchasing some good scissors. Hairstylists cost so much money!

Even though I developed a bit of a Ficcare habit (ahem), I think I've saved money of late since I haven't been going to hairdressers and I am buying cheaper and better shampoos now. Its very freeing, and it feels good since I changed jobs/moved and I'm still waiting for my first paycheck and reimbursement for my moving expenses two months down the line. Yikes!

[Kaelee]

Agreed with cheap shampoo and condish (if you can stand the over-the-top fragrances, V05 is great stuff!) and invest in a pair of hair trimming scissors, around $20 and you can avoid salons for years. :agree:

If you use sticks, some seamless acrylic sticks in a neutral color (so you don't have to worry about them clashing with things or standing out when you don't want them too) might be a good investment- won't harm your hair, waterproof, virtually indestructible (OK, so you can destroy them, but it's hard to do with anything that you would normally be doing with a hair stick.) Chopsticks are also an option, you can get cheap wooden ones and paint them to your heart's content!

I think seamless combs are readily available these days (seems like big haircare companies like Goody are starting to catch on to good hair care practices) and might also be a good investment, though I got by for years with one of the wide tooth plastic detangling combs with seams galore. You can get by with JUST a comb, too. I did that for years before I got ahold of a TT.

[Kaelee]

Also, if you're patient and persistent, you can snag some good deals on the swap board. Just not on Ficcares, those are in super high demand right now. :lol:

[rosiedeam]

I've managed to grow my hair out during the 6 years I've been pursuing various degrees (First a BS now A PHD), and as many of you may know, college ain't cheap. Basically I managed to hit APL without giving my hair a second thought. I washed it as little as possible (mainly out of concern for lack of time) and kept it up pretty much all of the time, except for when I was going out and wanted to show off. I am just about Tail bone now, and not much has changed. I use dollar tree shampoo and follow the CWC method. I bought my comb and scissors at a beauty supply store when they were have a clearence sale so that brought the price down. I keep my hair braided a lot, because it doesn't require expensive hair toys. FINALLY I use coconut oil as both a conditioning treatment and a leave in. I sometimes find bottles of Coconut oil at Grocery Outlet for really cheap and if budget allows I stock up. I use it for cooking too so I feel like I can justify it.

[In2wishin]

It's not for everybody but going CO with a homemade conditioner has saved me tons of money. I spent $40 for all of the ingredients (conditioning agent, shea butter, avocado oil) and that gives me 25 (32 ounce) bottles of conditioner at $1.60 each. I wash once a week and each bottle lasts me about 12 washes, so I end up spending less than $10/year.

Chopsticks make great inexpensive hairsticks.

[jrmviola]

The most expensive thing i spend money on is the new shampoo i use, but- its going to hopefully last me several months. so thats 15$ (Not cheep i know. I also used to use a 3$ clarifying shampoo for the longest while) but my regular conditioner is around 5$ every 2 weeks. The different oils i have bought maybe total 10$ and will last me all year maybe. I use a comb that was 3$ for ten, my oil brush was 3$ at Sallys. The sizzors i use are OLD. I stole them from my dad a while back (he started to use them to cut the dog's hair...) and we've seemed to always have them, but they are sharp still.

Anyhoo I have a wooden hairstick i got a long time ago for a few dollars, two wooden forks were gifts, two sets of plastic chopsticks that maybe total 2$? and regular ponytail holders 10 for 1.50$ no metal. A butterfly hair comb thing i got for 20$ 7 years ago that works great for slippery hair. Those items were one time purchases and for now its all i need.

[Madora]

I hope I don't offend with this unsolicited bit of advice...but if you want healthy, beautiful hair, please, do not use a brush to detangle it.

A wide tooth comb is gentlest for detangling. Just be sure to work in small increments, and start from the tips of the hair and work your way up to your scalp. Working in small sections helps you to more quickly locate any snarl/tangle/mat.

You can help lessen the tangle situation if you keep your hair up..or in a braid.

[Lunnafindel]

I agree with those who say that long hair is better for the budget. I spend maybe $10 every 6 months or a year (I can't remember) on shampoo and conditioner...and that's about it. A brush/comb will last you many years, and if you're into treatments, oils are equally cheap and long-lasting. I'd say growing long, natural hair should cost $20/year MAX, and anything on top of that is a luxury (sometimes luxuries that are very, very tempting, like pretty hair forks, but still technically unnecessary). It's a bargain! What other part of your daily life do you spend so little on for it to look so good?

[prettyinpink]

Olive oil is $3 at aldis, and I use vinegar too

[neko_kawaii]

Shampoo and conditioner don't have to be expensive to be good for your hair, and you don't need large quantities of them each time you wash. If you have a hard time getting conditioner evenly into your hair and keep adding more try diluting it with some water. I bet you have a container in the recycling that would work great for this.

Expensive brushes and combs are not necessary. Take a nail file to the seams on a cheap plastic wide toothed comb if you are worried about the seams.

Expensive hair toys are not necessary. Really want a stick? Save a wooden chopstick or find a stick on the ground and sand it. A sheet of sandpaper costs about a dollar (and you can use it on the comb seams too). Polish it with a smooth stone or bottle cap. Got nail polish? Now you have a painted stick. If you are otherwise crafty and have supplies lying around take a look at the self-made hair toys thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=131)for inspiration.

[torrilin]

Extra virgin organic and fair trade coconut oil is about $15 for more than you can use on your hair in a year. I don't count it as part of my hair budget really, it's in the food budget because otherwise it doesn't get used up fast enough. Rancid oils are not cool. I'm *pretty* sure that would even hold for type 4 hair.

It costs about $12 for 1L of the Everyday Shea fragrance free, fair trade and organic conditioner I use as one of my primaries. That's about a 6 month supply. I don't really keep tabs on the Alba Botanica fragrance free leave in conditioner... I can get away with very little of it, or I can slather it on pretty lavishly. About $9 for 7oz.

There are a couple different baby shampoos that come in fragrance free. Most of them are about $5-7 per bottle, and I can use it as both shampoo and body wash. Used that way, I need maybe 4 bottles a year.

In short, you're gonna wind up spending very little, even if you go for seemingly fancy products. Allow $20 for hair pins and pony tail holders (which is enough money for a pretty hefty supply of spin pins) and maybe $10 in case your comb breaks that year, and you *might* bust $100 on hair stuff per year. There's usually going to be some other area of your budget where it will be easier to save money.

(obviously, all bets are off if you're seeing a hair stylist routinely... $20 for a trim adds up very fast, and a lot of stylists who cater to women charge more like $40 or $60)

[Misschilly]

I've made my own hair sticks from chopsticks witch I painted with nail polish=)

[Macaroni]

My routine is basically like yours but I'll add using coconut oil on the ends of my hair. I try to stock up on VO5 shampoo and conditioner when I have either Extra Care Bucks from CVS or when they're on sale. I just started CWC (condition/wash/condition) and my hair seems to like it. I don't have expensive hair toys.

[Panth]

1) Cut your own hair, or get a friend to do it. You don't need to buy expensive hair scissors, you simply need a pair of scissors that are sharp and are only ever used on hair.

2) Make your own hair toys or keep your selection down to a few that are fairly neutral and thus can go with any outfit. Personally, my hair lives in spin pin buns - now, the branded ones are about £5 for 2, and I have 4, but I have literally been using these daily for over two years and they still work perfectly. It'd be even cheaper if you bought the knock-off ones (although I can't vouch for their quality).

3) When experimenting with oils, try ones you already have for cooking first of all. Then if those don't work and you still want to try oils, try ones which are edible (e.g coconut) so that you can still use them if they don't work on your hair. Also, when you do find one you like, keep it in the fridge and decant out a small bit at a time into a tiny pot. Only touch the stuff in the tiny pot with your hands - use a clean spoon/utensil on the big pot. This will help your main pot last longer and remain mould-free, so that you can buy in bulk and not waste anything.

4) Don't underestimate how good cheap shampoo and conditioner can be - get wise to what each ingredient does (roughly) and you will be able to pick out problem ingredients and aim for ones your hair likes. It doesn't have to be expensive to work.

Generally, long hair is fairly easy to keep cheap. Basically, all you need to do is not damage it, not trim it more than absolutely necessary and to just ... be patient. Anyway, if you're being frugal, it's easier to avoid the really damaging things - no hairdresser visit every 6 weeks, no regular dye job, no regular touch-up of bleach on the roots, no super-expensive flat iron purchases... :)

[embee]

I can't remember the last time I actually spent money *on my hair*. Maybe it was a couple years ago when I bought a Larks Squiggly. Or perhaps it was a few years back when I bought a bunch of Suave shampoo and conditioner that were being discontinued. It might have been the Denman brush I bought at Sally's, but that was several years ago too.

No, now I remember - this year I bought spin-pins and that was probably $5 or so.

Actually, I am usually WO in summer and NW/SO in winter, and I can go a good long time without washing. If I do need to wash, I dilute the shampoo a great deal. If I dilute it sufficiently there is no need for conditioner, because not all the sebum has been removed, just the sweat and/or dirt.

Long hair rocks for saving money. :)

[Aingeal]

It's funny that just this morning I was thinking About how cheap my hair has gotten since I started taking better care of it. I was actually going to start a post.

I have thick 3a curly hair and I used to spend a fortune on it. Hair masks, expensive argan oil, cuts, mousse, gel. It could cost about $100 per month. It was ridiculous. Now? I haven't bought a new bottle of shampoo in three months. I get my conditioner at $4.99 every two months. I use argan oil, but now find it cheaper and it lasts longer. I use coconut oil. And when I let my hair down to play, I use Shea moisture products that last months.

My wallet thanked me this morning. :)

[Isilme]

I agree, don't detangle with a brush! If you want a cheap seamless comb that will last you for ages buy a The Body Shop wide toothed wooden comb. Just keep your hair detangled and up and wash when needed. That's all you need.

[AmyBeth]

I find that I don't want, or need, to spend lots on hair care or skin care products. I am not afraid to spend money on what works, but it just so happens that I can find what works at all price levels, and I'd rather spend a little that a lot on shampoo, conditioners, make up, sunscreen, etc. If you want to spend a lot, go for it. If you don't, don't feel like you're missing out on something special. I spend less on my hair in the 2 years that I've been here on LHC than ever before, and my hair looks better too. I used to work in a salon and tried all the expensive brands, and I prefer my shampoo bar and ACV:D
Also- you can find really beautiful hair ornaments (sticks, forks, claws etc) on Ebay for so little, like $2.00 w/free shipping!

[prettyinpink]

Here on ebay 3 spin pins are 99 cents witth free shipping!

[velorutionista]

it's amazing how ingrained it seems to equate price with value, but they're definitely two different animals! I'm slowly learning this, myself!

[chen bao jun]

Long hair is cheap. Short hair is expensive. Hairdressers, styled hair and fashionable hair cuts are all first world luxuries.

Besides the hints above, remember that double pointed knitting needles make great hairsticks and great u-pins if you bend them. If your hair need some moisturizing more than an oil can provide, you can buy shea butter, cocoa butter and aloe vera gel and juice in large amounts and find instructions on youtube to make your own masques and treatments and fancy leave-ins. Satin can bought at the fabric store or online and satin pillowcases and scarves and scrunchies run up with ease on the sewing machine (jsut straight stitching required). And eating healthy, which is essential for good hair, is cheaper than eating fast food and worth it for other health reasons too.

[MadameV]

When I really, REALLY wanted nice hair sticks, I spent a month or two lurking around Etsy trying to figure out what would be right for my tastes, my budget, and my needs (non-stabby).

Then I threw up my hands and went to Hobby Lobby for a $1.29 dowel. The thinner ones are $.99, but I like the 1/2" or greater diameter ones. Using a steak knife, an old nail file, some nail polish, a bit of ink, and some oil--things I already had in the house--I ended up with 3 new sticks, all 7x1/2". Would've been four and a 7 1/2x1/2" if I hadn't broken the last two cutting them. I have no skills, but that's ok. They're gigantic and I love them, 'cause they're mine and I made them. They were $.43 each.

Also, about once a month VO5 goes on sale at Albertsons for $.88. I stock up then.

[ravenheather]

Sometimes you can find spin pins at dollar stores. Trader joes tea tree tingle shampoo and conditioner are $4 each if you are looking for natural alternatives.

[proo]

NW/SO method
Put hair up so it holds itself without toys
Fingercomb
zero bucks

[Squiggy]

Besides the hints above, remember that double pointed knitting needles make great hairsticks and great u-pins if you bend them.

I use my double points as hair sticks all the time! Every big box craft store sells them in sets of 4 or 5, for very cheap and in all sorts of thicknesses and colors! Several other people have mentioned using crochet hooks as well.


When I really, REALLY wanted nice hair sticks, I spent a month or two lurking around Etsy trying to figure out what would be right for my tastes, my budget, and my needs (non-stabby).

Then I threw up my hands and went to Hobby Lobby for a $1.29 dowel. The thinner ones are $.99, but I like the 1/2" or greater diameter ones. Using a steak knife, an old nail file, some nail polish, a bit of ink, and some oil--things I already had in the house--I ended up with 3 new sticks, all 7x1/2". Would've been four and a 7 1/2x1/2" if I hadn't broken the last two cutting them. I have no skills, but that's ok. They're gigantic and I love them, 'cause they're mine and I made them. They were $.43 each.

Similarly, but even cheaper, I received a really long pair of wooden knitting needles as a present about 6 years ago. I have never used them and recently made 4 hairsticks out of them. Cut them in half with a hand saw, used a pencil sharpener to make points on the flat edges, then used sandpaper to round the tip and get rid of catchy bits. Put some almond oil on them and ready to go! 4 hair sticks for free.

I always think it's wise to experiment with what you have at hand. That way you know what works and can save up for a big splurge later. Or ask for it very nicely for your birthday!

[pogo0685]

It's not for everybody but going CO with a homemade conditioner has saved me tons of money. I spent $40 for all of the ingredients (conditioning agent, shea butter, avocado oil) and that gives me 25 (32 ounce) bottles of conditioner at $1.60 each. I wash once a week and each bottle lasts me about 12 washes, so I end up spending less than $10/year.

Chopsticks make great inexpensive hairsticks.

Can I please ask how you make the conditioner? I would love to try this.

[AmyBeth]

NW/SO method
Put hair up so it holds itself without toys
Fingercomb
zero bucks

Zen and the art of beautiful hair.

[Andeee]

So you guys are saying cheap shampoo can be good? I always thought cheap shampoos were full of sulfates and detergents and really harsh on your hair. So I've splurged on expensive shampoo and conditioner from the hair salon. And now I've splurged again on even more expensive sulfate-free shampoo and -cone-free conditioner from the same salon. I though since I only wash once a week it wasn't *too* expensive, but still....

So what cheap brands do find OK on your hair? Someone mentioned VO5. Can you get that in the UK? I remember that brand from when I lived in the US, and they did hot oil treatments, too--are they OK?

I'd like to try oil on my thick-ish wavy-ish hair, but I'm really scared I'll do too much and won't get it all out. The ends are really dry because I do color it.

Sorry if I've hijacked this thread somewhat...

[Haybop]

I've found some good sulfate and cone free shampoos and conditioners in the 99p store - they aren't consistently in stock, you have to cross your fingers and hope, but they are nice (also occasionally see them selling small bottles of Argan Oil - but I'd investigate furtehr first, just in case).

VO5 is definitely available in UK, check Superdrug and Boots - it's a pretty common brand :)

[Nae]

The actual care of my hair is quite cheap. I bought a good pair of scissors years ago and I usually use inexpensive shampoos and conditioners.

It is those darn hair toys that get me every time. But I could make things work with a few spin pins and hair ties. I really could.

[torrilin]

So you guys are saying cheap shampoo can be good?

There generally aren't big differences between cosmetic products. Most shampoos period use fairly strong detergents. Price doesn't make a huge difference in that. The more expensive stuff may have a more "designer" style fragrance, and the packaging will almost certainly be more stylish. Generally if you want gentler detergents, you're best off learning the chemical names for the ones you like and reading the label for the right ingredients.

Since I can't use a lot of scented products because they make me itchy... the fancier fragrance isn't a selling point for me. And stylish packaging isn't a plus unless it also works well.

And well, in general shampoo doesn't make a huge difference in your hair. If I just used shampoo as shampoo, it'd take me about a year to use up a tinier bottle than any brand sells. You don't need much! A conditioner that absorbs well is a lot more important, whether you achieve that with plain oil or a purchased product, or you use a mix of the two. And well, if your hair can absorb straight oil (it works for a lot of folks) you can get very nice oils at the grocery store. Olive oil and coconut oil both can be used in cooking, so they're a good place to start. And oils meant for food use are processed to stricter standards than oils meant for cosmetics use.

[Andeee]

There generally aren't big differences between cosmetic products. Most shampoos period use fairly strong detergents. Price doesn't make a huge difference in that. The more expensive stuff may have a more "designer" style fragrance, and the packaging will almost certainly be more stylish. Generally if you want gentler detergents, you're best off learning the chemical names for the ones you like and reading the label for the right ingredients.

Since I can't use a lot of scented products because they make me itchy... the fancier fragrance isn't a selling point for me. And stylish packaging isn't a plus unless it also works well.

And well, in general shampoo doesn't make a huge difference in your hair. If I just used shampoo as shampoo, it'd take me about a year to use up a tinier bottle than any brand sells. You don't need much! A conditioner that absorbs well is a lot more important, whether you achieve that with plain oil or a purchased product, or you use a mix of the two. And well, if your hair can absorb straight oil (it works for a lot of folks) you can get very nice oils at the grocery store. Olive oil and coconut oil both can be used in cooking, so they're a good place to start. And oils meant for food use are processed to stricter standards than oils meant for cosmetics use.
Thanks, all good info! I have to admit I get a headache reading all the chemicals on the shampoo bottles it just sends my brain into over-drive. So if it doesn't make all that much of a difference I'll go back to the cheaper stuff when my expensive stuff runs out (it will last ages, though).

I used several drops of extra virgin olive oil in my just washed, damp hair today, squeezing it into my ends from the bottom (about hip) to almost BSL area. I'm scared to do more than that with oil at the moment. I like the idea of combining oil with conditioner...

[Isilme]

If you buy cheap harsh shampoo it can easily be diluted with water to suit your needs:)

[jacqueline101]

On a budget, indeed. I am currently unemployed and trying to scrape by on less than $400/month.
The dollar store plus my once-a-week wash/condition schedule is a big help. I buy my shampoo at the local dollar store, and it's alovely shampoo. It's a knockoff of the $10/bottle Argan Oil blue bottle stuff... for A DOLLAR. Woo. I splurge on my conditioner, but spending $4.99 on a bottle of Suave every three months keeps my budget down. Many of my hair toys were given to me o rI found them at ridiculous bargains. I did wait to buy my comb until it went on closeout... from $7 doen to $1.99, so there are good ways to do it.

I agree with the dollar stores they're bargin places. I like second hand stores for my wooden combs and brushes and my toys. I also make my own toys. I have found it easy to save if you keep up on the store sales in my local store vo5 shampoo will be on sale for .69 cents. I do stretch washes weekly going for every two weeks. I'm hoping to wash monthly.

[Tota]

Since joining LHC I spend around 30-35 EUR a year on hair and my hair has never been longer, shinier and healthier. I fingercomb or brush my hair with a TT. I only use shampoo once a month to clarify and even then I dilute it so one bottle lasts more than a year. I CO most of the time so I try to save as much as I can when buying conditioners. A drugstore nearby offers a 30% discount coupon on hair products to their regular customers once a year. There is no limit on what and how much to buy as long as it's hair related so If I buy 12 bottles of conditioner I get almost 4 of them for free and they last me more than a year. I use cheap drugstore organic brand conditioners - natural and without cones, but very inexpensive. I'm not really into hair toys so that's not a problem for me. I own some spin pins and cheap plastic hair forks that hide in my bun and thats enough for me. I use coconut or olive oil sometimes, but because I mostly cook with it I don't include it in my "hair budget". I also self-trim or ask my mother/grandmother to do it.

Before LHC I spent around 250 EUR and my hair was fried, frizzy, damaged and never longer than APL. My scalp was oily, scaly, flaky, itchy and red and it hurt like hell. The reason (as I see it now) was too much shampoo. The money was spent on hairdressers, dyes, styling tools and fancy but worthless hair products. I also spent an enormous amount of time on my hair back then because whatever I tried, my hair never looked as I wanted it to look. Now I just wash and airdry it, braid/bun it and I'm always happy with it. Long hair is amazingly liberating. Healthy scalp, too. And yes, cheap :P

[caren]

I agree with everyone that says as long as you stay away from the hair toys thread, you can do this well and cheaply. My fall down has been hair toys, though I feel like I have been investing in some quality toys that will last me a few years at least!

[chen bao jun]

Yes, my mom sent a pack of dowels in the mail and they are great for hair sticks if you like thicker than chopsticks.
I sawed mine in half with a steak knife, then I sharpened them in a pencil sharpener than I used sandpaper (very cheap) to snd the point I had made until it was rounded and to make the dowel smooth and painted them with nail polish. That was it. i thinking I could also have used that enamel paint they make for model cars.

Then I threw up my hands and went to Hobby Lobby for a $1.29 dowel. The thinner ones are $.99, but I like the 1/2" or greater diameter ones. Using a steak knife, an old nail file, some nail polish, a bit of ink, and some oil--things I already had in the house--I ended up with 3 new sticks, all 7x1/2". Would've been four and a 7 1/2x1/2" if I hadn't broken the last two cutting them. I have no skills, but that's ok. They're gigantic and I love them, 'cause they're mine and I made them. They were $.43 each.

Also, about once a month VO5 goes on sale at Albertsons for $.88. I stock up then.

[chen bao jun]

Staying away from the hairtoys threads is becoming a goal for me, too.
If I stayed with what I have now, I already have enough to wear a different hair toy every day for the next three weeks.
I kinda went nuts, I was so excited to be able to fit toys in my hair but I should be over that by now and not wasting money like I have been.
I do notice that when I go on there for whatever reason, I end up somehow on etsy or ficcare.com or ebay or somewhere I should not be and then when I go back on the hairtoy thread to show off the whatever I bought, then I'm inspired to buy more. It's definitely a problem.

[breezefaerie]

This is a great idea for a thread!

I love the dollar store for my cheap conditioners and hair ties. I also find VO5 conditioner and shampoo on sale all the time for $0.79 and stock up.
My coconut is LuAna from Walmart ... a HUGE tub is about $5.00 and lasts me forever.

[In2wishin]

Can I please ask how you make the conditioner? I would love to try this.

Basically, I heat the conditioning agent in the microwave until it is melted, add the oil/butter and stir to melt the butter, pour in hot distilled water (boiled, then cooled a little) and mix with a stick blender. If the water was a little too hot, I mix a couple of more times as it cools. When it cools to lukewarm, I add the EO or FO, mix, and bottle.

Here is a great tutorial that goes into all of the different ingredients and their advantages/disadvantages: http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1020026/conditionertutorialthingie.pdf

[AmyBeth]

You have to read labels. Some of the organic/natural shampoos here in the U.S. are expensive, some not so much. But a lot of the ingredients are standard. I don't mean to criticize anyone who prefers the more expensive. I'm just saying, when you buy the more upscale brands, a lot of the money goes towards paying their marketing budgets. In my case, I am more and more inclined to only use products with ingredients that are natural and organic, and it just so happens that a lot of them are very affordable.

[embee]

Some years back I found a nice stick in my yard. I scraped it down, made a rounded point with a knife, sanded it all well until it was smooth, and painted it with scented oil. Then I let it sit until all the oil had sunk in and the scent was bearable.

I use this stick when I work in my garden, because it is short and I can wear my gardening sunhat over it. Every now and then I'll give it a wipe down with more scented oil, just for fun. :)

Agreed, the HairToys threads can be dangerous, but oh my, they sure are fun. :) I've managed not to buy much as I have no Paypal. Whew.

[torrilin]

Thanks, all good info! I have to admit I get a headache reading all the chemicals on the shampoo bottles it just sends my brain into over-drive. So if it doesn't make all that much of a difference I'll go back to the cheaper stuff when my expensive stuff runs out (it will last ages, though).

Sadly, there's no way around actually reading the label if you're trying to do a particular routine. And almost everyone is going to be trying to avoid things like light alcohols, peroxide, table salt and lye... and manufacturers try to sneak those into the darnedest products! You'll find ethanol or ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and so forth in products that swear they're moisturizing. And a product with tons of sodium chloride will swear it smooths your hair. Sodium hydroxide shows up in some conditioners... sometimes it's way far down and you can work out that it's to adjust p.H, but other times, it is there as a regular ingredient. Peroxide is hydrogen peroxide, and it's the same stuff as in laundry detergents that say they contain "oxygen bleach". It's also used in hair dye to lighten hair and help the color stick. Generally it's not great stuff for your hair. Very useful if you need to disinfect a cut or scrape, but you probably don't want it in your conditioner.

The weird sounding stuff that you don't recognize may be worth avoiding, or you may not care. It really depends on your goals. I'm not opposed to SCIENCE!!!! in my hair products. Really, I'm rather for it. But I'm very opposed to itching and weird rashes and headaches, and all of those tend to be triggered by fragrances for me. At least here in the US, it's a lot easier to find "natural" products that are fragrance free, so that's what I wind up using. Admittedly, needing fragrance free products also means that something like 99% of what's out there is stuff I can't use... so that rather cuts down on the label reading too.

For most of us tho, label reading isn't going to be a big huge deal.

[Nadine <3]

I CO wash with Suave naturals and I can get a family sized bottle for a buck around here. Even cheeper when it goes on sale, and those bottles lasts me months. I do a monthly olive oil treatment that gets washed out with the tresseme shampoo that's been in my bathroom for years. I spend close to nothing on my hair now :)

[lapushka]

My hair's been in a peacock twist with a claw clip since I hit APL, and it's been the same claw clip for *years* now. My hair is waist length now, but it's been almost TBL before (yes the same peacock twist, the same claw clip then too). I do have Flexi8s and a few Ficcares, but they aren't necessary for every day.

My hair is washed with Pantene Aqua Light or Pantene's volumizing shampoo for F hair, or Herbal Essences Dazzling shine (all not too, *too* expensive brands without silicones). It gets conditioned twice, so a lot of conditioner is used, but any cheap conditioner will do, next to my Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (which is always used for my last conditioning treatment). Basically, it's just a simple wash routine. Beyond a € 1.49 conditioner from our local "Aldi", and € 1.89 conditioner from "Action" shops, there isn't much that's much more cheap than that.

For wide tooth combs, I did splurge and get a Hercules Sägemann, and a Hairsense comb, and for a brush I have a Tangle Teezer, but I've had the same one for years now. Same goes with the combs, had them for years.

Apart from that, I'm pretty much low maintenance.

[sharonluvscats]

Coupons! I use coupons for things like shampoo and conditioner. I get most of them free or for under $1. What money I save using coupons I can use for things like hair ties and oils. I get a lot of my hair ties, oils,combs, etc from Amazon. I earn Amazon gift cards on various survey sites. My hair costs me very little to take care of. :D

[animetor7]

I'd say that for me stretching washes has been by far most helpful for my hair and my budget. This way even if I used a more expensive shampoo and conditioner, which I tend not to anyways, I use less of it so I can save money as it lasts me a really long time.

[melusine963]

I've never spent so little on hair products as I spend now. Stretching washes really helps shampoo and conditioner go a long way. :) One bottle of cheap-ish sulphate free shampoo lasts me at least six months, and Suave Naturals conditioner is dirt cheap, too. My biggest luxury lately was spending $8-9 on a jar of coconut oil, but I know it will last me for years.

With my single hair stick, a pair of spin pins, and some cheap bobby pins I can do just about every style I want. There's really no need to buy a ton of expensive hair toys unless you want to.

[vendethiel]

For me, the most expensive things I buy are shampoo and conditioner, but I watch for sales and coupons and stock up - not end of the world stock up, but enough to last until the next sale stock up. (My grocery store offers bogo sales now and then and that's when I buy.) Also, I wash may hair once or twice a week and I dilute my shampoo, which cuts down on the amount I use. I make my own shea butter with coconut oil for my hair, but it also doubles as a great lotion. I've been working on making hair toys instead of buying them, partly for cost reasons and partly because I'm always tweaking the items I buy anyway. I've shortened old chopsicks and even made my own hair sticks from pre-rounded wood - colored pencils, dowels, those wooden nail things in Sally's Beauty Supply, etc. I'm also in the process of trying to make a hair fork from scrap wood...we'll see how it turns out

I really do think that long hair is cheaper and less upkeep than short hair, but since I have long hair, I tend to be partial. ;-)

[Panth]

So you guys are saying cheap shampoo can be good? I always thought cheap shampoos were full of sulfates and detergents and really harsh on your hair. So I've splurged on expensive shampoo and conditioner from the hair salon. And now I've splurged again on even more expensive sulfate-free shampoo and -cone-free conditioner from the same salon. I though since I only wash once a week it wasn't *too* expensive, but still....

So what cheap brands do find OK on your hair? Someone mentioned VO5. Can you get that in the UK? I remember that brand from when I lived in the US, and they did hot oil treatments, too--are they OK?

I'd like to try oil on my thick-ish wavy-ish hair, but I'm really scared I'll do too much and won't get it all out. The ends are really dry because I do color it.

Sorry if I've hijacked this thread somewhat...

Cheap shampoo can be just as good/bad as expensive shampoo is perhaps a better way of putting it. Many of them are full of sulphates and can be fairly harsh, but then the same is true of most boutique shampoos. Also, although sulphates are generally not a great idea (i.e. minimisation of their use will be beneficial in most cases), many people do get on fine with them. Cones, however, are completely unduly vilified - contrary to the myths, they do not completely seal the hair from moisture or completely wreck hair. Yes, they do hide damage - but that's only a problem IMO if it means you don't realise how damaging something (e.g. flat ironing daily) is until the cones can no longer hide it. They can build-up, but this can be reduced/eliminated by using water-soluble or anti-build-up cones. Also, you do not need sulphates to remove them - cocoamidopropyl betaine (a gentle, very low-irritant non-sulphate cleanser) will remove cones.

Unfortunately, if you're going down the sulphate-free/cone-free route in the UK it is rather more expensive than in the USA. You can buy VO5 here, but unlike the majority of the USA versions, the UK versions are not cone-free.

Oiling is fairly easy. The key point is moderation. Start off by using one or two drops (for liquid oils / the amount you can scrap up with one fingernail for solid oils). Put that on the palm of your hand and rub the palms together to get a VERY thin sheen over them. Then, smooth your hands down the length of your hair. Depending on your hair, you many need to section it before you do this. Try this maybe once per wash cycle to start with. Experiment with doing it on damp or dry hair. If you get too much on, remember that oils wash out more easily with conditioner than with shampoo.

[swords & roses]

Yeah, I think I need to just stay away from the hair toy & swap boards, lol! That's where I start drooling & wondering "How on earth do people afford all this stuff??" Lol!

[AmyBeth]

Yeah, I think I need to just stay away from the hair toy & swap boards, lol! That's where I start drooling & wondering "How on earth do people afford all this stuff??" Lol!

I can't afford ALL the stuff! My attitude about money is that I can afford just about anything I want. DH and I could buy a plane or a boat if we wanted to, we'd have to kick our daughter out of college, get rid of our dogs, and live in a cardboard box under a bridge, but I think we could do it. You know, choices and priorities.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how much my hair has improved since I stopped buying salon brands (I used to work in a salon, so I tried everything) and started using oils from the grocery store, tea rinses, stretching my washes (using shampoo bars which are very inexpensive) using hendigo instead of going to the salon for color. All the things I use in my hair are natural things that people used for hundreds of years before chemically manufactured hair products came on the scene, making some people very wealthy and sending the rest of us on an endless chase for the perfect products so we could have shampoo commercial hair. My hair looks more like a shampoo commercial now than it ever did when I used the stuff! Our ancestors knew what was good for hair, but we sort of fell for marketing bs. Not anymore, for me. For the last time, money does not equal pretty hair!!

[longNred]

For me, long hair is the most budget friendly. I buy shampoo for 1.99, lasts for months. Conditioner, about $4, every 2-3 wks. I bought a simple wide tooth wooden comb for $7, only use that, no brushes. I think my biggest expense is having good quality henna shipped to me every few months to maintain my color. I've never found long hair to be "expensive" in any way. I don't visit a salon regularly, or buy fancy hair toys. I have exactly two hair sticks, each was less than $10. A letter opener and chopsticks, both free, work equally as well. I'm sure I spend a tiny fraction of what my "short & styled" friends spend! I don't buy any "products".. I use coconut oil, but I'd buy that for cooking anyways. One jar really lasts a LONG time.

[vindo]

I'm a product minimalist. Shampoo + Oil = long hair.

The only thing that I would invest in at least once is a good comb (Mine was $20 Le Bao Long, der froehliche Drache) and a good hair fork (60th street!) to keep the hair up.

[Andeee]

Cheap shampoo can be just as good/bad as expensive shampoo is perhaps a better way of putting it. Many of them are full of sulphates and can be fairly harsh, but then the same is true of most boutique shampoos. Also, although sulphates are generally not a great idea (i.e. minimisation of their use will be beneficial in most cases), many people do get on fine with them. Cones, however, are completely unduly vilified - contrary to the myths, they do not completely seal the hair from moisture or completely wreck hair. Yes, they do hide damage - but that's only a problem IMO if it means you don't realise how damaging something (e.g. flat ironing daily) is until the cones can no longer hide it. They can build-up, but this can be reduced/eliminated by using water-soluble or anti-build-up cones. Also, you do not need sulphates to remove them - cocoamidopropyl betaine (a gentle, very low-irritant non-sulphate cleanser) will remove cones.

Unfortunately, if you're going down the sulphate-free/cone-free route in the UK it is rather more expensive than in the USA. You can buy VO5 here, but unlike the majority of the USA versions, the UK versions are not cone-free.

Oiling is fairly easy. The key point is moderation. Start off by using one or two drops (for liquid oils / the amount you can scrap up with one fingernail for solid oils). Put that on the palm of your hand and rub the palms together to get a VERY thin sheen over them. Then, smooth your hands down the length of your hair. Depending on your hair, you many need to section it before you do this. Try this maybe once per wash cycle to start with. Experiment with doing it on damp or dry hair. If you get too much on, remember that oils wash out more easily with conditioner than with shampoo.
Thanks, Panth--all good info!

[chelles2kids]

LOVE this thread! :joy:

I've found some great prices on Vitacost.com. I live 'out in the country' & the closest Target, etc. to me is a 45 min. drive away. Vitacost has saved me $$ on items that I can't find any where else. While they don't carry everything, they do carry quite a large selection. :agree:

[oatmealpie]

Whenever I'm thinking of getting a new hair product, I check out Coupons.com (http://www.coupons.com). Right now they have coupons for Garnier and Pantene hair products. If I'm buying something online, I'll first go to Retail Me Not (http://www.retailmenot.com) and Ebates (http://www.ebates.com) to check for coupon codes.

[akuamoonmaui]

I make my own 'poo bar. I played with making soaps, and closed my eyes and crossed my fingers, and tried it as a shampoo. I was so surprised because my hair didn't dry out. With the savings of not having to buy shampoo and washing every other day, I can spend more on conditioner. I really like Aussie products. I also wait until they are on sale, then stock up. V05 is great stuff too.

[pogo0685]

Basically, I heat the conditioning agent in the microwave until it is melted, add the oil/butter and stir to melt the butter, pour in hot distilled water (boiled, then cooled a little) and mix with a stick blender. If the water was a little too hot, I mix a couple of more times as it cools. When it cools to lukewarm, I add the EO or FO, mix, and bottle.

Here is a great tutorial that goes into all of the different ingredients and their advantages/disadvantages: http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1020026/conditionertutorialthingie.pdf
Thank you!

[GoldenSilk]

I recently started ordering all my daily over-the-counter meds I need from Amazon Subscribe and Save to cut down on costs and save time. Throwing in a bottle of Suave Coconut gets me to five items, so I get 15% off instead of 5% off. So, my Suave actually costs about negative $5!


I CO with VO5, and Amazon doesn't carry any of the ones I like for S&S, but I dilute it 2:1 with water to make it last longer and clean better. The applicator bottle to dilute it in costs like $2 at Sally's.


Now, I am lusting over some nice acrylic sticks, but for now, I use wooden sticks from Fire Mountain Gems that my mom had extras of, modified chopsticks, and a $2 hair fork I found in an Canadian dollar store. I made scrunchies from satin remnants I found at Wal-Mart for around $2/yard. Next project is to make a silk pillowcase from old silk shirts I found at the thrift store... which is also a great source of silk scarves!

[starlamelissa]

I like vo5 shampoo, for normal hair, as a cheapie. I spent .84 cents on my last 15 ounce bottle. I really like pantene aqua light shampoo and suave professionals sleek shampoo as well. They are costlier than .84 cents however!

Tresseme makes the least expensive, and still effective coney conditioners.

I think you can detangle dry hair with a brush, but I don't detangle much anyway. Serious detangling is done in the shower, with a super wide tooth shower comb and a palmfull of tresemme. My favorite brushes are all cheap, although I do own a denman brush I bought when money wasn't so quite so tight. I don't think the brush matters too much. If it pulls and breaks hair you have a problem.

I use a coney leave in, and I am okay with the price. It's $3.00 for 4 oz of product, and it only use 2 tubes a year. (Suave professionals sleek anti frizz creme)

I also like baby oil on damp hair, which if you can get the hang of it, is the best cheap detangler and leave in. I've used it for 2 years now.

I think dollar stores, especially dollar tree, are overlooked! I have found smooth chopsticks there (in a 20 pack), claw clips, fluffy bristled brushes, paddle brushes,nice wide combs, multi pack fine tooth combs,baby oil, black hair ties, all for a dollar.

I color my hair with revlon colorsilk, which I order once a year from bythecase.com, 30 dollars will buy me a year's worth of red hair. This year I will be getting it as a birthday gift from a family member.

Including regular salon visits I spend very little yearly on hair care. My hair is butt crack/tailbone so I must be doing something right.

[Ambystoma]

I think being a hairdresser dodger saves a huge amount of money - I'm always stunned when I find out how much everyone else around me spends on their hair on a regular basis, in fact, I spend less per year (products included) than most guys I know :laugh: - the whole not colouring and self trimming thing makes that side of things free after all. I tend to wash once or twice a week and only use a serum and stuff if I'm going out somewhere and want to look extra nice, so I go through products at a slow rate too, which is kind to the wallet.

I made a bunch of hairsticks for myself when I found this forum out of some lovely stained wood chopsticks that match my hair colour really nicely - all I had to do was saw them to a good length and sand the raw edge, and I have been using them every day ever since, I got 20 sticks for $2 so I'd say I'm set for life in the stick department!

I detangle with a seamless plastic comb that I picked up for under $10, and curl it with three handkerchiefs (like the sock curl method but rolled hankies are easier to tie up) or sometimes some curlers that were very cheap that I covered in some old spare satin ribbon so that they're not as likely to cause tangles, so provided I can resist those pretty wooden hair forks I've been eyeing up on Etsy, I'd say my hair costs me next to nothing :)

[09robiha]

As a rule, I don't really use anything over £5.00 on my hair, most of it is going to go down the drain anyways right? One of the ways that I save a lot of money is by waiting until my birthday or Christmas to ask for my expensive hair products I've seen and asking for them as a gift, that way I also know if I actually really need/will like them because of the extra time to think about it.

[sarahthegemini]

Okay I don't have long hair but I'm aiming for it. I don't think my hair products are particularly expensive, although all the experimenting/trying out new products was costly. Now that I'm settled in my routine though, and know what works, I don't have to spend a lot. My co-wash conditioner is 80p per 500ml, my RO is around £8 for 250ml (I have to order online though) and my LI is 99p from discount stores. Coconut oil is only a few quid from the supermarket and last ages. The only other products I use are dry shampoo, which is around £2-£3 for a 200ml can and a protein treatment which was quite expensive but I rarely use it. My wooden comb was about £17 - which is expensive IMO but I love it, my wooden detangler was about £4 from the bodyshop, and again, totally worth it. I use the more expensive comb most though

I found the most costly part of my hair care was trying to find products that work, and as I was a bit of a product junkie, I experimented with a lot I've also cut down on my washing, I wash x2 weekly now so that saves a lot. I have established a routine now so I don't feel the need to spend, spend, spend!

[LadyCelestina]

A small thing that saves (saved me) money was looking after my hair tools,such as bobby pins or elastics.Pay attention to where you put them,if you use them.You won't have to buy a new pack.

Untangling my hair with oil before a wash saves conditioner,but might not work for finer or straighter hair.

ETA : If your scalp allows you to do so,you can stretch your washes,but to do this,you need to learn how to put your hair up.Because often your hair will not look it's best worn down days after a wash,but might look beautiful in an updo.Also,paying attention to where your hair goes (i should really do this more!) helps keep it dirt-free.

[breezefaerie]

Whoever recommended the moroccan oil shampoo/conditioner from the Dollar Tree - thanks! (I think it was this thread) I don't use the shampoo much but the conditioner is wonderful!
Great stuff! and only a dollar :)

[chelles2kids]

I buy my shampoo at the local dollar store, and it's alovely shampoo. It's a knockoff of the $10/bottle Argan Oil blue bottle stuff... for A DOLLAR. Woo.

After seeing you post about this the other day & noticing we were similar hair texture, I had to see if I could find it.

I stopped by a little while ago & bought a bottle of the "Argan Oil" & the "Cherry Blossom" as well.
While they didn't have the conditioner in the "Argan Oil" version, I did find it in the "Cherry Blossom" scent.

I thought I'd also mention for anyone else who might be interested in just giving this line a try, the blue bottles {Argan Oil} were 16 ounce, while the pink bottles {Cherry Blossom} were actually 18 ounce bottles. I didn't even realize they were different sized bottles till I got home with them.

I haven't used either of them yet but I really like the more expensive Organix line, so I'm really hoping they work out. For that price you just can't beat it!

Thank-you for the suggestion Angela_ Rose!:flower:

I also wanted to mention that I found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Nature-Butter-Whipped-Cream/dp/B004Y548K0

at my local Dollar Tree as well...I can't believe it's going for $11.50 on Amazon!:bigeyes:
Obviously not the greatest product when it comes to ingredients but I thought I might give it a try for $1.00.
I figure it might be just a touch to heavy for my waves but if I use a super tiny amount I might be able to make it work occasionally.:shrug:

[heidi w.]

I would suggest that you do not detangle wet hair. Wet hair is its longest length, and you risk damaging the hair while doing so. At least use some kind of product that provides more detangled hair. When I had long hair, it wasn't very expensive. I simply bought a large supply of conditioner, and used it every single time I washed. I think I spent about $30 twice a year.
heidi w.

[Shoga]

Ever since I started to trim/cut my own hair a few years ago, I saved about $160 a year from that alone. That's what I used to spend at the hair salon every year. I go through shampoo really slowly now that I have stretched washes (every 3-4 days). I go through conditioner much more quickly though since I use a lot of it (and I also use it to shave my legs *blush*).

These are pretty much my basic hair care "needs" and how much I spend/spent on them,

Stuff that'll need replacement roughly every 5-10 years, or maintenance,
Wooden body shop comb: I own two now, spent $7 on the first two years ago (still going strong) and got a second on sale for $3.50 for my purse recently.
Satin pillow case: Mine was free (given to by friend who hated it). Can probably easily buy one for $10-$15, or sew one for around $2-$3 if you use a coupon at the fabric store
Spin pins: Spent about $6 on a set of 4 a few years ago and they are still going strong
Hair stick: I got my go-to one from Eaduard on etsy, they are nice and inexpensive ($8+shipping or so for something basic)
Scissors: Nice sharp gingher scissors from joanns for about $15 after using a 50% off coupon. They will probably last a lifetime with care and a $5 sharpening here and there
No metal elastics: About $4, will last a long time if careful not to lose them
Bobby pins: Around $3 and will also last a long time if careful not to lose them
Sock: For sock bun curls, I just used an old holey sock of mine, so "free"

Regular expenses,
Shampoo: I use Organix and try to spend $5 or less on a bottle by watching for sales and coupons. Lasts for roughly 3 months (I'm guessing, will keep track of it this time)
Conditioner: I use Garnier triple nutrition for now, looking for cone-free alternative now since formula got changed. For now, about $8 for a huge bottle that lasts roughly 3 months
ACV: Nice expensive organic kind, $6 a bottle that lasts for 3 months or so (I use it for more than just hair though)
Oil: I'm lazy and don't regularly oil my hair (I also found with AVC and stretching washes, I don't really need it). Prolly spend about $10 a year on a random oil when I get a whim.
Henna/indigo: Taking a break from this now, but I used to spend about $60 on it per year (did it 2-3 times a year)

So I spend roughly $86 a year when I don't henna, or $146 when I do, plus whatever item might need to get replaced from my first list. Still cheaper than what I used to spend at the salon alone, but I really thought I spent even less than that.

Next spring I'm going to clean out one of the old unused garden boxes and grow my own catnip for rinses. That'll probably be about $3 to start. :D

In actuality though, I do spend even more...the culprits for me are all those pretty hair toys! They are not even close to necessary though, I can do without.

[alexis917]

I'm a huge VO5 advocate! Cheap and cone free? Awesome.
I also use Aussie's Hair Insurance Detangler, which adds shine, has no cones, and smells like a pina colada.
$3 at my CVS!

[swords & roses]

I would suggest that you do not detangle wet hair. Wet hair is its longest length, and you risk damaging the hair while doing so. At least use some kind of product that provides more detangled hair. When I had long hair, it wasn't very expensive. I simply bought a large supply of conditioner, and used it every single time I washed. I think I spent about $30 twice a year.
heidi w.

I wish I didn't have to detangle my wet hair. Think of all the time I could save, lol! But if I don't detangle, my hair gets a mind of its own, some very oddly placed & unattractive waves, & my cowlicks go crazy! Every head has its own needs. :)

[swords & roses]

A small thing that saves (saved me) money was looking after my hair tools,such as bobby pins or elastics.Pay attention to where you put them,if you use them.You won't have to buy a new pack.

Untangling my hair with oil before a wash saves conditioner,but might not work for finer or straighter hair.

ETA : If your scalp allows you to do so,you can stretch your washes,but to do this,you need to learn how to put your hair up.Because often your hair will not look it's best worn down days after a wash,but might look beautiful in an updo.Also,paying attention to where your hair goes (i should really do this more!) helps keep it dirt-free.

**I** keep track of where I put my hair ties. My long-haired hubby, however, loses his CONSTANTLY!!!!! *grumble* And since they don't sell the size of hair tie we both need/prefer, we (he) break at least 1 or two a month. >_<

I would love to stretch my washes, but I'm not so sure it'll work for me. My head looks gross on day 3 when it's down AND when it's up. There's no hding it, for me. *le sigh*

In other news, I shouldn't have to buy shampoo or conditioer for several months now! My Crazy Coupon Lady aunt let me raid her conquest of freebies the other day! Left with a set of fancier Suave and a set of Tresseme (never tried that one yet). :)

[LaurelSpring]

I haven't seen baking soda mentioned but I go through phases of using that plus VO5. I think I have seen everything else I do mentioned already.

[Kelikea]

The most expensive thing I purchased last year for my hair was a $10 bamboo brush. I loved it so much that I bought a second. One for home, one for my bag. They will last for a very long time, so it was worth it. My wide tooth combs are both many years old. My shampoo and conditioners are $.79-$1.50 each and last several months to a year. Spin pins, claw clips, hair sticks all last years. I bought a package of jumbo ponytail holders last year. They are still not worn out. I don't go to the salon, HB trims my hair. I think long hair on a budget is very doable.

[Viola88]

For my hairtoy fund, I use my cashback on my credit card. This works most of the time but this fall, it is backfiring. I bought 2 ladyiduns because of the October sale. Now, a couple of German sites are taking pre-orders for some of the old ficcare styles that ficcare is starting to make again. I can't preorder because my cashback fund was used up with the Ladyiduns. Oh well, no ficcare for me.

[Sagi1982]

I'm on a budget too - what I do:
- detangle with my hands, combing with a widetoothed wooden comb (this one wasn't cheap [10 €], but its the 4. year I'm using it, so it was approx. much much cheaper than a bunch of low-quality ones)
- mild conventional shampoo, diluted and just once a week, followed by the matching conditioner. Both products are nice and cheap. Don't be afraid to check "cheap" brands! Just read the INCI and give it a try.
- put away some money for high quality hairtoys and go for beautiful pencils for everyday wear. I have some very nice ones with swarovski stones on top, for 1,95 € each.

[chen bao jun]

Curlies have to detangle wet (and loaded with product for slip). especially supercurlies (3c-4c).
Before I learned this, my hair broke off at the ends like you wouldn't believe.

[starlamelissa]

Chen, I also must detangle wet, with conditioner. And I'm just a butt crackish length wavy!

[scorpio17910]

This is an amazing thread! As a college student, all these tips/tricks/habits/what-have-you are very helpful indeed. :)

I don't spend much as is on my hair. My most expensive buy is my shampoo (Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy) that I only use on the scalp and purchase [maybe] once every four months. I love VO5 conditioners, and a bottle of that will last me two or three months. I only use two oils -- coconut and jojoba -- both of which get used for a skin moisturizer more than not! I have more shiny-things for my hair than most, but I got them all either as gifts or for less than a dollar a piece when I was traveling abroad in China. Otherwise, I use three different wide-toothed combs (one in my backpack, one in my purse, one at home), a TT, and a cheap set of chopsticks I got for about three dollars.

[HintOfMint]

If you can resist a lot of the beloved LHC hairtoys (ficcares and the like), long hair is pretty much made for a budget. Cheap conditioners can be made more moisturizing with a shot of honey, and olive and coconut oil make lovely pre-wash treatments and post-wash leave-ins. Personally, I still don't own a hairfork, let alone any of the toys that tempt me on a regular basis. I get by with spin pins and Goody elastics. A satin pillowcase doesn't have to be silk, and your polyester ones can be found at Target for around five dollars.

And chiming in about the detangling wet hair--I don't know where it gets such a bad rep. I get that it can cause damage if the sopping wet hair is also knotted up in tangles, but freshly washed hair tends to be conditioned and thus, free from most knots. I always comb or finger comb after a wash and condition, and I just don't see where I would be damaging my hair as I don't have any tangles to rip through or stretch.