7 Signs You’re Spending Too Much on Beauty Products
Written by
Cindy Lamothe
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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If you’re a lover of beauty products, you may know the familiar feeling of dread when you see your bank statement after a shopping spree.
While it’s okay to indulge every once in a while, there are some clear signs that your spending is going off the rails.
Below are some top signs you’re spending too much on beauty products.
Buying Too Many Beauty Products
Having too many beauty products is the most common and most obvious sign, according to Andrea Woroch, a nationally recognized consumer finance and savings expert.
If you have too many options that have hardly been used for months or possibly years, she said this is a sign you’re spending too much.
“Use what you have until it’s done before buying more. If you buy something that you’re unhappy with, see if you can return it. Most beauty retailers offer generous return policies,” she said.
Not Using Coupons
You can find coupon codes and earn cash back for beauty orders, Woroch said.
“Sign up for the beauty store’s rewards program to earn a coupon for your first order and get exclusive coupons for future orders,” she explained. “You can also find coupon codes directly through deal sites like www.CouponCabin.com like 10% off mobile orders at Sephora plus 2.25% cash back and 15% off at Sally Beauty plus 4.5% cash back.”
Missing Out on Free Rewards
Woroch advised using a free rewards app like Fetch to earn points for simply taking pictures of your various shopping receipts on everything from groceries to gas. Doing so will allow you to earn points, which are redeemable for gift cards to stores that sell beauty goods, like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Target and more.
“This can help you earn free beauty products to cut down on your overall spending!” she said.
Buying Name Brand When the Drugstore Option Is Superior
Many drugstore brands rival name-brand beauty products for a fraction of the price, Woroch said.
“It’s always worth a try! You can even review beauty expert picks for their favorite drugstore beauty products through online sites like Cosmopolitan,” she explained.
Bulk-Buying Rather Than Buying What You Need
Buying into sales is not a terrible idea when it comes to beauty products, but it can misdirect resources if you have to buy a large amount. In most cases, shoppers don’t have a plan on how to use all the products they had to buy.
As a result, you could have too many products but then fail to use them all and instead end up wasting them.
Impulse-Buying
Most people are swept off their feet by beauty fads and buy products regardless of whether they’ll make use of them. This type of spending is something experts say to practice some control on.
Buying Two or More Versions of the Same Thing
Buying all the brands or different variations of a single product (like several lipstick colors or various varieties of a face cream) when one or two are clearly more than enough is a key sign you may be spending too much on beauty products.
This kind of behavior will make major dents to your pocketbook.
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