15 hair care tips on a budget (know these now)

Winner, are you looking for some hair care tips on a budget?

The kind that save you money AND score you your best hair?

Well, I’ve got you. Because I have 15 tips for you. So, keep reading.

If you’re like me, hair is very important to you. It’s part of who you are.

But during hard financial times like these, spending money on your hair can leave you feeling guilty.

As though you’re spending recklessly.

I mean, it’s just hair. Why don’t you cut it and be free?

That’s what my Dad used to say.

And sometimes, when I’m stranded for cash, that’s what I secretly think.

That if I cut my handful 4c hair, I’d save all sorts of resources: time, energy, sanity…and money.

But what if you didn’t have to spend all that much money to do your hair?

What if you could actually fit hair care on your budget without breaking it?

Winner, it’s possible.

In fact, you’ll find the following hair care tips in these 130 genius frugal living tips.

So, here’re:

15 hair care tips on a budget

Tip #1: Educate yourself about your hair

You’ll be surprised how many people don’t actually know their hair.

Hello? I’m one of them. Well, I used to be.

But for quite some time now, I’ve been educating myself about my hair.

Winner, you need to learn as much as you possibly can about your hair.

Know the answers to questions such as:

I’m telling you, educating yourself about your own hair is the ONE thing that gives the rest of your hair care tips a chance at working.

And you know how much it would cost you to educate yourself about your hair? $0. So, why not?

Tip #2: Watch hair videos on YouTube

Where did I finally find the courage and confidence to take care of my own hair at home?

It was all thanks to hair influencers on YouTube.

I didn’t even think taking care of my own hair, let alone on a tight budget, was possible until then.

Now I go to YouTube videos for practically everything:

Which brings me to this next tip…

Tip #3: Make your own hair products at home

You don’t have to start every hair product from scratch. I couldn’t.

But you can buy individual products at a cheaper cost. And mix them together for something extraordinary for your hair.

For example, for my hair moisturizer, I buy an inexpensive bottle of hair food. And a separate bottle of Jamaican black castor oil.

And I mix them together with my home-grown aloe vera.

I also make my own rice water.

As well as my aloe vera water.

Tip #4: Use fewer hair products

You don’t have to have all the hair products on the market to score the best hair.

But you can test a wide variety of products. Until you settle on a few that work best for your hair. That’s ok.

Yes, that takes a little bit of experimenting. Perhaps longer than you’d like.

And of course, some patience.

But it’s all worth it.

I’ve settled on just a few hair products for my natural 4c hair. Some of which I mentioned in Tip#3: rice water, aloe vera juice, aloe vera hair food, cream conditioner, anti freeze and sheen spray, and edge control gel.

And let me tell you, my hair has never looked healthier.

Not to mention, it’s growing so fast I can’t believe my eyes.

Tip #5: Wash your hair at home

Here where I live, I used to shell out $3 for a wash at the hair salon.

Just think about how often you need to wash your hair.

And when you do, you’ll realize that those $3 do add up.

But you don’t have to go to the hair salon JUST to wash your hair.

You can actually learn to wash your own hair at home.

Which is exactly what I’ve been doing for more than 5 years now.

OK. So my tools, products and techniques are not as fancy as the salon’s.

But they work just as well. If not better.

Tip #6: Trim your own hair

Some hairstylists will dust your ends as a bonus if you already paid for something else, say a wash.

But how many of them actually do dust your ends the right way?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed at my dusted ends.

Solution? I dust my own ends.

Winner, whether you have long or short hair, with the help of a mirror, a comb, and a pair of sharp scissors, you can learn to trim your own hair.

If it gets tricky at the back, you can always call a friend to help you.

Tip #7: Go natural

My hair was a hassle before I went natural.

And that’s because relaxing and perming it required regular maintenance that I just didn’t have the money for.

Alternatively, you know what’s great about going natural?

It’s your hair. In it’s most natural state. You don’t need to go to the hair salon to maintain hair in its natural state.

As long as you learn how to do it yourself.

So, try that. Embrace your natural hair.

Tip #8: Wear your hair out more often

This tip is different from going natural. In that wearing your own hair out is about wearing it as a complete hairstyle.

In other words, wearing it without any plaits, or extensions.

I’m so used to wearing some kind of extensions or plaits on my hair that I forget I can wear it out on its own.

And it’s such beautiful hair. What a waste.

So, in between extensions (and crazy colorings), why not let your hair out so it can breathe?

And save yourself some money at the same time?

Tip #9: Invest in scarves

This is one of those hair care tips that cut my hair budget significantly.

Why?

Because I didn’t even need to go out and buy scarves for my hair. I already had scarves.

But you can buy a beautiful scarf for as little as $3. Even less.

If you get 3 or 4 of them, they can literally last you a lifetime. How about that?

Winner, that scarf you wore around your neck yesterday? You can wear it on your hair today.

And look like a billion bucks. (Yes, wearing a scarf that cost only $3.)

Wearing scarves on your hair helps:

Tip #10: Wear hats

Just like scarves, you want to own at least 1 hat.

For me, a hat doubles as a chic look. And protection from the harsh African sun.

And where I live, $10 can get you a quality hat to last you years.

Tip #11: Do your own hairstyles

For a few months now, I’ve been wearing some DIY mini twists.

In fact, to significantly cut on my hair budget, I’ve decided to do my own hairstyles for the whole of 2023.

That should save me at least $150 for the year. (Trust me, in this part of the world, that’s a LOT of money).

And let me tell you, learning how to do my hair wasn’t easy.

In fact, I almost gave up when I kept touching my left side of the head instead of my right side.

And when my comb went this way on my hair instead of that way.

The mirror is a tricky thing, I tell you.

But now, I have cute twists that I rock in different styles.

I can let them down for a relaxed day.

Or gather them up into a bun for a more polished look (that’s the look I’m currently rocking).

Go on, Winner. Stoke your creativity.

Tip #12: If you have to see a professional hairstylist, use one NOT based inside a hair salon

The salon charges you for their overhead expenses. Have you ever considered that when leaving the salon with a subpar hairstyle? Well, I have. More than once.

But you can find a hairstylist who’s just as (if not more) experienced and skilled than the ones at the salon.

They’ll usually charge you way less than the salon, especially if they’re based in their own homes.

Or do house calls.

I often visit a hairstylist who operates from her grandmother’s home.

And I’m willing to bet she’s one of the very few cheap hairstylists still existing in this world today.

But let me tell you, her handiwork is definitely NOT cheap.

For a hairstyle that would easily cost me $15 at the hair salon, she charges me ONLY $8.

That’s a huge difference, isn’t it?

Tip #13: Keep your hair away from heat

The main reason I used to go to the salon was because the hairstylist would ALWAYS stretch my hair. (Yes, using heat).

That was before I knew heat was harmful to my natural hair.

I actually remember a time in college, when in preparation for a class presentation, I went to a salon in the city where the guy blow-dried my hair until it was as flimsy as a sheet of cheap toilet paper.

I remember feeling so proud of my new hairstyle. Silly me.

But since educating myself about my own hair (remember Tip #1?), and learning that heat was bad for my hair, I’ve kept my hair away from it.

And found several heatless ways of stretching my hair.

Tip #14: Use fewer hair tools

Just like with hair products, you don’t have to have many hair tools.

Instead, just find a few that work best for your hair. And stick to them.

It will save you some money. And space.

After trying a variety of hair tools, I’ve settled on an afro comb, a tail comb to part my hair neatly, a DIY plastic shower cap for moisturizing my hair, some yarn to tie my hair, DIY hair ties also for tying my hair, and bobby pins.

That’s it. For years now, I’ve been using only these. And they’re enough for me.

Tip #15: Avoid tight hairstyles

What’s the use of doing all the other hair care tips on this post if you’re just going to rip your hair off your head with tight hairstyles?

And possibly spend TONS of money repairing all that intentional damage?

I’ve been guilty of tight hairstyles in the past, I admit.

Which is how I lost my edges.

And then spent a lot of money on products that promised to restore them. Go figure.

Of course I’m still on the feat of restoring my damaged edges.

Which is part reason why I’m wearing DIY mini twists. (And took a break from the hair salon).

How do you know if your hairstyle is too tight?

Watch the skin on your edges. If it has some sores, then you know you’ve gone too tight.

But even in the absence of sores, just try to avoid hairstyles that tug at your scalp, e.g. tight puffs, tight box braids, tight weaves, etc.

You don’t have to give these hairstyles up altogether, if you love them.

Instead, just loosen them up a bit.

Final word

You can save some money AND still get your best hair by using the few simple hair care tips presented in this post. I hope you find them helpful.

Winner, by sharing your feedback, you can educate another Winner out there to also find some hair care tips that fit into their budget while giving them their best hair.

Last but not least, remember that it’s your journey. So, there’s no rush. No right or wrong. Only progress.

Also, remember that in everything you do, you’re a Winner. And in everything that happens, your life is always a win!