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Shaving On A Budget

Looking at all the many different products available for shaving can be a bit daunting sometimes, especially when you look at the prices of everything. Some of the more fancy products make me want to cry they are so expensive!

But lucky for you it doesn’t have to be that way.

There is a recession going on don’t you know? So what better time to write an article for people who may be in financial difficulty – or maybe just people who don’t like to spend money on these sorts of things.

So how do you get a nice close shave while keeping within a low budget? Read on...

1. Don’t Shave

Sounds a bit strange but if you can’t afford to buy the things you need, maybe you could try letting it grow out for a while. Maybe you could grow a beard? Maybe a more stylised facial hair style – one that reduces the area for shaving. You might stumble upon a brand new look for yourself and save some money in the process!

2. Break It Down To The Essentials

If a beard is not for you, and you go for the full-on kit – i.e. exfoliator, pre-shave oil, shaving gel, badger brush, nice new razor and blades, fancy aftershave, so on and so on, you are going to spend more than you would if you just bought a razor and some shaving cream. And so if you haven’t got the money, that’s exactly what you do.

While I recommend that you do get as much, if not all of these items above to get the best results, you can get by on less.

Essentially, you will need a razor. Nothing can happen without one of these. It doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest, move your eyes to the disposable razor section of where you go shopping. Some of these can be surprisingly cheap and will give you a reasonable result. Be aware that they are cheap for a reason though.

You will also need some cream or other lubricant to go with the razor. I find that gel tends to last longer than cream so you can experiment with how long each can lasts you. There are also special soaps you can get that are reasonably inexpensive. Do not use regular soap!

3. Reduce Your Frequency

Some people out there don’t really need to lather up every morning. If you are one of those people whose facial hair does not grow that quickly, you may be able to get more life out of your supplies by only using them every second or third day. That will make them last longer and require replacing less often, saving you money.

4. Reduce The Amount You Use

Similarly to point 3, I have seen people who look like they pour out half a can of cream onto their hands before putting it on their faces. If you can minimise the amount you use, you will make the can last longer.

The same can be said about the razor. The less strokes you do, the less wear on the blades and the less often you need to replace them.

Improve your shaving technique here to reduce your number of strokes.

5. Get An Electric Razor

If you are happy to splurge once and not have to spend money for a while afterwards, maybe you need to take a look at getting an electric razor. I don’t really like these, but they do get the job done.

Work out how long your supplies last you and how much they will cost you for one year. If you can get an electric razor for less than that and if it lasts for a year, you have made a wise purchase.

Similarly, if you are happy to have a beard but don’t want it to grow too long, an electric razor can keep it at a short length with minimum fuss.

6. Make Your Own Shaving Oil

There is absolutely no reason why you cannot make your own oil to use instead of buying cream or gel. There are many recipes online about olive oil based scented home-made oils that work quite well. Be careful though that you don’t spend more on the ingredients than you would just picking up a can of Gillette. Olive oil can be quite expensive.

And don’t forget you will still need a razor.

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