Survive January: How to look good for less
We spend an average of £70.94 per month on our appearance, according to BBC Woman's Hour - although women clock up £5 or so more than men (£73.47 vs £68.30).
This may sound like a surprising amount but if you add up everything you spend, including on things like hair appointments and make-up, you could be looking at the same.
With a grand total of around £850 a year, could you look at cutting back on your fashion and beauty spending?
Top three charity shopping tips
Charity shopping is a great way to stay in fashion without having to break the bank.
We asked fashion blogger Pauper to Princess to come up with her top three charity shopping tips for you. Pauper to Princess never spends more than £5 on her clothes – could you set yourself the challenge of doing the same? Even if it was just for a month, you could be surprised at the changes it could make.
Pauper to Princess's tips:
1. Start looking early - second hand shopping is all about going little and often. If you go looking for the perfect little black dress that's bound to be the day you find the perfect cropped jeans - leave yourself open to fate and allow plenty of time before the big day.
2. Go to a dense charity shop area - most charity shops tend to gather together, so if you find a street with several on you've got much higher chances of hitting the jackpot. Either head to a wealthy area for little-worn designer cast offs, or a cheaper area for mega bargains and some hidden gems.
3. Try everything on - sizing has changed a lot over the years so I buy anything from a size 6-14. Be open minded and try things on to test the fit and cut. But most of all - have fun and be fabulous!
Want more help to #survivejanuary? Get your free survival kit
Save money on fashion and beauty
Still tempted to go sales shopping? Take a look at what is in your wardrobe first. Are there any old favourites you'd forgotten about? Fashion can be very cyclical, so it's likely something you've thrown to the back of your wardrobe is sneaking back into vogue.
Instead of replacing something, consider whether you could repair it instead. Things like re-soling your shoes can be relatively cheap and give a new lease of life to something you've forgotten about.
Consider buying online as well. Always have a budget in mind before you start, but this can be a great way to get clothes on the cheap as long as you factor in delivery costs too. A car boot sale could also be worth a rummage too.
Look at the care labels of clothes before you spend as well. If something is dry-clean only, consider whether you really want it enough to pay for the extra care costs.
If you are looking to save money on hair products or make-up, consider the brands you are using. Much like food and drink, you could make real savings by downgrading or by using vouchers. Do you really need that salon-bought shampoo?
#SurviveJanuary - how to have fun for less
This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.
