One of things the outcomes of this recession that I actually appreciate is the way that it has lead to people taking a more objective look at how they spend their money.  Some people have had to do this from an immediate necessity due to layoffs or struggling to keep their house and others have done it for more of a precaution or simply out of a desire to establish better money habits.  Whatever the underlying motive might be, it is a pretty interesting exercise to really evaluate what you spend your money on and to see whether it reflects your priorities.  I personally prefer to allocate a higher percentage of my discretionary spending on "experiences" rather than "objects" and yet realized my spending habits in reality were reflecting the opposite.

One of the areas that I have determined I could cut my spending was on "grooming products" so this past year I have been doing a little experimenting.   Is it really necessary to spend quite so much on a product that is down the drain within a month to have healthy hair? My non-scientific findings are that it most definitely is not.  I have been haunting the aisles of Target and trying out inexpensive product substitutes to see what would do the trick without taking up so much of my budget.  Here are my favorites that I plan to incorporate well beyond these recession days...

• For shampoo and condition I have long been a fan of a pricy yet lovely product that left my hair soft and shiny but at $30 a bottle it seemed like a logic place to find an alternative. Once I got over the label it was a bottle of Suave (Humectant) that won me over, yes seriously!  At about $3 a bottle it leaves my hair soft, shiny, without residue (looking at you Pantene), and quite frankly does a pretty darn good job. 
• Even if I am using a pricier shampoo/conditioner combo, I use a leave-in conditioning creme to keep my hair smooth.  On a whim I decided to give Garnier's version (Sleek & Shine) a try.  And wow am I glad that I did!  I really can not tell a difference and again it ends up to be quite the savings when comparing around $5 a bottle to $28.
• Facial cleansing and lotioning products are something that I don't change often. But with the wins in the hair aisle I was up for the challenge.  I found that while it is clearly marketed towards a younger demographic, the Clean & Clear (Morning Burst) facial cleanser was a winner.  For a few dollars a bottle it nicely cleanses without being harsh or drying. 
• Something I determined I could easily live without is perfumed body/shower wash.  I find that Lever2000's body wash for $5 has me actually feeling cleaner than the $20 bottles (I really don't like the uber-lotion+perfume versions). 

Through these small little product switches I have found $92 (plus the tax savings as 10.25% sales tax adds up) in my 4 to 6 week spending that can be reallocated towards going to a show with my husband or adding to a vacation savings account or maybe an extra little day trip...  And it has simplified my errands by getting these frequently replaced items at a store I will already visit during that time period. 

Speaking of grooming products, have you heard about the Dove switch to Visibly Smooth promotion?  Chicago ladies, you can head to certain area salons to switch an old deoderant stick for a Dove Visibly Smooth one and get a discount on spa services.  Details and participating salons are listed here. (I am totally not above a free full sized product giveaway- even deoderant :) )

{image via fashionableheart; image 2 via ffffound}