by Kristin Schaaf

Created on: January 14, 2010

There is a high cost to attaining beauty.

With society telling us what not to wear, what to put on our faces and what to do to our bodies, there is always something new to attain to improve our appearance. We spend hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars striving to look as good as, or even better than, those around us.

I don’t know any woman who doesn’t want to feel beautiful.  And billions of advertising dollars are spent on this very notion, getting at the core of every woman’s desire to look her best. Most often, these efforts prey upon the insecure and those who can afford top-of-the-line products. This is why women can waste so much money on their appearance.

Insecurity

When we don’t feel good about ourselves, often times going out shopping or treating ourselves to a day at the spa becomes our therapy. We leave feeling refreshed, almost like a new woman. Something about a new skirt that shows off our curves in just the right way or a hairdo that is perfectly flattering makes us feel better about ourselves.

But this can be just the tip of the iceberg. It is when we become insecure about our flaws that we can become obsessed with wasting money on product after product to “fix” them. Whether it’s trying the latest fad in curing cellulite to anti-aging wrinkle cream to the celebrity-endorsed miracle makeup, we’re wasting money on products that really don’t stop us from being who we are. Often times, we find ourselves trying to “correct” what cannot be covered up or prevented. In a society where most images around us are airbrushed, it becomes more and more difficult to accept ourselves for who we are, and we end up wasting our money to try to be a better version of ourselves.

Name brand products

Not everyone can afford the name brand, top-of-the-line, designer products. But some of us spend the money on it anyway. Some may say that women waste a lot of money on these items when they can easily be purchased at a discount or at a much smaller price for a different brand.

Money spent on a designer product may be considered wasteful, but sometimes it can mean a better-quality product. Certain items can easily be bought at a discount; others may be worth spending a little extra money for. I may pay a little extra for better skin-care products, but I’ll shop the sale and clearance racks at department stores for my clothes, refusing to buy anything at full price.

Brand choice is completely up to the consumer, but often times we spend more money for the name than we really need to for the product.

Top-of-the-line technology

Combining our insecurities and need to have the latest, only-the-best product, women often spend too much money on plastic surgery and procedures like Botox injections to prevent aging and keep our bodies looking their best.

As women, we find it hard to accept our bodies aging and changing, and we want to keep them the way they once were. Products and procedures are marketed to women to stop or reverse the aging process and bring us back to our youthful selves. Women can shell out thousands of dollars for the latest trend in plastic surgery in order to feel good about themselves.

How a woman spends her money is completely up to her as a consumer. Some may define it as wasteful, others may define it as taking care of themselves and living within their means. The beauty industry makes billions of dollars because women will spend the money in order to feel beautiful.

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