Budget.
I’m not a big fan of the word, personally.
But that’s my reality. I am living on a tighter budget these days.
And for a girl that loves beauty products, shopping and all those fun girly activities, it has been somewhat difficult. I really really enjoy being pampered.
But I’m always up for a challenge,ya know? One thing I cut out of my budget is manicures and pedicures. Not that I was going all the time but I did go every couple months and treat myself. Really, even at your local strip mall nail salon, this is a treat.
However, just because I am not getting pedicures done by someone else does not mean I will be walking around with un-pedicured toes. No, I will not.
So, I was reading my REAL Simple magazine from August and the thing is just stuffed with ways to save money. Anyway, I came across a page on how to do your own pedicure.
Here you go straight from the pages of REAL Simple – embellished by yours truly and my very own home pedicure experience.
You will need:
Nail clipper, nail file, a buffing block (rectangle in shape, sand paper-like on all sides), a foot file ( I use a PedEgg), cuticle pusher (orange stick), tub for soaking (I use a dish tub I picked up at the dollar store), polish remover, foam toe separator, polish, top coat polish, base coat polish. I also use a foot soak, bath oil, or olive oil. Foot cream or lotion or whatever you use – olive oil again would be a great natural alternative here. A towel.
- Prepare your tub with warm water and the foot soak. I like to make this as hot as I can take it because it just feels so good!
- Use your PedEgg to smooth your heels and rough patches while your feet are dry. If you don’t have one, just move on to the next step.
- Trim the toenails with a clipper, then shape them with the fine-grit side of a nail file. Always stroke the file in one direction on your toes and fingernails. Don’t saw back and forth as this will weaken the nail.
- Buff off any remaining fragments with a buffing block. Use your buffing block to smooth out any ridges – this is a very important step to making sure it looks professionally smooth.
- Soak your feet in the water for 5 to 10 minutes or until the water starts to cool. The oil will add extra softening to your feet. Your hubby will thank you for this later.
- Exfoliate with a foot file, focusing on rouch patches, like the heels and the outside edges of the big toes. I do this also but the PediEgg really saves me time here.
- Push back cuticles using the pusher or a warm wash cloth
- Dry and rub your feet with your favorite foot cream or olive oil.
- Clean the nails with polish remover and separate the toes with a foam toe separator or pieces of paper towel. Don’t use cotton as it will stick to your polish.
- Apply a base coat. By the time you finish painting the last toe, you be ready for your colored polish. What color you ask? Well, you can check here, here and here for some suggestions of what is hot now.
- Apply two coats of color, allowing each coat to dry for a minute or so. See Tips on polishing below
- Finish with topcoat. I used to skip this but it really does make the pedicure look professional and stay a lot longer. Your regular polish will just not shine like a topcoat after a day or so.
- Let dry for at least an hour before heading to bed. I usually do this while we are watching a movie or a couple shows on TV.
Tips on Polishing
- Get that salon-finish look by swiping the brush along the tip of each nail to round edges. I do this and my pedicure lasts so much longer.
- Use your the corner of your fingernail or an orange stick to wipe away nail polish you get on your toes or out of the nail.
- Start with a dab of polish in the center, toward the bottom of the nail and work your way out.
Money saved? About $35 once you have purchased the supplies which will run you about $15-18.
You can purchase all of this at your local big box store, drug store, drugstore.com or buynail.com.
Have fun and good luck!

I agree! I think it is because they do them so fast.
My good friend also thinks doing them at home is best so she doesn’t ever have to worry about nail fungus. Although most nail places are under major pressure to keep things clean and sanitary – it happens.
Please share any of your own tips, Sarah. We’d love to hear them
I have been a huge fan of the at-home pedicure for years!
Honestly, I feel like my at-home pedicures last longer than salon pedis but that it’s so much easier to touch them up because I have all the right colors and supplies at home.
Thanks for the tips!!
Kristin, my must have, always have color is some type of very dark, almost black, burgundy color. I wear it almost exclusively all fall and winter. I love OPI Lincoln Park After Dark and We’ll Always Have Paris.
This summer it was silver, silver, silver! Loved that look.
click on those links in the post above to see some fun trends.
So what are anyone’s “must have” nail colors? Any favorites?
A new fav of mine is OPI cajun shrimp.
I will see what my wife thinks when I tell her to read this post. We are looking at new ways of saving money…I just hope she still talks to me tonight after my recommendation to at least read the post with an open mind…OL
Yeah, I’m not there yet, lol. I do love my pedis. But I may need to start limiting them so maybe I’ll try this in between. 🙂
As a follow-up to asking my wife to read the post. She did and then tried to make me a deal. “Honey, why don’t you give up Sunday NFl football, give me the pedicure and then I’ll give up going to a salon for the pedcure”.
Ok she won big time. We actually had a laugh about it and I obviously agreed that she should still go for her pedicure but her offer of me just giving up NFL sundays is still on the table. Me and my big mouth…LOL.