High Maintenance or Just Kempt – What Percentage of Your Income Should You Spend on Appearances?

The following post is by staff writer, Sally. Sally is the blogger behind TinyApartmentDesign.com, a blog about design, living well, and simple, tiny spaces.

Glancing at a list of my most recent purchases, a pattern quickly emerged: highlights for my hair. Teeth whitening. Mani/pedi at a pricey $36.

Who do I think I am over here, JLo? I’ve been spending money on my appearances lately, and I wondered if that makes me high maintenance. What counts as high maintenance?  I propose that there is one key factor that can push you into the high maintenance category from the more basic, “just doing what I gotta do to look good” label.

The High Maintenance Test: Proportion of Income Spent

There’s a rule of thumb that no more than 30% of your gross income should go towards housing.

What’s the rule of thumb on keeping up appearances, which can include hair, skin, nails and teeth upkeep, and luxe clothing, shoes and accessories?

Here are a few thoughts: If you’re spending 5% or less of gross income, you’re well within reason. Spending around 10%? You’re pushing the limit on what your income can reasonably afford, but you’re still making it work. But more than 10% and you might qualify as high maintenance. Let’s look at two examples with two different income levels:

Party A grosses $3k per month or $36k per year.

He’s spending (plug in each of the following numbers) per month on personal maintenance:

5% or $150: Looking good! Keeps his hair trim, maybe a hot towel shave, and sports nice sunglasses and some cologne. Ladies, this guy seems like a keeper and he smells nice.

10% or $300: OK, so he’s managed to keep his other expenses down. Nothing wrong with spending a little more on yourself if that’s what you like. Leans towards designer labels.

15% or $450: I don’t trust this guy. He spends more on his aftershave regimen than I do on a year’s worth of cosmetics. Granted, maybe he looks really good thanks to all this effort and spending, but he could just as easily look kinda cheesy for spending so much.

Now let’s apply the same numbers to a higher-grossing individual.

Party B grosses $10k per month or $120k per year.

5% or $500: This is actually impressive. The higher salary hints that this person might own her own business or spend time in front of clients in a corporate setting. Either way, she may find she wants to spend more on luxury clothing that lasts, like a St. John suit or some classic pumps. Across a year, she spent $6k on othing that lasts, like a St. John suit or some classic pumps. Across a year, if she spent  she wants to spend more on lu a good bag, clothes and haircuts.

10% or $1,000: $1k a month on maintenance sounds steep, but Party B can afford it, and decides to spend her money here. Maybe a little to me, but not to her. And she looks put-together.

15% or $1,500: Even with that high income, that’s a lot of money to spend on just appearances. Clients don’t care if your shoes have red bottoms, they just want you to deliver. At $1,500 a month, some of this this spending might include La Mer face cream, porcelain veneers and other spending that pushes Party B solidly into “high maintenance” territory.

When you’re spending on your appearance, it’s easy to feel like it’s all frivolous spending.

But if you’re spending a single digit percentage of your income, and taking care of your looks with haircuts that give you a boost of confidence or a Ferragamo belt you can wear with all kinds of outfits, take comfort in being a stylish kempt person who isn’t high maintenance in the least.

How about you all? How much do you think you spend per month on your appearance? Do you think it’s worth the money?

Share your experiences by commenting below! 

 ***Photo courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1385221