Part three of our money saving tips for families is focused on beauty essentials. We have been looking at the concept of ‘switch n save’ to see if it is possible to save money by switching to budget alternatives on some of your regular beauty essentials.Take for example shave gel and nail varnish remover. Are you really getting what you are paying for when it comes to the leading brands, or are you paying over the odds when something much cheaper would do just fine?

This is a fairly quick question to answer I think and one which doesn’t take much working out. Having tried out both of the above brands out, which are available from Poundstretcher – I can report that I do not think that leading brands are worth the extra cost when it comes to basic beauty staples such as these. These basic brands are just as effective and do the job just fine, so if you are looking for an easy way to save a few pounds then check out what you could switch and save.

Making a resolution to swap leading brands to budget alternatives on beauty basics like ladies’ shave gel and nail polish remover could save you up to £40 a year to splash out on some of life’s luxuries.
Available in Poundstretcher stores nationwide, stay silky smooth with Gentelle’s Fruits Apricot Bliss Ladies’ Shave Gel, just £1.19 per 200ml, that’s £1.61 cheaper than the leading alternative brand ladies’ shave product.
If you’re a slave for this season’s nail colour trends, keep your talons cleansed with Ambray Nail Polish Remover, just £0.79p for 250ml, that’s £1.67 cheaper than the leading alternative brand.
This is an easy one for me – why on earth would you pay more for something like one of these beauty essentials when a cheaper alternative can do the job as well? It makes no sense. So why not try ditching the big brands just on some of these items and free up some cash to spend on other things you really want or need?
Let us know how you get on and what you decide to switch and save this year!