Expensive Vanity In a Drowning Economy

I

Bath Play

It seems that Marvin Gaye's tune "Make Me Wanna Holla" stays on repeat in my head lately. The economy is certainly in a bind. It's a wonder how my family and I are making it.

Today I was hit with a "shock and awe." I mean, I thought I was pretty numb from the way things have been. I just spent nearly $50 bucks to fill up my car and that was with the lowest grade at a gas station on Bolling AFB where gas is usually cheap(er). Paying that much for gas on my limited budget didn't seem to phase me. Maybe because it is more a commodity or need than a want. However, today was a bit different, because it was with a "want."

With a lil cushion I figured I could treat myself to a pedicure and a fill-in with my nails.  Last time I had both sets done was near Mother's Day and I've simply been too busy to return for a refresher. There are two salons I frequent. One you can say is situated in the hood or more so ghetto-suburbia. Their prices are cheap, but the technicians do quality work; when it's not a big rush.  Though I'm usually satisfied in how they tend to my nails, I'm not all that thrilled about their pedicure services. If I get a pedicure done there, it's usually because I want a fresh color of polish on them and something to last me through a night on the town. 

My second nail salon is a place I frequented every two weeks when I worked full time. Not that the service is really upscale, but it is a step up from the hood shop. The prices are slightly higher, but the quality is always good, especially the pedicure services. I can always count on leaving that place with my feet feeling extra soft and too pretty to even want to walk on.

Today I opted for the "upscale" shop, mainly because I wanted a good pedicure that I haven't had in month. Not that my feet were grungy. However, when you walk in sandals in the midst of construction dust, you can start to feel as if your feet were used as extra body part doubles in a Flintstones flick.  As soon as I entered I was whisked to a plush massage pedicure spa chair. The water felt warm and inviting. I sat back, conversed with a couple of folks via text message on my Blackberry and relaxed as the technician scrubbed and shaved off dead skin, trimmed my toe nails, smoothed my nails and feet and massaged my feet and ankles.  She neatly brushed on my own color - OPI's "An Affair in Red Square" - and helped me to her nail station.  

When I sat down at her station I looked down and realized I had lost a couple of tips along the way. Well when I arrived in the salon one was missing to begin with. By the time I sat down, two...three more had popped off from me just playing with my phone or fiddling in my purse.

*Snicker all you want. My tips had really pushed out and again I was simply to caught up to seek a fill-in*

As she removed the old polish from the nails, the technician did a spot check on the tips. It was just as I had feared. They were lifting and I definitely needed a new set. Being that I wanted my nails to look as nice, neat and pretty as possible AND that to make sure I don't attract a nail fungus, I agreed with the new full set of tips.  I let the tech do her magic as she popped off (yes POPPED) the remaining tips and applied fresh ones. Thirty to forty minutes later my nails were done after the acrylic dried, nails filled and buffed, cuticles tended to and again my OPI color applied.

Here it comes.....

I was presented with the bill and damn near choked.

$70.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I asked what it was for. The tech replied that the pedicure and full set together were $65 and there was an extra $5.00 fee to "remove" the old tips.  It still didn't make sense, because though I know the salon has slightly higher prices than the average nail spot, my normal spending limit has been no more than $50; with pedicure, manicure and/or full set. Plus, they NEVER charged me in the past for "removing" .. excuse me.... POPPING off old tips.  Only time that fee was used was if your nail(s) had to be soaked in acetone before removing. Still, the fact that she literally POPPED off my nails - which is something I could have done at home for free - and charged me $5 for it was ascine to me!

While I was pleased with the job that was done, I was displeased with the outrageous price hike that didn't make any sense to me. I had to have missed something.

Turns out I did.

My displeasure must have shown on my face, because as I sat at the nail drying station, a lady asked me what was wrong. I told her my issue and from there we had a breif conversation about that particular salon verses the average "hood" salon.  Bascially we discussed quality vs. quantity and of course quality reign supreme in our book, but like me she only frequents that particular salon when the quality is really needed over a quick fix. She too was shocked over the prices and both of us were trying to to figure out where it was coming from.

She had missed the memo too.

After a break in our conversation and a quick glance to my right, I noticed a display sign sitting on top of the nail drying station. I read the memo from management to the customers. In short the memo mentioned how the prices would increase by $2 to $4 starting June 1st. The increase is a chain reaction to cover "overhead cost" placed on the salon. Management did offer an apology but reminded customers of the good service and quality of work the establishment has and will continue to provide its patrons.

I laughed at the memo. I thought it was a joke or a "Gottcha!" I thought it was a way for the establishment to bamboozle the patrons - call it an over head cost problem and remind folks of the service so the customers won't feel so bad about paying. I looked around noticed new furniture in the salon. I chuckled and thought that the new prices were marked to pay for the new decorating. Then I thought of the conversation I was just engaged in. The lady and I both agreed that it would be long for prices in the salon to be jacked up because of the economy. Everyone and everything seems to be increasing. Hair and nail salons charging more to cover the water and electric bill. Farmers charging more for their crops because they are becoming scarce, causing culinary "artists" to shell out more "dough" for the dough or become creative in stretching their resources and so forth. 

I swung around in my chair to face the big HD flat screen TV mounted on the wall. As usual CNN was on with talks about what is next for both Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton. I wasn't listening. Instead I watched the marqee roll at the bottom of the screen. I damn near choked again.

Former Heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield is facing foreclosure of his Atlanta home.

I shook my head.

No one is safe.

I guess it really does cost to live in vain.

As for me and my $70 pedicure and new nails... this better last me until the end of summer, because I highly doubt I'll return anytime soon... unless I meet and marry a Kennedy or a Rockefeller