Sample Hair Budget (For A Family of Curls)

Our hair budget used to be $13.80 a month. Here’s the breakdown...

Product	Last (months)	Cost (per unit)
Shampoo (13oz)	6	$8.39
Conditioner (13oz)	1	$8.99
Gel (5 lbs)	6	$9.99
Deep Conditioner (12oz)	6	$9.49
Olive Oil (64oz)	6	$1.00
Total		$165.62 / 12 months = $13.80 per month

At $13.80 a month, our hair care costs worked out to be about $5 per person per month. As a college student, I spent at least $60 a month on my hair.

How Has Your Hair Budget Changed?

We use less products. At the beginning of my mothering journey, I was trying to figure out the best products, techniques, and styles. It took a few years -- but today our family only uses shampoo, conditioner, and sometimes edge control.

Is your budget different for curlier styles?

Yes! Wearing our hair curly definitely requires more product, compared to locs, buns, braids, and straightened styles.

What Are Other Reasons Your Hair Budget To Fluctuates?

At the time of this budget, our two girls had waist length hair and my hair was at my shoulders. As our hair continued to grow, I expected our hair budget to slightly increase, but the opposite has happened. As I got better at learning our hair and sticking to styles we loved, the cost to maintain our curls got better.

Styling also impacts how much product we use. For example, I co-washed almost daily (which used a ton of conditioner) compared to the twice a month routine I now have with our 4 year old.

Have You Tried Using Cheaper or Less Expensive Products?

Yes. We use super cheap products for when we go swimming. But it doesn't make our hair feel as good. I prefer more natural hair products (which tend to be more expensive) but do a better job at detangling our hair without damaging it.

What Doesn't This Budget Include?

It doesn't include our brushes, picks, combs, and any accessories because I usually buy them once. It also doesn’t include our water bill, simply because we use water for dishes, bathing, laundry, and more.

If you're curious about breaking down your own hair budget, we made a customizable calculator here.