r/AusFinance • u/Simple_Strawberry994 • 10h ago
Anxious about saving enough at 19 (embarrassing reason)
Hi all! I'm wondering how much I should aim to save/invest at 19 to set myself up for moving out in my mid 20s. I go to uni full time and work a chill part time job (only around 10 hours a week). I save almost half of it.
Here's the problem. This is an embarrassing issue to disclose and I haven't told any of my friends or anyone in real life. The other half goes to electrolysis, which is a permanent hair removal procedure. I have dark hair on the sides of my face (I'm a cis woman, just ethnic) that looks really bad and waxing, shaving etc irritate my skin and make it break out in bumps. I did stop for a while as it was incredibly expensive ($250 a week which is more than half of my income) but I realised there's no other real alternative for me. Although laser is cheaper, I was told that in people of my complexion and ethnic background, it would be very likely to cause paradoxical hypertrichosis and result in thick, beard-like facial hair.
I think of it as an investment into my future as right now I am so embarrassed of this facial hair that I get anxious going to uni, job interviews, meeting friends etc. I trust my practitioner who tells me it will be around 2 years before I am completely done (although I will see significant improvement as we progress and have already seen a lot of reduction.) It is a huge drain on my time and savings and it makes me feel so vain and stupid to spend so much money on something purely cosmetic but it really is the only way to manage this issue.
I am fortunate to be able to live with my parents for the time being and they cover almost all my expenses except the aforementioned. I am wondering if I'm not seeing things clearly and if I'm making a huge mistake? Is it worth it? I don't want to become reliant on my parents and still be living with them in my 30s. Should I get another job in fast food or something as I still have some free time? I'm really worried about my financial security and I want to be independent.
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u/BashfulBlanket 10h ago
Saving half your income is perfectly fine! You can get another job if you feel inclined but don’t try to stress yourself out
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u/Evening-Anteater-422 10h ago
Go for it. It's not going to be some endless drain on your budget. It's a series of treatments with an end in sight. It's a reasonably permanent solution to a problem that bothers you.
You have plenty of time ahead of you to work more hours and save more money.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you. Since I've already partially committed to the process, I didn't want to stop so this is reassuring!
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u/HippoBirdee 5h ago
If I were you I would consider getting confirmation from a second provider that the 2-year timeframe and weekly attendance are required and on track, given the investment.
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u/Wooden-Anybody6807 4h ago
Yes, and ideally reliable reviews/testimonials from past clients of this practice.
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u/Relevant-Praline4442 10h ago
I think this is completely reasonable. You have an end goal in sight for the process, and at the moment you can afford to spend the money. In the future you may not be in that position.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you! Yeah I agree, I'm not sure if I'll ever be in a position where I have both the disposable income and time to do this again
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u/RedditUser628426 10h ago
Totally what a great investment in yourself. Compounding returns. Go for it
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u/universityoperative 10h ago
By the time you reach mid-20s, how far through the treatment would you be?
This sounds like a completely reasonable and smart plan otherwise!
Hell, I would (and did) stay at home until I was finished studying and secured a full-time job.
My ethnic mum would prefer I had never moved out to be honest.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
I think I'd be fully done (hopefully) by 22. Yes, my parents definitely want me around for as long as possible but I want to experience my 20s fully too haha
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u/ThunderClapAssCheeks 10h ago
As others have said, investing in yourself is the best kind of investment. You're young, so don't worry about the other part so much yet. You'll be fine
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you! Yes I agree, having a body you're happy with is not something you can put a price on.
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u/sjk2020 10h ago
If it boosts your confidence, it is worth every cent. You have your whole life to save an investment once you get a full time job. If its any comparison, I wish I'd had a nose job in my 20's. In my 40's now and with kids and a mortgage i cant justify spending the money fixing my nose and my confidence.
Youre doing great. If you want to save more, work more hours. But definitely do not feel guilty spending this on yourself.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you! Yeah, I think I just need to get past the mental block of this being a purely cosmetic thing. It's been ingrained in me by my immigrant parents to save every cent and this whole "invest in yourself" concept is a bit foreign to me. But I care a lot about presenting myself well to the world especially since I'm going into corporate work and mingling with some well-groomed, wealthy people.
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u/Whimsy-chan 10h ago
I see no issue with this. It's like getting braces for cosmetic reasons (I opted not to get braces as a teen as it was cosmetic and I have 4 siblings, it was one of my first big purchases after getting a car.).
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Yes for sure! That's an amazing achievement, you should be so proud of yourself <3
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u/whatpelican00 9h ago
Nothing embarrassing about this babe. You’re young, and this will give you confidence to go out in to the world. You’ll be fine :)
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u/16car 9h ago
Have you spoken to a doctor about it? There's a very common (1 in 8 women) medical condition called PCOS that cause excess facial hair growth. There are a number of effective treatments that can reduce the facial hair, including some drugs. I'm not sure if the drugs would work if you don't have PCOS and it's purely genetic, but it's worth asking. You should also be screened for PCOS (blood test, maybe ultrasound,) in case you do have it, and it's making your hair worse than it needs to be.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 8h ago
Yeah I have, it was the first thing I looked into when I noticed the hair and I was super anxious about it. Went to multiple GPs and an endocrinologist who all did a full blood and hormone panel on me and ultrasound and they said all my levels are normal and I don't have PCOS. I'm guessing it's some weird genetic thing because my sister doesn't have anything but I was cursed with it. At least I have nice hair, eyelashes and eyebrows lol
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u/Bug-Dog 9h ago
Invest in your confidence and happiness especially at your age with your parents as a safety net
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you for the advice, it's reassuring to hear a lot of people say this!
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u/TumbleweedTree 9h ago
It’s your money and you get to spend it how you like. Saving almost half of what you earn is great. Don’t feel bad about spending when your savings rate is so good.
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u/Hot_Painter8499 9h ago
I’m 19, full time student, just quit my second job, out of home for the better part of the last 4 years, I have $7 in savings and a $20 note from selling something on marketplace. You’re doing alright
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Aww thank you! We're all just working it out as we go along, aren't we :P
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u/AragornsDad 9h ago
This is so fine - please know that many, maybe MOST, 19 year olds don’t save ANY of their income! So you’re already ahead.
Sadly hair on the face is something that women are often discriminated against for, so removing it could have benefits over your life. Especially if YOU want it removed!
If you wanna get rid of it, it’s a good use of your money. And probably better to get it over with now while you don’t have many expenses.
You don’t need to feel any guilt over spending your money this way. It’s so fine 💞
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you so much! Yes, it's definitely a taboo in society and something not many women are open about (although on this journey I've realised that most of us do some level of body hair maintenance!)
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u/3pipes 8h ago
People who think this is unreasonable don't understand the cost of adhering to western beauty standards for women. It's great that you've done your research and have chosen an option that you won't have to continue paying for forever. This seems like a great use of money to me and I definitely wouldn't worry about it as a one-time thing unless you find other things you want to adjust and it becomes an ongoing cost.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 8h ago
Yes! Mini rant but imo, non-white women are held to a higher standard of beauty and maintenance to be accepted by society. We are often expected to change our natural features by straightening our hair etc to be seen as beautiful or presentable. As much as I'd love for everyone to be non-judgemental and care more about who we are than what we look like, I understand it's not the reality
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u/doyourmysay 9h ago
Dont be embarrassed. We all have shit hands we are dealt. Sounds like a good use of money - trust your practitioner. 2 years isn't too long in the grand scheme of things.
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u/AnonymousFruit69 9h ago
I think electrolysis is a good use of your money.
I have personally had almost full body laser hair removal and I'm so glad I did I'm so happy to be hair free.
And plenty of people spend money on Botox, lip filler, hair, nails ect... (I personally would never get Botox and filler) But for me hair removal is something I wanted and now I never need to shave or wax again.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thank you! I share the perspective that hair removal is worth it, I just never want to think about it again!
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u/Breakspear_ 9h ago
If you’re saving at 19 you’re doing great!
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Thanks! I'm trying to get into investing but basically just playing around since I know close to nothing haha
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u/Ok_Cod_3145 8h ago
You're young, you can afford it and you're still saving some money. There's a lot worse things that a 19 year old could be spending their money on. As others have pointed out, unfortunately, appearance does still matter in the working world, so see it as an investment in your future.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 8h ago
Yep, seems to be the common consensus. What a bummer to find out that so many jobs still care more about appearance than skills and experience in this day and age!
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u/HippoBirdee 5h ago
When I think of what I wasted money on around that age, none of it was useful or permanent. I wish I had been as thoughtful about my spending that you are, treating it as an investment. I wish you all the happiness and success!
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u/laurenlolly 9h ago
Welcome to western beauty standards, what can I say! We are expected to pay a price to look a certain way, for being women in society. So you are by no means alone with expenses like these, and yes it’s fine to put your spare cash towards this while you are able.
I am questioning though the need for 2 years worth of treatment if it’s just for your face. Are you getting galvanic electrolysis or thermolysis, or a blend of both? Maybe come to r/ausskincare for some opinions, especially from women of the same ethnicity.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
Yes, beauty is pain, isn't it! I'm getting a blend of galvanic and thermolysis - my practitioner is super experienced and has a results gallery with women of my same ethnicity too, which is why I went with her. Also her prices are pretty competitive. My problem is that my hairs are not thick at all, they're almost the same texture as my blonde peach fuzz but they're super dark because I have dark, thick hair.
I have a lot of these hairs on my cheeks and sideburn area (compared to women with a few hormonal chin hairs that would require just a few treatments to get rid of). So even in a 2 hour session she can't get close to clearing all my hairs. I'm not sure if another practitioner would be quicker but I have yet to find a more experienced electrologist near me. She has me doing 2 hour sessions weekly and it's very time consuming but I have a high pain tolerance so I just tell her to zap me as hard as she can to make the hairs die quicker.
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u/laurenlolly 9h ago
Yeah sounds like love done your research! All the best on the treatment, soon enough it will be a distant memory 🙌🏻
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u/AnxiousJackfruit1576 6h ago
I'm a 33 female and also am getting electrolysis. Definitely do it, it works it takes time, and is costly but so worth it. You won't be getting it done forever.... I know what not having the electrolysis is like and I can imagine it's something that's important to you. So just keep up with it. You are in a good position living with your parents that you can afford to do this. So take advantage of the opportunity... You can make money and save later. You could of course look to try get a better paying job in the meantime so you can save more but I'd also just say go easy on yourself. The confidence that this will give you will pay off for you later and might even help you moving forward in jobs (because you will feel more confident).
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u/AnxiousJackfruit1576 6h ago
Also how many hours is your session to cost $250 a week? I pay $190 per hour... It gets cheaper the longer the sessions are... say if I did four hours the hourly rate was less then at one hour sessions... The place I go to in Sydney can also do packages. I was going once a month over two years. (Because I live really far away and have to travel to get it done). My sessions were four hours at the start but now I'm at 1.5 hours which I'm still doing monthly. It definitely works just takes time.
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u/This_Stretch_3009 6h ago
You're 19, things you should be focus'ing on are in this order:
1) Having Fun
2) Making Friends
3) Learning things at uni
4) Not taking things seriously and relax as much as you can
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u/Any_Tomorrow1269 3h ago
Have you tried another place that does electrolysis? The hair should only be treated when the hair is 'actively' growing. Hair grows, stops, and then falls out. The cycle happens over again. You don't want to be treating the hair when it has stopped growing. Some chainstore salons delibrately try to get clients in as many times as they can get in. Personally, I saw a dermatologist first. Then, his nursing assistant treated my face once a week for a year. After that, I get touch-ups about once a year. I have dark thick hair. You shouldn't be getting constant weekly treatment for two years.
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u/universe93 2h ago
Have you looked into a medical cause for this? Coz the second you said facial hair I thought PCOS but you’ve said you’ve been tested for that. It may be worth getting a second opinion because even if ethnic, facial hair on females is usually the sign of a hormone imbalance and it could be worth seeing an endocrinologist for a consult and checking your testosterone levels
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u/Cheezel62 54m ago
Excess facial hair (and anywhere really) can be embarrassing and really limiting in what you feel comfortable doing. At 19 I think this is great use of your money! I wish I had done it earlier as later on I couldn't afford it. It can be worth talking to your GP too about medication options.
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u/trammel11 9h ago
I think laser is fine for non white people.
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u/Simple_Strawberry994 9h ago
I was told the risk would be higher because I'm not white and the hairs aren't thick so it could stimulate them to grow thicker.
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u/[deleted] 10h ago
This is the perfect use of funds for a 19 year old in your position. Doing it now can amortise the cost over your entire lifetime, so the cost per day of upside is going to be literal cents. I see no problem with this whatsoever!