the Cost of a Mani/Pedi Combo

A manicure (with french tips - an extra $5) alone would have only been $20, and a pedicure $25. When you buy them together, you get a $5 discount.

I was pleased with the service, but it's not something I'd do every month like some ladies I know. It's an awful expensive splurge, but I think it's okay a couple of times a year. The rest of the time, you can just paint your nails yourself at home. Of course, a "color change" at the salon is only about $7 (again, if you don't get french because that's $5 extra).

Pay attention to what the nail technician does so you can repeat it at home. For example, I have always had a difficult time giving myself a french manicure - I can never get the white tip just right, even if I use stencils. But this last time, I noticed that the technician uses a little "paintbrush" dipped in acetone (strong nail polish remover) to perfect the tip. Basically, they just glop on the white and then use the brush to remove what they don't want. If you use a good brush, you'll get a uniform tip everytime. I happened to have an expensive eye shadow brush that I wasn't using, and it works PERFECT for repeating this process at home. So, I considered the $40 mani/pedi an "investment" in a training session - not just a splurge to have pretty hands and feet for a couple of weeks.