Value of personal appearance

You see, one of the greatest challenges of living a lifestyle of financial freedom is determining the exact value of personal appearance. How does one balance a desire for less expensive clothing and personal care items with the expectations of the culture that enables their income and personal lives?

On the one hand, many people who overspend are focused heavily on their appearance to others, often buying clothing and technology items in order to boost their appearance of affluence to others. On the other hand, a polished personal appearance is often vital to a person’s public persona, to their workplace situation, and also to their self-image.

Plus, a well-dressed appearance pays other financial benefits as well by creating a more positive general impression of you in the community. Others will have a higher opinion of you and you’ll subtly find yourself in better situations.

For me personally, this was a tricky balance, but it was one that I managed to figure out over time. The key was to make sure that I leveraged every inexpensive trick that I had, while also maximising the utility of the expensive items.

While am not a beauty therapist, the economics of looking great can be so rewarding. Here are some tips on how to maximise the value of your personal appearance. Take special care in cleaning yourself. I don’t mean buy expensive shampoos or such things; I simply mean take a few extra minutes to cleanse yourself thoroughly each morning.

Use underarm deodorant as well. Cleaning yourself properly is the most valuable aspect of your personal appearance and it is also the least expensive, as there’s really no need for expensive shampoos or soaps in most cases.

Practise strong oral hygiene and use a strong mouthwash. Brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day; your breath is a key part of your appearance and “cover up” items such as ‘chewing gum’ often only work for a short while. It’s much better for your appearance to make sure your mouth is truly clean.

Use a fragrance that smells good to you every day. I only use a deodorant myself due to my allergy to strong smells. But my deodorant lasts all day usually. Once in a while, I do apply some mild perfume. I don’t apply by spraying, but just spray a bit on my hand and rub behind my ears and the sides of my neck; this creates just the right level of fragrance and it also prevents me from wasting it, meaning I do have many more applications per bottle. I consider fragrances to be a worthwhile gift for your beloved ones – so long they don’t get the impression they smell bad.

Buy only clothes that go well with the majority of other clothes in your wardrobe. This means buy high quality, but stick to the basics. Dark coloured trousers go with any shirt.

Greet everyone you meet. This seems strange at first, but you look better by tuning your face into good mood. Further, close your eyes and imagine the way you remember people who seem friendly to you versus the people who do not. In almost every case (unless there is a weird jealousy/hero worship aspect going on), you’ll imagine the genuinely friendly people in a positive light, making them appear better than they really are, and imagine those who antagonize you in a negative light, making them appear worse than they are.

You can help capitalize on this subtle mind shift by making an effort to be friendly to everyone around you. Make it a point to talk in a friendly way to everyone you are near on a daily basis, even if you don’t like them. Your face brightens up and adds value to your personal appearance.

Each of these tips enable you to maintain a strong personal appearance while also minimizing the impact on your pocketbook; while everyone else is buying clothes by the ton and gossiping in the office, you can maintain a smile on your face and cash in your wallet.