Ask Jean: Should I Buy Discounted High-End Skincare Products?

Saving money on ask jean should buy does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.

Key Takeaways

• If you buy high-end skincare products from a discount retailer, are you wasting your money?
• A reader asks HerMoney CEO Jean Chatzky for her take.
• Q: I love shopping at T.J.

If you purchase high-end skincare products from a discount retailer, are you wasting your money? A reader asks HerMoney CEO Jean Chatzky for her take.

Q: I love shopping at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls and frequently see high-end skincare products there. The prices are obviously much lower than what I’d pay elsewhere - but am I wasting my money? I’m worried they might have been sitting on the shelf for a long time.

A: We phoned a friend for this one - Val Monroe, former longtime beauty director at O Magazine. Here’s what she had to say:

“The issue this reader should be considering, rather than whether the products have passed their expiration date, is whether they’re worth spending more on than on a similar, likely equally or even more effective drugstore product.

Most expensive skincare products are pricier, not because of more effective ingredients, but instead because of more expensive packaging and marketing strategies. So that’s what you, the consumer, are paying for, not for a more effective product.”

As for the products themselves, they’re not typically expired , but they are ones that have likely been discontinued, or they may be from past seasons (yes, makeup and beauty have seasons just like fashion items). If they’re truly things you love, it’s okay to go for it. If you’re buying just because it’s on sale, remember one of my favorite Money Rules: If it’s 50% off, it’s still 50% on.

PS, if you’re looking for more beauty tips - budgeting and otherwise - Val’s Substack is a favorite of mine: How Not to F*ck Up Your Face.

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Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check ask jean should buy against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at savingswitch.com.