With today's open-toed slick shoes, whether designer or not, if your feet are all 'jacked up'  it won't matter what brand or style you're wearing because I can guarantee you, people will not be looking at your shoes once they get a look at your feet! Taking proper care of your feet is just as important as the rest of your body.  Maybe you never wear sandals or open-toed shoes. 

Sorry for having ugly feet, Doc.
Ever been to the doctor and been asked to remove your socks???  That's the time when you realize that at any time something can happen that can require you to take your socks and shoes off.  Sounds funny, but when you least expect it...that's when it happens.  Pedicures can be heavenly when someone else is doing it, that's part of the ambiance of getting one...it's like a luxury.  It's a luxury some of us cannot afford!  You can still experience that same luxurious feel and ambiance of having a pedicure, you'll just be doing it yourself.

No expensive items required
Believe it or not, there are no real special supplies needed in order to give yourself a pedicure.  You can use many of the same items that you have around your house.  Let's go over some of the steps to help make your feet as pretty as they can be!  First of all you would need to clip your toenails.  They should be filed straight across and rounded slightly at the corners conforming to the shape of your toe.  Warning: Never clip or file into the corners of your toenails, this can cause you to have ingrown toenails which is very painful to have. After you've clipped your toenails, soak your feet in a basin, bucket or whatever you can find that your feet will fit into.  I've actually used one of those plastic basins that I got while I was in the hospital...it works wonders!  Either way, you'll be soaking your feet in warm soapy water.  Keep soaking until the water cools.  This allows the dry callous skin on the bottom of your feet to soften and become loose. 

Bring out the foot file.. 
At this point you'll be using a foot file, which can be bought at any discount store or if you prefer, a beauty supply store..but hey, we're tryin' to save money here, so I would suggest a discount store.  Wet the foot file, apply soap and rub gently in a circular motion across all areas of the foot.  While yo

u're working on one foot, the other should still be soaking.  After removing all of the dead skin from the bottom of your feet, pat them dry with a towel.  Use an orangewood stick or a cotton swab to apply a cuticle removing solution to the cuticle and under the free edge of each nail.  Carefully loosen the cuticle of each nail, keeping it moist with water or extra cuticle solution. Warning: Do not cut the cuticles, this can cause infection and a lot of pain!  This is when it would be a good time to check for hangnails or loose pieces of skin and carefully trim them with cuticle trimmers or toenail clippers.  Wipe the excess cuticle remover off of your feet with a damp towel. 

Help me love!
This is the part where you call your boyfriend, husband or significant other into the room..."I can't reach the bottom of my feet, can you help me?"  Don't forget to look "doe-eyed"...it helps.  Seriously, at this point you would want to massage each toe and foot with a thick foot cream or lotion and if you can get someone to do it for you, it just makes saving money this way that much better.  Allow the lotion to penetrate your feet for about 5 minutes. If you have extremely dry feet and would like extra softness, wrap your feet in a warm wet towel after you apply the foot cream.  You can do this by wringing out your wet towel and placing it in the microwave for 30 or 40 seconds (remember not to leave it unattended).  Rinse both feet in a basin of warm soapy water (not the same water you used earlier!) Scrub off any excess lotion or dry skin by using an exfoliating cream, an apricot scrub works really well for this.  Rinse feet and dry them well.  Wipe each toenail with a polish remover to remove any residue of the lotion or exfoliant.  Apply a clear base coat and allow to dry completely and then apply two coats of the nail color of your choice.  Allow the polish to dry.  Lastly, apply a light hand or foot lotion on your feet ankles and calves.  If you have excessively dry feet, try applying a heavy foot cream at night before bed.  Then, put on a pair of clean white socks and off to bed you go!  This will help seal in the moisture if you have excessively dry feet.

Giving yourself a pedicure can be a pleasant experience.  You tend to appreciate your feet more when you take the time to make them look good.  Remember, it's easy to just let your feet "go", especially when you're used to going to the salon.  Give yourself a pedicure at least twice a month, your feet will thank you and your shoes will look slammin' on those feet!