Today Hubby and I went to a dermatologist. He asked about his roseacea, I asked for confirmation that an "age spot" was safe (there's skin cancer in my family) and how to lessen its appearance. In the end, it turned out she said it was actually a mole and not cancerous. Never saw a "mole" like what I had. I say "had" because she removed the thing with a laser...on the spot. As she was doing it, I smelled my burning flesh. Kinda unpleasant, but it didn't hurt. I just need to put a cream on it for a few days. I was flabbergasted that the whole thing only cost 500 czk, which equals US $22. In the US, my co-pay alone would have been at least $40. Plus, since this wasn't cancerous or in any way painful or medically necessary, it was really just a cosmetic procedure. Imagine a cosmetic laser treatment in the US costing as little as $22 total?

In a couple weeks, I get more done to my spruce up before my France trip. Hair trim, roots colored, hair styled. A couple days before that, I get a special facial. The same type I had and loved some months back. In addition to usual facial stuff, it includes eyebrow cleanup/shaping (and any other waxing on face), eyebrow and eyelash tinting, and light makeup. Probably where I used to live in New Jersey all of that (not the hair salon stuff) together would have likely cost $200 or more. Here the whole price will be 750 czk (US $32) plus a little tip. Even all of the hair services I've been getting here have been less than half of what I paid in New Jersey. Gotta confess that as a frugal woman, I'm now willing to do more physical upkeep. It feels good.