series, which profiles people across the U.S. and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
Roy Patterson stands in front of his bathroom mirror, explaining the benefits of Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, a cult-favorite product among skincare obsessives that runs over $100 for an 8.4 ounce bottle.
That s a hefty sum for a facial exfoliator, the 31-year-old IT manager acknowledges, but worth every penny. He picked it up last year while he was on a trip to Paris with his girlfriend, Shani Gardner. And he says it s made his skin noticeably smoother and brighter.
Money Report
If it all sounds indulgent, Patterson agrees. But he argues he s earned a bit of pampering. Just two years ago, he saw little reason to buy skincare products at all, he tells CNBC Make It. At the time, he was still paying off over $55,000 in student loan debt from his time at Eastern Connecticut State University, and he wouldn t spend a dime more than he had to on anything, never mind splurging on