Nails: DIY or Salon?

I just wanted to get some feedback from you girls on whether you do your own nails at home or go to a salon to get them done professionally? I have always had good strong nails that grow really fast so luckily I've never had a need to get acrylics or gels or anything. As you can see from the pic on the right, I like my nails to be either french manicure or with a pale pink polish (pic is from my engagement party photos hence the ring...I swear it was the only proper pic I had of my nails just in case you think I'm shamelessly showing off!ha ha). You'll have to excuse my freakishly long fingers...I hate them!

I always seem to stick to light/pale nail polishes on my hands because a) It shows less when they chip and chipped nails are a pet hate of mine and b) I think it looks more 'clean'...if that makes sense? I sometimes try bright colours on my nails but as soon as I see a tiny chip, I have to remove it all straight away...obsessive much? What can I say, I'm a perfectionist and sometimes, I can't control it!ha ha

I always just do my own nails and with all the practice I've had over the years, I have become really good at it. Also, with the Kiss white nail tip pen I bought a while ago, doing a french manicure on myself is easy peasy. I buff and smooth my nails once a week, file them regularly and use hand cream almost every day so I have never seen the need to go to a salon and pay someone else to do it for me. Maybe that makes me cheap, but I would rather buy myself a new nail polish that will last me ages than use the money to go to a salon and get a couple of coats applied for the same price or more.

Shockingly, even though I'm a real girl's girl, I've only ever had a professional manicure once or twice in my life and I've never had a professional pedicure (don't like people touching my feet!)However, I do get the whole 'pampering' thing and I like to be treated just as much as the next girl. But with everyone's finances hitting hard times, I really don't like to pay for something I can do just as well myself. I have started to wonder though...am I missing out on something? I also do my own pedicures but I would quite like to see how that would compare to a professional pedicure...you will have to enlighten me as to whether it's worth it...