It’s expensive being a girl.

“I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they're the first to be rescued off sinking ships” –Gilda Radner


The other day I found myself ordering $40 worth of sale items from Victorias Secret. How could a few little pieces of cotton cut into what look like scraps on a sewing room floor cost more than what I spend weekly at the grocery store? It got me thinking; I wonder how much more us females actually spend than men. Sure, we have an innate love for spending money as a sex. However, I’m not talking about splurging on a new pair of cute heels…I’m talking about just to live on a daily basis. Things like feminine hygiene and simply making ourselves presentable to the world come at a price. Men can open up a pack of $10 Hanes underwear from WalMart, and we still will swoon over them. Have you seen cheap women’s underwear, let alone from a package? Exactly.

Men stick to what they know. A bar of soap goes a long way to them. Women, however, need a special “cleanser,” not soap, for their faces. We opt for “body wash” to clean ourselves in the shower. We choose based on “oily skin,” “dry skin,” “combination skin.” Unless a man has a sister, it’s unlikely for him to know any sort of formula to choosing a product for his skin. To men, soap is soap, gel is gel, a comb is a comb. You’ll never find a man standing in CVS comparing which hairbrush is right for their hairstyle. Could you actually picture some guy spending ten minutes in the store, pondering, “well this round brush is good for when I blow-dry my hair straight, but this one has the boar bristles. Hmm, which to buy?” No, a man grabs one of those plastic combs that cost $1 at most, since that’s what the photographer used for every yearbook photo taken from elementary school until college. It’s what they know.

And of course, living in New York City, everything is astronomically more expensive. There should be warning signs on every pharmacy/cosmetic store: Warning, you are about to pay at least $1 more for every item you purchase. It’s like an unwritten tax law.

So based on my thoughts, I came up with a list of items that females often spend per month or so, which probably would never occur to a man. So next time a man complains that he’s spending a lot of money on one lady, show him this list so he can see what it takes to be a girl.


Extra costs being a girl (per capita/monthly)*:

Sanitary products ~ $10
Mascara ~ $6
Powder/Coverup ~ $10-20
Blush/Bronzer ~ $10-20
Lip Gloss ~ $5 – 20
Pantyhose ~ $6
Hair cut ~ $20-60
Hair color/highlights/other hair treatments ~ $80-$120
Eye make-up remover ~ $5
Face wash ~ $5-10
Lotion ~ $5-10
Bikini wax ~ $20
Manicure ~ $10-40
Kleenex ~ just kidding.

=$182~355

*Please note that these are rough estimates. Some of these expenses are based on other females’ experiences, and of course many of us females often opt for a bargain, DIY, or none at all.

If being a woman is more expensive, shouldn’t we be able to write off some of our items come tax season, just for being female? (Side note – did you know a man can be covered for Viagra, but insurance companies often laugh at women who wish to be covered from birth control, claiming it is not necessary)? Though, sadly, this could never happen since it is expected of women to make these purchases—to doll herself up. But I guess that’s part of being a girl.