The Crossdressers Economy

[unwritten2108]

Hey girls. This has been on my mind lately so I thought I'd share.

About a year ago I posted a blog talking about living life as a CD and dealing with a potential recession coming. Face it, living part time or full time as a girl can be very pricey, especially when you still need to buy your boyish necessities too. And let me tell you for a college student, it isn't easy.

But now a year later that recession that was supposed to be coming has hit harder than many thought. So how are all of you coping with it? Have you had to cut down on the amount of stuff you buy, or even cut down on dressing to save some money?

[AmandaM]

I was just unemployed and found a job. I didn't buy much but had a lot of time to dress. I need a home-based business.

[Jacquilynne]

I have no idea yet. . .am about to be unemployed tho. . .so I'm sure I'll have more time to dress but less money to spend. :( I'll have to budget my money I suppose :straightface:

Jacie

[Karren H]

Actually ... Nope.. Haven't slowed spending one bit!! Last years was my best ever.. Actually made money in the stock market too.. And now I'm back in and stock prices couldnr be better!! :). The son dropped out of college with saved me $50,000!! Bonus is coming next month and it supposed to be a good one!! Life is good!! And getting better all the time!!

[renee k]

Hey girls. This has been on my mind lately so I thought I'd share.

About a year ago I posted a blog talking about living life as a CD and dealing with a potential recession coming. Face it, living part time or full time as a girl can be very pricey, especially when you still need to buy your boyish necessities too. And let me tell you for a college student, it isn't easy.

But now a year later that recession that was supposed to be coming has hit harder than many thought. So how are all of you coping with it? Have you had to cut down on the amount of stuff you buy, or even cut down on dressing to save some money?

What had hurt me was being off for my hip replacement surgery for three months. I used my sick time to cover my time away from work. But things are back to normal. Just bought a pair of Stuart Weisman heels from Zappo's for around two hundred bucks, and they were on sale. Plus taking advantage of sales at Macy's and Bloomies. I think this time of year is a good time to update your wardrobe with all the sales going on. Just doing my part to help get us out of this recession. LOL!!

Huggs, Renee


Huggs, Renee

[brittanny]

Fortunatly I still have a job and don't think anything is going to change there I have been away from dressing for about 8 months and ready to hit it full force again I actully made more money last year than ever before

[VERONICARH]

I have cut back on spending and dressing. Cut back on dressing due to having two jobs to make all my payments. Have no time to dress. This really sucks (pardon the word). Don't spend any money due to lack of girl time.

[unwritten2108]

Fortunatly I still have a job and don't think anything is going to change there I have been away from dressing for about 8 months and ready to hit it full force again I actully made more money last year than ever before

Yeah my hope is I can get that first job out of college. Money constraints have put my chance to dress again on the backburner for the last 11 months. Luckily I get my chance to femme up this Saturday!

[diane51]

Actually ... Nope.. Haven't slowed spending one bit!! Last years was my best ever.. Actually made money in the stock market too.. And now I'm back in and stock prices couldnr be better!! :). The son dropped out of college with saved me $50,000!! Bonus is coming next month and it supposed to be a good one!! Life is good!! And getting better all the time!!

Karren, I sure would like to know who your broker is. On this end I have lost a ton in the market, with hopes of some positive return in the future. Not holding my breath tho.

[Tora]

Being in a business that is not recession proof is tough. I am lucky to have a boss who has seen MICHIGAN Recessions before and SHE does not panic. Yet, bonus is not part of the vocabulary today. I am in the same boat. Tora's budget has been slashed. Still alot of inventory in the wardrobe. Have to live with what I have for now. Would not be fair to cut from the family funds. We will get through. If Washington could just keep out of the way! Heck they are the ones who caused the Banking SNAFU, that caused a world wide recession.

[Teri Jean]

I have some but then there are great buys at your local thrift store. I just spend a little more wisely. Keli

[Karren H]

Karren, I sure would like to know who your broker is. On this end I have lost a ton in the market, with hopes of some positive return in the future. Not holding my breath tho.

I'm manage my own portfolio... And November before last I cashed out and put everything in a fixed 5% fund and stayed there through the crash.. Just jumped back in last month. And bought stock for 20% of what it was 9 months ago.. I have friends who's accounts are 1/3 of what they were last year..

[beenherelongtime]

i'm happy for those whose income has stayed steady. for those having problems, i hope you have enough clothes to last you. be sensible with your buying, we all have bought things we do not need at the moment. but the urge to have new and different items is very heavy. bite the bullet and hopefully things will turn around for you.

[Samantha Kelsey]

I've really cut down on buying clothes, I don't buy any male clothes at all only more Samantha clothes. Same with toiletries, none for him more for her.

[jeniinnylons]

Ladies just look for the bargins and use coupons and you will be good.

JCPenney's has a lot of good clothing depending on your size for cheap at times on clearance in fact they have a 75% off going now.. Toss in a 15% off coupon and it makes it even better. You can find some here: http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=708251&highlight=jcpenney



Or you can shop at Kohl's and use the $5 off coupons. For example right now they have some panties on sale for $3 so buy 2 and use the $5 and pay .50 each.

Here's some on ebay (no they are not mine):
http://cgi.ebay.com/20-KOHLS-5-OFF-COUPONS-SAVE-100-exp-Feb-14_W0QQitemZ270339130348QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Gift _Certificates?hash=item270339130348&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A15%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Also there are always a lot of womens clothing and shoe deals posted at:
www.slickdeals.net

*****To the mods I in no way profit from any of the suggestions or links so please do not delete them as I put them there as suggestions to help other.

[cindym5_04]

Karren, you must go with the "buy and homework" way of thinking which works out well. I had a stock market project for my business class. You know the "if you had $10000 to invest..." type deal. This was for December and the first week of January. IF it was real money, I would've been making money.

Currently I still have my job with the company that I've been with for 6 1/2 years. I may potentially have a job offer from another company within the next few weeks/month. I was contacted yesterday about a position that might be opening at this company that I interviewed with last July. For my "Cindy spending", I really didn't buy anything last year and rarely dressed. I did buy a new outfit a few weeks ago though. So, I guess the recession hasn't had an effect in that sense. I've had a couple of creditors cut back on my spending limit though, if that counts.

[Jess_cd32]

I'm pretty insulated regardless of what the economy does, just made smart moves along the years and owe nothing on anything.
As for CDing I plan on buying a few things I need soon but I won't go in over my head, but with this hobby thats not easy.

edit: As for stocks, your biggest returners will always be penny stocks, 100-1000% returns are very common and I've watched a few go way beyond that, (formerly Owens Corning-OWENQ) was at a low of .01 to climb to $5.75, while in bankruptcy proceedings no less:eek:.
Thats how I recouped loses in 2001, just buy some pepto bismol first before you play them.

[JoAnne Wheeler]

MODERATION is the key

JoAnne Wheeler

[Jilmac]

I have always tried to be frugal with my femme purchases, even in a boom economy. I had to put my family responsibilities first and that meant sacraficing a lot of pretty clothing. Now that I am widowed and living alone on a fixed income, frugality is of utmost importance.

[Beth785]

I'm one of the lucky ones to have a stable job. But I feel for those of you who are on hard times. I hope this downturn turns up here pretty soon!

[Angie G]

I was getting more overtime then I wanted and now I getting almost none and that is a few hundred $$$ less each month so it dose cut the shopping down.:hugs:
Angie

[Catherine99]

Just bought 4 body shapers from e-bay, wearing one now at work. No slowing down for me.

[Leslie Langford]

I, too, have been hurt by the economic recession that most us us are currently experiencing, but at the same time, I see it as an opportunity to step up to the plate and help out the beleaguered retailers of womens' clothing, shoes, and wigs etc. along with their SA's who have been so kind, helpful and supportive of us cross dressers over the years.

I'm talking about the Lane Bryants, Catharines, Fashion Bug, and Target stores etc. in the US, and the Addition-Elles, Penningtons, Winners, and The Bay department stores (among others) in Canada. All of these chains have reported massive cut-backs in staff and/or store closing in recent weeks and months - a situation which wasn't helped by the disastrous Christmas season most of them experienced. Just today, The Bay here in Canada announced a massive restructuring which will eliminate 1,000 jobs, or 5% of their work force. In US terms, that's equivalent to 10,000 layoffs in that country.

Even Payless and similar discount chains deserve our on-going patronage, but being in the lower end segment of the retail world, they are probably still a bit more immune to the economic downturn. I don't know too much about what our UK sisters are experiencing these days, but I would imagine that Marks and Spencer et al are also suffering from declining sales and profits, endangering their long-term viability as well.

It is probably safe to say that with our laser-like obsession and focus on womens' fashions and shopaholic tendencies, a multiplier of between 5 and 10 can probably be assigned to the ecomomic activity that we cross dressers generate with regard to the purchase of womens' shoes and apparel as compared to the average GG. So, that makes us an economic force to be reckoned with in that retail sector, and I read somewhere that around 30% of Lane Bryant's sales were to cross dressers. And let's not forget the wig stores. Probably 75% of them wouldn't even exist if it weren't for cross dressers.

Let's look at this as our own particular brand of bail-out or economic stimulus package to our supportive retailers in their time of need. Sure, times are tough, and I am not suggesting that we spend recklessly since we have our own backs to cover as well. But let's not all hunker down in our caves either and cut back on our spending altogether, even though it may be considered to be entirely discretionary on some level. We need to keep some of this buying activity going, and not only for the benefit of these retailers - our mental health demands it as well, and that in itself is justification enough for me.

And lets' face it, if these retailers fail, do we really want to go back to the Dark Ages when cross dressing was still an underground and covert activity and we were at the mercy of catalog or on-line merchants specializing in servicing our community, but who also charged exhorbitant prices for their wares since they were the only game in town, all the while preying on our shame and insecurtities?

[Carole Cross]

I havent slowed down at all, in fact I am spending more than ever. I work for a company that makes utility cabinets for the IT and telecomms industry and we are very busy atm. I am really spending more than I should so I am trying to cut down, but I keep seeing more things that I have to buy likea nice pair of heels or short skirt, lol. I am so wrapped up in the pink fog. :heehee:

[Michelia]

I am now hell bent on wearing it out of the house rather than keeping it in the closet. So that is what I will be doing during this recession. I was hoping to laser off my beard, but I guess that will have to wait.

[unwritten2108]

I havent slowed down at all, in fact I am spending more than ever. I work for a company that makes utility cabinets for the IT and telecomms industry and we are very busy atm. I am really spending more than I should so I am trying to cut down, but I keep seeing more things that I have to buy likea nice pair of heels or short skirt, lol. I am so wrapped up in the pink fog. :heehee:

I wonder actually how bad the economy has gotten in the UK and/or Europe. I can remember when I was in England in 2007, I went through a financial crisis of my own when I came into contact with the exchange rate.

So for those of us that are being effected by the plunging economy, does this mean that the Internet and eBay are the best places to shop for our girly needs? I mean it still where we will get the best prices, and the chance of free shipping.

But where does that leave us in the makeup department? Have many of you been forced to change from your MAC products to something of a lesser caliber?

[Lainie]

Well known fact--clothing sales falter in a downturn, but cosmetics go up. Ladies concentrate on looking good for less.

[Kenix]

I still have a job but I have zero expectation on a bonus or raise.

The recession haven't changed my femme shopping habit. I am past the "getting the basics" stage so I am more selective in my purchases.

[martha mars]

for the most part i make most of my clothes it not hard to do :hugs::hugs:

[joann07]

I am very fortunate that I still have a job being that I work for a bank.
Although I didn't get a raise, I did get a bonus so at least that's something. I guess that came from the bailout money.

I've cut down a little bit on my spending, but I still shop at the mainstream stores. There are lots and lots of clearance sales and huge discounts going on and so even though I may buy a lot I'm still saving because I can buy more for the same amount of money I spend.

I have done other things to cut down on unneccessary spending, such as, eating at home, rather than eating out, and driving more economically. Even though gas prices have come down, I'm taking advantage of the cheaper prices by continuing to maximize fuel economy, cutting down on unncessary driving, and going inside instead of passing through the drive-thru at a bank or fast-food restaurant or drug store. The less frequently I have to buy gas, the more my money's worth will go on a tank full.


Hugs!

[docrobbysherry]

Refinancing, cash into CDs, moving into a stronger cash position, less hi interest loans, etc.
Played all my cards back when it was easy to do so, and was standing pat, about 2 years ago.:thumbsup:

I've noticed the recession has even hit our nice local thrift stores!:eek:

Goodwill has an online 20% off coupon. U can use it on top of the 1/2 off items!:D

Stopped at a Salvation Army store today. Everything in it was 50% off!!!:)

Things r cheaper then ever where I shop!:heehee:

[crusadergirl]

Not doing so good. I got my hours cut bad so i'm looking for a second job. So i have alot of time to dress but never do. And i can't buy anything new for awhile. In march things will get better.

[Paula Siemen]

Actually ... Nope.. Haven't slowed spending one bit!! Last years was my best ever.. Actually made money in the stock market too.. And now I'm back in and stock prices couldnr be better!! :). The son dropped out of college with saved me $50,000!! Bonus is coming next month and it supposed to be a good one!! Life is good!! And getting better all the time!!

You must be a Congress Woman!!!!

[Maria1963]

I'm much more interested in buying girlie clothes than boy clothes so girlie takes priority. I have to have some control though as I'm not dressing full time but I could certainly buy like one who does.

[Kimmie]

Having a dual wardrobe is one thing. I was having fun with the idea of taking it to the next level. I was considering buying a Red Volkswagen Jetta for Kimmie, and get a Black Mercedez AMG for myself. But then I lost my job and I had to scrap that idea, along with the stop sign down the street to get some extra cash.

[kellycan27]

My job is safe so far, and I have a small income from a trust fund. I haven't felt the crunch, but i think that it is important to save because you never know what might happen tomorrow.
I found a nifty way way to save money and reduce my heating bill. I don't buy drab clothes and I burned the ones I had in my fireplace...!
:battingeyelashes:

[kristytv]

I still have a job but I have zero expectation on a bonus or raise.

The recession haven't changed my femme shopping habit. I am past the "getting the basics" stage so I am more selective in my purchases.


this is my situation as well, i work in a ford dealer in the parts dept. and its sloooowww, but people are slowly spending money , they cant afford new so they are fixing what they have , i cant personally get enough cash fast enough, between my bills and my cars and medical its a constant sucking sound. just becasue there is a slow down , you cant totally trash your plans . as i am building 2 old cars, the progress doesnt stop becasue i cant buy stuff for it . i am in a time crunch now and money crunch, this is a year of get stuff done at whatever cost. i have lost my close friend to suicide who helped me alot. i am realing from his loss in many ways this being one of them. the dressing , well i dont get out like i should anyhow , but at least when its warmer i can go chill in my camper dressed . -kristy

[Rachel Morley]

Things have not changed that much for me and my dressing. My wife and I are on the board of a TG group here in Sacramento (http://www.rivercitygems.org/) and we're still going out and doing just as much as always.

We've always been quite frugal with our spending but I guess you could say that we're just a little bit more-so nowadays. Instead of buying a ballgown for an event we'll rent one. Instead of buying full price shoes and clothes we'll only buy it if it's on sale. That's the sort of changes. Last fall I had to take a mandatory 20% pay cut so we just have to be a little bit more selective about how and where we spend our money, but it's hasn't curtailed any of our TG related activities (yet).

[Dannie Lefae]

I have absolutly been hurting because of this economy, and of course it doesn't help that I purged about two years ago and have nothing left to wear aside of my boy clothes. I am going to start small and rebuild. I will be shopping for not so obvious pants that I will be able to wear full time and tops as well. I don't mind if they appear somewhat fem. I think I am really getting to where I just don't care what anyone else thinks. My lovely SO has been very generous in sharing what she has with me, so I am never left without wonderful stockings or something to wear to bed. She has this brilliant pair of fuzzy, cozy knee highs that i will be wearing openly at work one day this week. They are very obviously fem being solid black with pink and purple lines in a diamond pattern on them, but if asked i am simply planning to say that they are comfy. Anyways, yes money is tight and starting over is a drag (pun intended).

Em

[Annemarie]

Being in a business that is not recession proof is tough. I am lucky to have a boss who has seen MICHIGAN Recessions before and SHE does not panic. Yet, bonus is not part of the vocabulary today. I am in the same boat. Tora's budget has been slashed. Still alot of inventory in the wardrobe. Have to live with what I have for now. Would not be fair to cut from the family funds. We will get through. If Washington could just keep out of the way! Heck they are the ones who caused the Banking SNAFU, that caused a world wide recession.
Pretty sure the bankers and the property/credit bubble is to blame for the recession, not the Govt.