Crossdressing Expenses

[Heather Anne]

I was wondering if anyone keeps track of their spending when it comes to cross dressing. Expenses would include everything from head to toe, i.e., wigs, clothes, lingerie, shoes, cosmetics, makeovers, personal hygiene. For the month of July I have spent $340.00. I use Quicken for my finances. I breakdown all my spending into categories. From May 2008 - July 2017 average per month I have spent about $312.00 per month. Going out to lunch / dinner while dressed en femme falls under groceries.

[Amanda1963]

I have never kept track of my crossdressing expenses. wife and I go to the any goodwill stores, Belk, Torrid and Lane Bryant. with the exception of goodwill we hit the clearance aisle. always plenty to choose from and we both have very similar tastes and it never gets old when we end up picking out the same clothing items!

[DIANEF]

I don't keep a record of what I spend, as I have more than enough of pretty much everything. All I do buy on a regular basis is make up, cleaner ect, and a lot of clothes comes really cheaply from charity shops. Of course I do treat myself every now and again.

[Jenniferpl]

Would be too depressing to know. Mostly shop for sale items since I stay hiding away. in total would probably be a large amount but that is spread over a long period of time.

[alwayshave]

Other than scuba diving I have no other hobby, so I don't really care how much I spend. I did cringe when purchasing my dress tech forms, but still bought them.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Heather Anne :hugs:, I really don't have a good number, Over the past over 50years
I would suspect that it surely must be in the five figure range.

I have really slowed down buying new Clothes & Shoes as my collection is starting to bulge the closets.

Mainly it is just pierced earrings and necklaces now...:daydreaming:...

[Tracii G]

I guess if you are into numbers and doing spread sheets it might be interesting.

[Kelsey dresses]

For me not much bras and panties maybe once or twice a month I underdress everyday. But always on the look out for a deal.

[Helen_Highwater]

I do keep a track of what I spend on clothing. I find it helps keep the pink fog away when it comes to thinking about buying that dress that's in the sales as one, I would get little wear out of it, two it's likely to be similar to one I already have and three, lots of little spends = 1 bigger far nicer item. I must admit to not keeping track of spending on things such as makeup or jewelry but neither of those cost me a lot each year.

Things I do include in my calculations are new form/pads etc as they can add to the bottom line on the spreadsheet considerably.

[Elizabeth G]

Yes, I have a spreadsheet to track my CD expenses but I haven't updated it in the last few months. It's not an insignificant amount but considering I'm rebuilding from nothing post-purge including forms, wigs, dresstech's etc I guess it's not so bad. Since I now have a reasonable foundation to work with my burn rate has certainly slowed.

[Angie G]

I have no idea how much I spend on my CDing but it's really not all that much goodwill and clearance items helps keep the cost down. I would think well over a grand.:hugs:
Angie

[Karen RHT]

Nope, I don't track my expenses, same as I don't track my expenses for the other things I enjoy. I spend what I can comfortably afford to spend.


Karen

[barbie lanai]

I started keeping track in 2011 with a spreadsheet. Mostly for style, brand, color & size of dresses, shoes, wig and lingerie . But date & price in there as well. Never bothered to put in the bottom line equation to add it all up, until reading this thread. Looks like about $50 a month. Cheaper than what we spend going out for breakfast every Sunday.

[Robertacd]

I have never kept track but I am sure it adds up.

That is why my first rule when shopping for Roberta is: Never pay full price.

[Lucy23]

Up until June I did't buy anything, but then came the sales. Since then I bought a pair of ballet flats, bra and two panties, a blouse, and a knitted dress, all for 80 euros. That is not to say I wouldn't want to spend more, but I can't afford to.

Once I tried to keep track, but then I saw the amount of money and thought whether I could have spent the money elsewhere or in a better way. Suffice it to say, I never tried to keep track again.

[Krisi]

No, I don't keep track of crossdressing expenses. Or most other expenses either. If I need it, I buy it. Fortunately, my needs are not excessive.

[LeannS]

I dare not to but I do try to keep it check the most expensive items would be your forms,wigs and of course shoes.
I did go a bit overboard 2 months ago with 300 dollars worth of stuff but it was a lot of things.
if I didn't spend it on clothes it would have been on fishing items

[IleneD]

The Thrift Shoppe is your friend.

[Aemilie]

I haven't really kept track of my expenses, but I have kept my first few receipts for a dress, skirt & blouse as a sort of souvenir, but other than that I don't really care how much Millie is costing me because she's worth it.

[Helen Waite]

My wife has spent thousands over the years on clothes she's never worn, and ended up giving away. I figure I'm entitled to spend a few hundred on things I may not get to wear.

[Stacy Darling]

I have a very strict $50 per fortnight limit, if I go over it comes out of the next fortnights $50, if I don't spend it doesn't accumulate!

As all say! Charity shops for bargains, and for me whichever makeup is 1/2 price is my new look, luckily I'm pale LOL!
Stacy!

[Kate Simmons]

Nope, I just know that it's not cheap being a woman and let it go at that. :battingeyelashes::)

[bridget thronton]

I just check to see if I can afford the next purchase - given my expected future bills (inspires me to hunt for begains)

[Tabitha_Lynn]

Like most other things, it can get as expensive as you let it. Of course, purging can even lead to additional expenses when the fog inevitably returns.

Kind of like a hobby, I dont track expenses associated with my dressing. I think of it as a life expense with maintaining my sanity. 😊😊

[~Joanne~]

I tried to keep track at one point but after changing PC's I couldn't find a good program that would break it down the way I wanted it too. It took a lot even with the program I was using. I do know I have pent about $15 this year so far, two boxes of pantyhose, and that is about it. I can't seem to find anything I like out there and am waiting for the fall when all of the good stuff comes out ;)

[Rachael Leigh]

Never kept track but on average I would say less then a hundred a month. My biggest expense is makeup because I do try to bargain shop for clothes. I try an keep my wigs under 100 dollars

[Bluesman]

$4663 over the last 9 years, so average of $518 a year. Track in Quicken. I'm a strictly private, at home dresser. Spent more earlier on (start-up costs!), needing less now, so spending less.

[Scarlett398]

Wow Amanda, if you and your wife get to both go shopping for girl's clothes at the same time and she is totally supportive of your cross dressing hobby/thrill, you are definitely in a very happy minority here!

I would have to say, based on reading thousands of posts over the last year that most girls on here are either - A) in a don't ask don't tell (DADT) relationship with their wives, B) totally in the closet and have to stay there, C) in an extremely strained relationship with their wives because of their cross dressing, D) single and not having to relate to a wife no desire to be involved one way or another, or E) divorced because of their desire to cross dress.

Very few get to dress up in femme and go out shopping or out on a date while dressed in femme, so Amanda, considered yourself very blessed to be in that lovely minority with a very accepting wife!

Now my wife and I have almost the exact same sense of style and clothing when it comes to girl's clothing. And I'm fortunate, for the most part, to be able to wear the same size as she does with the exception of shoe size. She's an 8 and 1/2 and I'm a 10 and 1/2 or 11 based on the style and brand of the footwear. As a matter of fact, I rarely take one photo without wearing something from her closet - usually a wide stretchy belt or one of her tops.

But I know my limits with her when it comes to cross dressing. She's accepting of it but doesn't want me to do it while in her presence which is just fine with me. I would love to take her out on a date with me dressed as Scarlett but I sincerely doubt that will never happen and I'm just fine with that.

Again Amanda, as mentioned in a reply to your reply to a photo post of mine, we are really glad to have you as a new member and look so forward to hearing more from you and seeing more of you. Beautiful Avatar photo of you by the way! Sincerely Scarlett :hugs:

[Sallee]

I would be scared to keep track. I know there have been times where I blew thought to much money to quick. Luckily I don't get out that much so my spending is probably ok in regards to cding

[Scarlett398]

Wow, Blue...Now that's some solid auditing...Probably the best of any cross dresser on here without a doubt! Super job!

I too am almost a totally strictly an at home private dresser and this past year was my first time out in public and I went out three times when my wife was away on business.

Take care and way to go with tracking CD expenses! And yes, start up expenses are very high in the beginning for sure!

Sincerely Scarlett :hugs:

- - - Updated - - -

I'm the same way Karen! XOXOXO Scarlett :love:

[Jenn A116]

Probably part of a minority then as my wife not only knows about my dressing, but is OK with it too. We shop together and she has no problem with me dressing around the house (I'm not ready to try going out). We've been happily married for 20 years and by CD'ing has been a part of that for the entire time.

[Scarlett398]

OK girls, I'll be honest with you!....Last month I spent close to $300. It was because of how sexy and beautiful you girls told me I looked the first time I strapped on a pair of really sexy high heels. You girls went nuts so I did too when I bought 8 pairs of heels on line at JCPenney.com at a super deal on the average of about $24 to $29 per pair. The reason they were so inexpensive was because they had an phenomenal sale going on and then had an additional 25 to 35% off of the sale price if you ordered them on line using your JC Penney charge card. Don't worry, I've already paid the account off which I usually do whenever I pay my bill - (good for me, huh?) :D

The rest of the $300 went to Leggs sheer to waist jet black or nude colored hose to wear with the high heels, a few pair of clip on earrings at Penneys, and about 6 to 8 short skirts I purchased at Plato's Closet for an average of 6 bucks a skirt! So I went a bit crazy last month. But sometimes, like this month, I won't spend a dime on Scarlett's sexy things.

I definitely don't keep a spreadsheet on what I spend on my Scarlett things over the years. Just not organized enough to do that sort of thing. I never will be because I'm a go with the flow kind of girl and I have never been the best organizer in the world. Now put me in front of a crowd of 50 to 500 people and have me put together a Power Point presentation that is organized and will have people laughing and totally engaged for about an hour or two and you'll find me in my element of organization along with spontaneity! I just love dressing up in a slim cut suit and having fun with a crowd of people. I get called to do that sort of thing on a regular basis now.

Back to what I spend on cross dressing with Scarlett...they only thing I usually pay full retail price on is my makeup. Neutrogena makeup is my go to makeup. I use their eyeliner, their base makeup in liquid and powder, their mascara, and those more than fabulous makeup remover toweletts. Nothing beats those things for removing makeup and I mean absolutely nothing! I buy most all of my makeup at Walmart or Walgreens when they have the buy one get one free sales on makeup.

So bottom line on what I spend is - I have no idea because I don't keep track of that sort of thing. I just now I don't buy what I can't afford and about the only thing I would have to purchase in the near future would be in the area of nail polish remover and those Neutrogena makeup remover toweletts. I won't need any new heels, skirts, tops, hose, panties, or shape wear for quite some time. I'm pretty much good to go on all of my wardrobe, jewelry, footwear, wigs, and makeup for a while.

Love y'all....XOXOXO Scarlett :love:

[redtea]

You know what, I saved many recipes, I think I can calculate most of it right now.


I guessed 1500
But after adding up all the recipes and amazon orders
I got 1161.25

Ive been doing this since 2012 which means i only spend 211 a year or 0.57$ a day

That's about 18$ a month.


I only had 1 purchase in 2013 and that purchase was discovered by my mom (not opened) but I assumed that the game was over and they knew about my CDing. In 2014 I didn't spend anything on womens clothes. 2015 I had 3 instances, 2016 I had 10 instances, and 2017 I had 6 instances.

What changed in 2016 was the fact that I started to be bolder and go shopping in public rather than the internet. Without the dreaded 10 dollar shipping charge I didn't feel as guilty over my spending.


I do crave a pair of heeled boots for the winter :daydreaming:
I wonder which would be more humiliating for me, heeled boots with womens skinny jeans or short shorts with smooth legs and cute pink shoes.

I'm guessing the short shorts as in winter I can bundle up and really hide my identity.

[Tahoegurl]

I don't keep track per se. I am also not just blowing money on anything that strikes my fancy. The wife and I use the same makeup removers and some products, nail polish, lipstick, serum, eyeshadow etc. We share some clothes. Everything else is a matter if we can afford it...her shoes..my shoes...so we try to be responsible...

[susancheerleader]

I got a. Jc penny card specifically so I can use it to buy my women's clothing. The only non clothing thing I bought was a coffee maker. But I ran up a bill of 700 dollar just over the winter! Not including stuff I bought on eBay, amazon, and Walmart.
I never buy mans clothing anymore.

[Alice B]

I used to be 3-4 hundred a year, but now far, far less due to medical changes that limit what I can do.

[Stephanie Nicole]

The most I do is keep the receipts for my purchases for a period of time for a couple reasons, (a) first and foremost is to check them against my bill when it is time to pay my charge card, (2) usually on the bottom for a customer experience survey and by doing them I get an additional 10 to 15% off when I present the receipt with the survey code ( for instance last weekend I went to the Express outlet store and bought a cute ribbed short skater dress, marked at $89.00, first it was on clearance (40%off), then I had the receipt with a 15 % code, then I had some points on my Express rewards account that were ready to expire. That $89 dress ended up costing me $22and change, plus I got full rewards points for the purchase that I can use towards future purchases. The surveys usually have to completed within 7 days of the sale and the discount is good for usually 30 days. I do that at Express, Charlotte Russe, Torrid, basically anywhere I shop and it really helps save money.

[Stephanie47]

I have kept track of my on-line purchases which includes anything and everything...not just women's clothing. With eBay payments made through PayPal I print out the receipts and have them correlated into large envelopes envelopes for dresses and other, which includes everything else. I also print out a color picture of the dresses I have bought (158), so I can better select what I want to wear. I could add them all up, but, yikes, it would be scary. The only thing I can say my purchases are well within our household budget. I have over 450 full slips. I suppose those alone will tabulate to over $5,500. My wife just reorganized her side of the closet and she has just four white full slips and one black half slip. If I keel over today I hope she will appreciate her newly found wardrobe since we both wear XL and 16/18.

[Lana Mae]

I started to keep receipts, but finally threw them away and said what the Hell! Transformation alone was around $1000! Yes it is expensive and I must often save money up to get what I want! I would probably stress if I knew how much! LOL Hugs Lana Mae

[StephanieJ]

Even though I'm an accountant, that's a number I don't want to know.

279897

[Karen Taylor]

I really don't want to think about it. I try to shop carefully. Have bought too many things over the years and never wore.

[Judy-Somthing]

I always try to get the most for my money so I love the Salvation Army Store, So last year I bought 80 dresses at an average of $8 each, $640, two wedding dresses $100
four wigs $200, makeup $60, misc. $200, Total of about $1140 WTH, Don't tell the wife!

[Becky Blue]

Never counted but its a LOT more than I spend on 'him' thats for sure.

[Connie.Marie]

Hey there Heather,
This is one number that I'm familiar with for an unfortunate reason. Early last year I decided to purge so I did an inventory of what I was giving to Goodwill. I kept 2 lists, the purchase price as best as I can remember & the value I could claim as a tax deduction. It came to $1,500 at purchase & claimed $500 as a deduction.

Well, after 9 months I started back again & am spending a lot. About $300 on 3 wigs earlier this year, last week $200 on 3 Soma Bras, 5 panties & 2 dresses, $80 on 2 pair of heels, $20 just yesterday at Target for 3 Tank tops. More clothes, jewelry & makeup bought too so I'm probably back up to $1,000 in the last 9 months. This is not normal, just rebuilding.

Yes this can be an expensive hobby.

Hugs, Connie

[Hell on Heels]

Hell-o Heather,
I don't keep track, as most months would tally a zero!
But then...there are always those items in my cart on
some website!
Much Love,
Kristyn

[sometimes_miss]

I have never kept track of all the things I have to do. I've never kept a strict budget for my disposable income. Why? Because I will do whatever I have to, in order to keep myself sane. There have been times when I was so depressed I would spend thousands on food, my car/motorcycle, lapdancers, videogames, all to distract me from the fact that I do not currently have, and probably will never again have, a female mate. Every time I have to break off a new relationship because I've learned that the latest woman thinks crossdressers are perverted freaks, I get depressed and need to find some way to bury the pain. Why I'm not addicted to drugs, alcohol, or became violent, I don't know, because it sure happens to a lot of others.

I spend what I need to, to get by. I know that I've spent enough to buy a house, but if I had not done so, I would have lost my mind by now.

[Paula2]

I don't really keep track.. As long as there's still money in the check book I don't care.. Someone always spends it anyway!!
That being said I do know she spent $300 on dresses and a new wig this month.. She bought 2 dresses and 3 pairs of shoes last month for PrideFest.. In May my girlfriend bought her 4 tops and 2 pair of earrings for her birthday..
I have not bought anything for myself at all this year!! LOL

[Shelly Lynn]

I don’t keep track maybe I would not want to know….. but I am happy can’t put a price on that.:angel:

[Robertacd]

As I said before I don't keep track, but I was purging a couple weeks ago. I decided to let go of two large garbage bags of clothes I don't wear anymore.

I probably paid somwhere between two and ten dollars a piece for the majority and there was well over fifty items in there.

[Gillian Gigs]

I have never kept track of my clothing expenses. My biggest costs came in the days of purging. To trash clothes and then buy more later was an incredible waste of money. I finally came to my to realize that I wasn't going to change and stopped purging 15 years ago, so my wardrobe is a nice size and I don't buy as regularly as I used to. My biggest expense now is on consumables like pantihose and stockings, if only they wouldn't get runs!

[Sarah Doepner]

I normally keep it down to $40-$50 a month, but there are occasions when it jumps well beyond that. I probably spend close to $1,000 in the month leading up to and including the annual trip to Diva Las Vegas. That would include travel, room, food, drinks and entertainment as well as any new clothing or makeup I buy for the trip. This month I took a draw down from my retirement savings, partially to help my kids but mostly to take care of my pent up need for car and home repair. Since I haven't spent it all on any of that I've bought a new wig topper that I can wear in the hot weather and hopefully be a little cooler, new glasses, new breast forms and hip padding, all of which were long overdue. It will average out over the year to $100-$120 a month, not counting the trip to Vegas. That's a lot less than I spend to help my adult kids and grandchildren or on cable and internet.

I believe that it's actually a pretty small amount compared to what I get out of it.

[Rachel2000]

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that over the past 40 years I've spent at least one year's wages on cross dressing. So we're talking somewhere around $100,000.00. That's a lot of money and would have never cost anything near that if I hadn't gone thru massive purges every couple of years.

[Tracy Irving]

Prom, quinceañera and wedding dresses are all expensive. They take up too much real estate in my closet and are ridiculously impractical. I have way too many and wouldn't part with any.

[Kim Young]

Looks like I'm coming in on the high end. $300/month would be a cheap month for me.
I'm coming off back to back months where I blew out the budget.
A few bras from a boutique, a few shapewear garments for my hips and butt, and a few dresses to die for.
It's probably time to cut back so I'm hoping to finish the rest of the year under Heather's $300/month.

[Nikki A.]

The Thrift Shoppe is your friend.

Well I don't keep track. I know I try to be careful but sometimes a deal is a deal. I bought, a guy's muted camo shirt, 2 nice sleeveless blouses and a floral short and blouse set for a total of 10.50. By buying the man's shirt it isn't all pink fog talking LOL
In general I try to keep my spending to around 40-50/ month.

[abby054]

About a dozen years ago, one of us commented on line that, if we take this thing seriously, we will spend at least a thousand dollars a year. She wrote that the average CD will spend closer to three thousand dollars annually to do this right. If we cannot do afford this, she recommended that we would be happier if we find something else to do with our time.

At the time, I did not take such an estimate seriously. I do now.

[Jenn A116]

As a recovering bean counter, I don't keep track on what she spends. Most months its zero. Some times a shopping trip with my wife to Kohls/Macy/JCPenny will result in a sale item or two finding their way into the cart, for maybe $40 in that month. But coming up there will be a couple of larger expenses.

Need a new wig and new boobs. The old wig never really did suit my face and style so it didn't get much use. Going to go and try on a bunch of different colors and styles until I find one that works. Expect to spend ~$200 or more on a new wig. I'm also planning on a new pair of boobs because the old ones have served me well but after ~5 years are ready to be retired. Probably going for the self adhesive type this time. So, around $300 for them.

[Lea]

I do not keep track on the amount I spend but I do keep track on the amount of time I am dressed.

Once you have everything you need I do not think it is very expensive. My clothes have been bought while on sale or at consignment shops. My closet is full so I do not buy as much as I used to. Usually it is just makeup, makeup remover and other maintenance items.

Probably will need new breast forms in a few years and I have be debating about dress tech hips. But those expenses are not on a regular basis.

My wife will purchase my makeup for me or while out shopping try skirts on for me to look at. She jokes that it is cheaper than if I golfed, went out drinking with the guys or bought a car to fix up.

[Nic J]

I don't know exactly how much i have spent on CDing, but the total is very little :sad:
One of the biggest concerns my wife had when i came out to her was that i might start spending large sums of money which we couldn't afford to lose. Given that i am in & out of work i promised her that this would not happen.
Most of what i have was either bought cheap online or from shop sales plus a few things which my wife gave to me as she did not want them.
Other things that keep the costs down include gradually buying knickers to replace male boxershorts.
As i do not use a wig, forms or makeup this fortunately means less expenditure and i am not out in public, so no new shoes.

[Crystal 42]

I have a good idea of how much I have spent since I made the decision to never purge again since I pretty much started from scratch. Probably about £1700 which is about $2200. Of course I still need to spend at least another grand to get my wardrobe back to the state it once was. As long as I don't impulse buy I don't think my expenses are particularly bad especially when I consider how much happiness my purchases bring me. Makeup tends to be the biggest cost.

[Linda E. Woodworth]

I've never added up what I've spent over the years but I "always" think about it before making a purchase.

One bone of contention in my early days was my wife throwing at me that we would now have to pay for a 2nd wardrobe for me. Since that time I can't make a purchase without thinking whether or not I really need this.

Even with that most of my clothes, except for lingerie, come from GoodWill, Thrift stores or consignment shops.

[MarieAnn]

When I first started to buy things and for a while I was keeping all of the receipts because I am one of those people that thinks if I need to return something, I need the receipt. But then one day I was looking through them and kind of adding things up in my head, I had the thought that if my wife ever found this paper trail, I would have no way out but to admit everything, and I was not ready for that. So I got rid of all the paper trail. I have an idea of what has been spent, and at times I think that I have spent a lot of money on nothing more than a "hobby", but then when I am able to put them on and I realize how it relaxes and calms me, I am brought back to reality that this is so much more than a "hobby". It is a need!!

[Dana44]

I don't keep track but we have recipes But I have filled my closet in the past year. I am sure I don't want to know.

[trixie lee]

Wow, I never kept track, but i could travel to Europe on the money i have spent! By the way, I have never regretted a single penny spent. The joy of dressing was more than worth it.

[Bobbi46]

No I don't keep a track of what I have spent, If I think Oh I'll go and get such and such very often when the time comes and I see something I say to my myself well I have got a blouse similar to that at home do I really need it? but out of it all I would like a better variety of skirts to wear.

[lingerieLiz]

I probably spend more than most here. Traveling nearly full time and with lots of time to kill I tend to shop more. My wife and I have a lot of fine clothes. I'm a bargain shopper, but spend quite a bit. I purchased blouses that cost a few hundred dollars at 50% off. One thing I have noticed is top flight clothes draw attention.

[Kayliedaskope]

A lot. Just like any other "hobby", all the little bits and pieces add up. I used to save receipts so I could keep track at one point, then decided it didn't matter. I needed what I needed, and I got what I got.

[Tahoegurl]

Thanks for saying that kaylie....same for me