The cost of crossdressing

[Emily Anderson]

How much would you estimate that you spend annually on your crossdressing activity?

As a secondary question, and not part of the poll, how many times have you wasted money on buying something that didn't fit, didn't look right, that ripped when you put it on, that fell apart in the wash, or otherwise caused you to despair?

[Shannen]

I'm allowed $10 a week... and usually spend $20 :sad:

[Karren H]

3,000 to 4,000 a year.... And no I never buy anything unless I try it on first so I don't waste... Plus I get tired of clothing and tend to give it away to friends or other crossdressers... Or goodwill.. So I can buy more!! :)

[Krystal Lee]

Emily,

I have to admit I blow way to much money on myself.

As far as the second part of your question......again way to much!

Especially when I was learning makeup.

Hugs Krystal.

[jenalex]

usually it'd be in the lowest level, but since I've been replacing all my male clothes with female versions it's been a bit higher this year :)

[lauraabdl]

Since my first outting fully dressed, my wardrobe has increased expedentially. I find that when I used to resist buying something I really fell in love with, now I find that I am trying to accorize and add to my wardrobe at every chance I can get. Shoppingggggggggggggggggggggggg what a wonderful feeling now that I know What I look like out and can't wait to do it agian. SO need to go on a trip agian I think.
Laura

[jaina]

Not a lot really. Womens clothing (espessialy womens dress shoes) is a lot cheaper than mens clothes.

[CharleneT]

I am mostly careful about buying things that will fit for sure or buying where I can try it on. I've only made a couple of mistakes and they were not expensive ones. BUT my budget is tight and so I need to be careful ! One of my recent mistakes was a beautiful Hanky Panky Camisole (rust with light tan lace trim). Just a bit too big. Came off Ebay (anyone like that brand ?)

C.

[Emeralddragon]

I dont really spend much if I can avoid it. Income is very limited so theres usually a good few weeks between purchases as well.

[Karren H]

Not a lot really. Womens clothing (espessialy womens dress shoes) is a lot cheaper than mens clothes.

Wow... That's like 180 degrees from where I'm at... Womens shoes are way more expensive and ya need 10 times as many.. Ok at least I do.. And so do almost every woman alive except maybe my wife!! Lol.

You must have very expensive taste in men's shoes?

[kaitlyna]

As a secondary question, and not part of the poll, how many times have you wasted money on buying something that didn't fit, didn't look right, that ripped when you put it on, that fell apart in the wash, or otherwise caused you to despair?

Yeah, I hate when that happens. That's the downside of not being able to try things on at the store. I sure wish that I had a store with clerks that I knew I could trust and try things on while there. Especially if that store was a Victoria's Secret!! Just bought a corset a couple of weeks ago that I LOVED, but the lace ripped on the 2nd wearing :(

[linnea]

Wow... That's like 180 degrees from where I'm at... Womens shoes are way more expensive and ya need 10 times as many.. Ok at least I do.. And so do almost every woman alive except maybe my wife!! Lol.

You must have very expensive taste in men's shoes?

This is my experience too: women's clothing is far more expensive than men's and I need a lot more of it. But I love to shop for my fem outfits, etc.


Yeah, I hate when that happens. That's the downside of not being able to try things on at the store. I sure wish that I had a store with clerks that I knew I could trust and try things on while there. Especially if that store was a Victoria's Secret!! Just bought a corset a couple of weeks ago that I LOVED, but the lace ripped on the 2nd wearing :(

I used to have this problem frequently, but since I have been buying more in shops where I can try things on, I have had much better luck.

[Phyliss]

Between Dress Barn, Fashion Bug, Woman Within, Payless, and the needed undergarments, I spend about $50 to $75 a month, which is about $600 to $800 a year.

[KateSpade83]

Well, I think my entire womens clothes collection is maybe $5000 to $8000 dollars worth accumulated after my last purge in 2000.

I have 8 Wacaol bras + matching panties + extra panties, so my Wacaol collection is worth around $800 ! - Got some cheap from ebay though.

[NatalieBliss]

however I am but a poor college student so that will likely change when I make to the real world again.

[Alice B]

Up until recently my spending was around $500, but lately it is going up as I get bolder ad more accepted by my wife. Many times in the past I would buy something on instinct nd it would not fit. It would sit in a drawer for a while and then be given away to a charity, but now I'm learning what my sizes are and buoyed by the beautiful Karren I'm ready to try some things on at the store. Next week will be my first venture to a dress barn to try on dresses.

[Angie G]

I think my biggest expense is shoes but with every thing is under $5OO a year. :hugs:
Angie

[susan2010]

Goodwill really helps keep costs reasonable.

[trannie T]

Clothes, makeup, gas, motel rooms, drinks, shoes, bail bonds, worth every penny!

[Denise01]

I probably spend between $500. and $1,000 per year,

I have not bought any male clothes now for well over 4 years, and as my clothes wear out replacing them with femme items wether they be slacks, shoes etc.

I am to the point now that I do not buy anything unless I can try it on. Living out in the country and having at least hour and half to go to shop and /or return, it is just too expensive to take things back:o:o:o

Denise

[KarenCDFL]

With my wife and I being DINKS (Dual Income No Kids) we have a fairly good budget to spend dollars on what we want within reason of course.

We don't go crazy but if we see something we like we buy it. And we buy alot of clothes and accessories.

And of course whoever dies with the most makeup wins!

[melisss2u]

Seems like every year the Cd budget expands a little more

[TGMarla]

I really try not to spend much on it. I'm at under $500.00, I think. There are the usual things, the consumables, that one has to continually drop coin on, but other than that, I don't spend much. I'm at about $40.00 a month at most, which approaches the $500.00 mark. But the really expensive items, like wigs and breast forms, are a rare buy for me.

[docrobbysherry]

But now, thanks to all of u, I'll probably be well over $2,500 this year. Like Marla said, it's those darn wigs, forms, and femskins that run up the $$$

It's so easy and cheap, to buy clothes at Goodwill and give back what u didn't like, on your next visit!

[Sedona]

It ebbs and flows. Last year was a big year, probably about $3000 or so, if I include waxings and other spa services (those custom corsets can get pricey). This year, it's shaping up to be well under $1500.

[Stormgirl]

I spend less than $500 annually

[CD Susan]

I have never gave this much thought before but I am sure I spend at least $100 a month on fem things. I always try things on first before buying and do not buy things on the internet that might not fit me. I have donated many things to goodwill when I need to reduce the size of my wardrobe. I must have ten times as many womens clothes as mens. The money I spend on fem things could be wasted on the usual things that guys do but in my case I have something to show for it in the end.

[Amy Hepker]

Usually things that are on sale or from Thrift stores.

[Suzie S.]

Way less than $500! :thumbsup: I don't want to use up all my beer money! :tongueout

[Sabrina Flowers]

I try not to spend to much money on "Sabrina", probaly about £50 - £75 a year. I tend to get most of my shoes in the sales or clothes from charity shops, this can limit the type of clothes but I have picked up some nice pieces. At the moment limited dressing time and storage space prevents me from buying to much clothing and footwear, so I tend to spend the money on jewlery items and accessories.

[Jocelyn Quivers]

I spend far too much. My male side is starting to get very angry with the excess spending, and I'm starting to divert funds for my male side.

[gatubela]

I feel a little shy buying women clothing but I like sexy skirts or dresses like the one here..what do you think
G:daydreaming:

[Sara Jessica]

I'm good for $100+ a month so that puts me in the middle category. However, I just dropped over $500 in an outing on Friday but that was a rare event. The stars aligned against me to have me find not only the cute flip flop sandals and pendant/necklace which were on my list but also a perfect dress from my fav boutique and matching Kate Spade peep heels from the Nordstroms half-yearly sale. Although I had been saving up for this trip, I'm in debt to myself for about $200 so I'll take a break from shopping until I pay that off.

[Nikki A.]

When going through the wife's clothes and shoes I was able to pick out alot of stuff that fit and things that I liked. Those I kept, alot went to charity.
Really have only had to buy some bras & shapers and of course some shoes to go with the outfits. Occasionally if I find a piece on clearence I'll buy it skirts for $3 at KMart. Otherwise, probably under 500/yr.
Why, BECAUSE I'M WORTH IT!!!

[Raquel June]

This is very hard to quantify.

There's your CD startup cost, your annual cost just on strictly girly things, then a whole other list of things that are crossdressing-related expenses.

Many of us have multiple sets of breastforms, multiple wigs, and tons of makeup. That's not something you have to continue buying on an all-that-regular basis, but I'm sure most people here have around $1000 in those categories.

I don't go shopping all that much. I picked up two new eyeliners a week ago. I'm getting a $35 skirt today. I got a $1.49 shirt at Goodwill a couple days ago. I could probably say that I spend as little as $1500/year on basic stuff like that.

But then you have to consider expenses that you would never have had if you weren't a crossdresser. I probably have $80 just in nice hangers with girl stuff on them. I have about $150 in organizational stuff for girl things. I have a big nice $200 suitcase with wheels that I only bought to transport girl stuff.

And then you have to consider how it otherwise impacts your entertainment budget. I've got a $150 hotel room this evening, I'm driving about 200 miles, I'll probably spend $35 on drinks, and I'm going to spend more eating out tonight and tomorrow morning than I normally would. I spend about $3000/year going out as a crossdresser a couple times a month. But it's not like I wouldn't do social things if I weren't a crossdresser, so it's not as big an expense as it looks.

But I'll go ahead and say $2501 to $5000 total.

[Joy Carter]

Start up costs were the most. Fifteen hundred I'd guess. So far this year a modest one twenty five. But then there is the jewelry counter, Hmmmmmmmm.:D

[Nadia-Maria]

Being cautious with my leisure budget I use to buy something only if I am sure it is a top choice for me, so that I never wasted one penny on an unappropriate choice of fem cloth. Moreover I never purged clothes, other than those too old to be of use.
Then throughout my life, CDing's cost has been certainly less than 100 $ per year as an average.

Due to the huge increase of my time spent on CDing since early 2007, I bought new wigs, and make-up for first time as well, so that last year I spended much more than average but still less than 500 $.
Moreover, having come out to my wife, she gave me recently a hundred of her clothes she could no more be wearing, so that I own at the moment a huge wardrobe, with a great variety of shapes and colors.

And if I were to want to wear a new skirt, I just had to borrow a new one from my wife.

In conclusion, CDing is by far the less expensive of my hobbies. For instance visiting various countries around the world costs me much more !

Kisses

Nadia

[sissystephanie]

Wow... That's like 180 degrees from where I'm at... Womens shoes are way more expensive and ya need 10 times as many.. Ok at least I do.. And so do almost every woman alive except maybe my wife!! Lol.

You must have very expensive taste in men's shoes?

I do have rather expensive tastes in men's shoes. Mine cost from $175 to $325 a pair, but they are usually worn for 10 to 15 years. I don't do that with my female shoes!:heehee: but, like Karren I have way more women's shoes. Like about 10 to 1!!:D

My feminine wardrobe is so extensive now that I don't usually spend more then $500 in a year. I buy a lot of things on sale! In years past I did spend a lot more, but since my wife passed away I don't go out like I used to. Therefore, I don't need as much. In fact, I really need to reduce my wardrobe not enlarge it.

Sissy/Stephanie

Lady on the outside, but man underneath!

[Sara Jessica]

I do have rather expensive tastes in men's shoes. Mine cost from $175 to $325 a pair, but they are usually worn for 10 to 15 years. I don't do that with my female shoes!:heehee: but, like Karren I have way more women's shoes. Like about 10 to 1!!

Yikes!!! That's a lot of money on guy shoes. I rarely go over $100 for those and while they last a long time, I don't feel any need to spend any more. On the other hand, my previously referenced Kate Spade heels set me back $175 for which I didn't even blink an eye. Moral of the story, I'd much rather invest the extra money in girl shoes than guy!!!

[Rachel Morley]

I voted $501 to $1000 as I know that's the bare minimum, but if it happens to be a year where I want replace my wig or my forms you can double that!

Also if I were to add into the equation all the additional expenses I have because I'm going out doing things at TG events when en femme ... like for example next weekend our Sacramento Transgender Group the River City Gems (http://www.rivercitygems.org/), are having a weekend en femme in San Fransisco for everyone. The cost for a hotel and dinner plus extras does mount up, then there are other TG events like Diva Las Vegas, California Dreamin', SF Pride, etc etc etc..... it all adds to the expense. Crossdressing can be so EXPENSIVE if you let it!

[Fab Karen]

new heels: $40.
dress you got at a thrift shop: $5.
lacy stockings: $12.
assorted make-up: less than $20.
Looking femme & fabulous: PRICELESS. :)

[Maria2222]

I try to hold it to about $100 per month, but then I visit Ebay and get carried away. Sometimes it's $200.

[TxKimberly]

3,000 to 4,000 a year.... And no I never buy anything unless I try it on first so I don't waste... Plus I get tired of clothing and tend to give it away to friends or other crossdressers... Or goodwill.. So I can buy more!! :)


Y'all leave me alone for a bit - I'm searching to see which Goodwills are closest to Karen. I think I've got some shopping to do!

[Claire3]

Had to vote on the current exchange rate against the pound,so quite favourable,:)Glad it wasnt in euros:sad:

[debbeelee1]

Since I share about half of what I've got with my SO, it's hard to say. Maybe about $500 just on "my" stuff!

[docrobbysherry]

Also if I were to add into the equation all the additional expenses I have because I'm going out doing things at TG events when en femme ... like for example next weekend our Sacramento Transgender Group the River City Gems (http://www.rivercitygems.org/), are having a weekend en femme in San Fransisco for everyone. The cost for a hotel and dinner plus extras does mount up, then there are other TG events like Diva Las Vegas, California Dreamin', SF Pride, etc etc etc..... it all adds to the expense. Crossdressing can be so EXPENSIVE if you let it!

Thanks for that info Rachel!

I just realised that I've saved enough $$$ by staying in the closet, I can afford a vacation in Europe this summer! Woopee!
Unfortunately, I will miss all of u, and the closeted Sherry, while I'm gone!

[Alex!]

I spend about a grand per year on crossdressing, versus about $500 on a men's suit, jeans, and other dude stuff. Clearly, Andrea is a bit more fussy. I always buy online and never used stuff (just a preference thing). I rarely have size issues, but it does happen. When it does, I give stuff away to Goodwill or something.

[RobynP]

I have spent as much as US$3,500 in one year. A few years ago I had gained so much weight that NOTHING fit any more. So I stopped crossdressing until I lost the weight and could fit in my clothes again.

Robyn P.

[Amanda0208]

Will probably have to join shopaholics 12 step program- :):):):):)

MY loving wife has me budgeted to $20.00 per week but I could easily triple that given the chance.
Amanda

[Carly D.]

In the beginning I had this vision that I was a cute little girl.. not little girl as in young but rather little as in small in size.. which was true in my fantasy, in reality I was (am) a rather sizable girl.. and so the second part of your non-poll question brought back a lot of memories to this point.. I bought some clothes that, when I think of it now, really makes no sense to have ever been bought... some in the "dare to dream" category.. I never had anything fall apart in the wash because it always seemed to fall apart on me.. I ripped some of my moms dresses, wondering why of course when they fit a few years earlier.. but then that was when I was in junior high and then in high school I tried the dress on and it seemed to rip a bit.. I didn't notice that it was even tight the last time I wore it... and now I have the right size dresses and skirts.. mostly by hit and miss on sizing...

[serinalynn]

Yeah, I hate when that happens. That's the downside of not being able to try things on at the store. I sure wish that I had a store with clerks that I knew I could trust and try things on while there. Especially if that store was a Victoria's Secret!! Just bought a corset a couple of weeks ago that I LOVED, but the lace ripped on the 2nd wearing :(

It helps alot to make sure you know your size, If in doubt always try it on to make sure it will fit when you get home. I am confident enough that things I buy will fit when i get it home to wear.