To think being a woman costs more?

It doesn’t cost more. Women choose to spend more on those things. And all men I know take a taxi home in the evening if the distance is far enough.

It costs more to be an attractive woman if you’re not naturally blessed and there are higher expectations of women’s looks than there are of men’s imo. I am 41 and frankly jaded and tired of the constant up keep. Hair, makeup, nails, body care, aesthetic treatments, skincare, will need my implants replaced soon. I get it’s optional but it doesn’t feel optional to me.

You mean fronts for modern slavery and money laundering?

Actually Amazon's own razors are pretty good and not expensive.

I stuck with M&S for bras and basic knickers. Can't be done with little bits of lace costing a fortune

The competitive, "I cut my own hair, havr never had a manicure, buy 1 bra every 10 years and have a moon cup i got given as an 18th birthday present from my.mum" comments on here are infuriating. Its like the competitive under eating threads or the fabled 5 meal MN chicken....

Op you are right. Your examples might not be ideal but we do have additional needs. Some are biological (breasts, period products), some are societal (make up, hair care etc), but that doesn't mean they aren't real, and some are something else but I dont know what to call it (things we do to stay safer). And then there's the "pink tax" for identical products targeted at women vs men.

I am sure we would all like to ditch these societal expectations but it is what it is. And to pretend they dont exist makes it that much harder to actually change anything.

Plus there are other aspects. I use skin care. It definitely makes a difference to my skin (notwithstanding the shouts of "it's all a scam"). But whether because of nature or nurture, i use SOME products because I just like them eg I have lots of cheap and cheerful cleansers that work perfectly well. But I also have some that are expensive that I buy because the scent and feel of them pleases me. Dh genuinely doesn't give a rats ass if the shampoo or moisteriser smells nice. Is that learned behaviour or genetic? I have no idea. It is real though.

I think it's swings and roundabouts to be honest. Yes women need bras and sanitary products but men need shaving stuff and more food. Men's suits are very expensive.

You don’t need

you want
you have been conditioned to think you need

but without nothing actually changes

Only period products and bras. I bought mens frames for my glasses as the women's choice was horrible. Cheap ones but the men's choice was a lot bigger than the womens. As for pink razors just buy the cheapest.

100%.
I need
make* *up and skincare.Yanbu.

More shit is marketed at women, but it's up to you how much of that shit you actually buy.

I agree in principle, but not necessarily with the examples you've given. Nobody actually needs to be waxed! It's true imo that women's clothes are more expensive for less quality. Women also have to buy sanitary protection.

Much of what makes it more expensive to be a woman is down to things women are pressured into doing by sexist societal expectations rather than actual necessary costs. Yes, we can choose not to engage in the aesthetic things women often spend money on, but if we are being honest it takes a pretty strong and confident woman to reject all of them, especially if she would stand out like a sore thumb in her particular social circle or workplace.

I've never had a bikini wax. My son cuts my hair. Tights and lingerie, maybe valid, but men need underwear too. And its rare I get a taxi, buses are fine for me.

I have to say that no one at my work made any difference between those with make up and those without - or perhaps it worked against them if they wore it as I never had anyone above me female and in make up routinely

i made my own norms however being one of the first women in my tech

Only the taxis would be deemed essential to me, if I didn't drive, however there is such a thing as pink tax (eg women's razors being more expensive), plus sanitary products.

Actually, most senior women in politics aren't made up to the nines, and do have natural grey hair. Natural nails, neatly filed wouldn't receive comment anything like as much as patterned gel jobs.

Conversely, odd as it sounds, politics is actually one area where I think we prefer women to look their age. Even Margaret Thatcher, though, yes she clearly had 'done' hair (who remembers that it never moved in the wind) looked her age, appeared to have a wardrobe of the same, interchangeable blue blouse/skirt/jacket combo.

it draws more comment if they DO have gel nails or look over 'done'. Theresa May, for example, had grey hair which certainly wasn't wind resistant, or looked like she spent hours weekly in the hairdressers, but what people commented on were her gel nails.

We expect neat and clean in our female politicians, most of whom at senior level are older.

Yes, tights without ladders, but that's no different to trousers without creases, (Boris Johnson, plenty of people commented on his creased appearance and hair that looked like he'd been in a wind tunnel).

Politicians really aren't the best example.

Bikini waxes, hairdressers, tights, lingerie,

Stop doing them and see if he agrees its not discretionary, most women do these things for men anyway so if he wants a well turned out partner he can pay for it

I disagree sorry. I think people do care, I don’t think they should care but I do think they care and I’m standing by that.

Well I would certainly need lingerie at work or I would be out of a job! No one wants to see my saggy titties scraping the floor! I didn’t mention a bikini wax though, I’ve never had one. It was hair and nails etc I was referring to. I’m not saying it’s okay or the right attitude just that it is the attitude in a lot of workplaces and in society. We’re not enemies here. We’re in the same side in that it’s not right.

Yes, it is unreasonable, and it's proven. Research the Pink Tax. I've been noticing it more and more with clothes on the high street too.

I agree, being a woman is more expensive. There are also higher expectations when it comes to appearance in the work place. This comes at a cost.
Woman's clothes are more expensive and often lower quality than men's... I own several £20.- men's jumpers that are 6-7 years old... Woman's stuff I bought at the same time has long been gone!
Then there is the forever changing fashion, men's items are often more timeless- hence my love for men's jumpers & hoodie!

I’m not because I’m not in charge of any of the hiring. Of course if I were I would appoint the person better suited for the job but it’s not always fair people in charge is it?

OP, you are right. At the very minimum bras and sanitary products are a necessity.

The other things, like waxing, make up, haircuts (more expensive than a men’s barber trim) and even clothes are not necessity in theory but we can’t ignore that there are societal norms and expectations: a woman who doesn’t pay for any of these will in all likelihood be treated less favourably.

FWIW, my grooming expenses come out of the common pot as I judged some time ago that DH ‘benefits’ as much as I do from having a wife that has hairy armpits, wears the same outfit to all social events and doesn’t wear any make up or jewellery even on occasions.

All these people saying that if they let their grey hair grow through, and didn't wear makeup at work that they'd get passed over for promotion... would you treat a woman at work like this? If you had two clean tidy women and you had to promote one, would you always choose the one with blonde hair, nail varnish and makeup?
If you would, get a grip on your misogyny.
If you wouldn't, why do you think other people would? Which people is it you think would promote glammed up women rather than natural looking women?

Yes and if your husband complains when your hair is the colour that it actually is then he’s basically telling you that he expects you to dye it isn’t he? So, that ought to be factored into household expenses surely. I don’t really have this problem as we have separate finances but I can see OP’s point. It would be interesting to know if her husband likes her with make up (expensive) and clothes that are in fashion, dyed hair, manicured nails (none of which are free) my OH always comments about loving my long hair, I like it long but if I were to wear it long for him for a long time (I won’t) I would likely need some extensions in the next few years as I’m ageing and my hair is thinning. Extensions are astronomical! It’s a very interesting post and it makes me sad when some people are so stubborn about their opinions without even thinking objectively about it. It’s like they think because one thing is true for them then it’s true for all of us.

You’ve worded it better than I could. I don’t know why some women are really quite offended by it. None of us that do all those things agree that it’s right, just that it is simply the truth in most cases.