How much did your last period cost?

[MrsCipo]

Out of interest, what did your last period cost you in monetary terms? Including san pro, pain killers, time off work, ruined clothes and anything else you had to pay for? I had a conversation about period poverty the other day, but those involved have reusable san pro, not particularly heavy periods, etc, so didn't really 'get it'. I thought a cross section sample from a lot more women would be a bit more representative. Also wondering what other costs, in addition to those above, have been missed out

Nothing because I have a mirena so minimal bleeding and I have a cup for when I do but I do drop off a packet of tampons in the red bin every month for someone else so £1.

Heavy period here

About £4

I need ultra tampons for 2 days (expensive!) and supermarket brand tampons for the rest. On the 2 heavy days I sleep with a night towel as well.

I sometimes leak during my period but it's an extra wash load tops because of the bathroom towels I sleep on just in case.

I do think a lot of it is to do with poverty more generally e.g. if you don't have a car you can't pop to the nearest cheap shop or supermarket or shop around for good deals or stock up on stuff when on offer.

It's also possibly due to embarrassment. My DD isn't even slow at coming forwards most of the time but even she will coyly say that she needs 'supplies' rather than be explicit!

@BlueBooby I also have EDS and a high pain threshold, due to putting up with daily chronic pain. I still get very painful periods but use my other pain meds to get through. I'm under gyne and hoping for an ablation soon to control my heavy bleeding. I don't think GPS or Gyne really know enough about EDS to say how it effects you as an individual. I would ask for a referral in you position, you shouldn't have to live like that.

I've had a Mooncup for about 10 years so possibly 25p for that and a couple of ibuprofen.

The issue is people who say it only costs x amount may not understand what it is like to really have no money. This week I had £2 left in my purse until I get paid and only enough petrol in the car for my journey to work. I live in a rural area where there isn't a large supermarket or place to get cheap supplies. I had to choose carefully how to spend that £2 if I had needed to but sanitary products as well it would have been a choice between food and that.
I am a working single parent who has a low income and no maintenance from ex. I am not a drug user/drinker, no holidays so not spending money elsewhere

@DownstairsMixUp I totally agree. As a child (1 of 5), my father had to stop working in his early fifties, following a heart attack and subsequent poor health money was extremely tight, providing food for a family of seven was the priority. Period poverty was real. I used to rely on the rag bag for sanitary protection most of the time. When it's a choice between sanitary towels or food, food is the only option. Period poverty is real.

A couple of pounds.
My periods are really light and painless so no need for painkillers more pants etc

I couldn't put a price on it but extremely little now that I mainly rely on period pants - which are brilliant and have definitely paid for themselves now (haven't even had them that long).

I still use tampons sometimes but a box lasts me ages.

I used paracetamol for the heavy days when I was younger (I'm 30 now) but now that I'm on the pill (so technically only having withdrawal bleeds and not even proper periods) I hardly ever need pain killers. I appreciate how lucky I am with this.

I've never needed time off work or new clothes or anything like that.

Period pants are fab imo.

I reckon £10 / £15 a month. I’m 53 and peri menopausal, for the last 2 years I’ve had periods so heavy I’ve had to take time off work, and haven’t been able to explain why to my boss who thinks it’s odd, until I was over 50 I never took a day off work over periods. I need massive tampons and towels for at least a week and am still leaking. I never ever buy new clothes though, I wear dark ones and soak and wash, which isn’t a problem. Sadly my DD has now started and has heavy long periods too and needs pain killers and lots of towels. The cost covers her san pro too. I am trying to encourage her to use a mooncup but it’s early days for her yet and she doesn’t fancy trying yet. Where do you buy mooncups from?

Why are so many women spending so much on tampons and pads? Have you all tried the alternative?

Tried the mooncup. After a couple of occasions where I could hear squelching as I walked (thankfully while at home), I gave up. Didn't want the embarrassment of that walking round the supermarket

How much is half a pack of tampons? 60p?

Nothing. I bought my mooncup about 4 years ago so it has well and truly paid for itself

About a pound.

But my 15 year olds costs a fortune every time. Wasted bedsheets, underwear, jeans, pjs, loads of san pro, painkillers, I'm sure if she was at work shed be off as she is often off school in agony. I genuinely never realised periods could be so bad/heavy/expensive until she started hers. She doesnt feel ready for a cup yet.

Moo cup so no cost

No painkillers

I only buy black pants so the stains aren’t visible!

I would say it's usually £3-4pm for me- I get own brand pads (day & night ones) which i usually use up during/after the period and £2 on 8 tablets of ibuprofen lysine (which is the only stuff that touches my period pain!).

I've only bled through clothes a few times and managed to save them with cold water and a long wash. I just throw undies away if they're old ones anyway.

I also buy tampons but a box lasts me ages as I don't use them as much as pads (usually only use them if I'm going out and don't want to feel gross!).

Washable pads, so the cost of extra rinse washes for these once a day for 5-6 days (then they go in with normal wash).
A few tampons for extra protection on heaviest days (I have quite heavy first couple of days)
About half a pack of nurofen
I eat like a monster for two days before, so a bit extra on food
Probably less than a few quid in total though.

About £3

80p for 30x super tampons from Asda. About 80p off brand co-codamol for menstrual migraine. £3 for prescription products for PMDD.

Zero - I have a mooncup and don't need pain relief. I put the mooncup in wrong one night so got a leak on my pjs and bed sheet but that washed right out.

I do get mittelschmertz though so two weeks prior I took about 6 painkillers over the course of 24 hours.

10 year old mooncup so that's prob about 20p a use, plus homemade washable pads 0p (upcycled) plus half a box of cheapo ibuprofen 15p

Don't really count the cost of washing pads as they just go in with other bits. Leaked plenty of times but never permanently ruined anything.

Nothing. I've had a cup for several years plus several washable pads. Zero cost, zero waste. Just checked and the cup costs £12.50, I reckon I've had it 3-4 years.

About £3/£4 including roughly 8-10 super duper tampons, roughly the same amount of pads (actually a whole pack) and a pack of Supermarket Ibuprofen. That said, our work puts free towels/tampons in our toilets so that helps if you realise you need one without having to go back to your desk to rummage in your handbag.

About £3 for good tampons, struggle with them after several births. Don't ruin sheets or clothes or anything.

Very heavy 10 day periods, so around £15 on sanpro every 25 days. Plus £6 a month for spatone sachets because the bleeding makes me anemic. And a prescription for tranexamic acid every 3 months, that's £9 ish I think.