Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

How much did your last period cost?

333 replies

MrsCipo · 23/01/2020 13:16

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

OP posts:
ViveLEntenteCordiale · 23/01/2020 14:14

I pay about £70 a month for medication to treat my endometriosis so that I don't have a period, does that count?

Bloluks · 23/01/2020 14:14

I spend at least £10 on tampons and pain killers alone. Thats three boxes of tampons and a lot of ibuprofen.

I bleed through all of the time so I wouldn't even want to calculate how much it would cost for underwear, clothing, bedding, towels.

EBearhug · 23/01/2020 14:15

Use a moon cup (organicup) which is fine with heavy periods as long as you empty it often enough.

Mine has capacity of a bit over 15ml, and needs changing every two hours or less on the heaviest day, else it does overflow, so I also use pads then.

Prescription cost for Tranexamic acid is £9, though not every month.

More toilet roll, more laundry.

I agree a lot of period poverty is caused by neglect, by girls who don't have the confidence to tell parents they need supplies, and by financial abuse to partners, spouses, children, so some women simply won't have the money available to them. Not to mention actual poverty.

You might not have transport, so only have access to a more expensive local shop with less of a range of options, rather than a big supermarket with own-brand options as well as cheaper branded supplies.

If you are in temporary accommodation through poverty, you may not be able to afford the upfront costs of reusable or a menstrual cup. You may also not have access to facilities to be able to sterilise a mooncups, nor wash reusable pads. (Or reusable nappies, if you have a baby.)

If you're budgeting to the point that you're deciding between a loaf of bread or tin of beans to last you the rest of the week, you're probably not going to prioritise sanpro.

You might go to the GP to help manage your periods, and maybe they prescribe something to stop you throwing up and painkillers which aren't available over the counter. If you're that poor, you'LL probably be eligible for free prescriptions - but it does assume you are literate and sufficiently together to complete the relevant form and send it off, and not to have moved on to other temporary accommodation before you receive an exemption certificate back.

Still, on the bright side, if you are sufficiently under-nourished, your periods will probably stop.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

sickandtiredofsick · 23/01/2020 14:16

£11.70 for dd each month

1x tampax compak reg
1x tampax compak super
2 packs of always night
Pack of liners
Paracetamol and ibuprofen (has other prescription painkillers too)

shumway · 23/01/2020 14:19

About a fiver. I double up by using both tampons and pads because of leaks. And I need to take painkillers every 4 hours.

zasknbg · 23/01/2020 14:21

Around £1

2monstermash · 23/01/2020 14:21

Does anyone know if sanpro is available at foodbanks? And if not, WHY NOT??

MyShinyWhiteTeeth · 23/01/2020 14:21

It used to be £20++ per month as I get heavy periods and flooding. I've changed to heavy duty, super absorbent, reusable cloth pads and it is a huge saving.

I have a friend with 3 daughters and the youngest has now started her periods. She and her middle daughter have heavy periods and she struggles budgeting for them.

Autumn101 · 23/01/2020 14:22

A minimum £5 on products - horrid heavy periods so very frequent tampon changes and I use pads for inevitable leaking..... Plus probably £1 on ibuprofen, I buy a box of 800 slow release ones every few months. Always end up leaking so additional washing of clothes/bedding/towels. I have a day or so of feeling absolutely dreadful too so often end up ordering takeaway or convenience foods as I can’t face cooking. Fortunately we have no money issues but it’s still grim

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 23/01/2020 14:23

About £5 a month I think. My periods are heavy and I have to use tampons and pads.

OhMsBeliever · 23/01/2020 14:23

£6.73 for 3 packets of bodyform (only ones I can use) and some ibuprofen lysine.

I wear period pants with my pads on my worst days to try and stop flooding my clothes.

eurochick · 23/01/2020 14:24

I bet I win. £130 quid (I finally got round to investing in period pants) but usually about a fiver - two boxes of tampax and one of towels, plus a couple of painkillers.

onceandneveragain · 23/01/2020 14:27

I also don't understand the "average" figures used re: period poverty..Not disagreeing that there are some women who have very heavy periods but even then, for everyone who is spending twenty pounds a month, they are surely offset by the vast majority only spending less than a pound...meaning the average should be pretty low.

Me: for the last year absolutely nothing since going on the minipill so no periods. Best thing ever!

Before that....maybe about 70p per month? For half a pack of asda own tampons and some ibruporofen.

onceandneveragain · 23/01/2020 14:31

Not saying I don't believe in period poverty/disagree with sanpro being provided by schools, although I think its more due to the "situational" poverty as described by ebearhug, just that I don't necessarily agree with the "average cost" figures trotted out

FamBae · 23/01/2020 14:32

I was watching a news item about period poverty recently, the young girl in the news clip said she couldn't go to school because she had no sanitary protection, but I have to question why her parent/s can't afford basic no frills towels etc. I remember my mum making her own towels as my step dad spent the housekeeping in the pub or bookies, after they separated even though I was one of three daughters to a single mum on benefits and whilst we didn't have new clothes or the latest this and that there was always towels and tampons in the bathroom. That said I can't forgive Maggie Thatcher or Theresa May for not scrapping VAT on sanitary wear it sucks to be taxed for being a woman.

SlothHouse · 23/01/2020 14:33

£2 (including paracetamol)

elliejjtiny · 23/01/2020 14:33

£20 on incontinence pants, 2 packs of ibuprofen. I wash my cloth pads once a day in my normal wash

MarshaBradyo · 23/01/2020 14:34

Just Lillets no painkillers or other stuff

MarshaBradyo · 23/01/2020 14:34

So about £3

SlothHouse · 23/01/2020 14:35

I agree that I don't understand period poverty either when sanpro is cheap in major supermarkets and you can even get them for free in school

Sparrowlegs248 · 23/01/2020 14:36

2 packs of night time pads from Bodyform, plus however much it cost to wash the 12 reusable I have. Which would have cost about £120. Plus mooncup which I think was around £20.

No ruined clothes this time as not as heavy as has become "usual" . No painkillers, as although I get awfully heavy flow, I don't get much pain .

Oh I should probably add in a few rolls of loo roll too.

SarahTancredi · 23/01/2020 14:37

Cheap in major supermarkets yes.

But when you have been put in emergency housing in the middle of nowhere and theres 2 buses a week?

When the only shop near to you sells branded stuff with a large mark up?

What then?

Itsashame · 23/01/2020 14:38

Nothing. I use a mooncup and never had any time off work due to periods and rarely have to take pain killers

Dontstepinthecowpat · 23/01/2020 14:40

About £1.50 I bought 2 x packs of always on offer last month and had one left. My periods aren’t heavy and I might have taken a couple of paracetamol one day I was a bit crampy and had a headache. I’m looking at reusable because I keep accidentally buying scented san pro and I hate them!

Deariedrearyme · 23/01/2020 14:41

A fiver in tampax - I buy 2 boxes of super heavy flow a month, one to keep at work and one at home.
50p on ibuprofen
£20 on all the extra food I eat Blush

Swipe left for the next trending thread