# Ladies: How much do you spend on your periods every month? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665 "2012-08-06T22:36:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/41 "2012-08-09T16:54:37Z")
Vote $0-$5. Years ago I purchased a Diva cup and a period’s worth of Glad Rags. I don’t even know how I could amortize that. I usually have a package of disposable products on hand in case it’s inconvenient to be rinsing and stuff (like I’m on vacation) or if friends are over and need something. I don’t get cravings for food or anything, but sometimes I do take Advil, which is on hand anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/42 "2012-08-09T17:16:38Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Those are the foam-like ones, right? Sort of like really thin shoe insoles? A man person got them for me once by mistake; they didn’t absorb a thing. Glad you like 'em, but I wonder what’s different about our flow…mine just literally slipped right off the pad like it was waxed! Are you sure it wasn’t upside-down? 😃 Just teasing, but the image is amusing, even though I know the event was much less so for you. 😛 I use tampons, that’s it. 5-10$ a month. Also Aleve when needed, which doesn’t really work for me for anything else, but not counting that as an expense since it’s already in the house for hubby. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/43 "2012-08-09T18:08:39Z")
I wear tampons and while I get the expensive kind, I only get them when they are on sale so less that 5 bucks a month. I do, however, buy a couple of boxes of the cheap(er) kinds when they go on sale and put them into the food bank box at the grocery store. It’s one of those things that food stamps don’t cover but it is really a necessity. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/44 "2012-08-10T01:07:59Z")
Currently, about $60 per period. Because I’m severely anemic and have really heavy periods, my doctor and I are trying to reduce my periods as a source of iron loss, so I’m taking a medication that is non-formulary and was running me over $50 a month. Then add in a box of pads, a box of tampons, one protective panty to save the sheets at night and extra chocolate and caffeine, and we are right around $60. Fortunately this doesn’t happen every month…sometimes I get a month off. Oh, wait…make that over $70. I had to stop getting it at the pharmacy on a month to month and start getting it through Express Scripts. There was some sort of coupon deal I used to get that kept it to $51, but now I get a 90-day supply for $200. Without the coupon it is $152 a month. Fortunately I only take it for five days a month. So, do I win the thread? ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/45 "2012-08-10T02:08:00Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Currently, about $60 per period. Because I’m severely anemic and have really heavy periods, my doctor and I are trying to reduce my periods as a source of iron loss, so I’m taking a medication that is non-formulary and was running me over $50 a month. Then add in a box of pads, a box of tampons, one protective panty to save the sheets at night and extra chocolate and caffeine, and we are right around $60. Fortunately this doesn’t happen every month…sometimes I get a month off. Oh, wait…make that over $70. I had to stop getting it at the pharmacy on a month to month and start getting it through Express Scripts. There was some sort of coupon deal I used to get that kept it to $51, but now I get a 90-day supply for $200. Without the coupon it is $152 a month. Fortunately I only take it for five days a month. > > So, do I win the thread? You’re what, 4 hours from Windsor, Ontario? Check one of those Canadian pharmacies online, see what a 90 day supply would cost. Be a nice day trip every 3 months. ---
**Author:** ![claramorena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@claramorena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/claramorena)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/46 "2012-08-10T02:52:43Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I’m pre-emotively curious if there are any women of childbearing age who spend zero dollars a month on their menstral stuff. Second hand diva cups from the goodwill…? 😕 You mean teenage girls whose parents buy their stuff for them? ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/47 "2012-08-10T14:17:59Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Those are the foam-like ones, right? Sort of like really thin shoe insoles? A man person got them for me once by mistake; they didn’t absorb a thing. Glad you like 'em, but I wonder what’s different about our flow…mine just literally slipped right off the pad like it was waxed! Weird, maybe you got a bad batch. They’re the best brand I’ve ever used, hands down, because not only are they extremely absorbent, but they’re so thin I don’t feel like I’m wearing a pad. They’re a little more expensive, though – I think about $6.99 a box around here. I’ve been reading a lot about Diva Cups and similar things and they really appeal to me, but I’m afraid of what might happen if I’m not able to remove it. Also, knowing me, I’d have to get into contortionist positions to remove/insert, and I can’t see myself doing that in the public bathroom stalls we have at work. So Always Infinity it is! ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/48 "2012-08-10T14:33:18Z")
How much does it cost to buy a handgun? I’m about to add that to my list of expenses this month! I’m kidding, of course… I think… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Defenestrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@The\_Defenestrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Defenestrator)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/49 "2012-08-11T00:00:38Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > I’ve been reading a lot about Diva Cups and similar things and they really appeal to me, but I’m afraid of what might happen if I’m not able to remove it. Also, knowing me, I’d have to get into contortionist positions to remove/insert, and I can’t see myself doing that in the public bathroom stalls we have at work. > > So Always Infinity it is! It took me a while the first time I used it, but it’s really not hard to get out once you know how. It sits fairly low to begin with, all you need to do is bear down and it gets lower until you can pinch the bottom of the cup. Also, you probably wouldn’t have to insert or remove it at work unless you have very heavy periods. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/50 "2012-08-11T03:33:49Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Those are the foam-like ones, right? Sort of like really thin shoe insoles? A man person got them for me once by mistake; they didn’t absorb a thing. Glad you like 'em, but I wonder what’s different about our flow…mine just literally slipped right off the pad like it was waxed! I haven’t tried the Infinity ones, but Stayfree’s DryMax did the same thing to me. They’re supposed to be extra absorbent, and…no. I mean, unless they were saying \*the pad \*stays dry, not you, because that’s actually accurate. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/51 "2012-08-12T22:07:33Z")
Zero dollars. Those days have been over now for almost 2 years 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/52 "2012-08-13T13:46:13Z")
Maybe $2 amortising my 3-year-old mooncup and pads for night time. I do lose out on a day a month due to the pain and exhaustion, though, time when I theoretically could be earning money (I’m freelance). ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/53 "2012-08-13T14:30:21Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I’m pre-emotively curious if there are any women of childbearing age who spend zero dollars a month on their menstral stuff. Second hand diva cups from the goodwill…? 😕 The pole does not specify “of childbearing age.” Although for my actual childbearing years I was one of those two pads a month women, so zero to five still works. It used to annoy my mother, when the subject came up. Especially since things would start so slowly that I never had to keep track of when it was likely to happen or carry around supplies. ---
**Author:** ![akeimi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@akeimi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akeimi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/54 "2012-10-16T11:05:54Z")
I really hope the OP is genuinely curious about the cost of menstrual products, and didn’t misunderstand some girl talking about the “cost of having a vagina” (a common phrase for paying more for haircuts and the dry cleaning, needing more hygiene products / clothing / grooming time to be considered presentable, bikini waxes, etc etc). I’m answering $35. $23 pill copay (which might sound miscategorized, but trust me - for many women, contraception is only a bonus side effect) estimated $8 on menstrual products. $4 chocolate. Tampons are $17 for 100 at Costco, pads maybe $5 for a box of ~30 at any drugstore. I routinely buy 4 types of tampons and 4 types of pads for different situations (3 strengths of tampons, OB tampons for swimming, 2 strengths of pads, overnight pads, pantiliners). I’m not including multivitamins, because without periods I’d still take them to shore up my nutrition (without them, I get overwhelming food cravings during my periods) - but I consider that $4 bar of dark chocolate that finds its way into the grocery cart every month a period expense. In the US, I needed to visit a gynecologist for a pap smear to get a rx for the pill, I think that was ~$80 a year at planned parenthood. In Canada, the general doctor at the clinic writes me a prescription for it without the vaginal examination/pap smear excitement, but I’d need to see him annually anyways for another medication. Also, I routinely have to throw out perfectly good underwear, sheets, and pants due to period stains that didn’t come out (and in one memorable case, a very expensive and very white down duvet cover and mattress pad set). ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/55 "2012-10-16T11:12:57Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > As a guy, I have no idea how much the upkeep of a vagina is. I know you need to buy tampons and pads and stuff I’ve heard there’s other stuff involved as well. How much, per month do you spend on period related stuff and what do you spend it on? For pads (store-brand overnight-level protection is my usual) and Midol or similar, probably around $10/month. Hard to say about the cost of any additional laundry (sometimes pads leak or can’t cope with volume). Yes, pain/cramp/bloating/mood swing relief counts as a cost of my period. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/56 "2012-10-16T11:26:22Z")
It used to be $3, now it’s going up to $10 with my new insurance (I think my new insurance covers BC, will have to find out because it’s a Catholic organization.) I have endometriosis and so take a continuous birth control med. I don’t have periods, ever. But every once in a while I miss a pill (like yesterday) and I’m in agony for a while (like today), so I need prescription pain meds. But I’ve had the same bottle of ibuprofin for like a year now - the most I would ever take is maybe 4 pills per month. I also use stuff like Midol to cover the bloating/crazy hormone crap. So I’m saying, assuming BC is covered, $15. If BC is not covered, it will be an annual cost of over $800. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/57 "2012-10-16T13:37:05Z")
An update…apparently my last period in July cost me $200, because since ordering my very expensive medication, I haven’t had a period. And I don’t believe you can return a prescription. So I have a $200 bottle of pills sitting here taunting me. I’m hoping posting the fact that I haven’t had a period in 3 months will make me have one! Yes, I know I’ve been looking forward to them stopping, but darn it! I can’t afford to waste $200 like this! ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/58 "2012-10-16T16:12:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > “Other stuff”? For a menstrual period? 😕 > > I’ve been riding the rag on a monthly basis for (counts on fingers and toes twice) nearly 40 years now and I’m not sure what this “other stuff” might be. Tampons and pads seem to do the trick. > > Well, OK, but I have asprin/tylenol/paracetamol/ibuprofen type stuff and heating pads for _other_ reasons, I don’t purchase them specifically for that, and don’t even use those “extras” on a regular basis. > I actually had to go check the price tags on my pads… less than $5 on average. And that’s about it, really. > > Now that I’m entering perimenopause the monthly event is getting lighter/shorter, and I anticipate it getting irregular at some point, driving the average cost down further. Ha! Don’t be lulled into that false sense of lighter periods security. I never bled so much as when I first entered perimenopause. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/59 "2012-10-17T02:15:39Z")
I buy the giant 100+ box of Tampax at Sam’s Club for about $15 or so. Say … four a day at five days each … 20 a month. Pretty cheap. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665/60 "2012-10-17T16:25:38Z")
I just realized my vote, $15-$20, is for months that I have a period. I only have a couple a year thanks to the pill, which insurance covers. But my nether regions deserve nothing but the best when I am bleeding all over everything, and each situation requires a different amount of pad coverage, so BUY ALL THE ALWAYS is how I work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-periods-every-month/630665.md?page=2)