22/07/2026
I DID THE MATHS… AND BEING A WOMAN IS EXPENSIVE! 💷⏰
This isn’t a man-hating post. It isn’t about blaming men, and it certainly isn’t suggesting that men have no pressures or expenses of their own.
It’s simply an honest look at what it can cost a woman to maintain the appearance society routinely expects of her.
I compared a woman’s fairly typical routine with a man’s:
Haircuts and colour
Nails and pedicures
Waxing, brows and lashes
Skincare and make-up
Hair products and styling tools
Perfume and body products
Bras, underwear, shapewear and tights
Clothing, shoes and accessories
And yes… tampons!
Nothing wildly extravagant. No Botox, fillers, lash extensions, cosmetic surgery, designer clothes or weekly facials.
The result?
WOMAN: approximately £639 and 45.7 hours every month
MAN: approximately £117 and 13.5 hours every month
THE DIFFERENCE: £521 and 32 additional hours every single month.
That is the equivalent of FOUR EXTRA WORKING DAYS A MONTH spent earning the money, buying the products, attending appointments and maintaining the finished result.
Before anyone says, “But women choose to do those things”, yes, sometimes we absolutely do.
I love clothes, colour, make-up and helping women look and feel incredible. These things can bring confidence, pleasure and creativity.
But we also need to acknowledge that women are judged far more heavily on their appearance.
We’re expected to look polished, youthful, smooth, groomed, appropriately dressed and naturally fresh-faced.
Naturally fresh-faced… with cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser, SPF, foundation, concealer, mascara and a tiny bit of blusher so it looks as though we aren’t wearing make-up. 😂
This isn’t about saying men should pay more or women should take less responsibility.
It’s about recognising that FAIR doesn’t always mean pretending everyone starts with identical costs, pressures and expectations.
Sometimes a 50/50 financial split may be equal on paper without feeling entirely equitable in real life.
And perhaps we should stop dismissing the time, money and energy women invest in looking “good” as frivolous vanity, especially when the world often treats that appearance as the minimum standard.
No blame. No battle of the sexes. Just an interesting receipt for something society usually pretends is effortless.
What do you think?
Does fair always mean exactly 50/50?
