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Trae Bodge is a New York City-based shopping expert. She sees higher prices on products and services targeted at women all over the world. Socks and razors, shampoo, and apparel are just a few examples of items that women will pay more for. Bodge states, “I don’t know why brands consider this acceptable.” She adds […]


Trae Bodge is a New York City-based shopping expert. She sees higher prices on products and services targeted at women all over the world. Socks and razors, shampoo, and apparel are just a few examples of items that women will pay more for.


Bodge states, “I don’t know why brands consider this acceptable.” She adds that it is another blow to the gut because we are trying to manage our budgets. This refers to rising consumer goods prices due to inflation.


It is well-documented that products and services targeted at women are more expensive than those aimed at men. This phenomenon is known as the “pink taxes”. Stephanie Gonzalez Guittar (assistant professor in the sociology section at Rollins College, Florida) co-authored a 2021 paper that found that lotions and deodorants are more expensive for women than they are for men. Also, personal care products have become increasingly gender-specific. As an example, lotions for women average $2.97 per ounce while those for men cost $1.86.

Although Equal Pay Day is celebrated on March 14, it also focuses on the gender pay gap. However, it can be used as a reminder to think about why being a woman often comes at a higher cost and what you can do to fix it.


There are many ways to avoid the pink tax.


Opt for gender-neutral products


Gonzalez Guittar points to the fact that there’s no reason why men should stick with pine scents and women can use lavender scents. Multi-product marketing is common in companies. For example, a shampoo, conditioner and body wash are all sold to women while a single product is offered to men.


She says, “These are basic hygiene items that don’t have to be gendered.” She says that shoppers can save money by buying generic or gender-neutral products rather than the gendered ones. These products are basically pigeonholing femininity’s smell and appearance, which comes at a .”


Read the fine print


Gonzalez Guittar encourages customers to carefully examine the information on packaging and the ingredients. This will help them make better purchasing decisions.


She says that women’s products are more expensive per ounce. You can sometimes get a better deal if you buy unscented products in greater quantities. You can usually find the unit price on the shelf tags at grocery and drugstores.


Comparison Shop in Advance


Yale Law School professor Ian Ayres first discovered that car dealers offered the best deals to white men who did research in the 1990s. Ayres says that although discriminatory pricing has been confirmed by subsequent studies, there has been some progress in the area of no-haggle and online dealerships.


Ayres states that you can find a competitive interest rate simply by shopping around, and you don’t have to go through dealerships.


Request equal pricing


Men tend to pay less for services like dry cleaning and haircuts. But Bodge insists that they don’t need to be.


She says, “If I have a cotton oxford shirt cleaned I ask for the men’s option, especially if pricing is posted.” It’s a bit more complicated with haircuts, but ask for the men’s price .”


Know your rights


New York and California have passed laws that prohibit gender-based pricing. This gives consumers a legal remedy if they notice discrimination in price due to gender. Report violations to either the New York State Division of Consumer Protection, or the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Similar legislation has been proposed by other states.


“We need to think about how we respond with legislation. Christian F. Nunes is president of the National Organization for Women. This advocacy group focuses on women’s rights.


Nunes says, “They not only charge more but also underpay” It’s more difficult to live a long and sustainable life .”


Prioritize saving


Cindy Hounsell, president and CEO of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (a non-profit that promotes women’s retirement security), says that women need to save money because of the wage gap. She says, “People always say, ‘I wish I had saved more.’”

This means that you should take advantage of all benefits , such as 401ks and cutting down on unnecessary spending.

She adds that it makes a huge difference in how you spend your money. To help you set a goal, she recommends that you use online calculators to determine how much you’ll need for retirement. Everybody needs a different amount .”


Moreover, with the high inflation rates across many consumer groups, it is even more difficult for women to save because of the pink tax.


Bodge says: “It is another hurdle that needs to be jumped over.”

This article was originally published by The Associated Press and was written by NerdWallet.