Ladies: Watch out for the Pink Tax.
You probably won’t see any news about it in the papers, as it’s nothing Congress has passed or proposed. If you’re a woman, though, chances are you’ve experienced it or maybe even noticed it creeping up on your receipts.
It turns out that some products for women simply cost more than products for men. There’s no official tax on them, but the higher price tag has earned its own name: the Pink Tax. It’s a well-known fact that women statistically make less money than their male peers, so the Pink Tax can be another blow to your budget.
Unfortunately, there’s not much women can do to avoid the Pink Tax, but they can be more aware of the products they’re buying that fall into the Pink Tax category.
Here are four shopping areas that tend to be the biggest offenders:
Hygiene Products
Obviously, guys don’t have to buy tampons and pads — lucky them — and those things are expensive. Female lawmakers are doing what they can to make that expense cheaper for women, but it’ll always be an expense men simply don’t incur.
That’s where the cost differences should end, but it’s not.
It turns out that many men’s hygiene products are simply cheaper than women’s, even though they do the same job. One study compared the prices of hygiene products in Atlanta stores and found a wide gap between men’s and women’s products.
Take, for example, razors: a five-pack of women’s razors came in a pink hue with a soft-grip handle and five blades — the cost was $10.99. The same pack for men only had three blades per razor and a simple stick handle, differences that shouldn’t make the price $6 less — but they did.
Researchers found similar price differences between men’s and women’s deodorant, shaving cream and face wash.
Clothing
Women’s clothing is more expensive than men’s clothing. In fact, many fashion insiders have noticed the trend and have lent a hand to the regular consumer as to which products they should buy from the men’s side of the store. In short, the same sweaters, button downs and bags will cost you less if they’re meant for men.
As if it wasn’t enough to pay more to buy the clothes, women will have to pay more to have them laundered and dry-cleaned, too.
Toys
Get ready to feel infuriated, ladies, with kids. Your boys’ toys are typically of better quality and more intellectually stimulating than ones made for girls. The price tag may not necessarily be higher at the time of purchase, but a flimsy feminine toy probably won’t last as long a sturdy one.
Vehicle Repair
If you’re a woman, there’s probably a reason why you hate getting your car fixed — the odds are good that it costs more for you than it would for a man to have the same service. Mechanics are universally known for their persuasive tactics in upselling services to women for their vehicle, even when it’s a simple oil change.
There’s actual evidence of this happening, thanks to a Northwestern study that showed women who sought service for their vehicle were quoted a higher price than men. The kicker: Both the men and women acted uninformed while on the phone, but the women suffered from their lack of knowledge by receiving a quote that was $41 higher than market value. The men’s quotes were only $18 over the line.
Calling Attention to the Pink Tax
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the ways women experience the Pink Tax, but knowing these general categories will certainly help protect your wallet.
Now, it’s time for industry to realize the problem it has created.
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Anum Yoon is personal finance blogger who started and maintains Current on Currency. You can catch her on Twitter to follow her updates.
Photo Credit: Len Penzo dot Com
Many department stores women for alterations but not men. I guess they think all women know how to sew. That’s why I like to shop where hemming women’s pants is free. Also, I love that Nordstrom’s doesn’t charge for alterations (at least it didn’t the last time I needed something done there.
This tax is magnified on more expensive purchases. A woman buying a car will always be over charged compared to a man. However this is easy to fix. I go into the dealership to see what van or truck I wish to buy. I wander around the lot or the showroom for an inordinate length of time while the (invariably) male “salesmen” (order takers) stand in the bull pen telling each other lies. Eventually management will realize I’m not a homeless person seeking shelter and someone will reluctantly be sent to overcharge me. I find the vehicle I like and negotiate a price. Get it written on the salesman’s card. Come back later with a man, no particular man, just any man but it’s got to be a man who’s not shy. We go together and the man says to the salesman, “She likes the van, but your price is crazy.” and invariably with a good bit of haggling the price comes way down as they talk “man to man”. I also have the man I’ve brought negotiate how the deposit is paid, because I will pay as many thousands as they can be forced to take via CREDIT CARD so I get extra frequent flier miles. I also have my male accomplice pretend that we are going to finance the vehicle because you get a much better price. Then when they are salivating at signing the deal we switch to all cash for the same price. I bring a man who was in the auto body business as my favorite negotiator because he can spot minute paint and interior damage on any car and get a couple of hundred bucks off at the end for the (invisible to me) damage because the dealership is ready to close the deal since we go at the end of the month when they often need another sale. I think the attitude of car salesmen to women is foolish. I also think people who buy a car entirely online are foolish and get taken. I’ve negotiated a price online and then I bring a man with me to the dealership to see the vehicle. The dealership invariably knocks off another five hundred dollars or so when my male accomplice says we will walk and take our deal with us unless they come down a bit. And they generally do! I once got an extra thousand dollars off the price of a van when I agreed to finance it. We sat and went over the contract and there was no prepayment penalty. I paid the first month’s installment with interest and then paid off the loan in full before the next payment was due. So instead of getting a whole thousand dollars off the price, I ended up getting about $960. off after paying a month’s interest on the loan and then paying it off in full. Give THAT a try if you are ready to buy with all cash. By the way I haggle for EVERYTHING!