Today is an epic day. I promised yesterday, that I would be stirring up a little controversy this morning. Well, hopefully I can deliver on that promise. The only catch is there are three other bloggers that are in on this action. Consider this the first PF “Battle of the Sexes”. My goal today is to establish why being a man is better for one’s financial situation. To all those that are offended, please understand this is suppose to be lighthearted and the girls have an equal opportunity to bash the dudes.
Now on to the four reasons why being a women is harmful for one’s financial health…
1) The glass ceiling. That’s right ladies, no matter how hard you work, how much education you have, or how many bosses you sleep with, you will probably never be as highly paid as Bob the college graduate whose great uncle is your manager. I’m not saying the glass ceiling is ethical, but it exists. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at the ten richest people in the world. Any idea how many of them are men? That’s right all of them. In fact, only two women make the top 20. If you’re a female you’re fighting an uphill income battle from day one.
2) Make-up. Oh don’t even get me started on make-up. Quite possibly the greatest marketing ploy ever: Convince women they are absolutely disgusting, unless they spend hundreds of dollars a year on some blush, lipstick, mascara, etc. I’ve always been dumbfounded by the cash a woman will spend in an attempt to alter her looks. Shoot, while we are talking about make-up, let’s move on to the world of plastic surgery. Breast implants, nose jobs, face-lifts…all a female dominated market. Thousands of dollars wasted. A note to all women: You are all naturally beautiful….why do pay so much to mess up a good thing?
3) Unnecessary purchases. Do you know why coupons were invented? They were invented because women like to shop. Sure they might have saved $0.50 on that cute centerpiece, but did they really need to spend the $29.99 in the first place? Girls will buy anything and everything just because it’s on sale. Girls buy things they don’t need, that they will never use, and don’t even want, simply because they “got a good deal.”
Lastly, and quite possibly the most important reason being a man is better for one’s financial situation….
4) Tampons. I’m still pretty immature and don’t really like to talk about the female menstrual cycle, but I’m gonna give it my best. According to a few different internet sources, the average woman spends $4.00 a month on tampons. That’s $48 a year. Let’s run the number and see what that money could do for a 25 year old individual if invested in a Roth IRA through age 65, with an 11% return….$31,000 spent on just tampons. I don’t even wanna know what that number would be if we included ALL feminine hygiene products. As a male, I think I’ll take that money and go buy myself a Lexus or something I can enjoy 🙂
Now before some of my female readers throw a temper tantrum, please remember this was intended to be lighthearted. When it really comes down to it, there should be no debate on who is better. We all know men are better at EVERYTHING. There really is no argument to be made for the other side, but in fairness, I’d like you all to head on over to these other blogs right now and read their perspective on “male vs female” finances.
Fabulously Broke
Krystal At Work
Men: be sure to add in the comments below other costs that you can think of that women incur and men avoid.
Women: make your best attempts in the comments below to dispute anything included above 🙂
[…] Punch Debt In The Face […]
Ooo I'm going to stab all your arguments with a toothpick! I won't even need a pin for this.
1. Glass Ceiling — I charge more or on par with what men charge per hour. A lot of men I know in IT, charge $80/hour because they can't negotiate or they don't have the skills required by the client. I charge at a minimum of $100 – $130/hour.
2. We wear makeup because y'all don't know what natural really means!!! If you see a natural looking girl, she probably isn't very natural and has concealer and blush on at the very least. And lip balm for kissable, soft, NOT DRY and chapped lips. (See my post)
3. I don't use coupons because none of the coupons have ever been applicable to me. Except for the food ones like milk or honey deals… other than that, for razors, shaving cream etc.. I either don't buy it, or buy it very rarely.
4. I don't use tampons OR pads. The Diva Cup is a one-time purchase at $30, and lasts basically forever, or until you give birth and need a larger size. And besides, that's biological necessity. Do you want us bleeding all over your white couches?
Based on all of the arguments (here and in Krystal and FB's blogs), I've come to realize I'm actually a man. =(
but Oprah is still rich!
.-= Duddes02´s most recent blog ..Pretty, Pretty, Pretty =-.
Gifts. I don't know about you, but my woman goes nuts with the gift-giving. I hate giving gifts, and getting them, because why would I need a gift? If I needed (or really wanted) something, I would have already bought it for myself. Therefore, anything that I could get as a gift is not needed (or really wanted). If it is the thought that counts, just give me your thoughts, please, and don't ask me to pretend that I like what you got me or vice versa. Gift-giving is a waste of time and money.
Even if it is someone who we aren't going to give gifts to, women still send cards @ $4 a pop. Cards are the most useless thing ever, which guys happily avoid buying.
Getting pregnant. I don't know about other guys, but I'm never going to get pregnant. Bam, just saved like $180,000. Guys don't have the urge to have kids.
Diva cup!!! But I do have to spend $5/month not to get pregnant. OTOH I save on cosmetics by not using them. So I'm mostly winning.
@Mom Ninja, you rock! 🙂
I don't know what a Diva cup is, and I am too scared to google it
Mom, you're embarrassing me in front of my blog friends again 😉
Other costly things men spend way too much money on? Let the stereotypes begin! Beer, fast food and prepackaged food, gym memberships they don't use, expensive hobbies (sports, cars, outdoorsy stuff, tech gadgets), taking women like me out to dinner (sexism at its finest) and buying us drinks, too. Also, does anyone else think condoms are kind of pricey? The protection is INVALUABLE but since it's right next to the generic tampons in most stores, I kind of feel bad for you guys… oh well. I think it all evens out in the end 🙂
Oh!! Let's not forget fitness supplements. What a rip-off…
@Mom Ninja "You're welcome." LOL
condoms can go hand in hand with birth control…the expenses negate eachother IMO
LOL You tell him Mom Ninja! 😉
I think your mother has officially just ended this battle of the sexes!!
They say time is money…
How much money is wasted every single day when women get up 10 hours early to get ready?
Guys roll out of bed… maybe shower… then go to work… ladies, you can learn a valuable, money saving lesson here…
hmmm…. come to think of it… women get up earlier than men… which means you are probably more tired… which means you don't perform at the same level… which means you don't get paid as much!
Hey!!! I just solved the glass ceiling problem!!!
Mom Ninja RULES!
Donnie,
Plenty of guys have the urge to have kids. I've met a lot of them. Granted, they generally get married to women who want kids. But they exist. And, speaking of, since they're married to the woman, or simply financially responsible for the kid, they usually end up sharing the cost of pregnancy. So "bam" to you.
And most women have gotten out of the habit of buying greeting cards. Unless we're sending a check or something similar. I have always proclaimed that I will EITHER buy a gift or a card. Both just seems ridiculous. And all of my friends don't even bother with holiday cards. So I think some stereotypes are becoming outdated.
Meanwhile, on gift-giving. Women may give more gifts, I'll grant you. But we're more likely to go bargain-hunting for them. Meanwhile, guys get flustered because they hate giving gifts, or they feel the need to be all macho and spend too much. So they spend more per gift than most women do — especially because women are more likely to make a homemade gift than a man.
If we're tired, it's because — despite working 40 hours a week — a woman, on average, does a TON more housework. (Which is why I've always maintained that, if you want to get some, clean up around the house, put the kids to bed, let your woman rest. If she doesn't have a zillion chores on her mind, she'll be far more in the mood. Though there's something f–ed up about the fact that we feel "grateful" for a guy doing something we do all the time.) And given that most women I know work full-time, take more time with the kids (or plan to, once they have them), and do far more housework, you REALLY want to get started on "performing at the same level"?! Haha, I didn't think so!
And what the hell kind of women are you hanging out with?! Most women I know get up about an hour before they need to leave. Yeah, it's about 30 minutes before men do. Still, not that huge a deal. It evens out given that, unlike men, we don't sit around the bathroom for 15-20 minutes at a time just to empty our bowels.
One of the best bumper stickers I ever saw: "My goddess gave birth to your god!"
Oh and to address the points in the article:
I would LOVE to hear where you have an IRA with an average 11% return, especially in the past couple of years. Most financial experts (at least in all the books I've read) use 6% maximum. Still a good chunk of change. But, as Miss Alpha pointed out, condoms are pricey as hell. The average box of, what 12 condoms? — is $8 (Thank goodness for a Sam's Club membership. We get the box of 40 for $20.). Assuming you only get any 6 times a month, you're still matching us cost-wise for tampons!
And unnecessary purchases are mainly by women? Really? Because it seems to me most men are the ones who needlessly upgrade technology (cell phones, sound systems, computers, car gadgets) more than women. Even when the old one is working fine. And men are more likely to buy the more expensive cars, which get worse gas mileage. Plus men are FAR more likely to have ADD — which practically invented impulse spending. Overall, far more men than women I know will just grab and buy, rather than question whether it's a necessary purchase or even bother to do a price comparison. Most guys have the attitude: See it, want it, get it.
Make-up, I'll grant you, is a total money-suck that most of us fall for. I know I do. Then again, I make up for that by not bothering with things like perfume (you guys love your cologne and aftershave don't ya?). And speaking of toiletries, most men love their electric shavers, which go for $40-100, depending on whether you get them on sale. Even if you don't shop around to get free razors from Walgreen's etc, women still spend less on razors, considering theirs don't need to be plugged in (thereby using electricity, which costs) and because electric shavers still need replacement heads, which are pricey.
Really, number 3 can go both ways. I know women AND men who will buy things simply because they're on sale. My dad insists on buying two pairs of shoes if they're buy one get one half off – no matter how many times I reason with him that the sale is a ploy to get him to spend 50% more than he otherwise would have. I don't think number three should count.
That post was very hyperbolic, if you ask me! I wake up an hour before I need to leave for work. I shower the night before, fix my hair and put on makeup in the morning. Bada boom, bada bing, I'm done!
I'm a woman, and I would say that the men I know tend to spend more than I do. Their excess spending tends to fit into a few categories:
* Things with wheels
*Electronics.
*Alcohol. (Due to men's higher tolerance–they can drink more without feeling the effects.)
*Food. (Due to men tending to eat a higher volume at a sitting.)
*Collecting things. (Like watches or vintage model cars.)
*Thinking they can outsmart the market. (I've heard some wacky schemes from guys I know. Not so much from the women.)
I'm not saying that all women don't spend on these things and I'm not saying that all men do. But on the whole, I would say that the men I know spend more on them. And that (for example) you'd have to buy a lot of tampons to match the cost of a a single motorcycle. Or a video game console and accompanying games.
I agree on food, alcohol, and the things with wheels!
My bf spends way more on food than I do – I bring my lunch every day, and don't spend extra on coffee, donuts, bagels, etc each morning. In my office, it's the males who go out and get a coffee and donut each day. My monthly "lunch" money is maybe $10. His? At least $20/week. Plus, he definitely consumes more food than me.
I didn't want him to get a car since we can use public transportation for $100 a month, versus his car expenses of at least $500 (insurance, car payment, gas, etc). He clearly disagreed.
Also, ninja, I'm with other women for the diva cup (and reusable pads) – sure there's an upfront cost, but I haven't had to spend any money in that area for more than 5 years. Besides, while women may have to pay for that, what about men and needing to buy condoms?
#4 Easy. Women don't buy oversized, expensive vehicles to compensate for their undersized genitals. We tend not to buy ridiculously overpowered electronics, either. You're right, all it takes is one idiotic car purchase to cover all 40 years of tampons and makeup.
#3 also works in reverse. Women will shop around AND get a good deal when we need it. Men will buy the first thing that matches the description because they just want to get the hell out of there.
As for #2, plastic surgery among men is also on the rise. Although very few of you are getting boob jobs, Botox, rhinoplasty, and other procedures are on the rise. That doesn't include the cost of hair replacement therapy, either.
And finally, sexism. I don't HAVE to have a good salary, because society expects my husband to take care of me, and he's perceived as worthless and impotent if he can't. *evil laughter* Sexism sucks for everyone, doesn't it.
Okay. Here's I think the truth – being a man is "easier" in today's society because the world as we know it right now came from a long line of patriarchal traditions. It's easier to be a man (preferably, a heterosexual, middle-upper-class, tall, attractive man) who live in a society where a lot of the norms / practices were established by men in charge and with men's perspective (For example, just as recently, many health insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control).
So the title 'Boys Rule and Girls Drool' might be a tongue-in-cheek title… but the truth is, for many women throughout history, life did INDEED "drool" because they were women. In many parts of the world, even today, it is MUCH MUCH MUCH more preferable to be a man than a woman. In the U.S., the disparity is less severe. But I think the important thing is, while we should all be thankful for the progress we have made, we shouldn't forget the fact that this progress has not yet touched a vast part of the world.
For ages women have used their beauty and sexuality as power – because they were excluded from all the other realms of power. When you define yourself in relation to someone else's value placed on you (someone's wife, someone's mother), and your only commodities are your appearance, it's only logical to see why women place so much emphasis on their looks, now, isn't it? And even though things have changed, society is still far less accepting of an older lady than an older man (the former becomes "haggard" while the latter becomes "distinguished").
So, again. Finances are important for everyone, but it's REALLY important for women.
Diva cup: It catches all the … you know. And saves it for later.
And the only thing Frugal Urbanite forgot in the response to #2: Viagra, dude.
😉
Oh man, you really went for it here didn't you! For some reason your site isn't letting me view all the 20+ comments on it right now (which REALLY piques my interest btw, wonder what everyone is saying!!!) But I thought I'd just holler and say I bet you're getting rocked by the ladies right now 😉 haha…
Fun idea putting this together my man, thanks for letting us in on the action.
Good post Ninja, I've been saying the same thing to my sisters and friends for a long time, it would suck to be a girl! They have to spend so much on clothes, makeup, hair styling, fake fingernails, hair extensions, waxing and perfume just to be 'socially acceptable'. It's a lot easier for us guys, girls are usually impressed if we own a bar of soap.
The radio station I listen to over here in Aus is aimed at 20 somethings and every second ad is for breast enlargements, spray tans, fake nails or hair extensions. How do girls afford all this stuff?? I know that I wouldn't be able to (not that I want tits anyways).
But at the same time, have you seen a girl without makeup on….. not a pretty sight bro
Don't make me throw my tampons at you! Seriously, funny post.
SS4BC, I'm pretty sure my financial patterns = man, too.
The historical average return of the S&P 500 from 1954 to 2008 was 10.8%. You can google "s&p hisotrical returns" and you will find similar information. Sure that is not inflation adjusted, but I don't think 11% is as crazy as you do.
At least this female knows the difference between your and you're.
If you actually want to engage in what you call a "glass ceiling" debate, you have to address that most single parents are women. Thus, on the other end of the spectrum, women are most likely to live in poverty.
Those top 20 men, however, probably have a woman or a few doing pretty well on their dole.
Without this female Debt Ninja would never have existed to write this blog! So basically boys can rule because women allow them to come into the world! YOU ARE WELCOME!
LOL – mom ninja for the win! She might be where you got that sense of humor from too!
ahahahahahahaha oh man. Greatest. Comment. EVER.
They say time is money…
How much money is wasted every single day when women get up 10 hours early to get ready?
Guys roll out of bed… maybe shower… then go to work… ladies, you can learn a valuable, money saving lesson here…
hmmm…. come to think of it… women get up earlier than men… which means you are probably more tired… which means you don't perform at the same level… which means you don't get paid as much!
Hey!!! I just solved the glass ceiling problem!!!
The comments on this post have been fabulous! Mom Ninja, you are priceless!
I like, Fabulously Broke up there am a Diva cup user, and a happy one at that. But let me throw something else out there… women may be getting a lot of plastic surgery but who exactly do you think is paying for it??
bahaha – love your title – haven't heard that since primary school!
I'm proud to say I hardly ever spend on unecessary purchases, and don't buy much makeup – but yes, I resent buying tampons etc. (FB always trumpets the Diva Cup, but I can't quite bring myself to it..)
Really Debt Ninja? Really?____1. Review the list of the top 10 wealthiest people for the past 3, 5, 20 years. Pretty static, huh? The glass cieling was cracked a long time ago. Women are making their way into C suites. And to counter your argument, we should blame the economic meltdown on MEN because ya'll aren't doing too hot in running our finances. ____2. I mentioned this on FBs blog and will reiterate it here: Women, Do it for yourself! I'm not knocking you on this point, because if a woman wants to spend to look her best, then she should do it.____3. Unnecessary? Was that 50" TV with 3HDMI ports necessary? If you know someone that buys a plastic eggbeater because it was $1 then I think you might have a shopoholic on your hands. In that case, I suggest running to the nearest fire exit and calling the cops. That said, men drop large amounts of money on unnecessary gadgets versus women. That is a fact…that I have no statistics for but I don't think I need them.____4. I am just as immature as you on this topic and I'm a girl. I think I'm going to vom.
ok, I wrote that post yesterday, why was it still sitting in your comment box? AHHHH! I hope it isn't too late for my 2 cents.
Female here, agreeing with (male) Debt Ninja.
Yes, it's damn expensive getting pretty for you men to notice us!
Adding to your female expenses, so that I *don't* get pregnant, another $20 per month (not covered by insurance) on birth control pills.
Also, women go to the doctor more than men, with regular annual exams, which leads us to higher insurance premiums and money paid out of pocket for appointments. (FWIW, I pay almost $200 for individual insurance, and if I wanted a "baby rider," it would cost me nearly another $60 more per month. This is just for my monthly premium).
I guess in the end, without children, I will come out finally ahead of my female counterparts. So, there's that.
Just heard about this article:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDeb…
and it also talks about some financial pains that women have to deal with.