It’s a fact: Women are charged more for the same items than men. A recent study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that women paid more for 42% of the nearly 800 products they surveyed. On average, women paid 7% more for items marketed to them. The largest disparity was in personal care products, where products for women cost 13% more than those for men.
It’s called the “Pink Tax”—named after the color often associated with girls. Back in 1994, the state of California estimated that women spend $1,350 extra (about $2,304 in today’s dollars) over the course of a year because of the Pink Tax.
Here’s how the Pink Tax affects your everyday purchases—and how you can outsmart it.
This chart shows the difference in prices between products marketed to women and men. Shampoo and Conditioner: women pay $8.39 and men pay $5.68, which is a 48% difference. Razors: women pay $8.90 and men pay $7.99, which is a 11% difference. Baby onesie: girls costs $20.91 and boys costs $20.07, which is a 4% difference. Children't helmets: girls costs $25.79 and boys costs $22.89, which is a 13% difference. Adult jeans: women pay $62.75 and men pay $57.09, which is a 10% difference. Wireless computer mouse: pink ones cost $21.89 and blue ones cost $15.79, which is a 28% difference. Canes: women pay $21.99 and men pay $19.66, which is a 12% difference.
3 Ways to Avoid the Pink Tax
1
Shop Around
Some businesses charge more for services, like dry cleaning women’s clothing or haircuts, and some don’t. Shop around for the fairest deal.
2
Buy Men’s Products
Often, the only difference between a pink and blue razor is the color. Check out the men’s aisle to compare. For personal care items, the men’s versions often use a different fragrance or are unscented.
3
Maridel Reyes is a journalist based in New York. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, the New York Post, USA Today and The Boston Globe.
For more on how women can take charge of their finances, read The Good News About Women and Money.