Cancel

Archive for July 26, 2012

Do Women Pay More? No, Not Me!

If you have read the recent article on Marie Claire, you must have asked yourself: did I pay more on the same products than man did? The article stated that the female usually pay more for mortgages, health insurance, cars, car repairs, which is not surprising at all. But for everyday items like deodorant, disposable razors, shampoos, women’s products are also priced higher than men’s, even if they have the same composition but with different scents.

Did you ever expenrience paying more than you should only because you are a woman? Probably you did not realize it. Here are some tips to avoid paying more.

Auto Insurance
It is a fact that women tend to have more car accidents than men do, especially true for young women. This may be debatable, but it is true that women have on average 5.7 accidents per million miles driven while men have 5.2 accidents per million miles driven. That is why all insurance policies are gender rating. Here is the solution: if you are married, have your husband as your main driver, and yourself as second driver. If you are single, ask your father or your boyfriend to be the main driver.

New Cars and Used Cars
Think you knew cars very well? The car deals don’t think so. If you are buing a new car, it is very simple. MSRP is fixed, if not sure, check the Internet for new car prices. The total new car cost will be MSRP, plus the destination fee, plus cost for extra features. If you are not 100% sure the extra features, don’t buy any. But here comes the tricky part: when you are ready to pay, you will asked if you the extra warranty, extra protection, extra accessories. Remember, don’t buy any of them. They don’t worth the money. If you think you need them, ask other auto garages for a second opinion, you will get a much lower price than the auto dealer can offer.

If you are buying a used car, prepare yourself by researching online. But that is not enough. You’d better ask your husband or boyfriend to come with you, and let them do the talk, if even you knew better he does.

Auto Repairs
If you are worried that you may be paying more, ask your man to take the car to the garage. And most importantly, refuse everything the service man asked you to do!

Health Insurance
For women under 50, they often pay 30% to 50% more than men on home insurance premiums. Feeling unfair? But there is nothing you can do about it. To get a better health insurance, you should compare the policies online, and find the the one that best that fits your need.

Mortgages
Banks do not apply higher interest rates on you just because you a woman. Woman paying more on mortgages is because that they did not do enough homework and find the best deal on mortages. Don’t just go for the bank your real estate agent or title company recommeded to you. Find one online, I am sure you will get a better deal online than any local agent.

Buying Everyday Items
Do you realize that you are paying more on women’s deodorants, disposable razors, shampoos? Probably not. Compare them with those for men. If you don’t mind the scents, choose the one for men. If possible, buy them online and save! If you have an iPhone, download Quick Sacn for free. Scan the barcode, and the free app will compare the prices online (including Amazon), and find the best prices for you.