For most of human history, sexism has led to men having certain advantages over women in society. For example, women weren’t allowed to vote in the U.S. elections until the 20th century. A man’s average salary is higher than that of a woman in the U.S. Men have long enjoyed several benefits that women struggle to get in the same circumstances.
We want to talk about the times in life when these things work against men, though. Especially as it pertains to money, there are times when men can buy similar products as women and the price point is higher.
Auto insurance for males is more expensive than it is for women on average. Men’s clothing like suits are more expensive than women’s dresses or skirts. We’ll talk about a few products below men have to pay more for than women.
#1 – Auto Insurance
Auto Insurance Pricing
Auto insurance pricing is all about the risk the customer presents to the insurance company. Men have higher average auto insurance rates because they are deemed more likely to file a claim than women are. This is because men take more risks on the road and do more dangerous things than women.
Even though taking risks can be a successful way to achieve your dreams in your career or in a relationship, they’re not the smartest thing to do behind the wheel of a car. When you’re driving, your insurance company wants to know you’re following all of the rules of the road, looking out for others, and thinking carefully before acting.
Men tend to buy more sports cars and luxury vehicles than women. Cars like the Corvette or the Mustang are more expensive to insure because they are sports cars.
Auto Insurance Discounts
Men can try to get discounts on their car insurance by keeping a clean driving record and purchasing a vehicle that is more practical. Don’t get into any accidents. Buy a minivan instead of a Maserati.
Men’s rates will still be higher, but at least they can curb some of the expenses of their car insurance because minivans are viewed as safer to drive than sports cars. They often have more safety features and advanced technology that aids drivers in times of trouble.
The quest to prove your abilities and good driving habits starts early in your driving journey. Insurance companies are very harsh on young male drivers even more than older ones. Teenage boys have higher rates than any other age group or gender group.
Make sure you don’t make ignorant mistakes as a young driver. This fuels the poor reputation of young male drivers and increases rates for everyone in that demographic.
#2 – Professional Clothing
Men’s professional clothing such as suits, ties, and dress pants are all much more expensive than the clothing women buy such as skirts, blouses, and dresses. Men often have a hard time finding fancy dress clothes without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the clothing.
This is because the material men’s clothing is made out of is often more expensive than women’s clothing to manufacture. The lack of variety in men’s fashion doesn’t help matters, either. Women are encouraged to buy different types of clothing depending on their fashion tastes and preferences.
Men often are judged negatively on their clothing unless they are wearing a very nice suit. If men were to wear more gender-neutral clothing or feminine clothing to significant events, they risk people looking at them as if they were out of place. This means men need to work on finding a few outfits that are versatile. Buy something casual, yet professional.
Once you buy these outfits, make them last a long time by taking good care of them. Take them to the cleaners to be professionally cleaned. If you don’t have the money to do so, you need to follow the directions exactly as the label and tags say to maintain the quality of your clothing.
#3 – Life Insurance
Life insurance pricing usually depends on your age and your health. Some issues are more prevalent or common in men, though, and this can lead to more expensive life insurance policies. Even if you don’t have one of these health problems yet, you are more likely to develop them if you are a man, and this is cause for concern for life insurers.
Diabetes and heart disease are both more common in men than in women. The long-term effects of diabetes can include heart attacks, nerve damage, eye problems like glaucoma, and more. This means if you are a man who is experiencing many health problems due to diabetes, you will have a harder time getting a life insurance policy.
Lung cancer is more common in men than in women. This may be because more men use tobacco products like cigarettes and especially chewing tobacco. Lung cancer is an aggressive disease that can kill you.
If you are a man who has experienced lung cancer, or you partake in these habits that may lead to lung cancer, you’re going to have a harder time getting a life insurance policy.
Non Health-Related Insurance Issues
Health problems aren’t the only things that make life insurance harder to get for men than women, though. Men also choose physically dangerous jobs more often than women. This could include being a truck driver, a construction worker, or someone who works with wildlife and other animals.
These jobs may lead to accidental death and make life insurance companies very nervous to take you on as a customer. If you are a man and want to get the same life insurance rates as women, try to mitigate risks for the things we’ve talked about here.
Stay healthy by eating right, exercising, and going to the doctor. Choose a career that won’t put you in harm’s way or lead to an unfortunate, early death. If you show companies you are trying to be a good customer, you may get some discounts for being less of a risk.
You can see even though there are many things women have to pay more for in life, there can still be some financial struggles for men. Insurance and clothing in particular are expensive industries for men. If you are a man and you need discounts on these items, get creative and think out of the box and you should be able to afford what you need.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance site, CarInsuranceComparison.com. He wants to help men figure out how to get discounts on pricey items.