First, let me say that I know my health and happiness come before any financial burdens I may face as a result of WLS. With that being said, the more I think about it, the costs keep adding up.

My surgery will cost me approximately $2300 with my insurance. I am fine with that and the hospital takes payments.

I will have enough time off of work saved by the time I have the surgery to have 3 weeks of paid time off. I should be okay there.

However, I am starting to think of the costs of the Protein shakes, broths, sizing down in clothing for a year or two, etc and worry if financials became an unexpected concern for anyone post-WLS?

I know my surgeon's office provides a clothing exchange and I already plan on spending a lot of time thrift-shopping for probably the first year. But is there any advice any of you can give?

I spend less on food now than I did before. I eat smaller portions and less often and I'm not eating takeout anymore. I kept getting bigger so I had to keep buying bigger clothes. The bigger the clothes, the more they cost so I'm saving money there. I don't buy a full wardrobe. I have one pair of pants for going out and the rest are sweat pants.

@@HuneComz I just paid $140 for my Protein powder for 2 week pre-op diet. Although that seems like a lot - I realized that I spend at least that (more like $200) every weekend going out to eat. So - 2 weekends without going out to eat - I'm saving $$$. Sell some of your clothes at a consignment shop or online (don't use ThredUp) and buy clothes at thrift or consignment stores (or online). You'll probably spend less than you would otherwise. I've spent thousands in medical expenses this past year (and last year as well) - most due to my obesity.

With expenses from surgery will also come savings!

I was forced to pay $224 for 3 wks worth of Protein Meal Replacements. Of all things I had to pay for, this bothered me the most because I do not eat/drink anything with sucralose, and the protein meal replacements my surgeon wanted me to use contained it... And of course, my insurance wouldn't cover it.

But other than that (Had to gripe haha), I have already saved so much by just what I order in dining out (which unfortunately is a huge part of my current job). Example, a small bowl Soup vs an appetizer plus a meal. On my days that I don't work, I eat at home instead of going out, and right there, I save ~$15 a meal.

So in the end, we'll save money, and we'll save our lives too.

@sgc - Thanks. I am hoping my change will result in positive changes for my whole family. With 3 boys, I can't afford to eat out often so we don't. I will have to get a more expansive wardrobe due to my job, however I plan on looking for some elastic waist pants so they may fit a little longer as I transition. I bought a couple pieces of clothing this summer before vacation but I have resolved not to buy anything else in my current size.

@KristenLe - I have already tried getting myself excited by thinking of selling clothes in lots to earn some money to in turn purchase clothes as I need them. My surgeon's office said they do a taste-testing of the Protein shakes, broths, etc at a pre-op appointment so that will help me decide what I like so I can find the best deal and purchase before the surgery. And I have also had numerous health issues this past year that I can't help but attribute to my increasing weight.

Just ditching the diet pop habit has saved me a ton.

My best advice is don't stock up on anything. Clothes, Protein anything. Get what you are going to eat in the next week or 2. Purchase clothes that fit now and you will wear immediately. Don't try to save money buying clothes for a size you aren't at yet. You can easily skip sizes. Tire of Proteins or become intolerant.

The biggest unavoidable expense for me has been under garments. Bras are a non-negotiable item. Have to have them, dude being blessed by God, they are never going to cheap. Next shape wear is a must just to be comfortable. Also buy an entire new set of panties every few weeks. These are items you can't get used and they need to be quality.

I have to replace my entire wardrobe. Socks, shoes, coats, boots, underwear, even gloves. All my bracelets are too large. I had a huge clothing, shoe, jewelry collection and parting with all of it was tough but even harder is trying to slowly replace it without buying too much at once. I have about 10 brand new items I purchased last fall and never wore that I am trying to sell now. Until I am done losing, I am never going to buy more than one or two items that I plan on wearing immediately.

Also, smaller clothes aren't really cheaper. Especially when you are constantly purchasing them. You have more of a selection so you have more sales opportunities, but the costs aren't really lower. And if you end up giving into vanity, you will spend even more.

My best advice is don't stock up on anything. Clothes, Protein anything. Get what you are going to eat in the next week or 2. Purchase clothes that fit now and you will wear immediately. Don't try to save money buying clothes for a size you aren't at yet. You can easily skip sizes. Tire of Proteins or become intolerant.

The biggest unavoidable expense for me has been under garments. Bras are a non-negotiable item. Have to have them, dude being blessed by God, they are never going to cheap. Next shape wear is a must just to be comfortable. Also buy an entire new set of panties every few weeks. These are items you can't get used and they need to be quality.

I have to replace my entire wardrobe. Socks, shoes, coats, boots, underwear, even gloves. All my bracelets are too large. I had a huge clothing, shoe, jewelry collection and parting with all of it was tough but even harder is trying to slowly replace it without buying too much at once. I have about 10 brand new items I purchased last fall and never wore that I am trying to sell now. Until I am done losing, I am never going to buy more than one or two items that I plan on wearing immediately.

Also, smaller clothes aren't really cheaper. Especially when you are constantly purchasing them. You have more of a selection so you have more sales opportunities, but the costs aren't really lower. And if you end up giving into vanity, you will spend even more.

hehe You know, I read something you wrote very similar to this awhile ago. I had just put lots of different protein powders in my shopping basket and a lot of other things excited for my new surgery, but after I read what you wrote, I deleted all but one. Omgosh I am so thankful! lol My taste totally changed, and it would've been a complete waste of money. Now I just do what you suggested, little by little. Thank you

My best advice is don't stock up on anything. Clothes, Protein anything. Get what you are going to eat in the next week or 2. Purchase clothes that fit now and you will wear immediately. Don't try to save money buying clothes for a size you aren't at yet. You can easily skip sizes. Tire of Proteins or become intolerant.

The biggest unavoidable expense for me has been under garments. Bras are a non-negotiable item. Have to have them, dude being blessed by God, they are never going to cheap. Next shape wear is a must just to be comfortable. Also buy an entire new set of panties every few weeks. These are items you can't get used and they need to be quality.

I have to replace my entire wardrobe. Socks, shoes, coats, boots, underwear, even gloves. All my bracelets are too large. I had a huge clothing, shoe, jewelry collection and parting with all of it was tough but even harder is trying to slowly replace it without buying too much at once. I have about 10 brand new items I purchased last fall and never wore that I am trying to sell now. Until I am done losing, I am never going to buy more than one or two items that I plan on wearing immediately.

Also, smaller clothes aren't really cheaper. Especially when you are constantly purchasing them. You have more of a selection so you have more sales opportunities, but the costs aren't really lower. And if you end up giving into vanity, you will spend even more.

I don't know about women's clothes but for men a 2XL shirt is cheaper than a 6 or 7XL. There's also a much greater selection. I can go to Walmart and buy a shirt off the rack vs having to order shirts from a limited selection. Pants also get cheaper when you get under a 50 inch waist. I was gaining weight so I was frequently replacing clothes anyways. Plus my pants wore out quicker due to my thighs being larger. I haven't bought new underwear. Buying 3XL boxers are more expensive than XL and are harder to find. I haven't even gotten new underwear. I do buy clothes that are two sizes too small. I have a function I need to attend October 7th and my smaller pants and shirt are a little snug right now so it gives me something to look forward to to be able to wear them come the 7th.

Buying clothes is something I look forward to. At my size my selection of clothes was limited. I don't know why they make 6 and 7XL shirts with horizontal stripes.

For clothes, just buy a couple mix and match pieces in each size. Accept that you won't have a ton Of variety in your wardrobe as you slim down, but make sure each item makes you feel good.

For bras, you may be able to get a little more mileage out of them by buying a size too small in the band and using an extender for a few weeks. You can also use the the "chicken cutlet" pads to fill out the cups for a bit too.

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@@sgc

A plus size t-shirt at Walmart is 6.88 and a regular size shirt is 4.96 in the Danskin sizes. Yeah there is a price difference but it isn't much. Plus size Levi's are 49.99 at Macy's on sale and the regular sizes are 39.99 on sale. When you get into specialty women's retailers, almost all dresses are $59-89 plus or smaller (of similiar quality).

When you have to get one or 2 shirts because you are supplementing your existing wardrobe, it doesn't matter that they cost $6.88. When you need 7 workout tops at once (so you don't have to do laundry every other day) and they are $4.96 and you might have to get more because they won't fit in 4 weeks. Where is the savings?

I don't know why they make 6 and 7XL shirts with horizontal stripes.

The same reason they assume all PLUS-sized women are also big-busted or enjoy embroidered anchors and seahorses on their clothes! Lol.

@@sgc

A plus size t-shirt at Walmart is 6.88 and a regular size shirt is 4.96 in the Danskin sizes. Yeah there is a price difference but it isn't much. Plus size Levi's are 49.99 at Macy's on sale and the regular sizes are 39.99 on sale. When you get into specialty women's retailers, almost all dresses are $59-89 plus or smaller (of similiar quality).

When you have to get one or 2 shirts because you are supplementing your existing wardrobe, it doesn't matter that they cost $6.88. When you need 7 workout tops at once (so you don't have to do laundry every other day) and they are $4.96 and you might have to get more because they won't fit in 4 weeks. Where is the savings?

Walmart didn't sell shirts in my size so I had to order 6XL polo shirts on Amazon for usually $30 or more. A 2XL at Walmart is about $10-12. Pants were also about $40 for a 58 waist vs about $15 for a 44 waist. I always had issues with shrinking. Now I want my clothes to shrink in the wash.

For workout clothes, I just use some of my old bigger clothes.

Buy clothes off ebay or charity shops think in US you call them thrift shops. There seems a big market for Protein shakes in America as well. In uk doctors and advise you to drink milk with added skimmed milk powder and vary the diet.

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There are trade-offs in things that you will no longer have to buy. So it won't strictly be a financial add-on to your existing budget in all cases.

You won't need the Protein shakes in the same quantity that you do as a new post op. Once you transition back into real food, the goal is to get most of your protein from that source.

As far as replacing your wardrobe, I wouldn't invest a lot of money in that area until you've lost all your weight. You'll be going through a lot of sizes very quickly. In the meantime, there's always belts and suspenders to cinch them up, along with thrift stores and Goodwill.

Best of luck!

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I personally am a giant fan of thredUp.com I've gotten some great deals (4 pairs of jeans for 17 bucks. A winter coat for 25 etc) and everything I have bought is in excellent condition.

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