Changing yourself is not a personal thing only.  Hair removal, facial feminization, going to doctors ,and specialists of all kinds.   Not everything you can do yourself and it all costs money.

How do you do that ? Do you skip all the other expenses and live like a monk to save money ? Do you have rich parents ?  Did you win the lottery ? Or do you have some other strategy ?

Should there be a self-help group for this on this forum ? 

And what was your budget for those who went all the way already ? How much did it all cost if you kept track of it.

Parents.  If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be post-op today.

I bought a house and fixed it up then refinanced it three times (for "transition" money).  Now I rent it out to pay the mortgage. 

Doing that I was able to borrow the money for SRS, FFS, BAS, laser, electrolysis, even the money I used to see a therapist and to get letters.

I borrowed money and then was able to borrow again about five years later when house values went up more.  Then more recently for FFS and BAS I failed to qualify for a re-finance but my bank gave me a line of credit based upon my home equity.

If I could have seen into the future or if I had been more brave I would not have wasted the money I borrowed during the first refinance and I would have been able to go to Dr. Ousterhout.

Very rich and accomodating parents I fear... (sadly now both long since passed away) 

I started working part time in high school and full time after. I am not very good at saving money so I bought things that would either appreciate in value or at least hold their own. Ten years later, the chance for SRS came up so I sold everything I owned and went for it.

So far it's been to work like crazy and deprive myself of other things. It would certainly be nice to have a wealthy benefactor, but I'd rather not wait for miracles.

One of the things that makes me most conscious of not coming out at work until I'm presenting well enough - I can't afford to lose the job. It's financing the transition as well as food, clothing, & shelter.

First it came for my job, but now it is coming from unemployment.  I have applied for disability, so maybe it will come from that.

A few hundred dollars a month? Yes, I have that much room in my budget, thought things are rather tight. I don't have anything saved up for surgury yet, though. That will take some creativity -- perhaps borrowing against retirement? I should be able to get a decent salary in a few years, i.e., after I graduate. At least, compared to the grad school stipend I get now.

Oh I just noticed the bit about budget... This is where having it done so long ago really helped. Total cost to date is less than £10,000 (about $15000) and I spent about a third of that only very recently on an optional minor revision.

So the original total cost including the small amount of electrolysis that I needed was well less than £7000 ($10,000) ALL INCLUSIVE.

One of the very few advantages of being old enough to have taken advantage of pre inflation prices... With today's costs I don't know how people manage.

I was a Draftsperson (drawing and designing roads and drawing bridges), which is a technical trade and using this skill I was able to pay for all my living and medical costs and have spending money throw in to boot.  While I was changing my life around my job paid for my operation and my new lease on life.

Kind regards
Sarah B

Good question

My best friend lent me the money for my SRS and first Boob job now since paid back. Everything else I've paid cash for myself (electrolysis, FFS and second boob job last year in Chicago.)
Altogether must be around 60 thousand Dollars I've spent. But worth every penny, cos I'm so happy with everything

Saved up money

My mom also helps me out a lot.

I paid $6/7 for gas for years and paid $240 p.a for privilege of owning a television...and so when i needed to transition the money was there waiting in the government's coffers...

I inherited a little and saved a lot.  I had a job that paid well, and I was married to someone who had one too.  We lived like we weren't being paid very well, saving for our retirement.  She died and left me with her share.

An advantage(?) of putting it off for 25 years was that I was able to sock away enough to pay for it all.  There's enough slack in my monthly budget to pay for hair removal.  My insurance is paying almost all of my doctor, therapist and pharmacy bills.  Even including hair removal and a whole new wardrobe, I doubt that it will cost me more than $50K altogether, but I have no plans for FFS or BA.

I will have to live frugally, but I'll be living frugally as a woman.

- Kate

I sold my life savings/investment/college funds.

got alot of non transition stuff, but that's what happens when I was in a "shell" trying to make everything "go away" for the last decade.

(I'm all the better for it since I'm not buying cool useless junk that I'll never touch not less use anymore)

edit: insurance via the state helped alot, I wouldn't be at the stage where I am, ready for surgery, without good cheap insurance to cover doctors visits, therapy and eye surgery.

Also... before I transitioned, I started my own home business.  This way I not only had the money, I had the freedom from stress, etc.

I paid for my electro and laser from earnings while I owned my business. Money for FFS,BA and GRS came from proceeds following the sale of my business. If I'm ever to get hair transplants or other minor things like this, it will have to come from new earnings once I get my career back on track. Personally, I think I might rather go on a cruise or warm weather vacation with Julie someday!

BTW, there are some large U.S. companies that will pay for your SRS. Just look up the Human rights campaign website. They have something called the corporate equality index. It lists companies that are GLBT friendly. Look for the part that talks about trans benefits. Those that will pay for SRS have a * in the health care section. Good luck!

I worked and saved money like a squirrel waiting for a 3 year winter. It was stressful not being able to spend that money and not going out to relax.

No doubt it has taken a toll on me, but I am able to do a lot of things now because of that. In terms of doctor's visits, it is covered by health care by the government.

some years of personal savings "for the future". By the time my surgery and hair removal is complete I will have spent at least 40K. "downstairs" electrolysis alone has cost me over $3500 so far but thankfully that's practically finished now.

Oh well who needs to save for retirement anyway if you can't enjoy your life in the meantime?

I worked and saved heaps before starting anything and it was when I lost my job that I questioned EVERYTHING and just did it, went to a doctor and got the ball rolling.
I used my savings to cover doctor bills, clothes, laser etc and I was also on benefits which helped to cover living costs..but not enough to really enjoy myself but that was fine with me. Now I'm seven months into HRT running low on savings and on the cusp of finding a new job, now that I'm ready, am I ready?? I hope so. Then I'll save money like crazy for a good 18months and hopefully have enough to cover basic SRS, I'd say there is a good chance my parents will chip in to fill in any extra gaps that appear around the time I book. I'm not sure how many extra costs crop up on you when you're on your way to get SRS, hopefully nothing too painful.
12-18months is a long time to wait, but it will be worth it!! ^_^ I also want to avoid banks as much as pos.