Do you want to transition?  Are you strapped for cash?  You are not alone.  Many in the trans community struggle with financial frustrations, although some to a greater degree than others.  Most people feel they could use more money, and there are few who do not wish to better their financial situation.  But for some, the realities of economic status preclude all but the most rudimentary changes toward transitioning to the gender that makes them most comfortable.  Trapped in low-income jobs as a bio-female, many FTMs have little hope of ever fulfilling their dream of becoming the man they really are.  Their loved ones often share in their sorrow and frustration.  They despair of ever being able to transition.

Take heart.  The transition of your dreams is just around the corner if you really want it.  Approach this problem as you would any other financial challenge.  Brainstorm with your partner (if applicable) over the household budget.  (Or make one if you don’t have one now.)  Squeezing out a few dollars here and there to go into saving towards psychotherapy, medical care, hormones, new wardrobe, legal costs, or surgery can seem small…but they do add up over time.  Just try to find ways to cut out expenses that are not necessities of life…like cigarettes (you need to quit anyway or your nipple grafts won’t “take”), alcohol, vacations, and other luxuries.  Sound like a barebones existence?  Well, it’s all a matter of priorities.  If you really want the transition, you’ll do it.   When you have enough money, create a separate savings account just for your Transition Fund.  That will lessen the temptation to spend the money on other things.

If this all sounds too complicated…think again.  The transition process is a long and expensive one.  If you do not develop the discipline to save and budget your money, your chances of actually being able to do this (barring a lottery win or unexpected inheritance) are pretty slim.  That the process takes a very long time goes without saying.  My beloved waited 30 (yes…thirty) years to transition to a more comfortable place in life.  His newfound peace of mind and ease in “his own skin” was immeasurably worth the discipline that has been required of us to pay for his care.

To learn how to set up a budget, by going to http://www.dacomp.com/budget1.html .  Specific information defining a household budget, clear instructions on setting one up, links to other financial sites, and a reading list are available.

Once you begin the transition and the bills begin to come in, there are a few techniques you can use to lessen their impact.  Responsible use of credit cards can be a real blessing in this process.  If you do not have a credit card, apply for one…or preferably two.  If you are turned down, reapply with a company that offers secured cards.  Use it responsibly to pay for bills that you already have…not to run up extra bills that you can ill afford.  Eventually you will get a higher credit limit…and inevitably the pre-approved offers will come.  Shop for the card that offers the best features such as a good Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and no annual fee.  When you have two good credit cards, you do not need any more.  These two will suffice for what credit you will need.  Ideally you should have most of the money saved, so that the card can be paid off monthly as the bills arrive, saving you some mega-bucks in interest.  But, failing that, use a technique that we found useful when the big bills are imminent…such as surgery.  Here’s what we did:  we paid as much in cash up front as we possibly could, then charged the rest to one of our cards.  We then made a balance transfer to the other one, taking advantage of a special offer that gave us an excellent APR.  This greatly reduced our interest costs.  I mean, you want to pay for transition, not interest and fees.

While there are numerous funding sources for folks with good credit standing such as banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions that cater to the financial needs of medical patients, I will leave it to other authors to address those topics.  Most of us cannot access those funding sources due to our financial situation.  If you can, you are blessed. 

Do not think that we were above accepting help.  We weren’t.  Our family came through with quite a bit.  While I realize that this will not be true for everyone, I do want to caution you to accept any help that is offered.  Pride is a wonderful thing, but refusing needed financial help is foolish.  Take what is offered with gratitude expressed freely.  The giver wants you to have the money…or they wouldn’t have offered it.

Tell your therapists and doctors that you are low-income.  Sometimes they will reduce their fees or allow you to make payments.  Doctors will sometimes help you find free medication or donate syringes and other needed supplies.  There is a program available to help with medication costs.  This organization was established by volunteers dedicated to alleviating the plight of an ever increasing number of patients who cannot afford their prescription medication.  They can be reached online at http://www.themedicineprogram.com/ .  For those without Internet access, the address and phone numbers are:

                           The Medicine Program

                            P.O. Box 515

                            Doniphan, MO 63935-0515

                            Telephone:  (573) 996-7300

You will need to fill out an application and send in a $5.00 fee (for each medication request) to begin the process of obtaining your medicine.

I’m sure there are many other ways to stretch dollars besides what I have mentioned here, but these are the techniques that worked for us.  I hope they will help you, too.