The Cost Of Competing In A Bikini Competition

The Cost Of Competing in a Bikini competition (Fitness America FAP not NPC)

Since my competition, I’ve had a lot of people ask me how much it costs to compete.  Luckily for you, I kept a very detailed log of everything I was spending on my journey to the stage.  If you didn’t read about my show experience, you can see it here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

I’m going to be honest, I spent MUCH more than I thought I would.  I’m also the type of girl who likes to use a coupon for everything so I made sure to get the best deal possible on everything I purchased and I still spent a ton.

Here’s a look at the breakdown of all my expenses for my fitness show.

Total Costs:

  • Shoes:  $46.74
  • Suit, bikini bite & shaper pads:  $ 94.66
  • Swarovski diamonds for suit:  $35.29
  • Chicago Luvabull  sportswear costume: $92.17
  • Stage Jewelry: $35.99
  • Robe: $30
  • Stage Tan:  $54.71
  • Entry Fees: $125
  • Hair: $145
  • Makeup: $81
  • Travel (gas): $70
  • Hotel: $180
  • Coaching: $205

Total: $1,195.56

After I added up the costs I couldn’t believe how much it costed!  I know many girls don’t compete because of the cost and now I completely understand!  Luckily, if I decide to do another show, I will have some of the things I need and won’t have to spend money on the shoes, robe, makeup etc.

Even though my total is high, I did find a few ways to save money during this journey. Here are a few tips on how to save money to compete.

How To Save Money-

  1. Look on Deal Sites. Look on groupon.com, livingsocial.com or deal sites like this for stage jewelry.  They always offer swoarvski jewelry.
  2. Stone Your Suit Yourself! I used suitsyouswmwear.com and bought the most basic suit and added the stones to it myself using E6000 glue.  The gems suck on perfectly too throughout the show.  I was worried they would fall off but they didn’t at all.  I actually enjoyed stoning my suit myself.  It was fun! (I got my swarovski crystals here – make sure to go with flat backs like these so you can glue them on)
  3. Use Coupon Codes! I used snaz75.com to order my huge 5″ clear shoes for the show and used the coupon code BODY75 to get 10% off.  I’m not sure if that coupon code is still valid but you should try!
  4. Make Your Own Sportswear Costume! I made my own sportswear costume.  I just bought some sew on letters from ebay.com, a sports bra which I cut and modified myself and some bikini bottoms and pom poms for my Chicago Bull’s Luvabull costume.  I also stoned this costume myself because I wanted more bling (using the same E6000 glue which was the only stuff that actually held!)!
  5. Do Your Own Hair and Makeup.  I chose to have my hair and makeup done professionally, however you could do it yourself if you’re good at it and save a lot of money.
  6. Stay Local.  Find a competition that is close to you so you don’t have to spend money on gas and a hotel.  There are SOOOO many competitions around the country that you could pick from.  I chose to do one in Chicago because that’s where I grew up, however I had to travel and get a hotel for it.
  7. Rent a suit and/or sportswear.  There are a few sites like divaexchange.com where you can rent a suit instead of buying one and stoning it yourself.

Erinbikini

ErinBulls

Do you have any tips on saving money for a fitness, bikini, figure or bodybuilding competition?  If so, leave a comment below!!

The Cost Of Competing In A Bikini Competition

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6 thoughts on “The Cost Of Competing In A Bikini Competition”

  1. Thanks for recommending Diva Exchange on your blog!!

    Competitors can also sell any suits and competition items on Diva Exchange to make a return on expenses – as well as finding great deals to purchase gently used suits, heels, jewelry, etc.

    Best of luck competing in the 2013 season!! It’s going to be a fun one!

    Reply
  2. I do my own tanning which helps keep costs down 🙂 Competitors can also find used suits at reasonable prices on siouxcountry.com in the “Suits For Sale” forum!

    T.

    Reply
    • I did my own tanning too. I used JanTana (jantana.com) that I rubbed on. I still had to buy the kit but it was cheaper than getting it done at the show.

      Reply

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