6 hours ago
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March 18, 2026 — 5:01am
I went through menopause in my 40s and didn’t know any friends who were at that stage too. What I know in hindsight was that many of my girlfriends were in their own silent battle, too embarrassed to talk about their symptoms.
Menopause felt like a flashing neon sign that declared we were “middle-aged”, and with that came all the connotations and judgments we had quietly absorbed over the years.
There certainly wasn’t as much public discussion about hormones as there is today. I wasn’t even aware until I was almost through it that there was a stage called perimenopause.
What I didn’t understand as a result, was that so much of how I was behaving wasn’t a personality flaw or sudden incompetence. It was hormones. And I know I’m not alone.
Today, menopause is a multibillion-dollar industry. That’s because millions of women are spending serious money trying to manage symptoms, from brain fog, anxiety and insomnia to hot flushes, mood swings, joint pain and sheer exhaustion. And there are plenty of snake oil salesman ready to sell miracle solutions.
I would know. I spent thousands of dollars over the years trying to manage many of these symptoms. On supplements, specialists, creams, tests, pills and treatments. Eventually, after much research and swapping stories with girlfriends, I realised menopausal hormone therapy (MHT, formerly known as HRT) was right for me. Then I had to search for a GP willing to work with me to make it happen.
Menopause isn’t just a health issue. It’s an economic one.
That process alone took a couple of years and was financially and emotionally draining. But the financial story of menopause doesn’t stop at medical costs.
What we’re beginning to understand is that many symptoms women experience during perimenopause and menopause are mislabelled as depression, anxiety, burnout or simply ageing.
And because women often feel like they are losing control cognitively, emotionally and physically, they respond by making big life decisions such as leaving high-pressure jobs, dropping to part-time employment, selling businesses, leaving marriages and retiring earlier than planned.
I get it. I remember recording a podcast series while I was at the height of perimenopause. During the recording sessions, my mind would go blank, I’d mix up analogies and lose my train of thought mid-sentence.
During filming a promotional reel, mid hot-flush, one of the younger women gently asked if I wanted powder because I was sweating profusely. I laughed it off, but I was mortified.
On the outside I looked competent. On the inside I felt like my brain had been unplugged. But I muddled through. Most days at least. And while I chose to sell my accounting firm and close my financial planning firm during that period, it’s a decision I would still make today. But I can see how easily it could have been different.
Other women aren’t so fortunate.
The UK Fawcett Society’s 2022 Menopause and the Workplace survey found that one in 10 women had left a job because of menopause symptoms, while 14 per cent had reduced to part-time work. These are often women in their 40s and 50s, which should be typically peak earning years, who are now facing another gap in earnings.
In Australia, a 2022 report by the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees estimated that the lost earnings and superannuation linked to menopause costs $17 billion a year, with one in seven women experiencing a financial penalty from reducing hours or retiring early.
And that figure doesn’t include the cost of treatments, additional GP visits, scans, medication or supplements. All this proves menopause isn’t just a health issue; it’s also an economic one. Which means we need to plan for it financially, not just medically.
To help you, here are some of my best financial habits for those approaching or in perimenopause:
- Start building your health team early. Don’t wait until symptoms are unmanageable. And if your GP dismisses you, find another. I had to try four before I found one who listened.
- Consider therapy if needed. Not because you’re “failing”, but because navigating this transition while maintaining work, relationships and finances requires support.
- Plan for increased medical costs. This includes building a cash buffer so you’re ready. Expect more appointments, tests and scans, and factor in prescription costs. It’s far easier to manage these expenses proactively than to swipe a credit card in desperation.
- Automate everything so you’re protected from you. Hormonal shifts can make some women more impulsive, both emotionally and financially. Automate wherever possible so it’s not left up to you, including savings, bills and investing. And avoid bad debt. Protect the long-term plan from short-term turbulence.
- If your workplace offers menopause leave or flexible arrangements, use them. Advocate for them if they don’t.
- And stay informed. There are extraordinary medical professionals speaking openly now, including Dr Mary Claire Haver, Dr Louise Newson and others who are offering evidence-based guidance. The more educated you are, the less likely you are to make fear-based decisions.
Changing hormones can temporarily distort how you feel about yourself and the choices you make. It’s about recognising the season you’re in, protecting your financial foundations, and making decisions from stability, not from brain fog or exhaustion.
Because menopause is a chapter. It shouldn’t be the reason your financial story derails.
Melissa Browne is a former financial adviser. She is now a financial educator licensed to give general advice and a best-selling author. Her latest book is Dare To Be Wealthy.
- Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.
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