Being a rich housewife is one thing, but being one of the Real Housewives is quite another.
Maintaining a TV persona requires a level of investment that some might not be prepared
to make.
So what do these famous faces have to pay for once they nab their coveted cast member
spot?
Here are just some of the expenses involved in the life of a Real Housewife.
Sure, the drama of the Real Housewives is addicting enough, but another one of the best
parts of the show is the cast's outfits.
Not surprisingly, the stars seem to know this, have you ever seen a Housewife wear the same
thing twice?
In fact, Lisa Rinna's costars from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills gave her props
on Watch What Happens Live for her new-and-improved-wardrobe in 2019.
"Well, I hired a stylist this year.
That's the truth.
I mean, I'm gonna be honest.
I hired a stylist."
If you assumed that Bravo picks up the check for the Housewives' clothes, think again.
Alex McCord of The Real Housewives of New York revealed that the ladies are responsible
for all those swanky outfits.
McCord explained that the pressure to dress well is high, since viewers still compare
the Real Housewives to scripted shows that have extensive costume departments.
To save money, she said, some stars will borrow and return items.
"I need to have fashion fashion fashion fashion oozing out of me."
Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Erika Jayne told In Touch Weekly that she spends "$40,000
a month on clothes, shoes, and accessories", and also claimed no one else is footing the
bill for her.
"And I pay my own bills."
Get it, girl.
No Real Housewife is complete without her "glam squad", also known as the hair and makeup
pros who create their TV-worthy looks.
And as Erika Jayne told Wendy Williams,
"If you want to look good, it's hair, it's makeup, it's wardrobe, and then those people
that help facilitate that.
They're not cheap."
Teresa Giudice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey told Glamour that even though she does
her own makeup, she spends an estimated $12,000 per year on hair care alone.
It makes sense when you think about it, Glamsquad, an app that offers even non-celebrities an
easy way to book in-home beauty services, charges $50 for blowouts, $85 for updos, and
$75 for makeup, for example.
Multiply that by every single day a Housewife needs to be on camera during an entire season,
and you're definitely looking at a pretty penny.
Even though the bills can be astronomical, it still seems like it's a "must" for TV.
As Erika Jayne told The Cut:
"Listen, this is a lifestyle.
I don't recommend it to anyone, it's just what I do and it's a lot.
It's a lot of upkeep.
It's a lot of time.
It's a lot of money.
I highlight, process, Brazilian, install...I sit down for a whole day once every eight
weeks and take all my extensions out and redo them.
It's a lot.
You wanna look good?
S--- costs money and takes time.
It just does."
"My weave is exhausted."
Being on reality TV, and in high definition for that matter, means any physical flaws
will be magnified for the world to see.
So it's no wonder many of the Real Housewives have had plastic surgery and other procedures
done, even while they're filming.
One cast member who's been totally open about her anti-aging procedures has been Shannon
Beador of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
On Season 14, she did not just one, but three procedures at once while filming the show,
according to Bravo.
Her bloated and bruised face looked pretty unsightly on the show's episode, but judging
from how she looks now, it seems to have been worth it.
Also, Beador explained, it's hard not to turn to anti-aging procedures after you see yourself
on TV.
The star told Allure,
"When you start to age in front of the camera, you think, what do I need to do here?"
Beador's doctor was also pretty transparent about the price tag.
According to Dr. Brian Reagan, Beador's scalpel-less facelift, which was really a combination of
three procedures, cost in the range of $12,000 to $15,000.
The Real Housewives franchise showcases homes extensively, which reflects on each cast member's
image.
So it's no surprise that many of the women have turned their home-buying adventures into
storylines for the cameras.
One of the most extravagant was Heather Dubrow's home, which she was building during her last
season on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The Newport Beach mansion cost an eye-popping $21 million.
While she was on the show, the audience got to see her pick out everything for her dream
home, and she even spun the reveal of her new house into a series of videos on her YouTube
channel.
By comparison, her former co-star Tamra Judge's home cost $2 million, which is still nothing
to sneeze at!
According to Bravo, the swanky pad, located in a gated community, is:
"Fully furnished with gorgeous artwork on the walls, luxurious rugs and décor galore."
Stephanie Hollman of The Real Housewives of Dallas shelled out $5 million for her home
at an auction and then spent another $2 million just to upgrade it, according to The Dallas
Morning News.
"Okay, welcome to my bathroom."
Hollman claimed it was "unlivable" upon purchase.
The upgrade included $125,000 just to wallpaper the dining room.
Fans got a glimpse of the home in Hollman's tour for Bravo, but true fans could see the
house up close and personal through the company Tour Homes, which was selling walk-throughs
of the Hollman house for $60 a ticket.
When you're a reality TV star, your life is in the spotlight, and it takes a team of people
to make it all look effortless.
Between the long hours of shooting and multiple promotional appearances, who will manage your
schedule, clean your home, or take care of your kids?
That's why many Real Housewives have household staff.
For instance, Dorit Kemsley of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills told E! News,
"Currently, my staff includes [a] baby nurse, [and] Jagger's main nanny, and then I've got
a few nannies for Jagger and Phoenix, to fill in, three full-time housekeepers, and...my
husband's assistant."
One reasonably priced live-in nanny in New York City is said to cost around $37,000 per
year, but some charge well over $100,000.
Personal assistants reportedly can make up to $150,000, while an executive housekeeper
can make up to $100,000, according to Business Insider.
In many cases, having a household staff looks like it's worth the money, but other times,
not so much.
Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Carlton Gebbia, for example, was sued by one of her
ex-housekeepers, who claimed Gebbia not only accused her of stealing, but swung a bat at
her, according to TMZ.
Yet on the flip side, Heather Dubrow's assistant Natalie did so well at her gig that she eventually
became Dubrow's executive director and podcast co-host.
Just like having a great wardrobe and a youthful-looking face, many of the Real Housewives try to stay
in shape for the cameras.
At 53, Dorinda Medley of The Real Housewives of New York decided to get fit, saying she
felt like she'd reached a point of no return.
The star told Page Six:
"You hit a certain age and your body changes and you can't do anything about it and the
only thing you can really do is exercise.
I literally made an investment with a trainer, I put the money up front and just made it
a huge part of my life."
While Medley is exercising five days a week at Equinox in the New York's Upper East Side,
other Housewives have trainers come to their homes.
For example, Shannon Beador of The Real Housewives of Orange County hired a private trainer when
she set out to lose 40 pounds, much to the dismay of her co-star Tamra Judge, who owns
her own gym, Cut Fitness.
Judge wrote in her blog,
"It's very frustrating and a smack in my face to see [Shannon] bring in another trainer
after I've offered so many times."
Wherever the trainer comes from, having one to come to your house every day can be pretty
costly.
A high-end personal fitness trainer reportedly averages $120/hour.
Considering the extravagant lifestyles across the board of the Real Housewives franchise,
if you're going to actually get married in front of the cameras, you'd better bring it.
"Okay, from the amount of money you want to spend, you can have eleven people."
LeeAnne Locken of The Real Housewives of Dallas definitely didn't disappoint when she reportedly
spent $4.5 million on her wedding, according to OK magazine.
Exactly how a wedding can cost $4.5 million is kind of a mystery, but in Locken's case,
it probably had something to do with the 12-foot wedding cake, 17 chandeliers, $25,000 wedding
dress, neon cowboys, and disco ninjas.
Eva Marcille's wedding on The Real Housewives of Atlanta was relatively less expensive,
although she admitted it was tough to keep the cost down.
She told Essence,
"I was naive enough to think that I can plan a wedding for $80,000-$100,000.
I spent well over $350,000."
The wedding, which cost her over $1000 a person, included $20,000 worth of orchids and roses
alone, 12,000 of them, to be exact.
The bride also had three designer dress changes and wore Gucci sneakers underneath her gowns.
She told the Daily Mail,
"To know me is to know I'm still practical."
Even Denise Richards on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had a hard time not spending
a ton of cash on her wedding.
She planned her last-minute ceremony in just two weeks, but still spent over $20,000 for
the venue, which, for many people, can be the cost of an entire wedding.
No Real Housewives season would be complete without an extravagant trip, and with over
10 years of shows in the can, the franchise has yet to disappoint.
But exotic locations come with a steep price tag.
For example, when the cast of The Real Housewives of New York went to St. Barts, they stayed
in luxury villas which cost in the tens of thousands per week, depending on the room
and the season.
Luckily, vacations are one thing that the show helps out with financially.
When asked who foots the bill for the cast vacations, executive producer Andy Cohen told
People,
"It's a combination [of both cast and production contributing to the cost]."
Real Housewives Of New York's Alex McCord also confirmed to RumorFix that Bravo does
help pay for vacations once the franchise is established, so after Season One, the producers
help shell out some dough for those trips.
One of the best parts about being rich is, of course, being able to indulge all your
weird, even absurd, whims.
However, Dana Wilkey of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills still shocked her co-stars
when she showed up to a party wearing a pair of sunglasses worth more than some people's
cars.
According to Glamour, at a price tag of $25,000, Wilkey described the glasses as "four carats
of diamonds, gold python, and made of gold."
Her co-star Kyle Richards responded with what everyone was thinking, saying she'd "hate
to lose them."
"I think spending $25,000 on a pair of sunglasses is asinine."
Shannon Beador of The Real Housewives of Orange County is also known for her interest in feng
shui, which is the ancient Chinese art of harmonizing your own energy with your environment.
The star told Bravo that she's been working with feng shui consultant Elaine Wright to
arrange her living spaces for 15 years, adding,
"I believe in good energy.
And, you know, when you put the intention out there for good things to come to you,
I mean, I am blessed, I've never happier in my life than I am right now.
I do have amazing, good energy around me because everything around me is good."
According to Home Advisor, a "high end" feng shui consultant can cost up to $1500 per consultation.
Those are some pricey good vibes!
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Nicki Swift videos about your favorite celebs are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.