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For Brisbane mother of two, Kim Hamson, affording period products this year has been tough.
After struggling to afford sanitary items for herself for several years growing up, which saw her improvising products and cutting pads in half, she hoped her struggle was over.
Then things got more expensive this year.
Ms Hamson said she had a "very strict budget" when purchasing sanitary items for her 19-year-old daughter.
"We're buying what we can afford and then buying when things are on special, and I suppose that's not a bad thing, but it's the not having a choice," she said.
She said she and her children regularly "go without other items" just to afford essentials like period products.
"It takes your dignity away when you can't afford sanitary items," she said.
"The sanitary aisle is normally the seventh or eighth aisle down, so you've already put a whole heap of stuff in, so then you actually start pulling stuff out."
Products reach all-time high in August
WiseList is a grocery and money-saving app in Australia which compares product prices across major supermarkets.
According to data provided to the ABC, the cost of period products has been steadily increasing all year, peaking at an average of $11.13 in August.
The app found the average price of sanitary products, including period underwear, menstrual cups and all other product types, in August at Woolworths was $11.99, and at Coles $10.26 – a sharp increase from March and April.
WiseList creator Adrian Liu said the app had picked up on fluctuations in pricing when it came to period products.
"Comparing the price of sanitary products from this time last year, the price has increased a lot," Mr Liu said.
"There's been about a 4.46 per cent increase and that's a high figure compared to what we saw two years ago."
October has trended down slightly, however WiseList said the average price of all sanitary items was still around $9.75.
Other essential items had also increased this year, causing household spending in general to go up.
According to the data, Mr Yiu said oral care, medicines and shower and bath care at supermarkets had seen an "increase of approximately 6.84 per cent yearly".
For 19-year-old Angelina Inthavong, when it comes to buying period products, cost of living pressures have certainly been back of mind.
The Health Science student at ANU in Canberra said she had been buying cheaper items and swapped product types altogether.
"I've definitely used a lot more period underwear, just because it's really expensive at the start but I know it's an investment that will pay off down the line," she said.
"It's really helped me manage some of the costs by getting to use them again."
But Ms Inthavong said it had been "really horrible" paying more for products this year, and estimated she was spending around $15 per period.
"The other day I had to spend $5 for a packet of pads which I feel like a couple of years ago was around $2 dollars … it's really sad," she said.
"And myself, as a woman of colour and a woman from a multicultural background, there's a lot of additional barriers like not wanting to use tampons and wanting to use something else instead."
Government 'needs to intervene' on prices, experts say
Gender equity researcher at Western Sydney University, Sarah Duffy, thinks more can be done at a national level to address increased prices.
Dr Duffy has led period poverty research at her university, tracking demand for free products in bathrooms across campus.
"The cost of period products are set by market forces, and since the cost of most things have gone up right now, period products are also costing more," Dr Duffy said.
"There is no intention by the government to ensure that the cost of these essential products remain affordable."
According to Plan International, almost 6 in 10 Australian women are finding it more difficult to pay for menstrual products than they were before the current cost of living crisis.
The average person who menstruates will spend $10,000 in their lifetime on period products – which does not include pain management.
And, although the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was removed from menstrual products in 2019, Dr Duffy said cost pressures this year were "significant".
"They may now use products for longer than is recommended, which can cause rashes and other hygiene related issues, or they might also forgo school, work or other activities."
Buying in bulk, look for specials
For Share the Dignity founder Rochelle Courtenay, her advice to combat high prices this year has remained the same.
Share the Dignity provides free period product packs in bathrooms across the country and has recorded a 30 per cent increase in demand this year alone — estimating periods are costing $3 more on average.
"We're seeing a different group of people experiencing period poverty [this year] and those are the people who do have jobs," Ms Courtenay said.
"Period products are the last things on their list they are able to afford – they're using washers and towels and are cutting pads in half to make them last longer."
In terms of combating prices, she said planning for when you are buying products can help.
"Look out for the specials – there are so many times when you can get two for the price of one and that's when you need to be stocking up," she said.
"And look at the Share the Dignity map online of where your local access to free products is."
Kim Hamson certainly hopes rising prices aren't forever.
"It's degrading, it's a whole lot of things that I could say but I will end up crying," she said.
"And no one, not a single person, should go without."