Feel free to delete if not appropriate..... I just wanted to give some hope to anyone out there wondering if they can participate in this sport without significant time/money investment.

I decided in January to compete in an NPC competition in April. I go to a basic chain gym for $20 a month.  Until this competition, I had never worn earrings (I don't have pierced ears), or gotten fake nails or a fake tan. I'd never met another bikini competitor. I never had a coach, nutritionist, posing consult, heart rate monitor, nutrition calculator. 

The unavoidable expenses: NPC membership, competition registration, tanning, makeup (possibly avoidable but I really had no idea how to do this). Each of these was approximately $150, adding up to $600 total.

Other expenses: bikini ($100), shoes ($30), earrings and bracelets ($30), silky robe ($15), glue-on fingernails ($5).

Time expenses: hours at the gym (obviously) and hours on youtube and elsewhere, learning the basics of posing, what to expect, etc.  

All together, the experience cost me $800. It was an intense 3 months of prepping - mostly just trying to lose enough weight to fit into the itty-bitty bikini I bought - but doable.

On competition day, I found the other competitors to be very positive and encouraging. They gladly answered all my amateur questions. I placed 5 out of 6 girls in my class, but it felt as good as first place.

Kudos to the women who go all in for this sport (it's intense!), but I didn't have the money for that kind of investment. I wasn't looking to place or be competitive, but I just wanted the experience. I still learned a lot, had fun, and will look back on this experience positively.

For anyone questioning if you can do this...... YES YOU CAN!