Living in the White House has perks—but not everything is covered. Here’s what presidents still pay for.
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Groceries
Though the White House comes with its own chef—which comes with the residence—presidents and their families must pay for their own food. First Lady Michelle Obama confirmed this in a 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “It’s a little shocking, because no one tells you this stuff,” she told Kimmel. But Obama thinks the rule is fair. “Rent is free, staff is free—we shouldn’t be mooching off of the taxpayers,” she said.
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Designer clothing
If the president or first lady wants to wear designer clothing, it’s something they need to pay for themselves, Vigilante tells Reader’s Digest. There is a loophole, though: designers can gift presidents and first ladies outfits, but they have to be donated after one wear. This includes many of the inaugural gowns worn by first ladies.
“There were some costs that I was not prepared for,” former first lady Laura Bush wrote in her memoir, Spoken from the Heart. “I was amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes that I was expected to buy, like the women before me, to meet the expectations for a first lady.”
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Dry cleaning
Not only do presidents have to pay for their own designer clothes, but they also have to cover the dry cleaning, according to CNN. This means that some Washington, D.C. dry cleaner is entrusted with the president’s dirty laundry—literally.
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Staff for private parties
Whenever a president holds a private party in the White House, they are responsible for paying the hourly costs for waiters and cleanup crews, Vigilante says. This aspect of the festivities is not covered by taxpayers, and may deter some presidents from hosting private events in their government residence.
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Gifts for foreign dignitaries
When other heads of state or government visit the United States, there’s an expectation that the president of the United States will give them a gift. But according to Capps, presidents must pay for these gifts out of their own pocket.
Not only that, but there’s a special Diplomatic Gifts Unit within the Office of the Chief of Protocol, which works closely with the staffs of the president, vice president and the secretary of state to help select the gifts presented to foreign dignitaries from the United States.
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Vacation accommodations
When a president goes on vacation, they have to foot the bill for the hotel or rental house where they stay with their family, Vigilante explains. Camp David is an exception to this, as is staying with friends. In addition to their lodging, they also have to pay for their food and incidentals during their getaway, the Washington Post reported. However, the costs of security and travel to and from the vacation are covered.
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Private events outside the White House
If a president wants to hold a private event outside of the White House or Camp David, this is also an expense they must pay for on their own, according to Vigilante. However, unlike private parties held in the White House, the staff are paid for through taxpayer dollars.
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Hairstylists
In more recent administrations, first ladies generally covered their own beauty expenses. Laura Bush hired her own hairstylist for daily blowouts, which the Bush family paid for themselves, CNN reported. Michelle Obama also paid for her own hairstyling and fashion choices during her time in the White House.
Melania Trump similarly paid for her own hair and makeup while she was in the White House, but her post‑White House arrangements drew attention. Federal Election Commission filings show that Donald Trump’s Save America PAC made six‑figure payments to her long‑time stylist for “strategy consulting” after her tenure as first lady. The move sparked controversy, since it’s uncommon for a political committee to pay someone in the personal styling industry. Questions were raised about what the “consulting” actually entailed.
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General household items
Most households need certain things to function, like toilet paper, toothpaste and garbage bags. And while the house itself—that would be the White House—is a perk of being president, the stuff inside is paid for out of pocket. The first family isn’t responsible for utility bills or a mortgage, so “it is more than fair that they pay for personal items like every American household,” Bush wrote in her memoir.
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Some interior decorating
Congress appropriates funds for the care, repair, refurnishing and maintenance of the White House and its grounds. For example, the House and Senate approved a $100,000 stipend in Bill Clinton’s second term to redecorate parts of the White House. However, if the first family spends more than the allocated amount, they have to pay for the difference themselves, according to the White House Historical Association.
Some first families have no problem dropping some serious cash redecorating. In 2017, NBC News reported that the Trump administration had already spent $1.75 million on furniture for the White House and offices tied to it. The outlet estimated that Barack Obama spent roughly $1.5 million over a similar period of time during his time in office.
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Some legal fees
In some instances, the president has to pay for their own legal fees. This was the case for Bill and Hillary Clinton, who left the White House $16 million in debt, NBC News reports. Between the defense attorneys’ fees for scandal investigations and the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton, the legal costs mounted throughout his eight-year presidency, according to NPR.
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Their personal homes
Despite the fact that presidents and their families won’t live in their personal residences for at least four years, they are responsible for paying the mortgage and any upkeep of the houses themselves, according to ThoughtCo. For example, the Obamas continued to pay the mortgage on his Chicago home throughout his time in office, Business Insider reported.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on what presidents pay for themselves, Elizabeth Yuko, PhD, tapped her experience as a longtime journalist and researcher. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Katie Vigilante, senior lecturer in political science at Oxford College of Emory University
- Jennifer Capps, curator and historian at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis
- CNN: “White House living not total free ride”
- Laura Bush: Spoken From the Heart
- U.S. Department of State: Divisions
- Washington Post: “Five myths about presidential vacations”
- The White House Historical Association: “Decorating the White House”
- NBC News: “Trump Spending $1.75 Million on Presidential Furniture, Redecorations”
- NBC News: “Bill Clinton: I wouldn’t have done anything differently in Lewinsky scandal even in #MeToo era”
- NPR: “The Clintons Wrote The Book On How Politicians Climb Out Of Middle Class”
- ThoughtCo: “Presidential Pay and Compensation”
- Business Insider: “How Much Does President Obama Still Owe on His House?”
- Business Insider: “Donald Trump’s Save America PAC paid Melania’s stylist $132,000 in 2022 for ‘strategy consulting'”
- The Jimmy Kimmel Show. “Michelle Obama Interview”
