Former contestant details how much it really costs to be on 'The Bachelor'

For young women, securing a spot on "The Bachelor” might seem like a dream come true. The promise of living in a luxurious home, visiting exotic locales and wearing gorgeous gowns, all while attempting to sweep a hunk off his feet is tempting enough to make anyone quit their day job for a chance at love and reality TV fame.

But when the shows wraps, a different reality sets in. You’re no longer one of the stars of one America’s most watched cultural phenomena. You’re a former contestant of a dating show who happens to be broke. At least this is the case for former contestant and nanny, 23-year-old Bekah Martinez, who participated in the Arie Luyendyk Jr. season.

In a recent interview with Glamour, Martinez detailed the cost of assembling a wardrobe for the show. “I probably spent about $700 or $800 on that stuff, but when I got back to Los Angeles, I was so broke I returned everything that still had tags on,” Martinez said.

She was ill-prepared to appear on the two-month series, watching older seasons for research on what she might need to pack, estimating at least 10 dresses should she advance late into he show. She borrowed clothes from friends and family. According to Martinez, the show supplied little things, “like face wash, face wipes, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner.”

With personal hygiene mostly covered by the show’s producers, it was Martinez’s personal finances that remained the biggest question mark prior to filming. “Figuring out my rent and bills before I left was pretty difficult,” she told Glamour. “I paid one of my monthly rents in advance, and then I gave my roommate the check to deposit if the second month came around and I wasn’t back.”

If you don’t remember Martinez’s (known as "Bekah M.") on the show, you may remember her appearance on the missing persons list in Humboldt County earlier this year. The listing turned out to be a false alarm.

Martinez shot down rumors that she went to work on a marijuana farm. In an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Martinez said that she “decided to go to the mountains with my friends for a couple weeks and I was there for six or seven days without phone service.”

Martinez's Instagram bio currently reads, “Everyone makes mistakes. I just make them in public.”