Taking supplements seems like the responsible and financially sound thing to do. You’re taking care of yourself today, so that you don’t rack up thousands of dollars in medical bills down the road. But if that’s the case, how come they’re so expensive?
If you just go to your local supermarket and buy a bunch of supplements at once, you’ll probably feel every dollar you spend. But if you put a little more thought into it, you can definitely save some money while getting high-quality ingredients. After all, who doesn’t love a good deal?
Buy Supplements in Bulk
Although buying bigger quantities of supplements is initially more expensive, doing so will save you money in the long run. Why buy smaller quantities for more money when you’re just going to need more anyway? Buying in bulk is always a good idea if you’re going to use that much product anyway.
If you’re worried about your supplements expiring, don’t be. Vitamins generally don’t expire, and neither do other supplements like fish oil. They just lose potency over time.
To ensure that you’re getting the highest possible potency supplements, check the expiry date. Then plan out how much you’ll use by that time, and feel free to purchase your supplements accordingly.
Shop at Local or Family-Owned Stores
Brand-name supplements, just like brand-name anything, are pretty overpriced. You can get higher quality supplements for cheaper if you shop at local or family owned-stores.
These businesses are also much more trustworthy when it comes to actually put what’s on the label in the supplement bottle. According to the information found at Supplement First, employing a team of nutritional experts and having supplements clinically tested is vital. This isn’t the case for most brand-name supplement companies, who might cut corners to increase their profit margin.
Shop Online
Some companies have the same supplements priced differently online from in-store, with online oftentimes being cheaper. Not only that but there are plenty of online-only vitamin companies that offer great products at very affordable prices. The shipping is typically at a very low cost or even free.
Opt for Tablets
You can take your supplements in various forms. You can have a vitamin C tablet, gummy, chewable, or capsule. But guess which one is the cheapest? It’s always tablets.
Plus, you can always split a tablet if you don’t need to take the whole supplement. Splitting a tablet is also useful if you want to take bits of the supplement throughout the day for more effective absorption. Taking a high concentration of vitamins in one go is less effective, as most of it ends up in your urine, which is a waste of your money.
Be on the Lookout for Sales and Discounts
Always be on the lookout for a good deal. Supplement companies run deals regularly, so shop at places that do this.
Buy Only What You Need
Supplements are great, but too many of them might be costing you both financially and health-wise. Talk to your doctor about which supplements you can benefit from, and purchase those.
If you don’t have any special medical conditions but still want to take supplements, you can get by with a multivitamin and a couple more. This depends on your lifestyle.
An alarming amount of people are deficient in vitamin D and don’t get enough sun, so take some vitamin D if that sounds like you. Vitamin C might be useful to you if you’re entering flu season, or you’ve recently caught some other virus.
If you’re watching your heart health, fish oil is a stellar supplement to incorporate into your everyday life. And if you’re a vegan, you might want to take vitamin B12 as it’s only found in animal products, and it’s difficult to absorb even by non-vegans.
Supplements are there to fill in the nutritional gaps in your regular diet. As crops become less and less nutritionally dense in exchange for a higher yield, supplements are becoming increasingly important to our health.
Despite this, you shouldn’t try to replace your meals with supplements. It’s incredibly unhealthy and costly. Buy what you need and try to make more responsible decisions when it comes to your diet too.
Compare Prices Between Different Companies
It’s convenient to walk into a store and buy everything you need right there, but comparing prices between different stores is top-tier advice when it comes to saving money. Supplement companies are in competition with each other, so not all of them offer their products at the same prices.
Shop for different supplements at different stores, and purchase them at whichever one offers the best deal. However, make sure you check the contents on the back of the supplement jar to ensure that you’re not just paying less for an inferior product.
Taking supplements is a great way to ensure that you stay healthy and fit for as long as possible. But you also don’t want to spend half of your paycheck on one supermarket trip. Using these tips, you’ll be saving money and improving your health at the same time.