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Good health sometimes comes with a price tag in the form of more expensive food and supplements, but at my house we try to cut corners and save money where we can while maintaining quality. And that’s why I started my 52 ways to save money on a healthy diet. I know that I am not the only one out there who wants to eat well and be healthy, but also has limited resources.
Recently I have been taking far more supplements than ever before. While my opinion on some supplements remains cautious (I’d love for my diet to be so nutrient-dense that I don’t need any extra nutrition from supplements, and then just use herbs, and essential oils as needed), I am currently, under the advice of my doctor, taking a variety of supplements to bolster my immune system, and make sure that I reach optimal nutrition levels, instead of just “good” nutritional levels.
But guess what? Supplements are expensive. Some of the ones I take right now are not only expensive, but also only available through doctors. But others are available widely, which allows me freedom to budget shop for them.
I thought I would share some of the ways I’ve saved money on supplements, which is even more important if you are taking them long term. Saving five or ten dollars on an item adds up when you are buying a bottle or two a month!
Compare, compare, compare
The first thing I do is compare prices from a variety of places. I can buy some supplements locally, but they are generally retail price. Online I look at a variety of places to compare prices, and of course compare them to what I can buy locally.
Do buy from a reputable place
Some small “companies” (aka people trying to sell supplements online) aren’t very successful, and their stock is older. They may have cheap prices, but I wouldn’t recommend buying from them. Sometimes they have their own website and sometimes they are a third party selling through Amazon. If you haven’t already, check out the Better Business Bureau’s advice for online shopping safety here.
Where I buy
Currently, I have personally been ordering from two of my affiliates, Amazon.com and/or Vitacost.com. I also buy cod liver oil and my butter oil from building-health.com, as they have free shipping on orders of $50 or more.
One supplement I am currently taking is Floradix, which I personally feel is the best supplement for iron. It’s much more absorbable, and does not cause constipation. I save about ten dollars from buying from either place instead of buying at a local store.
Watch out for shipping
However, do watch out for shipping costs. Sometimes third party sellers selling through Amazon have good prices, and then tag on really high shipping costs, so watch out for that. Vitacost has really reasonable shipping prices, and it’s free over a certain amount as well. If you have Amazon prime, then shipping is free as well. It’s important to watch the shipping prices because shipping costs can eat up your savings quickly.
Use Coupons (on and offline)
Certain companies, such as Vitacost, give out a lot of coupon codes. Keeping track of them yourself, but also doing a Google search for “Vitacost coupon codes” before you order gives you the opportunity to make sure you haven’t missed any coupons. And, of course, this works locally as well.
Consider brands that are quality but not as expensive
The NOW brand of supplements are generally less expensive, but I’ve heard from several unbiased and reputable people that they are, generally speaking, very high quality. I’ve bought several different supplements that were under the NOW label and was happy with them. When buying from Vitacost, you will notice that they have their own brand as well, which is generally significantly cheaper than other brands. In deciding which brand to go with when buying supplements I would look at it on a case-to-case basis, but the less expensive brands are often high quality. Just because one brand it marked up, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better.
Sign up for automatic shipment
On both Amazon and Vitacost, certain supplements have a cheaper price if you sign up for a monthly/quarterly shipment. This works great for supplements you know you need to buy on a consistent basis. You don’t have to remember to order it, and you get a cheaper price!
So you have any tips for saving money on supplements? I’d love to hear.
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I am part of a buying group and we buy from Frontier.com with amazing prices. Minimum is $250, I think. The group is large enough that we order monthly. Also I order through Azure.com. Again through a group so my minimum is only $50. Azure is best for customers in the West, because they ship their own trucks thataway, but you can also have it shipped via UPS.
I have to second Frontier! It’s been the cheapest I’ve found for many many supplements. I’m also part of a co-op that orders monthly, which is nice. We also use Azure, but I do not find them to be comparable at all price wise for supplements. They do carry some brands you might not find elsewhere, but even on sale their prices can’t beat Amazon or iHerb.com, which has free shipping on 25 or 35$ orders? — As for Frontier, they don’t carry everything. I often find myself buying from multiple sources to save money.
I have found pureformulas.com to be good on some items that I use – but then higher on other items. So check each one separately. One thing about this website that is really good is that it is free shipping all the time — so even if the per item price is higher – with the shipping figured in, it can be the same or better. Also shipping is super fast.
Thanks for the recommendation! So good to know. 🙂
iHerb is really cheap with just $ 4 shipping to Canada. I get my organic RAW protein powder half price there, as well as half price MACA. Some things are tons cheaper, some things aren’t. I take some supps I can’t find online anywhere without huge shipping costs, like my liquid K2, so just buy it here at Whole Foods. I will try Frontier now that people are recommending it.
Thanks for the recommendation and tips, Barb!
Would you mind naming the supplement in the photo with the black dropper cap?? Is it colloidal silver drops? I am also looking for a great magnesium supplement for the family. Could you please suggest some? Thanks!
Kimi…if you belong to ebates you get typically 6% back from every Vitacost purchase in a check. I just got one today, in fact. You sign up, then look up the site you are going to and click through. Easy.
Thanks for letting me know, Chrissy!