Frugal Birth Control Method

[Sculpture Widow]

Do you have a college or university nearby??
If you do, it should have a health department/medical center/doc office for the school's students. You should be able to go there and get SUPER SUPER cheap (if not free) condoms.
Our university does not bother to ask for a student ID or anything (plus, you could be any employee or faculty at the school and also have access to the facility).
I doubt they would ask questions, they are just happy that folks are having safe sex.
Just find out where you can buy condoms by calling the school's info center.

[willisfmly]

Originally Posted by leqet This is somewhat contraversial, but check at your library for a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility." By Toni Weschler. She teaches you how to chart your ovulation period. If you are trying to prevent pregnancy, then during the time of month when you are most likely to get pregnant you either abstain or use a condom. It does require you to be very diligent and organized and observant of what your body is doing, but it's free, except for buying a good thermometer (you have to take your temp every morning). We've been using it for three years without incident. I can't use hormonal birth control and have a bad allergy to most condoms. I know many other families that use this method due to religious beliefs, but the book is not religious based at all.

It's called Natural Family Planning and its not nearly as hard as it seems. It's also great because so many women don't really know how their body works. You can google it and find lots of info its very effective, completely FREE and you learn about how your body works and why!!

[CJOVANALST]

My doc gave my a scrip for Tri-Sprintec, which is $9 at my local Wal-Mart... WITHOUT insurance. So far it has worked fine for me.

[anbfraz]

My 16 yo DD has been on Tri-Sprintec for about a year now because she has ovarian cysts that rupture and cause her a lot of pain. So far so good...we want to keep her ovaries from getting scarred and possibly making conception harder waaaaay, waaaaay down the road!

It's about $8 a month at Wal-Mart Pharmacy. Grandchildren...PRICELESS!

[njsmomma]

We have used natural family planning since I gave birth to my first son. I was on BCPs before that and we had a HORRIBLE time trying to concieve after I went off of them. We also started using it for personal beliefs as I had a miscarriage the last month I was on the BCP.

[kval07]

Originally Posted by Maxie1101 Go to Planned Parenthood. They have a sliding scale on charges for birth control depending on your income. If you are in college, the school health clinic usually gives out condoms for free and BCP at a reduced cost.

This is what I was going to say. I got a year's supply at PP. I got it all for free because at the time I had no job and no insurance. Ideally, I would love to get back on Seasonale. I started that pre-Iraq because I only wanted my monthly to come quarterly. Best thing ever. The only thing about Seasonique was it was $100 AFTER insurance. Totally crazy. I don't have that to spare right now. And I totally forgot to enroll in the flex spending account at work. I'm just going to go back to PP even though I have insurance. It'll be way cheaper. The generic BCP I take works okay. No issues yet anyway.

[CW&M Mom]

Originally Posted by indymoney Hi, Do you have any suggestions on frugal, safe way of birth control. We have been using condoms all the time. Never have any idea/thought of other methods. Any suggestions? Please let me know.

I've got a huge bag of condoms...if anyone wants the...for shipping....They need to get used up before the expire.

I have the mirena now...so I no longer need them.

I thought about freecycling them for a while...but just didn't want to see who would actually come pick them up kwim?

[mamamanda]

My advice, as a former nurse for an OB/GYN...

Seasonique! You pay your copay, see your doc, be super nice to the nurse and ask if she has any samples. Get the samples and the script to fill 3 months from now, get that one filled and/or call your nurse friend to see if she has any more samples at that time. Wash, rinse, repeat!

The pros: Seasonique is a great pill for most! 4 periods a year, improved mood, perfect skin, low copay for most insurance plans.

The cons: Drug reps are pretty stingy with the samples, so your office may not have them when you need them.

[kval07]

Originally Posted by mamamanda My advice, as a former nurse for an OB/GYN... Seasonique! You pay your copay, see your doc, be super nice to the nurse and ask if she has any samples. Get the samples and the script to fill 3 months from now, get that one filled and/or call your nurse friend to see if she has any more samples at that time. Wash, rinse, repeat! The pros: Seasonique is a great pill for most! 4 periods a year, improved mood, perfect skin, low copay for most insurance plans. The cons: Drug reps are pretty stingy with the samples, so your office may not have them when you need them.

I got samples for a year from my gyno. That stuff is so expensive but so worth it.

[vickib50]

A bit off-topic, but, I know you will all get a hoot out of this. When I started on birth control pills (I am now 53, so, just count backwards by 10's!), the cost was 99 cents per month. That was not a co-pay or a special government program or anything. The actual cost of them was a mere 99 cents per month. I had to start on them in my teens because of just horrendous menstral pain. The doctor knew my grandmother would have a fit about it, so, he told me they were mild and really wouldn't prevent pregnancy, they were only to control the pain. I believed him! Of course, I got married at 17, so, there wasn't much opportunity to "try them out" to see if they worked before I got married. Then, the doctor kept me on them and when I reminded him that he said they wouldn't prevent pregnancy, he 'fessed up.