Menstrual Cups from eBay (Generic $.99) CHEAP

Menstrual cups usually vary in price from $19.99 and up. There are over twenty brands to choose from. I've always wanted to try them, but found the price steep since I didn't know if I was going to like them.

While shopping on eBay, I found some generic menstrual cups for $.99-$3 with free shipping. Super cheap! So, I decided to try them. There were maybe 4 different looking kinds. They all said they were medical grade silicone. I still had questions about the quality, were these cups any good? I finally decided that for $1-$2 I couldn't go wrong trying them.

I just finished my first period using one of these menstrual cups and I have to say, I'm hooked! I had no adverse reactions, the cup worked well, and they are cheap. I have conducted no scientific studies on these to test for chemicals or otherwise, just my own personal experience.  If you are interested in trying menstrual cups, the cheap ones on eBay are a great place to start (see links below).

As for the durability of the cups, I don't know yet but if one lasts me for a year that's still a lot less money spent than buying pads or tampons.

Pros

• I felt much cleaner (I usually wear pads)
• Hardly any leaking (maybe wear a panty liner
• No risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome
• Can stay in 12 hours so you only have to change twice a day (if your flow isn't too heavy)
• Cup catches a lot of blood and rarely leaks (compared to a tampon)
• Comfortable (I can't really feel it when it's positioned correctly.
• Require little space to store cup between use (great for travel)
• Saves $ compared to pads and tampons.

Cons

• There is a learning curve for inserting and removing cup.
• Insertion and removal can hurt some especially if you are not relaxed.
• A little messy sometimes
• The cups take about a month to arrive from China.

Cheap menstrual cups purchased on eBay and shipped from seller in China.
Pink cup $1.23, Purple cup $0.99, and white cup $3.41. 

My conclusion is the cheep menstrual cups on eBay that ship from China are GREAT. They seem high quality, I didn't have any adverse reactions, and I highly advise them.  In the picture above are three of the cups I purchased. The pink one is the first one I tried and it worked great.


I bought the pink cup from seller keep-going11  for $1.23 FREE SHIPPING
I bought the purple cup from seller helloladys for $0.99 FREE SHIPPING
I bought the white cup from seller georing26 for $3.41 FREE SHIPPING


If you are not familiar with menstrual cups, there are some great blogs out there explaining how they work like Fertility Friday or ChangeDiapers.com. If you still have more questions, google "menstrual cups".

Cheapest Nalgene and Camelbak Bottles Ever

Today I went to the local thrift store and picked up two Nalgene (usually $8-$13) bottles and one Camelbak Chute ($12-$14) in overall good condition.  I paid $1 each, for a total of $3.

The three water bottles I bought at a thrift store for $3!

In highly recommend keeping your eyes open for bottles like these at second hand stores. I am constantly hauling mine around with me and tend to loose them from time to time, so I don't feel like spending $10-$20 on something I will probably lose.

When I got home I filled them each with hot soapy water and added maybe a teaspoon of bleach to disinfect. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Rinse with hot water and repeat. Once Chute had crusty white stuff around the opening, so I threw that one in the dishwasher and it came out looking brand new.

I highly recommend BPA free bottles like Nalgene or Camelback Chute or Camelbak Eddie. I like the Eddie because it has a straw and I can drink without throwing my head back. I find I drink a lot more whater when I have a straw to suck on. Unfortunately the Eddie only comes in .60L or .75L.

Nalgene bottles are great for camping and backpacking. A favorite hack for camping on cold nights is to boil some water and fill the Nalgene bottle. Then cover it with a sock and put it down by your feet or hold it to your chest to help keep you warm. Since Nalgenes are BPA free, they wont leech toxic chemicals into your hot water while you sleep. 

* Note: Nalgene bottles didn't always use to be PBA free. I recommend checking the bottom of the bottle to make sure it's stamped "PBA free".