For Women Only

If you would like to enquire about or purchase the menstrual cup featured in this story and save thousands of $$$$ on pads and tampons AND be kind to the environment please e-mail lyn.webster@xtra.co.nz

The same question has been raised several times over the course of the $100/$75 grocery budget. Women sidle over to me and whisper, “How can you afford pads and tampons on such a strict grocery budget?”

Initially, we just continued buying sanitary items at great cost and went without other things to balance it out. I was not aware there was a practical alternative.

That all changed when I went to Wellington to tape Good Morning in July. I got into a conversation with a TVNZ employee and it went something like this:

“Cost-saving aside, I think the environmental benefits of making your own cleaning products are huge.”

“Yes – I agree. Think of all the unnecessary packaging you avoid.”

“Imagine if all the packaging you threw away in a lifetime was on your own backyard.”

“Ooooh – it would be gross. Imagine if everything you flushed down the loo was in your own backyard.”

“Ooooh – that really would be gross.”

“Did you know I don’t need to buy tampons or pads anymore?”

“Really – how do you manage that?”

“Well, it is a little bit of a sensitive subject, but I will tell you – I use a Diva Cup.”

“What is a Diva Cup?”

“It is a menstrual cup made of silicone. You use it just like a tampon but empty it out and reuse it again and again.”

“Wow – how much are they?”

“It costs just over $100, but once you have bought one, you never spend any more money on that again.”

“Think of all the money you would save.”

Well, I did think of all the money I could save and promptly tracked down the Australasian distributor and purchased Diva cups for Danni and me. The product is easy to use, comfortable and effective, and an environmentally responsible way to deal with an ongoing monthly fixed cost that can potentially save you over $10,000 in a lifetime.

 Next week: A key secret to saving.