This article is sponsored by Klarify.me who offer easy allergy testing you can do at home. None of the advice in this article should be taken as medical advice and if in doubt you should always seek medical advice.
If you suffer from allergies, you need to read this blog post about saving money on allergy relief. Whether you suffer from hay fever, or your allergies are more complex, you’ll know that not only are these allergies unpleasant to experience but treating them can also be extremely expensive. If you’re looking for ways to save money on allergy tablets, hacks to save you money when shopping for food allergies, or just general tips on how to make your home a pollutant-free area to avoid allergy triggers, keep reading.
Figure out what you’re actually allergic to.
Studies have shown that the UK has some of the highest numbers of people suffering from allergies. Statistically, around 20% of the UK population is affected by one or more allergen – that equates to around 2 million people!
Based on these findings, it’s safe to assume that many adults and children could be suffering from various allergies that are going untreated. Perhaps even more alarmingly, those people could also be taking medicines to treat an allergy they don’t even have.
Although completing an allergy test comes with a significant upfront cost, there’s a good chance that taking one will help you to save money in the long run. Understanding exactly what triggers your allergies will help you to identify the lifestyle choices that can be altered to improve your health and also ensure you’re getting the right medicine to treat your symptoms.
Minimise your contact with allergy triggers.
This point goes without saying, so avoiding your allergy triggers is something you’ll probably want to do for your wellbeing, as well as for your financial health. Once you have identified what triggers your allergies, you can start to implement lifestyle changes that help support your health.
For example, keeping your house extra clean to avoid triggers such as mould or dust can help those whose allergies are exacerbated by these irritants. Hay fever sufferers should avoid venturing out on high pollen days unless it’s completely necessary. A good tip is to change your clothes and wash them immediately when you return home as this will ensure your house stays a pollen-free zone.
Introduce house plants to your home.
Another way to help minimise allergens in your home is to invest in house plants. Indoor plants help reduce pollutants and create clean air, helping to avoid allergy attacks within your home. Different varieties of indoor plants can bring various benefits to your home, so make sure to research them and choose some that will assist you the most.
Find your allergy tablet’s ‘active’ ingredient.
When it comes to store-bought medication, it’s safe to say that buying generic instead of branded tablets will save you a significant amount of money. Regardless of whether the medicine is branded or generic, all tablets will have gone through the same rigorous testing procedures, which means you can be sure that all allergy medications available in stores are safe. The trick to saving money is to find your usual medicine’s ‘active’ ingredient and then buy the cheapest product that contains the same ingredient.
On some occasions, usually within peak allergy season, you may find some great deals on allergy medications – both branded and generic. Because of this, it’s always good to have a look at the special offers and check the use-by dates of your medicines – you may find you can stock on branded tablets with very little extra cost. Just make sure that the medication isn’t likely to expire before you can use them.
Remember that not all allergy tablets are 1-A-Day.
1-A-Day tablets may seem like the more expensive option, but compared to a course of tablets that must be taken 2 or 4 times a day, this type of medication will save you money.
A pack of 10 1-A-Day tablets will last you 10 days – a pack of 10 tablets that have to be taken twice daily will only last you 5 days. So whilst some tablets may appear cheaper, it’s worth taking into consideration the number of doses you will get out of each packet.
Buy your allergy medicine in bulk.
If you suffer from an allergy that is exacerbated within a particular period, for example, hay fever during the summer months, it’s likely that you will go through a lot of medication.
If you know that over the next few months you will be needing to take large quantities of allergy medication, purchasing tablets in bulk will help keep the costs down. Buying allergy tablets online in bulk will help save you money in the long run, but do ensure you check the use-by dates when ordering a large amount of medication.
Save money by buying food that’s naturally free from allergens.
Having a food allergy can increase the price of your food shop exponentially, especially if you’re buying substitutions and ‘free-from’ foods. One way to save money on your supermarket shop is to buy food that you know is naturally free from allergens. Substitutions are usually expensive unless they’re on offer, and even then they’re quite hard to find in many supermarkets still.
For many, substitutions also just don’t quite hit the spot; if you’re longing for the taste of something you can no longer eat, no free-from food will ever live up to the original! Purchasing food that is naturally allergen-free is not only cheaper, but it’s also healthier due to substitutions often being processed and packed full of preservatives to keep them fresher for longer.
Learn to read the ingredients label.
So many food items are actually free from various allergens without being labelled as such. For example, there are many vegan everyday food items out there like Sainsbury’s Christmas puddings, classic bourbon biscuits, and even some meat flavoured crisps that are 100% vegan friendly, despite not being advertised as such.
If you have a dairy allergy, it may be cheaper to find the ‘Vegan’ section in your supermarket and choose some substitutions from there, rather than shopping from the Free-From section.
Cooking from scratch has many benefits.
Cooking from scratch will not only save you money, but it also gives you control over exactly which ingredients are used. If you need to bake a cake but someone in your family has an egg allergy, you will know that the cake made from scratch with an egg substitute will be 100% safe for your guest.
Not only does cooking from scratch save you money and ensure you can stay on top of food allergies, but it is also healthier as food is prepared freshly without preservatives.
There are lots of ways to save money on allergy relief.
This post contains some great hacks on how to save money on your allergy relief. Remember to always shop for generic medicines, buy in bulk where possible, check your ingredients label, and shop for alternative food products instead of heading straight to the free-from food section.
