Out of interest...

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

A small question on the Instead softcups, I've gone to the website to get a free sample - although it's going to cost me $7.50 for shipping. I want to give them a go just to see what they are like, all I have to go on when talking about Instead cups is what other people have said and I'd like a comparison between Instead cups and my Mooncup. That said however I'm still not sure I want to spend that much money just to try 3 little cups, it might have to wait (and yes I do have Scottish blood).

Anyway, I had a look at the prices on the site, ran them through a currency converter, divided them by boxes and compared them to the price of tampons, is it just my bad reckoning or are Instead cups expensive? Do they get taxed too? How much are tampons in the US?

Comments

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

For a comparison;
Tampax Applicator tampons (regular) 12 pack = £1.12/9.3p each.
Stores own applicator tampons (regular) 16 pack = £0.77/4.8p each.

Converters I've used are;
http://www.xe.com/ucc - and - http://finance.yahoo.com/m3

I apologize if this is a really pointless exercise and if I have somehow misused two currency converters, but its 4.00am, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Oh and sorry to any Scotts for such terrable steriotyping.
I am genuinely interested to know this.

[quixotic.livejournal.com]

instead cups are slightly more expensive than tampons. however, they can be worn for up to 12 hours.. so that's, for some folks, twice as long as tampons can be worn (the max is 8 i think, but you're only supposed to do that when you sleep), so even though they are more expensive per unit, using insteads is actually cheaper or about the same depending on which brand of tampons you use normally.

-a

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

Ah, I suppose you are right there, they would probably be able to be used twice as long. (Tampons, the max time is 8 hours, not when you sleep, tampons aren't suppposed to be warn when you sleep)

[katarokkar.livejournal.com]

Unless you have problems with your mooncup, I'd suggest staying with it.

I use Insteads but I've just ordered a keeper because there's several flaws in the Insteads.
Firstly, they leak...a lot. I only use them for medium/light flow days.
Second, they're really messy to take out.

On the other hand, they don't have the chance of TSS, and they're relatively easy to put in.

Oh, and they are more expensive than other menstrual products.

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to swap, I just want to TRY the Insted cups - besides as said they are expensive espeshaly with P&P.

[balmofgilead.livejournal.com]

yeah instead is fairly expensive here, compared to tampons...
in dollars, roughly (which would still give you and idea of the proportion/comparison), i think you can get a box of like 14 instead cups for $6 or $7, and a box of 20 or so tampons would rarely cost more than $4, could be bought for $2.50 on sale. i remember trying to do some sort of calculation taking into consideration that instead cups can be used for more time...and they were still a bit more expensive than tampons. some people reuse them, which would save money, but that may or may not be safe, and the times i've tried to do that, oddly, after reusing a cup once, after that it just wouldn't go into place correctly. very odd.

also, randomly, i think tampons and pads don't get taxed in the US.

[fierceflawless.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I have reused them with success - I am very careful to wash it out with VERY hot water each time I change it. the plastic 'catcher' part changes a little, but they still work fine. I haven't gotten any wierd infections or anything, but then again I don't tend to be prone to those.

I have since switched to sea sponges, which I really like, but I'd like to get a keeper too.

and for the record, I never had sex with an instead in... it might just be me, but it seems like it wouldn't work out too hot.

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

At least I know I'm not just being stupid, I thought I had misscalculated because they did seem like quite a bit compaired to tampons.

I think you lot have to pay more than than us with tampons and ours ARE taxed...they are a luxary aparently, so is clothing, a healthy diet and a TV...government is messed up.

[lastingchild.livejournal.com]

I am in the US.and tampons and pads are definately taxed.

[balmofgilead.livejournal.com]

that's odd, i thought i remembered hearing something about a big protest awhile back that got the taxes repealed or something...*makes mental note to check next time*...they definitely shouldn't be, though.

[crayolaab.livejournal.com]

It depends on where - in NH where there is no sales tax, they aren't taxed.

[wolfgoat.livejournal.com]

It depends on the state. Some states, like Virginia, have a flat sales tax on everything. Other states like Delaware do not have a sales tax. And other states like NJ do not tax necessities like food, clothing, diapers, menstrual supplies, etc.

[thornedillusion.livejournal.com]

At that price, you're better off just going to the drug store and getting a small box. I found Instead to be cheaper than pads because you don't use as many. I use a Divacup now, but I still use Instead for sex.

[babybloodheart.livejournal.com]

I would...but they don't sell Insted over here...thus the reason I'd be paying so much for P&P.

You see thats half the reason I want to try Insted, because I have pretty much no sex drive at all, the only time I get close to having any sex drive is when I have my periods...but being so heavy periods then sex is out of the quesiton, so I was wanting to try them for that reason too.

[ourika.livejournal.com]

Um, the free sample is $7.50 for shipping? I’m not sure how that works out in US$, but it still sounds like a lot to pay for three cups. The Instead cups cost about US$7 for a box of 14… However, I haven’t bought a box of Instead for about a year. I plan to go pick-up a box within the next week or two. I’ll try and remember to do it within the next day or two so that I can let you know what I paid! If you’ve got any friends in the US, ask them to buy you a box and ship it. It’ll probably end up costing you not much more than the “free” sample of three. Do you want the “how to use” video and all that which comes with your sample?

And Instead cups can be worn for longer than tampons, so there are less per box which helps add to making them more expensive than a tampax tampon (although I’m not sure how they compare with the organic cotton tampons).

Oh, re-using Instead. I’ve done it. I did it last period because I need to change a cup every single HOUR. I can’t afford that many boxes of Instead (I lost my Keeper). I wash it very, very thoroughly (which is funny b/c sometimes I just do a quick rinse through with my Keeper – but I don’t know if there’s a reason that Instead can’t be re-used… maybe it is made of a material that breeds nasties or something). I never had a problem with re-using it, but I noticed after maybe two washings that it was just getting super-thin. The “cup” part is NOT a very durable plastic.