Prices so low…I must stock up!

Are you one of those consumers who stocks up on their favorite supplement or vitamin when it is on sale? Should you stock up? There is no straight forward answer to this but there are some things to consider.

Often times, stocking up is a good option if the supplement is truly outrageous in cost. If something is $55 for 30 pills and now it is on buy one get one free (BOGO), I would buy it based on what it is. For example, buying refrigerated fish oil probably shouldn’t be stocked up on as the potency of the nutrients (or how good it is for that particular active) will degrade the longer you hold on to it but on the other hand, if it is a joint health supplement like glucosamine chondrition, you could hold on to it and reach out to the company if it is about to expire and find out if they can retest that lot # (which is somewhere on the bottom, usually the bottom near the expiration date).

I definitely stay away from stocking up on things like gummy vitamins because the longer you hold on to them, the more likely they are going to stick to each other and make it harder to get out of the container. Plus, gummies usually have lower amounts of nutrients than a capsule or tablet so as they age, will you actually be getting all the benefits that you seek?

A good time to stock up on a supplement is if you know you’ll use it up very quickly. For example if a container holds 15 servings and you are to take one serving everyday, it would make sense to stock up so that you can have the full 30 days. Another reason to stock up could also be because the price per serving size is better. Let’s look at it this way, if something costs $99 for 30 pills (or $3.30/pill) and now on BOGO, you are getting another 30 pills (or $99 for 60 pills or $1.65/pill), then the price point is perfect and maybe it makes sense to stock up.

The decision to stock up on a supplement or health product should be based on your usage of that product. Just cause it is on sale, doesn’t mean it should be bought. By buying what you need, you will also help curb food waste and thereby reducing what ends up in our landfills. Better for you, better for the environment!