What products do you find yourself buying more of now that you are a caregiver?
What products do you find yourself buying more of now that you are a caregiver? Have you found any tips to help to offset this new expense?
This may sound odd but I was caught by surprise by how much toilet paper we suddenly went through when my mom lived with us. She suffers from IBS so not only did we go through a lot of toilet paper, we couldn't cut costs by buying the not-as-soft cheaper brands.
In order to try and reduce our grocery bill, I cut out every toilet paper coupon I could find and soon became an expert on knowing whether 24 regular rolls or 12 "double" rolls was the better value. :) I also renewed our membership to Sam's but it turned out that regular grocery stores were still the better value b/c they accepted coupons and Sam's didn't.
It seems like such a "small" expense but it's just another example of how these little, unexpected costs can add up and strain one's budget!
Lisa
What products do you find yourself buying more of now that you are a caregiver?
What products do you find yourself buying more of now that you are a caregiver? Have you found any tips to help to offset this new expense?
This may sound odd but I was caught by surprise by how much toilet paper we suddenly went through when my mom lived with us. She suffers from IBS so not only did we go through a lot of toilet paper, we couldn't cut costs by buying the not-as-soft cheaper brands.
In order to try and reduce our grocery bill, I cut out every toilet paper coupon I could find and soon became an expert on knowing whether 24 regular rolls or 12 "double" rolls was the better value. :) I also renewed our membership to Sam's but it turned out that regular grocery stores were still the better value b/c they accepted coupons and Sam's didn't.
It seems like such a "small" expense but it's just another example of how these little, unexpected costs can add up and strain one's budget!
Lisa
My husband has mid-stage Alzheimer's and had a severe health problem which caused incontinence and increased dementia for a few weeks. During that time, he not only had accidents, but was also too confused to take care of his own hygiene. (Thank God that episode is over!!!)
I was appalled at the cost of Depends, and adult diapers were less expensive, but still not cheap! After a couple days, I thought of getting some women's sanitary pads and putting them inside the diapers. I changed the pads on a regular basis, meaning the diaper didn't have to be changed with every accident. That meant only a couple diapers a day, instead of 5 or 10 or more. The pads were relatively inexpensive, and really helped me stretch my dollars.
Hope this helps someone :)
My husband has mid-stage Alzheimer's and had a severe health problem which caused incontinence and increased dementia for a few weeks. During that time, he not only had accidents, but was also too confused to take care of his own hygiene. (Thank God that episode is over!!!)
I was appalled at the cost of Depends, and adult diapers were less expensive, but still not cheap! After a couple days, I thought of getting some women's sanitary pads and putting them inside the diapers. I changed the pads on a regular basis, meaning the diaper didn't have to be changed with every accident. That meant only a couple diapers a day, instead of 5 or 10 or more. The pads were relatively inexpensive, and really helped me stretch my dollars.
Hope this helps someone :)
Since my father moved in with me... -Depends - costly but he wears only one or two per day (at least so far); always look for what store may have them on sale; the BJ's brand is definitely not as good. -toilet paper (btw...what's the answer.. is 24 rolls better than 12 double rolls??!) -water bill much higher.
-bread...lots of sandwiches now and bread with dinner; it used to be hard for me to go through one loaf of bread in two weeks before!
Since my father moved in with me... -Depends - costly but he wears only one or two per day (at least so far); always look for what store may have them on sale; the BJ's brand is definitely not as good. -toilet paper (btw...what's the answer.. is 24 rolls better than 12 double rolls??!) -water bill much higher.
-bread...lots of sandwiches now and bread with dinner; it used to be hard for me to go through one loaf of bread in two weeks before!
For the increased bread use, have you tried places like Wonder bread outlet stores? Lots of different bread and really good prices! Also, Big Lots have bread, plus large-quantity places like Sam's and Costco can be good. (Which is better on the TP?? I'd like to know, too!!) Water bill, well, putting a brick or a water-full 1- or 1-liter bottle in your toilet tank can help with that; less water usage per flush. For increased incontinence, comfort can be increased by using petroleum jelly (doesn't have to be Vaseline) on the skin after cleansing. Also with the bread, if you buy a lot, don't leave it out or put it in the fridge; out it'll get moldy quicker, and in the fridge it'll dry out. I keep mine in the freezer, and when one loaf gets low, I pull another one out to defrost in time to use when the first one runs out. Hope it helps!
For the increased bread use, have you tried places like Wonder bread outlet stores? Lots of different bread and really good prices! Also, Big Lots have bread, plus large-quantity places like Sam's and Costco can be good. (Which is better on the TP?? I'd like to know, too!!) Water bill, well, putting a brick or a water-full 1- or 1-liter bottle in your toilet tank can help with that; less water usage per flush. For increased incontinence, comfort can be increased by using petroleum jelly (doesn't have to be Vaseline) on the skin after cleansing. Also with the bread, if you buy a lot, don't leave it out or put it in the fridge; out it'll get moldy quicker, and in the fridge it'll dry out. I keep mine in the freezer, and when one loaf gets low, I pull another one out to defrost in time to use when the first one runs out. Hope it helps!
Disenfectant wipes!!! Has anyone used suction cup grab bars in the shower/tub? Do they work---stay stuck to tile or tub?
Disenfectant wipes!!! Has anyone used suction cup grab bars in the shower/tub? Do they work---stay stuck to tile or tub?
Yes, jerseymama, we've got those grab bars. They do work, especially since you can move them to wherever is more comfortable for the person who needs them. You just need to make sure to take them off every 1-2 weeks and clean the cups and the spots on the wall where the suction cups were; otherwise, they'll get slippery and slide along on the wall without much effort.
Yes, jerseymama, we've got those grab bars. They do work, especially since you can move them to wherever is more comfortable for the person who needs them. You just need to make sure to take them off every 1-2 weeks and clean the cups and the spots on the wall where the suction cups were; otherwise, they'll get slippery and slide along on the wall without much effort.
vodka, lots of it
vodka, lots of it
Thanks, Bill, for committing yourself. . .in print! I thought of a similar response once. Humor is important especially during moments of caregiver stress.
Thanks, Bill, for committing yourself. . .in print! I thought of a similar response once. Humor is important especially during moments of caregiver stress.