Month 3 - Price Comparison

April went a little differently.  I picked up some items I needed, and decided to try more of the vitamin line.  Let me add a little disclaimer... I have never been good about taking vitamins.  I buy them and then forget about them for the most part.  This is because I gag on them, and then they make me feel like crap.  After testing out the Vitality 4 packs in my Value Pack from the first month I joined Melaleuca, I was shocked at how well the went down and how well I felt on them.  So, since I could elect to receive the multivitamin and calcium for free this month, I decided to try their fish oil and a couple of other items.  I love how I feel on them, and will continue to order.  I added in what I have tried out before in my price comparison.  I may not have necessarily bought vitamins this month, but I am extremely happy with Melaleuca's line.

So here is my breakdown for April:

MELALEUCA PRODUCT	PC PRICE	WHAT WE PAID	PRICE	WHAT WE WOULD'VE BOUGHT
EcoSense Laundry Reusable Pump (x2)	$3.98	$3.98	$0.00	n/a
Tooth Polish BOGO		$7.78
CoolMint w/Flouride	$3.89	n/a	$6.96	Arm & Hammer PeroxiCare (2-pack)
Fresh Mint	$3.89	n/a	$6.96	Arm & Hammer PeroxiCare (2-pack)
CoolMint w/Flouride	$3.89	n/a
Fresh Mint	$3.89	n/a
Vitality Pack w/Oligo - Women	$19.99	$0.00	$19.58	GNC Womens Ultra Mega Active ($13.33)* & Calcium ($6.25)*
CellWise (antioxidant supplement)	$15.99	$15.99	$29.99	GNC Cellular Antioxidant Defense
Luminex (St. John's Wort supplement)	$17.94	$17.94	$13.33	NOW Mood Support w/St. John's Wort*
Vitality Coldwater Omega-3 (fish oil)	$14.99	$14.99	$25.95	Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil
Access Exercise Bars (Choc. Coconut Kraze)	$14.99	$13.99	$20.90	Power Crunch - Vanilla
Renew Skin Therapy - Value Size	$15.99	$15.99	$15.00	Bath & Body Works Body Cream (see formula below)
Body Satin Body Polish	$7.69	$7.69	$10.00	B&BW True Blue Body Buff (divided to equal amount)
Attain Strawberry Shake (x2)	$29.98	$29.98	$70.00	Lean 1 - Strawberry (x2 from Amazon)
FiberWise Drink - Peach	$20.99	$20.99	$12.84	Metamucil Fiber Supplement - Orange
FiberWise Breakfast Bars Pantry 2-pack	$18.15	$18.15	$9.96	Fiber One bars - 2 pack
Florify (x2)	$27.58	$27.58	$59.98	GNC Ultra Probiotic Complex 25 (x2)
Subtotal		$195.05	$301.45
Shipping & Handling		$15.49	n/a
Sales Tax		$17.55	$27.13
TOTAL		$228.09	$328.58
TOTAL SAVED THIS SHOPPING TRIP: $100.49
* Calculated out to equal cost for a month's supply
B&BW Formula = Buy 3, Get 2 free, plus 20% off (max sale price I could get) = $30 for 40oz total of lotion

I feel like I should also mention a few other things.  The Renew lotion is comparable to Eucerin, which would be closer to $25 for 20oz.  However, I was previously using Bath & Body Works, so that is what I put the price up against.  With regards to the fiber, there are 114 servings in the Metamucil container, but it would take FOUR servings to meet the amount of fiber in one serving of FiberWise.  The Fiber One bars only have 5g of fiber, where the FiberWise bars have 6g or 9g of fiber (depending on the bar).  Also, I didn't need toothpaste at the moment, but they had a sale going on.  It's not like I won't need toothpaste again in the near future! ;)  And, I ordered the reusable pumps for my clothing softener and brightener since they are so much more convenient than the caps.

Even though I am showing savings in the form of dollars, there is also a savings in quality.  Melaleuca offers Whole Foods quality at Walmart prices.  You have a better chance of scoring a trip to the moon than convincing me that Power Crunch or any other exercise bar is better than my Access bar.  And, the fact that I would need FOUR servings of Metamucil to equal ONE serving of FiberWise?  Metamucil tastes like crap, too.  There are so many fillers and dyes mixed in with the products that you buy in conventional stores.  It is a sad truth.  But, I'll step down from my soap box and let the above numbers do the talking here. :)

Next up!  Home remedies and concoctions that anyone could do right now, with or without Melaleuca in their homes!