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Thrifty Ways to Beat Cold and Flu Season

Growing up, you might have heard your mom say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This old adage certainly is true during cold and flu season. A little bit of awareness and common sense can help prevent you from coming down with a nasty seasonal bug that can be costly to treat. So what does momma's ounce of prevention look like? Here are three frugal ways to stay healthy this time of year:

Wash and sanitize:

The absolute best way to prevent the spread of cold and flu germs is to stop passing them from hand to hand. Frequent hand washing with soap and water is a must this time of year. It's obviously important to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, but it's equally important that you wash your hands, or at least reach for the hand sanitizer, before you touch anything.

We spend a lot on hand sanitizer each year. And you never really can have too much of it during cold and flu season. But be wise when it comes time to stock up. If you have a warehouse club membership, grab one of those huge bottles and refill your smaller containers. You can also find great deals at your local dollar store on both the sanitizer itself and smaller pump and squirt bottles to carry it no matter where you are. You can order a bulk case of hand sanitizer from Dollar General online. Couple the already-low prices with coupons for the site, and you can save a bundle.

If you have concerns about the harsh chemicals in most consumer hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soaps, especially if you have small children, there are some great online recipes for making your own natural hand sanitizer. All of the variations take advantage of the healthful germ-fighting benefits of essential oils. The potency of the concentrated essential oils enables you to make a huge supply of sanitizer with very small bottles. And the DIY versions also smell really nice.

Rest:

If you want to up your odds of taking several sick days this year, keep burning the candle at both ends. Nothing breaks down the body's ability to fight infections like stress. Instead, make sure you're giving yourself enough time to really unwind at the end of the day and get a well-balanced meal followed by a full night's rest. Avoid the temptation of putting in those extra hours. You will spend far more time recovering from an illness and end up negating any progress you thought you made.

There are lots of things you can do to help get a good night's sleep. A little lavender essential oil on your pillow will help to calm and soothe. You could also consider getting a sleep machine or a nature sounds track for your MP3 player. I've found that the small expense of having the sound of ocean waves, a crackling campfire or birdsong on my iPad has made a huge difference in my ability to rest and relax when I travel, preventing the dreaded airplane cold. If you have access to Wi-Fi, you can run free YouTube videos that are nothing but hours of nature sounds.

If you do happen to come down with a cold, do yourself, your family and your co-workers a favor and take the time to rest and recover. Going back to work before you're fully recovered will prolong your illness and put those around you at risk of getting sick, too.

Drink tea:

Anything you can do to give your immune system a boost is a good idea during cold and flu season. Any kind of hot tea with fresh lemon and honey will give your defenses a boost, and those ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store. You also might want to check out your grocer's supply of herbal remedy teas. My family has had good results with "Gypsy Cold Care" or Echinacea tea. Aside from any benefit you get from the herbs, just staying hydrated makes a big difference in your body's ability to fight off seasonal germs.

Keeping yourself well informed and educated will go a long way toward keeping your family healthy this cold and flu season. Talk to friends and family about what works for them when it comes to preventing or shortening a cold. Rest easy each night knowing that you are doing your best, and have a happy and healthy winter.

Michelle Stinson Ross is the social marketing manager at Offers.com. She's a working mother of three teens and a digital diva who loves a great deal.



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