How We Afford to Buy Essential Oils

These 11 tips help us afford to buy essential oils, and we’re not buying the cheap kind. The best essential oils can’t be found in a local store! Get wholesale pricing online and be able to afford essential oils on a budget! Learn how to get rid of mold and mildew using essential oils and how to make bug repellent with essential oils.

There’s something I need to get off my chest. It’s a confession of sorts, so bear with me as I do my best to explain it. It’s kind of long, so you might want to get that second cup of coffee first.

I first joined the essential oil craze several years ago. Everyone and their mother were selling oils and I thought I needed to as well.

So I started selling essential oils. I started to share a few DIYs (like fabric freshener and cinnamon toothpaste) and I got a lot of pushback.

My inbox was flooded with emails. People criticized me, saying things like “We can’t afford food – how do you expect us to afford essential oils?” and “You’re just another blogger trying to push MLM on us. I thought you were different.”

Knowing how to use essential oils to keep my family healthy – naturally – was important to me. I wasn’t going to let a few disgruntled people keep me from working towards my own healthy living goals.

Toxic Ingredients

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I teach families how to eat healthy food on a budget. When they probe for more, I give them the 10,000-foot overview… I teach:

• meal planning
• shopping strategies

After being on this journey for several years now, here’s what I’ve learned:

You can’t be concerned about your health and ONLY focus on food.

You cannot say you’re interested in healthy living and ignore the stuff you put on your skin, the pills you take, and the things you use to clean your house with.

• We cut strawberries on a cutting board that was cleaned with chemicals that you would never dare put in your mouth.
  • Doesn’t that strike you as odd? Or worry you even in the slightest?
  • Washing the bathtub with chemicals known to be toxic to our organs and then we bathe our babies in that tub.
• Our children break out in itchy red bumps and we immediately think it’s gluten.
  • Why are we not looking at the products we use to clean the tubs, scrub the toilets, and wash the clothes?
• The “natural daily shower cleaner” I had in my bathroom is made by a well-known and highly reputable “healthy” cleaning company.
  • It ranks 9 on the Think Dirty app because it contains hormone disrupters. That’s worse than the mainstream “scrub” I was using before!
• We use harsh chemicals so we don’t have to scrub the shower tiles so hard, and we think we’re protecting our family if we keep the cleaning bottle out of their hands.
  • Do you know what my daughter said to me a couple of weeks ago as I was cleaning the shower, “Mom! I can smell the lemon all the way down the hall!” (She was 2 rooms and 20+ feet away!)

Doesn’t that worry you even in the slightest? Furthermore, why are we blindly trusting “healthy” cleaning products and assuming they’re safe?

Are You Ready to Detox Your Home?

These are the things that consume me when I’m not working on recipes or teaching Grocery Budget Bootcamp.

• What if I wasn’t using eos to clean my bathroom? She’d be able to smell whatever harsh chemical I used from her bedroom and she wouldn’t have a choice in the matter.
• What if my hormones aren’t wacky because I’m getting older… what if they’re wacky because the “healthy” cleaners I’ve been using are disrupting them?

The products I use affect my entire family, whether I’m conscious of it or not. Whether I choose to turn a blind eye to it, or not.

Join the 5 Days to DIY Natural Living Challenge! In only 15 minutes a day, you can take the next steps to a cleaner, healthier home. Whether you’ve been on a natural living journey for 2 years or 2 days, you will benefit from the practical steps to detox your home. The best part? It’s completely FREE!

Sign up HERE to join the 5 Days to DIY Natural Living Challenge!

This blog is an extension of my real life. A reader once wrote to me, “Tiffany – thanks so much for being real. You don’t judge and make us feel bad if we can’t afford organic or don’t make everything from scratch. You’re a real person, struggling with the same things we are. I appreciate your honesty – it’s a breath of fresh air.”

THAT is why I write. THAT is why I teach.

I teach families how to eat healthy food on a budget, and I also teach families how to live a chemical-free life on a budget.

I’m no longer afraid to say this out loud because it’s what I’m going through. I’ve seen for myself how essential oils can drastically change lives.

• My kids are testimonies to the power of a supported immune system.
• I’ve seen laundry stains – set in for 5+ years – disappear in a single wash using plant-based laundry soap.
• I’ve replaced EVERY cleaner in my house with one single highly concentrated plant-based formula that works AND I’m not afraid to let my kids use it!

You don’t have to agree with me. We are all in different places in our lives and perhaps chemical-free living isn’t a priority for you right now. I get it. I was in those shoes several years ago and it’s okay. Maybe you’re ready to take some small steps towards cleaner living. Maybe you’re ready for more.

This blog – and in turn me – will be here when you’re ready to venture down that path.

How We Afford To Buy Essential Oils

For now though, and with all this said, I want to talk about the number one excuse why people don’t invest in quality essential oils – the cost.

I heard people say, ALL THE TIME, “I can’t afford essential oils – they’re too expensive.” But here’s the thing. If something is important enough, you will find a way to make it happen.

I don’t know where you’re spending your money… maybe you like new shoes, fancy coffee, or getting your nails done. There’s nothing wrong with any of these things, but if you say living chemical-free on a budget is a priority and you’re not willing to invest your time and money into it, then perhaps it’s really not a priority after all.

And while I can’t evaluate your budget for you, or even tell you what your priorities should be, I can tell you what I have done to afford essential oils and practical ways you can do the same.

1. I changed my mindset

If you think you can’t afford to buy essential oils, or that they don’t belong in a frugal household, I can relate. I used to think that too.

But when I realized how important they were to me and my family’s health, I found ways to make it work like:

• Canceling our VIP subscription to an online company that offers cleaning and personal care products instead of using oils to make my own.
• I stopped buying new clothes and used Christmas money to pick up a few “new to me” items at a local second-hand clothing store.
• We delayed grocery shopping by a day or two each week so we were forced to eat the food we already had.
• We stopped going out to eat. Completely.
• I’ve been saving all of my Swagbucks and trading them in for Amazon gift cards so we don’t have to buy school supplies or new shoes for the kids out of pocket.

It’s just like when we were saving up to buy a house.

• We canceled cable.
• Sold things we no longer needed.
• Turned down dinner with friends.
• Worked the coupon circuit like it was my JOB so we could pay our bills AND put money in the savings account.
• My husband and I said no to thousands of little things so we could one day buy a house in cash.

It wasn’t easy, but that goal was important and we made it a priority. We were willing to do whatever it took to meet that goal. I feel the same way about the health of my family. Nothing will stand in my way. I will find a way to make it happen.

2. I researched the quality of essential oils

When I first started selling essential oils, it was because my sister-in-law was selling them too. If I was serious about oils, I needed to make sure I was using the best my money could afford.

• I chose to buy an eBook bundle, partly because I wanted to learn more about essential oils, but also because one brand was a “bonus” when you bought the bundle. I tried other brands too and made sure to use them whenever I thought the situation warranted it. Some worked okay, and some didn’t work at all.
• I started digging and found that some companies manipulate oils in order to create a more desired scent. For example, Dr. Cole Woolley (an analytical chemist with expertise in essential oils) evaluated a “pure lavender” essential oil using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). He found small percentages of Roman chamomile and geranium essential oils. These oils have a greater floral aroma than lavender, but neither of which should be present in pure lavender essential oil!
• This same chemist also found bottles of “pure peppermint” oil to contain 1% ethyl vanillin (it enhances the “candy cane” aroma), bottles of “pure lavender” with 5% linalyl acetate (added for a more floral aroma), and bottles of “natural wintergreen” to actually be 100% synthetic.

For me, it boiled down to this: I don’t want to waste my money on oils that could be watered down, pumped with pesticides, or have chemicals added just to make them smell better.

If I’m taking the health of my family seriously – and truly trying to steward my money wisely – then it meant avoiding cheaper oils with potentially unknown additives and choosing a brand that doesn’t produce anything less than 100% pure oils.

3. I started with a set, and still buy sets whenever possible

Have you ever seen those gift sets at Christmas? Maybe it’s a parfum, an eau de toilette, and lotion boxed together. Or maybe it’s deodorant, body wash, a razor, and shaving cream, all in your husband’s favorite scent. I know they’re all over the local drug stores when the holiday season comes around!

Whether you actually buy them or not, you and I know that these gift sets are more cost-effective than buying everything separately. The same concept goes for essential oils too.

Plant Therapy offers different sets to choose from! Check out their essential oils for sale at their shop here.

4. I buy in bulk whenever possible

When I buy essential oils, it’s no different than buying food in bulk. If it’s cheaper per ounce (or per pound or per milliliter) to buy the larger size, then why wouldn’t we?

Plant Therapy has bulk discounts!

5. I didn’t replace everything at once

Common sense says that if you throw away everything in your pantry and re-buy it all again, you’re going to be spending a lot of money. Again, the same idea applies to essential oils.

• When we started to switch to chemical-free living and were looking to replace our commercial cleaners with essential oil-based cleaners, we worked through one room at a time using something called transfer buying.
• Transfer buying is the idea of reviewing what you’re already buying and where you’re buying it from.
  • For example, maybe you buy an all-purpose kitchen cleaner and laundry detergent from Target. The next time you run low, instead of buying those same items at Target, you transfer your purchase to Plant Therapy.
  • You’re not necessarily spending MORE money, rather you’re changing WHERE you spend it.
  • Using this method allowed me to use up what I already bought and paid for first, so I’m not wasting anything from the budget. By working through one room at a time (I found going through one room each month to be a good pace) I was able to spread out the purchases even more.

More Tips on How I Afford to Buy Essential Oils

6. I break it down to the price per drop

One concept that I’ve shared is the idea of price per serving. If you’re not sure if your meals are frugal, break them down into the price per serving and see if it lines up with where your budget should be.

I apply this same concept to essential oils too. Because Plant Therapy only produces 100% pure essential oils, they are high quality. You often only need 1-2 drops in order to get the benefits.

When you look at how little oil you need to make a recipe and compare that to what you’d normally pay for a similar product at the store, you can see that using essential oils is significantly cheaper!

7. I give oils as gifts

I like to give my kids’ teachers gifts at ..

• Christmas
• Birthdays
• Teacher Appreciation Week

Our budget for these gifts isn’t very big – maybe $5-10 per teacher. Instead of spending that money on unhealthy treats or on things she’ll never use, I give them 1 oz bottles of essential oil. I know the teachers would appreciate these gifts far more than junk food – I know I would!

Another idea would be to use your oils to make lip balm, homemade lotion, or foot soaks!

8. I buy products that have multiple uses

I’ve mentioned previously that I like using coconut oil in my beauty routine because it serves as both my face moisturizer AND my make-up remover. I also use goat milk soap as my face wash, body wash, AND to wash my hair.

Choosing items that can serve more than one purpose means saving money in the long run, and the same goes for oils and oily products.

9. I usually avoid expensive oils

There are some oils that are naturally more expensive than others. Take Melissa for instance.

• Melissa plants are grown in France and harvested in early summer before the plant is in full bloom. It takes 7 tons of Melissa leaves and tops to make 2 ¼ pounds of oil.
• Rose oil is another example. It takes 22 pounds of rose petals to make one 5 ml bottle!

While these oils both offer amazing benefits, they’re not high on my wish list at the moment. You can usually find ways to make recipes and DIYs using the oils you have.

10. I almost always buy carrier oils elsewhere

Unless Plant Therapy is having a deal, I always buy my carrier oils elsewhere. My budget is only so big and my priority is on high-quality essential oils, not carrier oils.

• I get olive oil from Amazon or Costco or Walmart – it’s the same oil I use for cooking!
• I still have jojoba, sweet almond oil, and vitamin E oil from beauty DIYs I’ve made in the past. When I run out, I probably won’t replace them UNLESS I need them for a DIY as well.
• Frankincense is part of my morning skincare routine, and I use the same exact organic virgin coconut oil that I use to moisturize my face, take off my make-up AND make black bean brownies with it!

It’s not that I don’t love Plant Therapy’s carrier oils – I most certainly do! But to keep my costs down and to make essential oils affordable, I buy my carrier oils elsewhere.

I also limit my carrier oils to those that I already use in the house for other things – namely, olive oil, fractionated coconut oil, and organic virgin coconut oil. Again, it’s back to the one item for multiple purpose mentality.

11. I choose to be proactive with my health to avoid sick days

My husband gets 10 paid days off each year. Between one week to visit family at Christmas, and another week in the summer to go on a family vacation, he has ZERO sick days left for the year. If he doesn’t go to work, he doesn’t get paid. It’s not ideal, but that’s the situation.

• The same goes for those of us who don’t have traditional jobs too. None of us can really afford to get sick. There are people to take care of, food to cook, and places to clean (to prevent the further spreading of germs, if anything).
• We all know how important it is to eat healthily and get rest when you’re not feeling well, but how many of us have the energy to make homemade chicken noodle soup or red lentil vegetable soup or have the luxury of napping for several hours when there are other people to take care of?
• Odds are we don’t, so it takes us longer to get better and we spend money on convenient things to get us through. Don’t get me wrong – I know we all do what we have to do sometimes to get through the yuck. But these things cost us money.
• Instead of waiting until germs hit our house, I choose to be proactive and buy essential oils to stay healthy in the first place.
• It’s the same reason we eat real food – we want to take care of our bodies. Yes, it means spending a few pennies up front, but it saves us money in the long run.

FAQS on How to Buy Essential Oils

More on How to Buy Essential Oils

I just shared with you 11 practical tools you and I both can use to afford essential oils.

Here’s the thing. People tell me ALL THE TIME that healthy food is too expensive. That it’s much cheaper to buy boxed food than it is fresh produce.

Guys. I’ve been writing this blog for many years teaching those people otherwise.

My family – and the thousands of families who have gone through my course, who read my posts, purchased an eBook, or subscribe to my weekly newsletter – PEOPLE LIKE YOU – are living proof that it is not only possible to eat real food on a budget, but that it’s sustainable over time.

So when people say to me that essential oils are too expensive or they’re not budget-friendly, I know they’re misled.

The same principles that I’ve used to reduce our grocery budget to $400 (and keep it there for 5+ years) are the SAME EXACT principles I teach in my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp, the SAME EXACT principles I write about here on the blog, and the SAME EXACT principles I use to afford essential oils every month:

• Establishing priorities
• Buying in bulk
• Not replacing everything at the same time
• Making gifts
• Using items for more than one purpose
• Avoiding expensive oils
• Use items you already have whenever possible

Notice though, that of the 11 ways to save money on essential oils that I just shared with you, I didn’t talk about the most obvious one: sharing your oils with other people.

Conclusion

Whew – that’s a lot of information. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re in information overload.

So let me close with this.

• You might be in a financial situation where you can’t pay your mortgage. You’re working multiple jobs, not eating out and lucky to have enough gas to get you through the rest of the week.
• This article is not directed at you. You keep doing whatever it is you have to do to make ends meet, for as long as it takes.
• But for the rest of us, before you say you can’t afford something, let’s think about where we’re already spending our money.

If something is important to you, you’ll find a way to make it work. I use these tips because the health of my family – my kids – is incredibly important to me. I want them to live a long, healthy life free of toxins and chemicals and I’m willing to sacrifice in other areas to make it happen.

More on Essential Oils

• 30+ Ways Essential Oils Save Money
• DIY Essential Oil Diffuser
• 50+ Ways To Use Essential Oils (Besides Diffusing them)
• 10 Essential Oil Tips for Beginners