Frugal birth control?

**FLA** · 07-25-2015, 08:11 PM

I used a Mirena IUD, I think they have to be covered now, I paid $700 because I worked for a Catholic employer but MD gave discounts. Lasts 5 yrs, no pain, I had no periods at all, hormones are released at the site, not into your bloodstream. Loved it. Con: if not in a stable relationship, provides no STD protection.

**BudgetPronto** · 07-25-2015, 09:15 PM

If you cannot afford condoms, you'll not be able to afford children. It would be best to make protection a priority.

**FLA** · 07-26-2015, 10:39 AM

she didn't say she couldn't afford condoms, just that they seem wasteful and she is wondering about cheaper options. I was very frugal about birth control, as well as in many areas- by choice. When I was ready to have children, we did, stayed frugal and could afford it. Just because someone wants to save on BC, does that really translate into, "you had best do so, you cannot afford children"? sounds harsh when all we know about her financial situation is she thinks condoms are "wasteful".

**John Doe** · 08-02-2015, 08:48 AM

1. Abstinence is free. And it's a 100% reliable method of birth control.

2. But if you must have orgasms with a partner, there's also mutual masturbation, oral sex, and other forms of sex that don't involve vaginal intercourse. In fact, you can achieve a 95%-realistic facsimile of vaginal intercourse by assuming a missionary position and keeping the penis on the outside of the female's body while using the male's fingers inside her vagina at the same time. A similar effect could be achieved for a rear-style position. With a little creativity, there is no end to the number of ways to pleasure one another without risking pregnancy.

3. You can always save money by making your own condoms using plastic wrap or other materials. The product Saran Wrap used for sandwiches and leftovers has been famous for generations as a makeshift condom. While probably not as reliable or comfortable as a real condom, it could made even more effective using additional precautions such as withdrawl-before-ejaculation and douching-after-intercourse.

**John Doe** · 08-02-2015, 08:51 AM

1. Abstinence
2. Mutual masturbation
3. Oral sex
4. Saran Wrap or other plastic wrap as a condom, combined with pre-ejaculatory withdrawal and post-intercourse douching
5. Other sexual positions that don't involve vaginal intercourse

**FLA** · 08-02-2015, 10:37 AM

well, look at how well abstinence only education worked for teens. Anyway, if you are not joking in your posts, and I truly hope you are, everyone over the age of 12 knows douching doesn't prevent pregnancy or protect against STDs. And use saran wrap as a condom, leave enough time for a pit stop, the ER sees woman all the time who did this and it got lost up in there. They will be laughing, hopefully not to your face. And see what happens in 9 months if "pulling out" is your birth control of choice.

I am assuming Tiffany is a grown woman, to suggest to a fellow adult that they should not have actual vaginal intercourse, when that is a natural part of a grown woman's (and men's) human sexuality seems judge-y and stupid. You must be joking. Which is real helpful to Tiffany who asked a real question and expected adult answers.

Tiffany- the only way to answer this is to see what your insurance covers, then we can narrow down your choices. Just remember, condoms are basically the only way to stop STD transmission, you have to decide if you are in a serious relationship. If you are, I would still use condoms until you both get screened for STDs, which is cheap/free at PP depending upon income. You can get condoms free at PP, as well. Oh, if you are under 26, get the HPV vaccination, they also do that for men to age 26. Hep B vaccine is important as well. Cheap/free at PP

You do not have to choose to have no vaginal sex just to prevent pregnancy, I would ignore those 2 posts. You are a woman, for a man to tell you that is really not cool.

**FLA** · 08-02-2015, 10:47 AM

oh, Tiffany, just so Mr Doe is aware, Glad Press and Seal, a great invention, 100x better than Saran Wrap, even so do not insert it in your vagina, either

**tiffany85** · 08-02-2015, 01:50 PM

Ugh - I hate how wasteful condoms are. And NTY about the saran wrap. Reminds me of in high school when this trashy (get it? you will.) couple found a bread wrapper in the trash and used it. Reduce - reuse - recycle, I guess. Ha.

I've found a few ideas (mentioned earlier in this thread before the saran wrap came out).

**John Doe** · 08-02-2015, 03:40 PM

Let's please all refrain from 1) judging or guessing one another's motivations, and 2) judging or labeling one another. Let's keep the discussions positive and courteous.

As for my suggestions regarding abstinence, non-vaginal intercourse, homemade contraceptives, and douching...I don't recommend or endorse any of them. Nor is it my place (or any of our places) to recommend how anyone should conduct their sex life. I tossed out some suggestions as a brainstorming exercise to see if they might inspire or trigger someone to have an idea. In certain situations, any of these methods could be valid or offer additional protection.

As for the original poster, we don't know her circumstances. We don't know her age. We don't know if she is having casual sex or is in a committed relationship. And it's none of our business if she doesn't want to share any of that. This isn't about just the original poster. This is for anyone reading, now or in the future, who has considered or will ever consider this topic.

What's my personal feeling on this subject? Who gives a sh|t. This isn't about my personal morals or attitudes. Find someone else if you want argue about politics, religion, or morals. This is about saving money.

**FLA** · 08-02-2015, 04:41 PM

"You can always save money by making your own condoms using plastic wrap or other materials. The product Saran Wrap used for sandwiches and leftovers has been famous for generations as a makeshift condom. While probably not as reliable or comfortable as a real condom, it could made even more effective using additional precautions such as withdrawl-before-ejaculation and douching-after-intercourse."

this sounds like straight up advice, not brainstorming at all. If you are not going to check your facts, SAY so. That $1.50 roll of saran wrap is not saving money when the baby comes in 9 months.

posting erroneous "facts" (that you now say were "brainstorming" but did not appear to be at all), what if people take your advice? that's irresponsible and not at all helpful to the OP.

a man trotting out all the positions that can be done without intercourse, not acknowledging that intercourse is basic human sexuality for women (and men), I find that not cool still and not germane to her question about cheap birth control. She did not say how can I have sex and not get pregnant and not use birth control (that works)?

it's not politics, religion, morals or any of that. It's about cheap birth control that is healthy and reliable. It's complete lack of fact checking and leaving out a major component of human sexuality to avoid pregnancy, describing positions, etc. Your "facts" were posted sounding like they are true, this is incredibly irresponsible. Yup, I judge someone who presents wrong advice about birth control as sounding like fact and did not take 5 mins to google just to be sure. If I see crap like douching and saran wrap, sorry, I am going to call you out. It would be wrong of me to read that, know it's wrong, potentially dangerous (saran wrap lost in your hoo-ha) and say nothing. If you don't like that, do your own fact checking.

When the OP just asked for cheap birth control, which if she can get, then she can decide how she wants to have sex in any position, which is no one's business. And we can help her find cheap birth control without resorting to old wive's tails.

that you said, "This is for anyone reading, now or in the future, who has considered or will ever consider this topic", but gave totally erroneous information, what? you are helping no one

**John Doe** · 08-02-2015, 05:22 PM

Let's all take a deep breath and focus on saving money, not attacking one another or their positions. That kind of behavior just creates endless fights, turns people off, drives people away, and helps nobody. If we don't agree with an opinion, we still need to respect the person that voiced it. That's basic acceptable, decent, required behavior for any productive online discussion. Everybody gets a voice. Nobody should be personally attacked or targeted for speaking an opinion.

**sblatner** · 08-02-2015, 05:40 PM

I believe on obamacare, birth control pills are free - zero cost. Cheap!

**FLA** · 08-02-2015, 08:49 PM

I am leaving this here and done. You were not personally attacked, you were called out for giving misinformation on an important women's health issue and not showing respect for female sexuality. I spoke respectfully but forcefully so you would see why fact checking before presenting erroneous facts should happen. And totally false facts are different from a simple disagreement on an opinion. You do understand that, don't you? I can say, hey, this is bad info, one of us needs to fix it. And if you continue to argue and back track and never fix it. Then, you are right, I do not respect that post and will not give it the respect it does not deserve. I cannot in good conscience not speak up about just plain wrong women's health information. I am sorry if you don't like that, next time do your own fact checking. What if no one said anything so as not to hurt your feelings, so the post remained up and people took that advice? I respect you, but not your faulty info, and when health info comes up that is so wrong, I'll always speak up so no one gets hurt.

Do not tell me to take a deep breath like I am a hysterical woman. It's funny how you are so upset about my post, yet you have apparently no remorse for the nonsensical, potentially harmful claims you made, then quickly backed away from when called out. If we are really gonna talk respect then apologize when you make a mistake, take ownership of it, don't try to say it was "brainstorming", just say, "wow, I was way off there, sorry." I would've respected that and not posted again. see how that works? Give incredibly unsafe and erroneous info, someone calls you on it, and even though you hate being called out, simply APOLOGIZE and then you deserve RESPECT.

Also, speaking of respect and a dignified board, treating each other well, etc, I felt that describing male fingers and where they should go and what they should do, and the sexual positions stuff, did not at all belong in that thread on a finance board. That post was offensive, not because of what you said but because of WHERE you said it, here on a finance board when the OP did not ask for info like that. You said yourself, we don't know how old the OP is, if you believed that and still posted the wrong info and then inappropriate sexual stuff, what will you do if she's 16? If my 16 yr old daughter (incredibly interested in finance, don't know if she is on a board but she easily could be) got return posts like yours, let's just say I would not sit silently on my hands. If I were you, I would take the wrong info and graphic sex stuff off. Then you would have my respect. And if you don't take it down because you are still entitled to your "opinions" on flat out facts and you don't take it down because you demand respect and you feel "judged. Then you should read your posts over and over picturing a 16 yr old kid reading this on a finance board. Respect is a two way street.

Frugal birth control?