5 frugal cold remedies. . .

As I've been battling a cold for what seems like weeks now, I recently trolled the internet looking for low-cost ways I could make myself feel better. Since my grocery budget is so tight this month, I can't justify paying $6 to $10 for an assortment of cough syrups and pills. So what can I do, with items that I might have in my cupboards already?

• Drink ginger tea. Slicing some fresh ginger and boiling it in water makes for a unique tea that will also help reduce the pain of a headache. The natural properties in the ginger will relax the blood vessels in the head and activates natural pain relieving chemicals in the brain. Added benefit is that it can help with upset stomach. I don't have any fresh ginger, but I do have ginger and lemon tea, as well as some ginger in a jar that I use for stir fry.
  
• Drink honey and lemon. This one is as old as the hills; I've been drinking lemon tea with loads of honey for weeks, and the warmth of the tea helps open my sinuses, while the honey is soothing on my throat. I confess that I've also just eaten a spoonful of honey straight from the jar, it feels so good.
• Gargle with apple cider vinegar. I happen to have this in my cupboard already. I mixed one part apple cider vinegar with one part water, and gargled to my heart's content. Apparently, it's important to allow a bit of the cider to drip down the throat to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Take a hot bath. This one's easy for me; I love hot, steamy baths. This helps my aching muscles and the steam also helps with my congestion.
  
• Make some chicken soup. I did this a week or so ago, and surprisingly enough, researchers have found that this old remedy actually does some good! Apparently, it acts as an anti-inflammatory and it helps speed decongestion.

So there you have it, some budget-friendly ways to make yourself feel better when you're in the midst of a winter cold. Of course, the best advice of all is to simply prevent a cold---and prevention is even cheaper than the remedies listed above! In fact, many of them are free!

• Wash your hands.
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat lots of fresh vegetables. whole grains, and fruits.
• Try Vitamin C.
• Get some (reasonable, for you) exercise.