Ever tally up what you spend on beverages in a week, month or year? I’m sure you would be surprised how much you really spend. What if I told you you could save some extra money if you just sacrificed a tasty beverage here and there? It’s easy! Just drink water!
My wife and I have been doing this ever since I can remember and it wasn’t even driven by savings. I’m honestly glad we did it since now it is just common practice in our daily lives. That’s not to say we never order a drink, but we keep a tight eye on our budget (a topic I will discuss later).
So let’s break this down:
A 20 oz soft drink in a vending machine – $1.25
A large soft drink at a fast food restaurant – $1.39
A large soft drink at a sit down restaurant – $2.49
A large soft drink at a sporting event – $5
A large soft drink at a movie theater – $5
Let’s say a family of two drinks four soft drinks a day, two sodas at the vending machine at work and two drinks at lunch for $5.28. I would suspect I’m being very conservative in that consumption. Nonetheless, that breaks down to $106/month and just over $1,267/year. I’m not even including the weekends where a trip to a sporting event or a night at the movies where you really get fleeced on beverages.
Some frugal tips are to buy a 12-pack of soda for $3 and bring it to work if you really need that caffeine fix. You could also filter water at home and bring bottles to work. While out for lunch or dinner, ask for water! Hey, they will even give you a lemon if you ask nicely! The best part? It’s free (and healthy)!
It’s OK to cheat once in a while, but I challenge you to substitute at least one a glass of water a day for a soda. See how much money you can save!
I would love to hear if anyone else follows this frugal practice.
Stupidly Yours,
Matt
StupidCents was founded by Matt in 2009. His thoughts are shaped by his family and career and seasoned by his endless motivation to succeed personally, professionally, and financially.