Think Your Drink
At a penny a gallon, there's no better bargain than tap water.
Virtually every "how to save money" list gives this advice: Drink fewer sodas and coffee drinks. Americans spend an average of $850 per household a year on soft drinks. Collectively, U.S. consumers spend over $65 billion annually on soft drinks alone, not to mention all the other sweetened beverages. (National Soft Drink Associaiton)
If you gave up or cut back on sweet drinks, would it make much difference? Do the math and see for yourself. Add up what you spend on drinks in an average day and multiply it by 365 for a year total. Add a “0” to get the 10-year sum. If you cut what you spent on sweet drinks by 50%, what could you do with the money? Get the family to pitch in on these calculations and ask them to consider other uses for the money. How much could you save if you cut your drink purchases by 25% or in half?
Here’s an example of what a family of four spends on sweetened beverages.
Mom
| McDonalds McCafe Nonfat Mocha/Large | 3.25 |
| Diet Coke / 24 ounces | .75 |
| McDonalds Sweetened Iced Tea / 16 ounces | 1.55 |
| $ 5.55 |
Dad
| Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Coolata with Cream / Large | 3.79 |
| Mountain Dew / 24 ounces | .75 |
| Powerade/ 20 ounces | .99 |
| $5.53 |
10 year old boy
| Gatorade / 20 ounces | .99 |
| Grape Soda / 16 ounces | .58 |
| $1.57 |
13 year old girl
| Snapple Kiwi Strawberry Juice Drink /16 ounces | 1.29 |
| Sprite / 24 ounces from vending machine | 1.25 |
| $2.54 |
Here is how much this family spends on sweet drinks:
| Daily: | $15.19 |
| Weekly: | $106.33 |
| Monthly: | $425.32 |
| Yearly: | $5,103.84 |
| 10 Year Total: | $51,030.84 |
You could buy 2 cars or send a child to college with this!
