Save a Fortune on Coffee and Soda

I'm fresh off a trip to a nearby amusement park and consider myself an expert on all sorts of "convenience oriented" establishments, so I'm highly qualified to speak on this money saving tip. ;-)

The tip? Simple:

Buy your soda (and coffee)* at a grocery store.

*Disclaimer: I'm a soda expert, so I'll quote a source on the coffee part later. ;-)

Here's the tail of the tape on the soda front:

• 20-oz. soda at amusement park: $2.00
• 14-oz. fountain soda at most fast-food restaurants and convenience stores: $1.30
• 2-liter soda at grocery store (on sale -- which one brand or another always is): $0.99

Think how much you drink of the stuff and how much you could save by buying soda only at the grocery store (or buying MORE of it at the store than you currently do). Probably a small fortune. That's why people brought their own sodas to the amusement park (the lot was full at noon of people who went out to their cars for food and drinks stored in their coolers -- it's a small park and easy to get in/out of).

One other tip before I leave the soda and move on to coffee: at fast-food restaurants, always buy the "small" soda if you must have one. Almost all fast-food places have free refills, so when I do get a soda at places like McDonald's, I get the small and fill it up 3-5 times before I leave (the last fill up is as I'm leaving). Believe me, they're still making money (a lot of it as a matter of fact), but at least I feel better about what I'm spending.

Now for the coffee tip. It comes from Money Central as part of an article on 10 easy ways to save $500 or more. Their thoughts:

Stop buying coffee at the chichi coffee joint down the street from work. Bringing coffee from home in a thermos or brewing it in the break room will actually improve the quality of your morning shot of energy, as well as cut its cost dramatically. You can get 40 cups of coffee from a pound of beans. Even the gourmet ones can be purchased for $4 per pound. If you're spending $2 per day on coffee -- easy to do in most workplaces -- you'll go from spending $500 a year to about $25 by making your own.

I only get a coffee once or twice a year and when I do it has so much chocolate, whipped cream, and flavorings in it that I usually compare it to costs of a dessert (because at that point, that's what it is). Helps me justify $4 for something I drink. ;-)

Comments

[David]

Thats a good one! Wish I had thought of that when I made my list of saving money. Maybe you should add it to my list, as it both saves money AND reduces trash! http://thegoodhuman.blogspot.com

David

[Cazi]

If you really want to save money, help the environment, and be healthier. Drink water (Note: The first 2 benefits don't apply to bottled water)!
Seriously, water is free at every eating establishment (and the office), it's also very cheap at home.
Water is better for your than caffeinated syrup drinks (aka Soda). And all you need to do to help the environment is drink water from a mug or sports bottle and you have zero waste.
As Penn and Teller put it, your taxes pay for one of the best water systems in the world, why not use it.

[Katy Raymond]

I am new to personal finance blogs. I am also new to life post-Starbucks.
My husband and I had developed the terrible habit, as a self-employed couple, of making a run to Starbucks every day. To the tune of $8/day. $240/month. I'm sure you can do the math!!

We have turned from our evil ways. This is Day 38 without Starbucks. We are much richer now. And just as caffeinated as ever. And hopeful that we will be able to retire some day!

[J Martin]

I was at the grocery store at lunch and remembered this post. I bought a 12 pack of soda for my office. Throw a few in the fridge at a time. Guess it was a good thing the soda machine was sold out.