How much can I save just drinking water?

PenniesMake£s · 12 October 2015 at 8:50PM

It has just occurred to me that on a daily basis I drink lots of tea and coffee with milk. My oh drinks tea, hot chocolate and sparkling flavoured water. My kids drink milk, dilute juice, milkshakes and fruit shoots, and fresh orange and apple juice. Over a year all these drinks must add up to a fortune.

I'm fairly good at cooking from scratch, using leftovers etc but have just realised what a lot of money we must be spending on drinks!

Has anyone else worked this out or switched to just drinking tap water to save money?

FrugalWorker · 12 October 2015 at 8:59PM

The only way you can answer this is by figuring how much are you spending on drinks!

I drink water / the odd cup of herbal tea / coffee (about 2 cups a day). But it's mainly water, straight from the tap - I prefer it not too chilled. I'm lucky I've really nice tasting tap water.

If you stop drinking milk / juice, you may need to replace these with calories - so it's not a straight swap. I don't like to drink my calories, with the exception of a splash of milk in my coffee twice a day.

Write down how much you spend on the drinks. Consider will you need to increase amount of cheese/ fruit to compensate. Then you've got your answer. mind you, if there's a lot of juice / sweetened drinks, you may then save money on your dentist too

HappyMJ · 12 October 2015 at 9:07PM

PenniesMake£s wrote: »

It has just occurred to me that on a daily basis I drink lots of tea and coffee with milk. My oh drinks tea, hot chocolate and sparkling flavoured water. My kids drink milk, dilute juice, milkshakes and fruit shoots, and fresh orange and apple juice. Over a year all these drinks must add up to a fortune.

I'm fairly good at cooking from scratch, using leftovers etc but have just realised what a lot of money we must be spending on drinks!

Has anyone else worked this out or switched to just drinking tap water to save money?

Almost all quite reasonable drinks. I'd just cut out the fruit shoots and replace with pre-mixed squash in small bottles.

If the children will do it then replace fresh orange and apple juice with actual oranges and apples.

Kids shouldn't need to drink both milk and milkshakes in one day. Shouldn't need to be any more than a small 250ml glass of milk per day and it's usually just added to breakfast with cereal.

chirpychick · 12 October 2015 at 9:47PM

I drink diet coke/diet pepsi and fizzy orange eek!
Hubby drinks copious amounts of tea and coffee but is trying to drink water more often.
Almost 3 year old drinks Milk, Water and very dilute squash now and again.

I know that my fizzy drink consumption must cost a small fortune, I know it.
We don't drink alcohol or smoke and so that's kind of been my excuse for justifying it but I do think I really need to kick the habit!

VfM4meplse · 13 October 2015 at 5:28AM

From a dental and dietary health perspective, the best policy is to avoid drinking sugar in all its guises - that includes fruit juices (esp for kids). Fruit teas can also be highly cariogenic. Anything fizzy is designed to erode teeth. Milk is fine though, the lactose neutralises quickly in the mouth.

Water is an ideal substitute for everything. Except it isn't particularly interesting to drink!

Petula · 13 October 2015 at 7:22AM

As has already been said

, it's quite simple to see what you would save.

Check receipts if you have them and add up drinks purchased. Not sure how you would break down 'splashes' of milk for tea/coffee, would depend on how much you use... maybe add a 2ltr. bottle cost for a week or two to the cost of other drinks purchased.

Caterina · 13 October 2015 at 8:26AM

If you like tea with milk and don't want to give it up completely you could do what I do: make a full teapot first thing in the morning and pour some in a thermos flask. Then top up the rest of the tea in the pot with with hot water and cover with a warm tea cosy. Over time in the morning it will become strong enough to drink. Add powdered milk for savings. This is your 2 morning cups. The two afternoon cups are in the thermos.

You can also grow your own herbs and make your herbal teas. Mint and fennel seeds are really easy to grow, as is lemon balm.

You can flavour water with dried orange or apple peel (hot) or cucumber or fruit slices (cold). Not zero cost but much reduced compared to full consumption as you describe it in your post.

[Deleted User] · 13 October 2015 at 8:33AM

I drink quite a bit of water,as long as its been cooled in the fridge.I keep a bottle in there for drinking and refresh it daily .I read somewhere that two glasses first thing in the morning helps to cleanse the toxins from your body ,don't know if its true or not but My skin never has a problem with spots or anything and also a glass half an hour before eating is also goo for yougives you a slightly 'fuller' feeling so you eat more slowly and ithat helps digestion.I enjoy my morning cuppa with my breakfast and a decent cup of fresh ground coffee as a pick-me-up in the afternoon.I'm not keen on sugary drinks or squashes at all,but then probably because I have never had them when I was growing up.rarely drink milk at all now,only in tea or coffee so I guess a two litre bottle does me for a week as I only use a bit in cereals/porridge I even make porridge with water as my late Mum did.One of my DGS Henry will only drink water anyway as he doesn't like squashs or tea or coffee and I must admit he is one of the healthiest little boys I know. I think perhaps try baby steps and replace a couple of drinks at a time with water and see how you feel.

PasturesNew · 13 October 2015 at 8:38AM

I drink sugar free fruit squash drinks, usually Robinsons. Bought at £1, mixed with water in a 4:1 ratio, a 1 litre bottle makes 5 litres of squash. This level of concentration is what the bottle says is the correct ratio and it's a strong/flavoursome mix, which could be further watered down if pennies were tighter.

My coffee is about £1.60/200gram jar at Lidl. Coffee Granules. I drink it without milk or sugar.

You could cut out all drinks, but then there's no little joys in life.

HappyMJ · 13 October 2015 at 8:40AM

Caterina wrote: »

If you like tea with milk and don't want to give it up completely you could do what I do: make a full teapot first thing in the morning and pour some in a thermos flask. Then top up the rest of the tea in the pot with with hot water and cover with a warm tea cosy. Over time in the morning it will become strong enough to drink. Add powdered milk for savings. This is your 2 morning cups. The two afternoon cups are in the thermos.

You can also grow your own herbs and make your herbal teas. Mint and fennel seeds are really easy to grow, as is lemon balm.

You can flavour water with dried orange or apple peel (hot) or cucumber or fruit slices (cold). Not zero cost but much reduced compared to full consumption as you describe it in your post.

How much does the thermos cost?

purpleivy · 13 October 2015 at 10:41AM

A good habit learned at WW years ago. DOn't ever drink fruit juice. Eat the whole fruit, it gives you more nutrition, fibre etc. We keep squash in the house, but it gets used very slowly.

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How much can I save just drinking water?

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