With summer here, your family is probably downing more beverages than ever to keep hydrated. And with an increase of beverages can come an increase in your budget. Here are some ways that you can curb the expense without curbing the drinks.
If your kids love chocolate milk, choose the less expensive way to give it to them. Instead of buying chocolate milk prepared in a carton, flavor your own milk using inexpensive chocolate syrup. You can control the amount that is added. Also try a drop of vanilla or almond extra, or stir in a little bit of strawberry jelly. This is a great use for the remains of the jelly jar.
Buy your juice in bulk. While limiting juice will help your budget, if you want juice the best way is to buy in large containers and then divvy it up into smaller ones. Forget the juice boxes and the juice pouches. Invest in some reusable thermos or other containers. You can even try diluting the juice a little bit to stretch it out.
Prepared lemonade is another budget breaker. Make your own with fresh lemons. It doesn’t take many lemons to do this, the taste of fresh just can’t be beat, and you’ll save money. Many produce stores will sell the lemons in bulk, and lemonade can be frozen. Alternatively, buy powdered lemonade mix. Again, you can dilute the mix as needed, and there are even some sugar-free versions out there.
Stay away from the soda! Soda is very expensive and carries absolutely no nutrients. It only contributes to obesity, so you can ask yourself if spending the money to make yourself unhealthy is worth it. Of course, you might want it once in a while for a treat. If that is the case, stay away from individual cans or bottles and look for coupons and deals.
Check back again when I’ll have some more tips including how to prioritize your family beverages.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don’t miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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