Recession Eating: Save Money by Moving Away from Soda

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Have you ever looked at your grocery bill to see how much you spend on soda or diet soda each trip? Take a look and then multiply that number by the number of times you shop each month. Now take that amount and multiply it by 12 to give you a ball park figure of how much you spend on soda/diet soda each year. Are you surprised by the number? Are there options to save you some money?

Some estimate that a family of 4 that drinks soda could save over $500 a year by switching to water. So if your family is selecting soda or diet soda as a drink of choice, here are some ideas to help you save money simply by focusing on the soda/diet soda on your grocery list.
  • You can save the most money by drinking tap water instead of soda especially if you drink diet soda like water. This provides nutritional and health benefits as well as saving you money.
  • If cutting soda out completely isn't going to happen, try taking a first step and cutting consumption in half by cutting your serving size in half.
  • If you still want to include carbonated beverages into your meal planning, learn to become brand disloyal. Many times if Coke products are on sale then Pepsi products are not. Instead of stocking up on your favorite when they are on sale, which encourages the soda habit, try buying what is on sale, even if it is not your favorite. If there are no sales, commit to drinking water for that week.
  • Individual serving cans or bottles are typically more expensive then 2-liter bottles. Avoid purchasing individual serving containers and select only the 2-liters if they are on sale. Don't be afraid to try store brands as well.


Drinking water and giving up soda and diet soda all together is the best money saving and nutritional tip we can provide. However, any small steps you take to cut back will save money and hopefully lead to drinking more water in the end.

How much money do you estimate you would save in a month if you gave up soda and diet soda altogether?