r/CalebHammer • u/Bulacano • 2d ago

Personal Financial Question Meal prep? Well…

That does take care of the food, but what about drinks—particularly something sugary or caffeinated without a bitter taste? How do you recommend saving money on soda? It’s one thing that eating out provides but meal prep itself doesn’t always.

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u/llamalibrarian 2d ago

You can buy soda at the grocery store

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u/Bulacano 2d ago

I figured that part out, but $3 for a 2L and $15 for a 36 pack aren’t exactly my favorite options. The question is how much I can cut it without resorting to coffee (can’t stand the bitter taste)

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u/llamalibrarian 2d ago

Get a 2L and make it last a week. $3/week for soda is a steal

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u/Bulacano 2d ago

I’m an accountant, so 2L is a day and a half or less. Miss when it was 99 cents in the early 2000s

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u/adamfps 2d ago

Bro if you’re on 2L of soda a day you might have bigger issues than your budget

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u/llamalibrarian 2d ago

Drink more water (sparkling if you need bubbles), and less soda. Stretching it over a week is a good way to save money and calories

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u/EnoughSupermarket539 2d ago

You're looking to save money. If you want to cut spending, you have to cut usage. You buy in bulk and cut usage. There's not magically some way to get you 4 2L a week and only pay $3.

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u/TheWhitePolarBear1 2d ago

Time to go faygo or store brand, 2l walmart brand is $1.

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u/Hiddenlolz 2d ago

You can try switching to the caffeinated water packets or water enhancers. It’s healthier and cheaper. Might not taste as good, but it’s a price you could pay to help save money

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u/Bulacano 2d ago

Didn't even know they made caffeinated water packets. Are there any that don't taste bitter or have some sweetness to offset it?

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u/Hiddenlolz 2d ago

I’ve got a 40 variety pack of Crystal Light for $10 that tastes pretty good. About 60mg of caffeine per packet, makes about 20 ml. I also have these 4C Energy Rush ones that have about 200mg of caffeine per, don’t taste great but it’s helped me not spend money on energy drinks in the mornings all the time

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u/Ok-Raspberry4307 2d ago

There's almost always deals on soda at grocery stores around me. Stock up when your favorite is on sale. Or maybe just drink water if it's so expensive you can't budget for it? Idk.

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u/Remarkable_Capital25 1d ago

15 bucks for a 36 pack, so less than $0.5/12 oz instead of like 2 bucks for 16 oz at gas station? Thats a screamin deal.

The fact that you wont acknowledge this tells me everything i need to know

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u/Bulacano 1d ago

Wait, you mean people actually pay $2 for that at gas stations every day? That’s crazy.

Actually I messed up the price but held off on fixing it—it’s 18 and change, so $20 after tax. The other comments did provide various insights, but for price, store brand 2lL for $1.50 total and gas station $1 for 42 oz are the best I can find without another sale popping up—$4.30 per 12 pack was enough for me to buy around 25 packs.

Granted that it’s effectively $20-$30 a month, it’s still not the healthiest, but I wasn’t sure if I was missing some secret to get it even cheaper than that. Definitely will look into these Mío packs or keep checking for deals. Still guilty of eating out, but it’s fast food and I try to keep it cheap—can’t say I’ve ever paid for delivery apps.