photo by clearly ambitious
There are money leaks in almost every personal budget. Take a look in your refrigerator. Does it contain a lot of soda? Many people are hooked on soda and drink a few cans each day. It’s difficult to beat the temptation when there are countless flavors available.
Drinking soda is costly, dehydrating, replaces healthier options and is addicting. One soda can contain more than 100 calories and at least 10 teaspoons of sugar. A single soda per day can equate to sizable weight gain, too. And if a family of four is consuming soda consistently, it can easily amount to $1,000 every year.
Cutting back by using alternatives can help your health and your grocery budget. Just drinking one fewer soda each day can amount to considerable yearly savings.
I noted that a lot of frugal folks used soda to clean their toilets and even remove rust. I began substituting my other beverages for my daily sodas — not because I thought soda was dangerous, although it can be potentially harmful, but I realized that it’s simply not the best choice. It took a while, but now I drink water primarily. I reserve soda for special occasions and whenever I have a glass, I can barely drink it. It’s much too sweet.
The following are soda alternatives to help you kick the habit.
WATER: Water is the ideal drink. If you’re not a fan of water, you can try sipping it through a straw, or adding lemon or other juices and lots of ice. Have a handy container prepared, such as a pitcher in the fridge or a refillable bottle you can take with you, or drink flavored carbonated water. Try filtered water or a water cooler to encourage you to drink more.
JUICE: Juices are a good option, but only in moderation, because they are high in calories. Aim for 100 percent fruit juice. You can use a juicer to make your own healthy combinations, too.
CRYSTAL LIGHT: With more than a dozen flavors available, Crystal Light is a great substitute, especially if you’re not fond of plain water. It’s low in calories, too.
VEGETABLE JUICE: A great option and an easy way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet.
SMOOTHIES: These drinks will take your mind off soda. There are so many delicious smoothie combinations. They contain calcium and can be made healthier by adding fiber, vitamins and protein. They are filling and don’t have caffeine. Best of all, they can be personalized to your tastes.
FLAVORED MILK: More than just chocolate milk is available. It makes the perfect alternative when you want to change things up a bit. You can buy whole milk, fat-free, reduced-fat or low-fat. It can satisfy a sweet tooth and has much less caffeine than soda. You may also enjoy flavored soymilk.
EARN YOUR SODA: If you are having a hard time cutting back on soda, challenge yourself by working for your soda. Challenge yourself to work out, or drink a certain amount of beverage alternatives before allowing yourself to drink soda.
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Post from: Frugal Village
Kick the soda habit
译文:
戒掉碳酸饮料
几乎在每个人的个人开支预算中都出现透支。看看你的冰箱,是不是有大量碳酸饮料在里面？许多人都迷上喝碳酸饮料并且每天都要喝上几罐。当有无数口味的碳酸饮料提供时，这是难以战胜的诱惑。
饮用碳酸饮料费用很高，使人脱水，而且取代了健康饮料和使人上瘾。一杯碳酸饮料含有超过100的卡路里和至少10匙的糖份。每天一杯碳酸饮料也可以等同于相当体重的增加。如果一个4口之家不断地在消费碳酸饮料，那么每一年的花费将很容易地就达到1，000美元。
通过选择其他饮料来减少饮用碳酸饮料可以有利于你的健康和预算开支。只要每天少喝一些碳酸饮料你就可以每年节省到一笔相当多的钱。
我注意到一些节俭的人们用苏打水清洗厕所和去锈。我开始用其他饮料代替我日常所喝的碳酸饮料——虽然它有潜在的伤害，但我并不是因为它的危险而不饮用它，而是我认识到它完全不是最好的选择。这种改变花了一段时间，但现在我主要喝的是水。对于特别的情况我才会订购碳酸饮料，每当我拿着杯子时，我几乎都不喝它，它太甜了。
下列是一些能帮助你戒掉碳酸饮料的可选择的饮料
水:水是理想的饮料。如果你不是一个喜欢喝水的人，你可以尝试着用吸管来吸，或者添加柠檬或其他果汁和大量冰块。准备一个方便的容器，比如在冰箱里放一个大水罐或者一个可重复充填并且你可以带走的瓶子，或者喝调味了的有二氧化碳成分的水。尝试过滤水或冰水来鼓励自己多喝。
果汁：果汁是一个好的选择，但仅仅是在适量时，因为他们有很高的卡路里。为了得到百分百的纯果汁，你也可以用榨汁机来制作属于你自己的健康的混合果汁。
Crystal Light冰茶：有多于十二种的口味，Crystal Light冰茶是一个极好的替代品，尤其是如果你不喜欢喝白开水时。它 也含有很低的卡路里。
蔬菜汁：一个极好的选择同时也是一个可以在饮食中添加维生素和矿物质的最简单的方法。
刨冰：这些饮料将使你忘记了碳酸饮料。有很多美味的混合刨冰。它们含有钙并且通过添加纤维素，维生素和蛋白质使得它们更健康。他们是盛装的而且不含有咖啡碱。其中最好的是它们可以根据你的口味来个性化调制。
风味奶：它不只是提供巧克力牛奶。当你想改变尝试其他饮料时它是一个完美的选择。你可以买到全脂牛奶，脱脂牛奶，降低肥胖或低脂肪的牛奶。和碳酸饮料相比较，它可以满足你吃甜食的嗜好和含有更少的咖啡碱。你可能也会喜欢风味豆奶。
赚取你的碳酸饮料：如果减少喝碳酸饮料对你来说很困难，那么通过为了你的碳酸饮料而工作来挑战自己。挑战自我去工作，或者在允许自己喝碳酸饮料之前先喝一些替代饮料。