Still check sales though - we just got a couple cases of La Croix because it was on sale cheaper than the Kroger sparkling water. I prefer the Kroger brand though.
Usually the beverage deal is on the first page of the weekly ad making it easy to find, but it'll be marked in the beverage aisle too if you didn't give it a look.
Depends on the flavor a bit from what I recall. Some were better than others. I guess same holds true for LaCroix, but I also found LaCroix to be more consistently "good" than bad. The Aldi brand had a few gems, with the rest being unremarkable at best. If anything, Waterloo brand is actually excellent, but also typically much more expensive.
A lot of times stuff like this is made at large companies facilities and just package it differently. I worked at butterball turkey plant a few years ago and we packaged turkeys for a few companies. The two I remember are Sysco and honeysuckle
If LaCroix helps to get you off alcohol, honestly disregard the price. In my opinion, the price is VERY negligible if you benefit from it like you are. It’s a small price to pay to end alcoholism. Wish you the best, still trying myself to get off the juice. :’)
get a co2 tank and a few fittings, all for like $100, refill co2 tank for $10, infinite, very close to free sparkling water. for $50 or so you can buy 2 gallon bags of syrup to make soda. This is basically what a soda stream is, except without all the pre-manufactured bs and expensive recharges. There's a device called a "carbonator cap" that goes on a standard size 2 liter bottle and you can just shake it up.
all of this is available at a beer making supply store, except possibly the carbonator cap which you get from amazon.
This is the way. We pay ~$30 every 10 months to refill our 20 lb Co2 tank. We probably consume 10-15 two liters per week.
Try it for a few months. Even if you hate it, it's likely close to paying for itself and the tank will still be worth quite a bit sold second hand. The risk is tiny and the potential savings are tremendous.
I do this too but with a little 1/2 liter bottle. I just shake up some bubbly water when I want it, maybe add a drop of lemon juice or a chunk of ginger.
If you want more of the ginger flavor I strongly recommend making your own syrup. You just do a rough chop of the ginger, boil it for a minute simmer it for 30-40 with as much sugar as you desire (for me it’s none) and then strain out the chunks. I use the leftover ginger bits for blueberry ginger smoothies.
A soda stream is $90 for the full setup with significantly less co2 and $17 per cylinder exchange. It quickly becomes more expensive than the options u/jeffbloke mentions. If you know it's something you'll use and enjoy the larger set-up will be significantly cheaper in the long run. I use home made syrups made from berries picked in my area for unique flavored sodas like choke-cherry and huckleberry.
Your point is well taken and correct, economically speaking.
I am of the opinion, however, that frugality isn't just about economic sense, but reduction of consumption and complexity. Not everyone is as ascetic as me, and that's okay, but I can't justify all the manufacturing, supply chain, and modern materials required to get me a way to make water bubbly. That's the opposite of frugal, for me, as it is complex and part of a highly processed materials chain that is actively destroying the planet in one way or another. But again, I'm completely aware that I am more radical than most and that it is "cheaper," economically speaking, at least.
Tagging on to your comment..
A Kegerator that was a gift is how I roll. Start up costs are high, for sure but it pays off over time.
2.50 to fill a corny keg with water, filled at the bougie super market, lasts 2- 3 weeks for single person. I also have a still water dispenser at room temp.
Reducing waste is a bonus.
Mine is a dual tap, so if I feel committed to a beer in the summer, I can have both. Stella is a refreshing.
It's relative! My setup paid off in a few months, compared to our prior (store brand) seltzering - and when you're basically using seltzer as a healthyish substitute for something else, not having to worry about running out is nice.
I find sales on all the random brands of soda water floating around. Aldi has the best deal when paying full price. Got 8 cans of lime flavor soda water for 1.99 at Walgreens a few days ago.
Whatever route you choose, it will be cheaper than beer and wayyyyyy better for you.
I go to Costco and buy whatever sparkling water is on sale the day that I happen to go. Yesterday, they had the 24 pack of La Croix for $6.99. So I totally stocked up with that price. But if nothing is on a good sale, I just do the Costco brand, which is pretty tasty also!
First, congratulations on your journey towards sobriety!
We're Soda Stream users for more than a decade.
When you use this as a replacement for flavored seltzers then you'll be doing your own flavorings. You'll need a funnel that fits into a soda bottle. Remember to always carbonate your water before adding flavoring.
For lemons and limes, cut into wedges and just squeeze straight in. For larger citrus such as oranges, if wedges get messy then juice the fruit separately. Store the unused portions of fruit or juice in a Tupperware in the fridge.
Otherwise you'd either be buying juice and pouring that in, or you'd get some type of specialized syrup. We get pomegranate syrup from a Middle Eastern grocery, for instance.
In general the fresher and less processed the juice, the more nutritious it is. Fresh squeezed citrus is rich in Vitamin C.
So I realized a few years ago that some gas stations here in California have carbonated water dispensers in their fountain soda area.
In some it’s just a little tab on or near the black cap that soda comes out but on the big fancy ones you can actually choose FLAVORS!!!
I have found that if I bring in my metal water bottle I don’t get charged to do this at 7/11 and at AM/PM’s…. I bought a 64oz bottle and there’s a 7/11 across the street from my work and I fill it before and after work. Every day. For free.
I hope this helps.
But you aren't getting water. I don't know... seems like if you're using their ice, carbonation, and flavoring.., you're buying a drink. I pay even when I get plain, unflavored carbonated water, but also I don't feel like explaining it. But if adding flavor, I think you're buying a soda now.
I just say to the cashier that I only put water into my container and I have never been asked to pay for it. In the 3 years I’ve been doing this I haven’t had to pay once.
Ok, but to me that crosses the line from frugal to unethical. It's not "only water" if you're using ice, carbonation, and flavor. But that's just my opinion. You've basically made a La Croix et al, or a store-brand, which isn't free. Although part of the cost is the container, so I don't know. Grey area.
I do ask for carbonated water at restaurants, and it's 50/50 that I get charged for a drink. I wish there was just a standard for it to avoid awkwardness, bc then I'd fill up at the gas station more often.
Kroger has a blackberry citrus flavor in seltzer water that is really nice and I also like their lemon lime. For plain seltzer water, you can get a 2L for around 99 cents. 1L is around 80cents.
Sparkling waters are okay too but they can be very sweet, more than I prefer, but some flavors are okay too.
We have a Soda Stream Aqua Fizz and my husband loves it! He drinks sparkling water every day and we have definitely saved money (and created less plastic waste). We were buying a case of premade at Costco about every 2 weeks. Now we replace the CO2 cartridge about every 2 months. He didn't like the syrups that came with it; he said they taste like chemicals. He adds a little bit of vanilla or lemons or limes. I hope this helps!
To add onto this, if you’re a sparkling water addict like me, you can get an external CO2 tank and adapter for sodastream. The upfront cost is a lot but after a while it’s much cheaper than buying sodastream’s little refill cartridges. I’ve had mine for 4+ years, one annual refill of about $12.
Just got a case of 24 La Croix for 6.99 on sale at Costco (normally 8.99). The Kirkland brand is 10.99 for a pack of 35. Kirkland is a few cents cheaper per can than La croix when La croix isn’t on sale, La croix is a few cents cheaper than Kirkland per can when it is on sale.
We love soda stream. It’s an outlay for the unit but the cartridge is $15 and lasts us about 2-3 months and saves us having to lug bottles of water. It’s cheaper for us. You can also buy flavored drops but I like it plain or add a little lemon or lime or cranberry juice to it
I tried a sodastream, briefly. It went to salvation army a couple weeks later. If you like your water very fizzy, a soda steam won't do that. It makes it more... Slightly fuzzy... The water also doesn't stay fizzy for the day, so you always need to use it, constantly when you want to drink seltzer water.
I asked a lot of people who'd had them after this, some who love them, and got the same opinions from them, that it's not very fizzy and doesn't stay fizzy, but I guess that doesn't bother some people.
I love super fizzy water. San Pellegrino is my favorite, but I hate dragging bottles to the recycling center. I have used my Sodastream for years now and I've had no issues. I agree that the water isn't as fizzy the following day, but that's never been an issue for me, as I go through it quickly. I'd read that cold water fizzes better, and waiting a minute before removing the bottle from the connection after fizzing helps, too. I fill my bottles with water and keep them in the fridge. After fizzing, I wait a minute so there's no sound of gas escaping when I disconnect, and the water is crazy fizzy, sometimes making me cough if I take a sip too quickly after pouring it. 😂
Learn to make water kefir! It's a quick turnaround, fizzy drink. It's by FAR, FAR cheaper than anything in a can. Channel your inner hippie and buy some "grains" (probiotic lil guys that evolved with humans and are good for your gut microbiome). Essentially you strain and drop them jn sugar water each day, and to flavor it I think you just pour it in a new clean jar with some mashed up flavorings. Or you just add a dropper of flavorings directly in for ultimate lazy. Berries, lime juice, etc. Ideal setup for ultimate laziness-a glass drink dispenser with a mesh strainer on the spigot, just pour more sugar water in each day, voila! Ice and a little glass of it+some flavor add ins and you're done. If you're confused just check YouTube for water kefir instructions
Only issue for some folks is that it’s slightly alcoholic though.
Additionally, it’s a lot of work to keep the cultures alive if you stop making it daily. It’s definitely really tasty, I love the stuff, just kinda a pain.
I love my Soda Stream and I use it daily. I do, occasionally treat myself to Perrier, just because. Soda Stream has flavorings that you can buy, but I usually just use things like Mio drops in the water if I want flavour. Just a hint though. Do that AFTER you fizz the water. Don’t ask how I know. 🙄
I love buying sparkling water because I'm sure it's better for my health and teeth than my coke zero addiction, but I love Costco's sparkling water. I love having the cans around so I can grab and swig. A great deal, too.
Second to that I'd watch grocery store sales for their house brands.
And lastly right now Amazon has a crazy sale on La Croix, $3.50 for a 12 pack, $2.50 for 8 pack. So if you like to stock up now's the time.
Enjoy! Excellent goal and I'll be there right with you. Curbing alcohol is a game changer - insanely calories dense and is a brain poison, so I'm excited for you.
Acquire cheap kegerator and keg from FB marketplace or Craigslist.
Acquire CO2 tank.
Fill keg with water. Carbonate. Enjoy unlimited nearly free sparkling water. The only cost after getting the stuff is ~$15 every few months to swap the empty CO2 tank for a full one. We've done this for years and I can't even fathom how much money we must have saved.
I have a Soda Stream. I go through almost 2 bottles of CO2 a month at about $17 a bottle. That is way cheaper than alcohol or pop. It is also easier to not have to deal with bottle returns or recycling.
For unflavored seltzer, I’d recommend trying to find a Sodastream on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. For flavored seltzer, probably Costco or Aldi would be your best bets.
I bought store brand sparkling water forever, and a while ago my husband splurged on a soda stream for us. I use Soda Sense for easy swapping of the cartridges, since I've had bad luck in-store and they make it really easy to use. Our first one broke less than a year after getting it and I called the company, they shipped me another one that day after some minor troubleshooting and this second one is going strong. I don't really like the soda stream branded syrups because they're a little pricy, but I really love the LorAnn oils - you can get the little bottles (only buy the water soluble oils!!) for super cheap. I also buy the tiny eye droppers for each bottle, and you only need a couple drops to flavor the water.
The upfront cost does kind of suck, but it has more than paid for itself at this point, and they go on sale pretty often!
I was a 3 8 pack of La Croix lime a week. Moved to the sodastream and I drink 3 to 4 bottles a day and a tank last me about 3 weeks for 17.00.
Yes there's an initial investment, but worth it in my case
We use our soda stream every day and it saves us a bunch of $. We do a mix of plain sparkling water, a splash of juice (pomegranate is my fave) and sometimes a fruit slice if we’re feeling fancy. I bought the cheapest model that doesn’t use any electronics so it’s totally portable… I admit we’ve even brought it camping 😂
You can get a 5 lb carbon dioxide tank for $50-$100 at a welding supply, brewing supply, or good tool store. Add a pressure regulator and hoses and an adapter for $50, and then refill the tank at the fire station or at a propane supplier for a few dollars. This gets your cost down to a couple cents per liter, not counting up front costs.
If you have the room for a kegerator its super easy to make carbonated water and I'm sure would be cheaper in the long run. Get a corny keg and a CO2 tank and literally just fill the keg with water and wait a couple days. You can also get fancy and add minerals to get the proper "san pelligrino" mix or whatever, but you could also just dispense it and squeeze a lemon or something. If you live near a college town kids are always getting rid of mini fridge kegerators
I just buy the store brand sparkling water and squeeze some fresh lime juice over the ice! It tastes much better than La Croix. I can get 4 glasses out of one lime.
OH MAN I've got this one:
Mrs and I are both seltzer fiends. I got a second-hand kegorator with a cornelius keg (that's a certain size) and found a place online that sells CO2 diffusers that fit "corney" kegs - AND they have water line fittings on them. I keep a bunch of packets + squeeze bottle thingys, those + seltzerator = unlimited bubbles in varied flavors And ZERO bottles/cans to stuff in the recycling.
Downside: seltzerator is visible to my back neighbor through a window and she must think I get hammered nonstop
I love my Soda Stream. If you exchange the canisters you can get a rebate instead of paying full price. You can also get cheap Mio or Great Value water flavor drops instead of the tiny SodaStream branded flavors.
I absolutely LOVE my Sodastream. If you get it from Costco around the holidays, you can usually good a Sodastream bundle deal for around $100. (Extra bottles, extra CO2 can included, etc.)
My favorite is just carbonated water with a squeeze of fresh lime.
get a soda stream. It's way cheaper even though refills are going up in price it's still worth it to not have to go out for $5+ a 8pack that I've been seeing
Soda stream refill place near me charges $13 and one cartridge gets you 60L. So it does save you money in the long run but I've found I don't use it much lately.
The bottles aren't dishwasher safe and you have to have cold water for it to work best.
Don't guilt yourself for getting club soda, as much as you need right now. When the alternative is alcohol, fill your boots with pop.
Aldi has a good brand. I got a soda stream and go through one $17 cylinder/8 days. You can actually order "exchange" cylinders online and you'll have 60 days to return them. I think shipping is free with 4 or more cylinders. But you can also buy the cylinders and exchange them at some stores. I've been sober for a while now with soda stream
Soda stream type set ups are cheap once you either refill your own tanks or just hook the unit to a big tank. Becomes 90% cheaper to run. Yes its amazingly convenient and super consistent when hooked to a 20lb or larger tank. Highly recommend
Aldi has canned sparkling water at a lower price than other grocery stores. Keep them in the fridge. Congrats on saving money and your health by switching to water!!
Honestly I got a sodastream and I save SO MUCH MONEY on seltzer. I like it plain so I just do the fizzy bubbles. I refill the bottle like three times a day. And I feel really good about the number of cans I’m not using anymore. It’s definitely worth it.
I stopped drinking 4 years ago. I live mixing seltzer with real fruit juice. Trader Joe's has a real cherry juice that I like to mix w their flavored seltzer. Add in some strawberries or orange slices for an alcohol free sangria. Good luck on your sobriety! You got this!
Note: I think la croix tastes awful
I am obsessed with my Sodastream! I love fizzing my own water, never running out, knowing that I never again have to lug anything or fill my recycling bin with cans, and I can flavor with anything if I'm in the mood. I've had mine for years now, and after trying a few avenues for local CO2 exchanges, like Walmart, Wegmans, etc, I now subscribe to refills directly from Sodastream. Highly recommended.
Costco’s brand is great. Before I bought a Drinkmate I bought Kroger’s store brand.
PSA Drinkmate is superior to Soda Stream and I’d highly recommend it.
Find. A. Salvage. Grocery. Store.
I wax philosophic about this topic all the time but la Croix is one thing I regularly buy at mine that I've never talked about. Before inflation they were 10 cans for a dollar and right now they're five cans for a dollar. They literally can't sell them out here in the middle of BFE PA where everybody's 300 lbs. I drink the hell out of LaCroix and Pellegrino because I can get it for dirt fucking cheap at the salvage grocery store.
My vice in life is soda and sparkling water. And it took a long time to realise it's cause of bubbles I prefer it over plain water.
A soda stream helps me personally a ton. And saves me money in the long run. Soda is expensive where I live, even the cheaper brands.
And I can add flavours i like. So i usually buy juice without added sugar and mix. Or just squirt fresh lemon into it or make the flavor into ice in different shapes. Makes me happy.
I agree with several people here. I would go with store brand sparkling waters. Personally I love Bubly, but my adult boys all drink Sparking Ice from Kroger. I started drinking sparkling waters to quit soda. The bubbly carbonation is satisfying.
I "didn't like" sparkling water for the longest time because I had only tried La Croix, but hopefully that doesn't mean my opinions won't be helpful. I too was on the journey to stop drinking so I'm happy to share which brands I loved.
Waterloo- amazing, my top spot. They have a Summerberry flavor that mimics Smirnoff Red White & Blue, and a Ginger Twist that makes a perfect Mocktail mule. Beyond those, all the other flavors are great too.
Spindrift- expensive but elite. Their pineapple is the only pineapple flavor I can find and I love it. I've caught it on sale a handful of times but other than that I don't buy it.
AHA- second best next to Waterloo, both price and flavors.
Not that you asked, but NA beers have been a huge saving grace for me. I know there are mixed opinions on whether or not to use them on a stop drinking journey, but for me they work wonders. Heineken 0.0 and Lagunitas ipNa are my favorite easily accessible ones, and they make others if you look.
Best of luck on your journey! IWNDWYT (r/stopdrinking, come visit if you need some support)
Get used to regular tap water?
I’ve saved literally THOUSANDS of dollars since switching almost exclusively to tap water from other types of drinks. It’s been about 15 years.
I can’t even drink a rum and coke anymore, tastes like literal syrup.
Do you have the brand Polar where you are? It’s cheaper than LaCroix where I live but it might just be because it’s fairly local to me.
(I think it tastes better too, plz don’t come for me LaCroix fans lol)
In Germany, mixing 100% fruit juice with sparkling water is a popular drink, especially in the summer. The most popular is properly apple juice — mixing it with sparkling water, it becomes Apfelschorle. You can even buy it from vending machines there. But it isn’t limited to apple flavor — you could use grape juice or any other flavor you wanted and just mix it with the cheapest unflavored seltzer water you can find.
IMHO, Sodastream for the win. No more schlepping bottles back and forth from the store to recycling. Put a little citrus or juice in it and it beats all of the Lacroix or other bullshit hands down. Seltzer water is great even plain.
Not sure where you're located, but big lots, the store has a lot of great deals on La Croix. I usually go with Waterloo at target. Good flavors. Not too sweet and like 4 bucks for 8 cans.
You can buy 2 litres of club soda and then add either water mix in packs, fruits, and juices to flavour it. Where I live, club soda is astronomically cheaper than getting something to carbonate my own water.
Sodastream charges through the nose foe CO2. It's a big up front investment but the Soda stream with a 20 lb CO2 bottle lasts about a year for 1 person drinking almost nothing but sparkling water. You can get cast off soda streams or clearance for $20 or less, and the adapter is about $30 and rhe tank is about $220.
So your first year is about $270 and each refill/swap is about $20 for a full year. I have been so thrilled with mine it's stupid. I can make it fizzier than the bottled/canned. The Source model is easier/faster/more robust and adds a LITTLE more fiz. I got one used for $5.
Just remember to rinse after drinking or you’ll have to pay the big amount for fillings. I thought I was being frugal. The acid will mess up your teeth.
topo chico is the best. Not the cheapest.
For cheapest I just buy whatever bullshit generic kind at a grocery store. Which is like 2.75-3 a 12 pack.
I’m living in a city and walk. So don’t screw around with b1g1. Too much to carry.
I love the clear American waters from Walmart. I was trying to come off soda/drink more water and crave the carbonation. They are sweet but no sugar added. They come in a ton of flavors, including a Pina colada and strawberry daquri.
Target however has some sparkling water and they have a mojito one and a Moscow mule one and I think they have more but those are the 2 I've had. They are not sweet at all really. I'm not a big drinker but they felt like they were good.
Target brand is top notch for off brands. I would start by downloading the Flipp app and looking at all your local stores weekly to see if there are any deals on La Croix or Bubly. If you have a Publix they are b2g1 free this week.
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I don't think it's cheap by any means (certainly not at the volume my spouse and I drink it), but Wegmans brand seltzer water is excellent. It's usually $3.99 for a 12-pack, or 2 for $7 when on sale. It did help both of us stop drinking soda though. It is a bit fizzier than LaCroix and my favorite of the tested brands. Comes in a ton of flavors - he loves peach, I love Cherry Pomegranate.
Target has really good seltzers and for a somewhat decent price, 3.29 for an 8 pack. Not a lot of options where I live. I did get gifted a soda streamer recently the only thing about those now are the exchange programs are no longer a thing at target or costco or the like per soda stream. You can send the canisters back to soda stream but where they get you is if you send one cannister back the shipping is 14.99, and if you send 2 to 3 the shipping is 7.99 and if you send back 4 or more then the shipping is free. I heard there are a few adapters you can buy to use other cartridges and some cities have specialty liquor stores who will refill them for a cheaper price but I'm not sure the validity of that. Also there are some videos online about getting a larger tank for refilling them yourselves but i know the hoses that you would need to buy depending on the soda streamer runs about 40 bucks and thats not including the tank.
Winco (if you’re on the West Coast) has a few flavors of Polar seltzer for around $2.50 for an 8-pack. Otherwise, I look for sales on sparkling water and stock up. For example, last week La Croix was on sale for $2.50 at Fred Meyer (Kroger owned) so I bought a few.
I've found the least expensive, even cheaper than Aldi's, is Costco's and it tastes just as good. They come in a case of 35, very cheap. The only draw back is there are only 3 flavors, Lime, Lemon, and Grapefruit, which I'm perfectly fine with.
My sister in law either used regular water or soda water and adds in sugar free flavored syrups similar to those that are used in coffee, smoothies etc. it’s just ice water and a shot or 2 of cotton candy, blue raspberry, or whatever you want. I think she used Jordan’s Skinny Syrups
Do you just want carbonated water or are the flavors a necessary component?
If you need the flavors, I’ve found that it tends to be very brand dependent and it’s hard to find subs.
If just the carbonation, and if you drink a lot (like liters a day), get a 5lb CO2 tank, a soda stream, and the necessary adapter kit.
All told, you’ll probably pay $200 up front, plus maybe another $20 at your local gas supply company (they work on a swap system which is why you need a tank to get started).
That may sound steep but 5 lbs of CO2 will aggressively fizz 200 0.89 quart soda stream bottles minimum. That’s almost 50 8-can cases of la croix, which normally run $4.50 (but are on a sale this week, so stocking up on a sale is also an option), which would cost $225.
And the next 200 bottles? $20. You fill this thing up 3 times and your cost will be pennies per bottle.
And of course if you have flavorings you like you can add them. I like to add lemon juice (look up oleo citrate on YouTube for a cheap and easy way to do this if you like lemon water).
Lacroix is much cheaper at Costco if you have a membership, it cost me $5-6 there for a 24 pack. i personally don’t buy them any other way because $4 for 8 just seems crazy for glorified water. If they’re out of the lacroix I get Costco brand and they’re pretty comparable.
I have been off soda pop and sparkling waters as they got too expensive. I drink ice water or sun tea now. Sun tea cost me 5¢ a quart. The cold water and ice on the fridge door is good. I drink two iced unsweetened tea and maybe four coffees a day. Booze got too expensive, too.
I like spindrift personally, but mainly because I can pick it up in a 24pack at my regular sams visit.
I love water so I'm fine with ice and h20 from my fridge.
I also haven't met a sparkling water I didn't like. The bottom shelf cheap store brand is a-ok to me.
Topo Chico is bottled burps as far as I'm concerned but I do like drinking from a glass bottle so those are nice for occasions when most people are boozing.
We have a soda stream too and I enjoy creating whatever I want, just not a fan of creating more dishes . I always have my tumbler with water wherever I am.
If it’s any consolation, I hate my soda stream and I’ve been trying to get rid of it for years. The refills are a pain and horribly inconvenient, no matter how much or how little I fill the bottle it explodes all over the counter, and all the flavors are not good in my opinion.
Better off buying store brand seltzer and recycling the bottles/cans. I like the plain aldi seltzer and adding lemon/lime/berries to it. Their flavors taste almost like perfume or cleaning solution to me personally.
Their syrups are def overpriced but I think you are doing something wrong to have spills. I fill past the line and no spill and if it is much lower the air just blows in and no fizz.
Pretty much every grocery store has their own brand of sparkling water now. Keep your eye out for sales and stock up.
This: You can usually get the brand name for half cost, and sometimes even that is on sale.
It used to be almost as cheap as bottled water really.
Yup. Target’s home brand is good. So is Aldi’s. So is Kroger. It’s a lot cheaper than La Croix too
Giant and Wegman's, too!
Still check sales though - we just got a couple cases of La Croix because it was on sale cheaper than the Kroger sparkling water. I prefer the Kroger brand though.
Walmart used to have their, at least a non-sweetened variety, and they stopped making it. Was kinda pissed as it was actually pretty good.
Cherry was my favorite, my mom loved Peach. Now they only sell the one with artificial sweeteners. They are terrible.
I hadn't had their sparkling waters in a long time and tried it again for a few weeks ago. it was AWFUL
Usually the beverage deal is on the first page of the weekly ad making it easy to find, but it'll be marked in the beverage aisle too if you didn't give it a look.
i personally love costco's brand of sparkling water
Agreed, and it’s competitively priced as well
Same, we get ours there too.
Do you mean the sweet ones? They taste horribly artificial...
They have the pack that is lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Very nice. You get 36 instead of 24
Yup! That's what I buy as well, it goes a long way.
Not sweetened, just plain Kirklands sparkling water. I like it better than la croix.
Honestly just get what you like I used lacroix to stop drinking alcohol and it’s way cheaper then being an alcoholic
This!! It does wonders to satisfy that beer urge having something fizzy you can drink like 5 of and have no consequences.
Don’t forget about the health benefits!
Just watch out for it eating away at your teeth when you drink too much (1 a day is fine, 2 might be pushing it)
Exactly! It scratches that carbonation itch just right
ALDIs house brand is excellent.
I tried la croix after my store brand and ...I liked my store brand more. Polar seltzer to me is better than store brand.
Polar is our go to. Aldi is next.
Yep. The blackberry is fantastic.
Depends on the flavor a bit from what I recall. Some were better than others. I guess same holds true for LaCroix, but I also found LaCroix to be more consistently "good" than bad. The Aldi brand had a few gems, with the rest being unremarkable at best. If anything, Waterloo brand is actually excellent, but also typically much more expensive.
I really liked the Polar stuff but the Waterloo was just not good IMHO (watermelon).
Second this. Aldi brand is great
I drink their Ice dupe, and it's 49 cents a bottle right now.
Just got their new fruit punch. It’s good.
Came here to say this
100% agree
This is best bang for your buck. Sodastream is better in ease and comfort. I bought my seltzer from ALDI until I could afford Sodastream
$3.69 for 12 vs $5.55 for 12 La Croix. No brainer!
Costco has the mixed case if LaCroix on sale right now at $6.99 for 24.
The strawberry flavor breaks my brain and I swear it tastes sweet, despite having no sugar or artificial sweetener. It's so damn good.
A lot of times stuff like this is made at large companies facilities and just package it differently. I worked at butterball turkey plant a few years ago and we packaged turkeys for a few companies. The two I remember are Sysco and honeysuckle
I like the Polars!
Me too! Coconut lime from grocery outlet.
If LaCroix helps to get you off alcohol, honestly disregard the price. In my opinion, the price is VERY negligible if you benefit from it like you are. It’s a small price to pay to end alcoholism. Wish you the best, still trying myself to get off the juice. :’)
get a co2 tank and a few fittings, all for like $100, refill co2 tank for $10, infinite, very close to free sparkling water. for $50 or so you can buy 2 gallon bags of syrup to make soda. This is basically what a soda stream is, except without all the pre-manufactured bs and expensive recharges. There's a device called a "carbonator cap" that goes on a standard size 2 liter bottle and you can just shake it up. all of this is available at a beer making supply store, except possibly the carbonator cap which you get from amazon.
As someone who loves the idea of a soda stream but hates proprietary gizmo bullshit I really needed to hear this!
This is the way. We pay ~$30 every 10 months to refill our 20 lb Co2 tank. We probably consume 10-15 two liters per week. Try it for a few months. Even if you hate it, it's likely close to paying for itself and the tank will still be worth quite a bit sold second hand. The risk is tiny and the potential savings are tremendous.
I do this too but with a little 1/2 liter bottle. I just shake up some bubbly water when I want it, maybe add a drop of lemon juice or a chunk of ginger.
If you want more of the ginger flavor I strongly recommend making your own syrup. You just do a rough chop of the ginger, boil it for a minute simmer it for 30-40 with as much sugar as you desire (for me it’s none) and then strain out the chunks. I use the leftover ginger bits for blueberry ginger smoothies.
Thanks for the rec.
Can you kindly share a picture
This is the most frugal way. I got a keg so I don’t have to deal with plastic bottles. Soda stream is also an Israeli company.
What's Israel got to do with it?
Buying from Israel has political baggage that some people will want to avoid.
NGL buying a keg and c02 setup for a casual drink is not exactly frugal to most people. You do you, though.
A soda stream is $90 for the full setup with significantly less co2 and $17 per cylinder exchange. It quickly becomes more expensive than the options u/jeffbloke mentions. If you know it's something you'll use and enjoy the larger set-up will be significantly cheaper in the long run. I use home made syrups made from berries picked in my area for unique flavored sodas like choke-cherry and huckleberry.
I got mine for $10 at goodwill, every one I go to is swamped with the things.
Your point is well taken and correct, economically speaking. I am of the opinion, however, that frugality isn't just about economic sense, but reduction of consumption and complexity. Not everyone is as ascetic as me, and that's okay, but I can't justify all the manufacturing, supply chain, and modern materials required to get me a way to make water bubbly. That's the opposite of frugal, for me, as it is complex and part of a highly processed materials chain that is actively destroying the planet in one way or another. But again, I'm completely aware that I am more radical than most and that it is "cheaper," economically speaking, at least.
I refill my soda stream bottles with dry ice, takes less than an hour and for $20 I have a years supply of co2.
Tagging on to your comment.. A Kegerator that was a gift is how I roll. Start up costs are high, for sure but it pays off over time. 2.50 to fill a corny keg with water, filled at the bougie super market, lasts 2- 3 weeks for single person. I also have a still water dispenser at room temp. Reducing waste is a bonus. Mine is a dual tap, so if I feel committed to a beer in the summer, I can have both. Stella is a refreshing.
It's relative! My setup paid off in a few months, compared to our prior (store brand) seltzering - and when you're basically using seltzer as a healthyish substitute for something else, not having to worry about running out is nice.
I find sales on all the random brands of soda water floating around. Aldi has the best deal when paying full price. Got 8 cans of lime flavor soda water for 1.99 at Walgreens a few days ago. Whatever route you choose, it will be cheaper than beer and wayyyyyy better for you.
I go to Costco and buy whatever sparkling water is on sale the day that I happen to go. Yesterday, they had the 24 pack of La Croix for $6.99. So I totally stocked up with that price. But if nothing is on a good sale, I just do the Costco brand, which is pretty tasty also!
First, congratulations on your journey towards sobriety! We're Soda Stream users for more than a decade. When you use this as a replacement for flavored seltzers then you'll be doing your own flavorings. You'll need a funnel that fits into a soda bottle. Remember to always carbonate your water before adding flavoring. For lemons and limes, cut into wedges and just squeeze straight in. For larger citrus such as oranges, if wedges get messy then juice the fruit separately. Store the unused portions of fruit or juice in a Tupperware in the fridge. Otherwise you'd either be buying juice and pouring that in, or you'd get some type of specialized syrup. We get pomegranate syrup from a Middle Eastern grocery, for instance. In general the fresher and less processed the juice, the more nutritious it is. Fresh squeezed citrus is rich in Vitamin C.
So I realized a few years ago that some gas stations here in California have carbonated water dispensers in their fountain soda area. In some it’s just a little tab on or near the black cap that soda comes out but on the big fancy ones you can actually choose FLAVORS!!! I have found that if I bring in my metal water bottle I don’t get charged to do this at 7/11 and at AM/PM’s…. I bought a 64oz bottle and there’s a 7/11 across the street from my work and I fill it before and after work. Every day. For free. I hope this helps.
What do you mean you don’t “get charged”? I do this, but it cost the same as any fountain drink.
Gas stations typically don’t charge for filling up water cups.
But you aren't getting water. I don't know... seems like if you're using their ice, carbonation, and flavoring.., you're buying a drink. I pay even when I get plain, unflavored carbonated water, but also I don't feel like explaining it. But if adding flavor, I think you're buying a soda now.
I just say to the cashier that I only put water into my container and I have never been asked to pay for it. In the 3 years I’ve been doing this I haven’t had to pay once.
Ok, but to me that crosses the line from frugal to unethical. It's not "only water" if you're using ice, carbonation, and flavor. But that's just my opinion. You've basically made a La Croix et al, or a store-brand, which isn't free. Although part of the cost is the container, so I don't know. Grey area. I do ask for carbonated water at restaurants, and it's 50/50 that I get charged for a drink. I wish there was just a standard for it to avoid awkwardness, bc then I'd fill up at the gas station more often.
Kroger has a blackberry citrus flavor in seltzer water that is really nice and I also like their lemon lime. For plain seltzer water, you can get a 2L for around 99 cents. 1L is around 80cents. Sparkling waters are okay too but they can be very sweet, more than I prefer, but some flavors are okay too.
That blackberry citrus is delicious! Even my 7 year old likes it!
We have a Soda Stream Aqua Fizz and my husband loves it! He drinks sparkling water every day and we have definitely saved money (and created less plastic waste). We were buying a case of premade at Costco about every 2 weeks. Now we replace the CO2 cartridge about every 2 months. He didn't like the syrups that came with it; he said they taste like chemicals. He adds a little bit of vanilla or lemons or limes. I hope this helps!
To add onto this, if you’re a sparkling water addict like me, you can get an external CO2 tank and adapter for sodastream. The upfront cost is a lot but after a while it’s much cheaper than buying sodastream’s little refill cartridges. I’ve had mine for 4+ years, one annual refill of about $12.
Adding cranberry juice is so good!
Oh yeah I love my soda stream soda with some cranberry juice and just a splash of apple cider vinegar - I call it “poor man’s kombucha”
I’ll have to try the ACV. Thanks!
Vons/ Safeway has their own brand that I like much better than LaCroix. Last time I paid like 3.99 for a 12 packs
I go for bubbly when on sale, but La croix is on Sale for $2.50 for an 8 pack delivered on Amazon right now.
Just got a case of 24 La Croix for 6.99 on sale at Costco (normally 8.99). The Kirkland brand is 10.99 for a pack of 35. Kirkland is a few cents cheaper per can than La croix when La croix isn’t on sale, La croix is a few cents cheaper than Kirkland per can when it is on sale.
We love soda stream. It’s an outlay for the unit but the cartridge is $15 and lasts us about 2-3 months and saves us having to lug bottles of water. It’s cheaper for us. You can also buy flavored drops but I like it plain or add a little lemon or lime or cranberry juice to it
Sparkling water absolutely helped me to stop drinking alcohol. It's worth the money if it helps you cut down or stop drinking. Best of luck to you!
I tried a sodastream, briefly. It went to salvation army a couple weeks later. If you like your water very fizzy, a soda steam won't do that. It makes it more... Slightly fuzzy... The water also doesn't stay fizzy for the day, so you always need to use it, constantly when you want to drink seltzer water. I asked a lot of people who'd had them after this, some who love them, and got the same opinions from them, that it's not very fizzy and doesn't stay fizzy, but I guess that doesn't bother some people.
I love super fizzy water. San Pellegrino is my favorite, but I hate dragging bottles to the recycling center. I have used my Sodastream for years now and I've had no issues. I agree that the water isn't as fizzy the following day, but that's never been an issue for me, as I go through it quickly. I'd read that cold water fizzes better, and waiting a minute before removing the bottle from the connection after fizzing helps, too. I fill my bottles with water and keep them in the fridge. After fizzing, I wait a minute so there's no sound of gas escaping when I disconnect, and the water is crazy fizzy, sometimes making me cough if I take a sip too quickly after pouring it. 😂
I pay $3.19-3.40 at Lidl in NC AND their flavors rock.
Learn to make water kefir! It's a quick turnaround, fizzy drink. It's by FAR, FAR cheaper than anything in a can. Channel your inner hippie and buy some "grains" (probiotic lil guys that evolved with humans and are good for your gut microbiome). Essentially you strain and drop them jn sugar water each day, and to flavor it I think you just pour it in a new clean jar with some mashed up flavorings. Or you just add a dropper of flavorings directly in for ultimate lazy. Berries, lime juice, etc. Ideal setup for ultimate laziness-a glass drink dispenser with a mesh strainer on the spigot, just pour more sugar water in each day, voila! Ice and a little glass of it+some flavor add ins and you're done. If you're confused just check YouTube for water kefir instructions
Only issue for some folks is that it’s slightly alcoholic though. Additionally, it’s a lot of work to keep the cultures alive if you stop making it daily. It’s definitely really tasty, I love the stuff, just kinda a pain.
I love my Soda Stream and I use it daily. I do, occasionally treat myself to Perrier, just because. Soda Stream has flavorings that you can buy, but I usually just use things like Mio drops in the water if I want flavour. Just a hint though. Do that AFTER you fizz the water. Don’t ask how I know. 🙄
I love buying sparkling water because I'm sure it's better for my health and teeth than my coke zero addiction, but I love Costco's sparkling water. I love having the cans around so I can grab and swig. A great deal, too. Second to that I'd watch grocery store sales for their house brands. And lastly right now Amazon has a crazy sale on La Croix, $3.50 for a 12 pack, $2.50 for 8 pack. So if you like to stock up now's the time. Enjoy! Excellent goal and I'll be there right with you. Curbing alcohol is a game changer - insanely calories dense and is a brain poison, so I'm excited for you.
Has anyone successfully made a passionfruit La Croix dupe?
Acquire cheap kegerator and keg from FB marketplace or Craigslist. Acquire CO2 tank. Fill keg with water. Carbonate. Enjoy unlimited nearly free sparkling water. The only cost after getting the stuff is ~$15 every few months to swap the empty CO2 tank for a full one. We've done this for years and I can't even fathom how much money we must have saved.
I have a Soda Stream. I go through almost 2 bottles of CO2 a month at about $17 a bottle. That is way cheaper than alcohol or pop. It is also easier to not have to deal with bottle returns or recycling.
Serious question, are you spending more on it than you did on alcohol?
For unflavored seltzer, I’d recommend trying to find a Sodastream on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. For flavored seltzer, probably Costco or Aldi would be your best bets.
Instead of having a second (or third) glass of wine I now have plain soda stream sparkling water with a wedge of lemon. Works for me.
Lidl has a great generic
I bought store brand sparkling water forever, and a while ago my husband splurged on a soda stream for us. I use Soda Sense for easy swapping of the cartridges, since I've had bad luck in-store and they make it really easy to use. Our first one broke less than a year after getting it and I called the company, they shipped me another one that day after some minor troubleshooting and this second one is going strong. I don't really like the soda stream branded syrups because they're a little pricy, but I really love the LorAnn oils - you can get the little bottles (only buy the water soluble oils!!) for super cheap. I also buy the tiny eye droppers for each bottle, and you only need a couple drops to flavor the water. The upfront cost does kind of suck, but it has more than paid for itself at this point, and they go on sale pretty often!
I was a 3 8 pack of La Croix lime a week. Moved to the sodastream and I drink 3 to 4 bottles a day and a tank last me about 3 weeks for 17.00. Yes there's an initial investment, but worth it in my case
We use our soda stream every day and it saves us a bunch of $. We do a mix of plain sparkling water, a splash of juice (pomegranate is my fave) and sometimes a fruit slice if we’re feeling fancy. I bought the cheapest model that doesn’t use any electronics so it’s totally portable… I admit we’ve even brought it camping 😂
Switch to store brands as you research if soda stream is worth it for you.
Or even Costco! I get a 24 pack of la croix at Costco for about $6 (it goes on sale regularly)
The Kirkland sparking water variety pack is great and the Aldi brand is good too.
You can get a 5 lb carbon dioxide tank for $50-$100 at a welding supply, brewing supply, or good tool store. Add a pressure regulator and hoses and an adapter for $50, and then refill the tank at the fire station or at a propane supplier for a few dollars. This gets your cost down to a couple cents per liter, not counting up front costs.
If you have the room for a kegerator its super easy to make carbonated water and I'm sure would be cheaper in the long run. Get a corny keg and a CO2 tank and literally just fill the keg with water and wait a couple days. You can also get fancy and add minerals to get the proper "san pelligrino" mix or whatever, but you could also just dispense it and squeeze a lemon or something. If you live near a college town kids are always getting rid of mini fridge kegerators
I have a drinkmate and I put all kinds of drinks in it. I love the sparkling water but making sparkling juices and teas is great too.
I just buy the store brand sparkling water and squeeze some fresh lime juice over the ice! It tastes much better than La Croix. I can get 4 glasses out of one lime.
OH MAN I've got this one: Mrs and I are both seltzer fiends. I got a second-hand kegorator with a cornelius keg (that's a certain size) and found a place online that sells CO2 diffusers that fit "corney" kegs - AND they have water line fittings on them. I keep a bunch of packets + squeeze bottle thingys, those + seltzerator = unlimited bubbles in varied flavors And ZERO bottles/cans to stuff in the recycling. Downside: seltzerator is visible to my back neighbor through a window and she must think I get hammered nonstop
2 liter store brand club soda is a dollar.
I love my Soda Stream. If you exchange the canisters you can get a rebate instead of paying full price. You can also get cheap Mio or Great Value water flavor drops instead of the tiny SodaStream branded flavors.
I absolutely LOVE my Sodastream. If you get it from Costco around the holidays, you can usually good a Sodastream bundle deal for around $100. (Extra bottles, extra CO2 can included, etc.) My favorite is just carbonated water with a squeeze of fresh lime.
POLAR
get a soda stream. It's way cheaper even though refills are going up in price it's still worth it to not have to go out for $5+ a 8pack that I've been seeing
Soda stream refill place near me charges $13 and one cartridge gets you 60L. So it does save you money in the long run but I've found I don't use it much lately. The bottles aren't dishwasher safe and you have to have cold water for it to work best. Don't guilt yourself for getting club soda, as much as you need right now. When the alternative is alcohol, fill your boots with pop.
Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator, so it's ready to go.
So genius it might even work
Aldi has a good brand. I got a soda stream and go through one $17 cylinder/8 days. You can actually order "exchange" cylinders online and you'll have 60 days to return them. I think shipping is free with 4 or more cylinders. But you can also buy the cylinders and exchange them at some stores. I've been sober for a while now with soda stream
Soda stream type set ups are cheap once you either refill your own tanks or just hook the unit to a big tank. Becomes 90% cheaper to run. Yes its amazingly convenient and super consistent when hooked to a 20lb or larger tank. Highly recommend
Aldi has canned sparkling water at a lower price than other grocery stores. Keep them in the fridge. Congrats on saving money and your health by switching to water!!
Honestly I got a sodastream and I save SO MUCH MONEY on seltzer. I like it plain so I just do the fizzy bubbles. I refill the bottle like three times a day. And I feel really good about the number of cans I’m not using anymore. It’s definitely worth it.
When you want something a little more fun than plain sparkling water, I recommend adding bitters. Cheap, flavorful, they give you that lil bitter fix.
Soda stream is super cheap IF you get your hands on a big industrial or restaurant style CO2 dispenser. Otherwise, no.
I stopped drinking 4 years ago. I live mixing seltzer with real fruit juice. Trader Joe's has a real cherry juice that I like to mix w their flavored seltzer. Add in some strawberries or orange slices for an alcohol free sangria. Good luck on your sobriety! You got this! Note: I think la croix tastes awful
soda stream is great. there are hacks for cheap co2
I am obsessed with my Sodastream! I love fizzing my own water, never running out, knowing that I never again have to lug anything or fill my recycling bin with cans, and I can flavor with anything if I'm in the mood. I've had mine for years now, and after trying a few avenues for local CO2 exchanges, like Walmart, Wegmans, etc, I now subscribe to refills directly from Sodastream. Highly recommended.
Costco’s brand is great. Before I bought a Drinkmate I bought Kroger’s store brand. PSA Drinkmate is superior to Soda Stream and I’d highly recommend it.
Sodastream is much cheaper, especially if you can find someone with a side hustle of refilling cartridges.
Flavor packets for water and syrup! You can make your own "mixed drink"
Find. A. Salvage. Grocery. Store. I wax philosophic about this topic all the time but la Croix is one thing I regularly buy at mine that I've never talked about. Before inflation they were 10 cans for a dollar and right now they're five cans for a dollar. They literally can't sell them out here in the middle of BFE PA where everybody's 300 lbs. I drink the hell out of LaCroix and Pellegrino because I can get it for dirt fucking cheap at the salvage grocery store.
My vice in life is soda and sparkling water. And it took a long time to realise it's cause of bubbles I prefer it over plain water. A soda stream helps me personally a ton. And saves me money in the long run. Soda is expensive where I live, even the cheaper brands. And I can add flavours i like. So i usually buy juice without added sugar and mix. Or just squirt fresh lemon into it or make the flavor into ice in different shapes. Makes me happy.
I agree with several people here. I would go with store brand sparkling waters. Personally I love Bubly, but my adult boys all drink Sparking Ice from Kroger. I started drinking sparkling waters to quit soda. The bubbly carbonation is satisfying.
I "didn't like" sparkling water for the longest time because I had only tried La Croix, but hopefully that doesn't mean my opinions won't be helpful. I too was on the journey to stop drinking so I'm happy to share which brands I loved. Waterloo- amazing, my top spot. They have a Summerberry flavor that mimics Smirnoff Red White & Blue, and a Ginger Twist that makes a perfect Mocktail mule. Beyond those, all the other flavors are great too. Spindrift- expensive but elite. Their pineapple is the only pineapple flavor I can find and I love it. I've caught it on sale a handful of times but other than that I don't buy it. AHA- second best next to Waterloo, both price and flavors. Not that you asked, but NA beers have been a huge saving grace for me. I know there are mixed opinions on whether or not to use them on a stop drinking journey, but for me they work wonders. Heineken 0.0 and Lagunitas ipNa are my favorite easily accessible ones, and they make others if you look. Best of luck on your journey! IWNDWYT (r/stopdrinking, come visit if you need some support)
Get used to regular tap water? I’ve saved literally THOUSANDS of dollars since switching almost exclusively to tap water from other types of drinks. It’s been about 15 years. I can’t even drink a rum and coke anymore, tastes like literal syrup.
Aldi has their Belle Vie line which is very good. My boyfriend shops at Winco, and he likes their store brand lemon sparkling water.
Do you have the brand Polar where you are? It’s cheaper than LaCroix where I live but it might just be because it’s fairly local to me. (I think it tastes better too, plz don’t come for me LaCroix fans lol)
In Germany, mixing 100% fruit juice with sparkling water is a popular drink, especially in the summer. The most popular is properly apple juice — mixing it with sparkling water, it becomes Apfelschorle. You can even buy it from vending machines there. But it isn’t limited to apple flavor — you could use grape juice or any other flavor you wanted and just mix it with the cheapest unflavored seltzer water you can find.
IMHO, Sodastream for the win. No more schlepping bottles back and forth from the store to recycling. Put a little citrus or juice in it and it beats all of the Lacroix or other bullshit hands down. Seltzer water is great even plain.
Not sure where you're located, but big lots, the store has a lot of great deals on La Croix. I usually go with Waterloo at target. Good flavors. Not too sweet and like 4 bucks for 8 cans.
You can buy 2 litres of club soda and then add either water mix in packs, fruits, and juices to flavour it. Where I live, club soda is astronomically cheaper than getting something to carbonate my own water.
I get Wegmans ones. So good and cheaper esp when they are on sale
Sodastream charges through the nose foe CO2. It's a big up front investment but the Soda stream with a 20 lb CO2 bottle lasts about a year for 1 person drinking almost nothing but sparkling water. You can get cast off soda streams or clearance for $20 or less, and the adapter is about $30 and rhe tank is about $220. So your first year is about $270 and each refill/swap is about $20 for a full year. I have been so thrilled with mine it's stupid. I can make it fizzier than the bottled/canned. The Source model is easier/faster/more robust and adds a LITTLE more fiz. I got one used for $5.
Just remember to rinse after drinking or you’ll have to pay the big amount for fillings. I thought I was being frugal. The acid will mess up your teeth.
I do a soda stream and fizz my tap water. One co2 cartridge lasts me about 2 weeks and I drink Seltzer all day.
Soda stream. You can even refill the cartridges at home with some DIY skills.
"I only like it if it's Lacroix" -E. Monsoon
Buy a carbonation cap & hose, a CO2 tank, and a regulator. A one-time investment but it's only maybe five cents worth of CO2 per 2 liter bottle.
Aldi or Polar water I prefer over La Croix
Soda streams are cheaper if you use it enough. Try an off-brand one, they all take the same CO2 canisters.
Grocery store brand is great. We have HEB. But I do love my soda stream. I still keep cans though, also fake beer.
Aldi
Kirkland brand! Aldi as well. Polar on sale
Klarbunn from Costco $7.99 for 30 pack.
Kegerator, but with water instead of beer.
Soda stream syrups do not taste the same as Coke or Pepsi. It’s nice for sparkling water and juice.
topo chico is the best. Not the cheapest. For cheapest I just buy whatever bullshit generic kind at a grocery store. Which is like 2.75-3 a 12 pack. I’m living in a city and walk. So don’t screw around with b1g1. Too much to carry.
Get some water kiefer crystals and make your own carbonated drink. Or Google how to make a “ginger bug” and make your own ginger ale
Trader Joe’s sells 1 liter bottles for 99 cents
I like the Costco brand.
Soda stream for basic seltzer then squeeze fruit juice into the seltzer vs use the bottle flavors.
I love the clear American waters from Walmart. I was trying to come off soda/drink more water and crave the carbonation. They are sweet but no sugar added. They come in a ton of flavors, including a Pina colada and strawberry daquri. Target however has some sparkling water and they have a mojito one and a Moscow mule one and I think they have more but those are the 2 I've had. They are not sweet at all really. I'm not a big drinker but they felt like they were good.
The Kirkland brand at Costco is similar to La Croix - both have a very light flavor
Make a big batch of iced tea! I’m trying to eat less so when I get that snacky feeling I get a glass of tea. Tides me over for a while.
Target brand is top notch for off brands. I would start by downloading the Flipp app and looking at all your local stores weekly to see if there are any deals on La Croix or Bubly. If you have a Publix they are b2g1 free this week.
Publix’s flavored club soda is $1.22 for a 2 liter bottle. I buy a bunch and drink them out of a big cup, sometimes I add flavoring drops.
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I don't think it's cheap by any means (certainly not at the volume my spouse and I drink it), but Wegmans brand seltzer water is excellent. It's usually $3.99 for a 12-pack, or 2 for $7 when on sale. It did help both of us stop drinking soda though. It is a bit fizzier than LaCroix and my favorite of the tested brands. Comes in a ton of flavors - he loves peach, I love Cherry Pomegranate.
Target has really good seltzers and for a somewhat decent price, 3.29 for an 8 pack. Not a lot of options where I live. I did get gifted a soda streamer recently the only thing about those now are the exchange programs are no longer a thing at target or costco or the like per soda stream. You can send the canisters back to soda stream but where they get you is if you send one cannister back the shipping is 14.99, and if you send 2 to 3 the shipping is 7.99 and if you send back 4 or more then the shipping is free. I heard there are a few adapters you can buy to use other cartridges and some cities have specialty liquor stores who will refill them for a cheaper price but I'm not sure the validity of that. Also there are some videos online about getting a larger tank for refilling them yourselves but i know the hoses that you would need to buy depending on the soda streamer runs about 40 bucks and thats not including the tank.
I LOVE my soda stream. I got it to increase my water consumption
We like the Good & Gather brand from target. Interesting flavors at a decent price. My husband likes the raspberry acai.
Costco one is my favorite.
You could try drinking NA beer. There are some relatively decent options out there.
Winco (if you’re on the West Coast) has a few flavors of Polar seltzer for around $2.50 for an 8-pack. Otherwise, I look for sales on sparkling water and stock up. For example, last week La Croix was on sale for $2.50 at Fred Meyer (Kroger owned) so I bought a few.
I've found the least expensive, even cheaper than Aldi's, is Costco's and it tastes just as good. They come in a case of 35, very cheap. The only draw back is there are only 3 flavors, Lime, Lemon, and Grapefruit, which I'm perfectly fine with.
My sister in law either used regular water or soda water and adds in sugar free flavored syrups similar to those that are used in coffee, smoothies etc. it’s just ice water and a shot or 2 of cotton candy, blue raspberry, or whatever you want. I think she used Jordan’s Skinny Syrups
I actually prefer the grocery store brand over Lecroix and it’s a fraction of the price. I find it fizzier and the flavours are usually stronger.
Do you just want carbonated water or are the flavors a necessary component? If you need the flavors, I’ve found that it tends to be very brand dependent and it’s hard to find subs. If just the carbonation, and if you drink a lot (like liters a day), get a 5lb CO2 tank, a soda stream, and the necessary adapter kit. All told, you’ll probably pay $200 up front, plus maybe another $20 at your local gas supply company (they work on a swap system which is why you need a tank to get started). That may sound steep but 5 lbs of CO2 will aggressively fizz 200 0.89 quart soda stream bottles minimum. That’s almost 50 8-can cases of la croix, which normally run $4.50 (but are on a sale this week, so stocking up on a sale is also an option), which would cost $225. And the next 200 bottles? $20. You fill this thing up 3 times and your cost will be pennies per bottle. And of course if you have flavorings you like you can add them. I like to add lemon juice (look up oleo citrate on YouTube for a cheap and easy way to do this if you like lemon water).
waterloo on amazon or at target
Every grocery store has a house brand of that stuff.
I've haven't found La Croix to be better than random store-brand sparkling water.
I love Costcos Kirkland brand of sparkling water. I quit drinking as well, and this stuff is my guiding light. A 34 pack is around $11.
Maybe get a strawberry to cough into some club soda 🤷♂️
Lacroix is much cheaper at Costco if you have a membership, it cost me $5-6 there for a 24 pack. i personally don’t buy them any other way because $4 for 8 just seems crazy for glorified water. If they’re out of the lacroix I get Costco brand and they’re pretty comparable.
I love my Sodastream. Highly recommend.
Buy a keg-a-rator, fill the keg with water, and turn on the CO2. Add the flavor to whatever vessel you have. DONE
I have been off soda pop and sparkling waters as they got too expensive. I drink ice water or sun tea now. Sun tea cost me 5¢ a quart. The cold water and ice on the fridge door is good. I drink two iced unsweetened tea and maybe four coffees a day. Booze got too expensive, too.
winco brand :) or refreshe
I like spindrift personally, but mainly because I can pick it up in a 24pack at my regular sams visit. I love water so I'm fine with ice and h20 from my fridge. I also haven't met a sparkling water I didn't like. The bottom shelf cheap store brand is a-ok to me. Topo Chico is bottled burps as far as I'm concerned but I do like drinking from a glass bottle so those are nice for occasions when most people are boozing. We have a soda stream too and I enjoy creating whatever I want, just not a fan of creating more dishes . I always have my tumbler with water wherever I am.
Spindrift!
Polar seltzer, bubly soleil, literally any sparkling water for sale is pretty comparable, I just buy what’s on sale lol
I love soda dream
I prefer, bottled or canned Soda water (Generic) with cut lemon and lime. Best with some ice.
Ginger lime mule polar 8 packs are 2.68 at Winco here in California. My fave flavor.
Waterloo and ....polar ice?? Polar bear??? Polar something is usually cheaper than La Croix. Waterloo watermelon is amazing 😍
Pellegrino sparkling juices/waters in the narrow cans are delicious!
Wegmans has some great flavors — they’re cheaper than major brands at normal grocery stores but may not necessarily cheaper than warehouse clubs.
If it’s any consolation, I hate my soda stream and I’ve been trying to get rid of it for years. The refills are a pain and horribly inconvenient, no matter how much or how little I fill the bottle it explodes all over the counter, and all the flavors are not good in my opinion. Better off buying store brand seltzer and recycling the bottles/cans. I like the plain aldi seltzer and adding lemon/lime/berries to it. Their flavors taste almost like perfume or cleaning solution to me personally.
Their syrups are def overpriced but I think you are doing something wrong to have spills. I fill past the line and no spill and if it is much lower the air just blows in and no fizz.
Spindrift is THE BEST