I’ve been to a few different people’s houses recently for various activities, and something struck me the other day. I have noticed all of the beverages that people have available at their houses. There all different kinds of sodas be it Pepsi products, Coke products, or some other brand. There are also all of the different kinds of beer. And then there are those who have to have a glass of wine in the evening or at some other time.

I’m sure it’s no secret where I’m going with this. It can’t be all that cheap to always have these beverages in the house. Wine can be pretty expensive, especially if you’re pretty picky about it. Beer doesn’t come cheap either no matter which kind you buy. And the cost of soda can really add up after a while as well.

If you’re familiar with David Bach, then I’m sure you’ve heard of his “Latte Factor”, and this isn’t really any different. It’s just applied to something else. I’m not going to go through all the math of what you could save and how much it would be worth in 40 years (I’m not a big fan of those calculations), but I’m sure it would be significant. I mean, soda alone is about $3 per 12-pack and that can really add up after a while.

So what ever happened to just drinking water? And I’m not talking about bottled water which can also be expensive. It’s pretty much free and is probably the most healthy thing for you.

I’m also always amazed when I hear that someone’s finances are stretched so thin, yet I see all of the beverages that they absolutely must have. I’m not trying to say that we should never drink some of these things, but I do want to mention that it can be a significant cost to us. You can also save quite a bit on your restaurant bills if you’d order water instead of something else. Just something to keep in mind.

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