Save on Drinks: Money and Calories Too

In the summer I make my own Iced Tea. I don't like the Mixes because they are too sweet. I find making my own to be much better. Also when I buy a bottle of cranberry juice I stretch it by cutting it in half with water. Sometimes I make cranberry iced tea. I make the tea and stretch it with the cranberry juice. It's really good that way. I drink a bottle of Coke for Christmas, but the truth is I don't like sweet drinks. This also helps keep my weight down. I'm not skinny anyway but I could just imagine how much fatter I'd be if i drank sugary drinks all day. I actually did it once at work. I started buying the iced tea from the vending machine. Almost immediately I saw my weight creep up. So I brought in a big bottle and filled up halfway with water and then poured the store bought iced tea in. It was less sugary sweet and lasted me a week. I saved money and my weight stabilized. Later I started bringing in the bottle with some sugar and lemon juice in it and got water at work and saved even more money. I never use diet drinks because I don't see skinny people drinking that stuff. I also don't like the after taste they leave in my mouth. Water is the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated, but you don't have to buy the bottled water. In my opinion that is just a waste of money. I live in a place with a great water table and unless the Hydro-Fracking people (natural gas is not natural) get their way, I won't need to buy bottled water. For now I can filter it though a Brita or Zero water pitcher.