Berverages are Involved, Dude

When it cost $11 for a case of soda or $2 for a one person juice, it is time to look at drinks we can serve for less. Why spend one 1/3 of your grocery budget on drinks that are consumed before the week is out. There have to be some better choices!
We would love to have the kids drink milk and water only, but the reality is they want something taste-rific and we want to give them something that won’t end up as much as a cocktail in an uptown bar. Here some cost saving an fun beverages that can add a little pizzazz.

Your own tea
6 cups of cold water, 8 tea bags. Boil gently for about 10 minutes, then let rest for 20. Fill a gallon pitcher with ice - about ¾ full. Add 16 packets of equal or approximately one cup of sugar. Remove tea bags and pour Hot Tea over the ice and stir. (fluctuate sugar to your taste, and depending on the strength you like the tea, add more bags) Variations can be added with lemon, orange, or raspberry flavorings.

Punch
Mix one Kool-Aid packet as directed with ½ of the sugar, (for this example use pink lemonade) one two liter of cheap lemon lime soda. Add one container of lemon sherbet. I like to use ice cream scoops of it. Use a ladle and serve chilled. Makes a lot, you may want to make sure this is a party serving!

Orange Slush
Orange Koolaid mixed with ½ the sugar. Pour into paper cups, ½ full, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Once almost frozen remove wrap, top with any clear soda drink that may be now flat and would otherwise be thrown out. Stir. Wrap again and freeze. This should be taken out before completely frozen to achieve the true slush.

Grape spritzers.
Freeze seedless grapes (I cut them in ½, if there are kids that may not be able to deal with a full size grape) Once frozen fill glass with several, then ½ full of inexpensive white grape juice, then top off glass with either ginger ale or sprite.)

Strawberry and crème
Freeze strawberries ( I buy a lot of ‘clearance ‘ fruit, clean, dry with paper towels and then freeze ) Mix ½ gallon of milk with one packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid. Add strawberries to the glass and top with the milk mixture. You can top with a little cool whip or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

These are some examples, you can embellish as you wish, something fun and less expensive than soda, not as boring as water, and more filling than a juice box.