Ok, I know this one is extreme, but I am going to write it anyway. I will not and do not judge you for what you do.
First of all, I buy pop with caffeine for my hubby, so I am the only one at my house who is caffeine free.
That is right, I am for the most part caffeine free. I blog, teach, cook, clean, and live without the benefit of extra boost of energy with caffeine. (I do occasionally have a little chocolate or a hot chocolate, but that is a rarity.)
I also need to admit that my lack of caffeine was not a choice I made myself, it was a choice my body made for me. I operate better in every way with out caffeine. I have a diagnosed health condition that forces me to avoid caffeine or face somewhat extreme discomfort and pain.
I am not going to go in depth into the health benefits of giving up caffeine, because I am a not a doctor. I am just going to give you a few money reasons…
- You won’t drink as much pop (soda), which can be very expensive and bad for your teeth.
- You wouldn’t drink as much coffee, because decaf is not much fun. Less money for Maxwell House or Starbucks…
- You can order water at restaurants. Water is usually free!
- You’ll save on teeth whitening and dentist visits. When you don’t drink pop and coffee all the time, your teeth stay whiter.
- If your body is like mine, you can avoid trips to the doctor if you cut out the caffeine.
Is cutting caffeine a thrifty choice for everyone? Probably not. I just wanted to share my caffeine free lifestyle with you. Although my hubby still drinks pop, I believe that my caffeine free habit saves us a ton of money.
Have you ever thought about cutting out the caffeine? Or is that a little too extreme for you?
Do you have a Thrifty idea? Did you save a ton of money this week? Do you have a Thrifty deal you want to share?
If so, please leave a comment or link up below!
I disclose : There may be affiliate links in this post.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
While I can’t give up my caffeine- I went from regular Coke to Coke Zero in my quest to lose weight.
ALSO- I TOTALLY agree w/ the cutting out drinks while eating out. With a family of 5 (including 2 toddlers) we were paying almost $10 for drinks at dinner! That was more than one of their kids meals! We don’t eat out that often, but food alone usually runs around $30! For a frugal couponer it KILLS me to pay $10 for drinks (and those kids drinks are TINY for their 1.95 price) when I can get a whole 12 pack for $2 (like I did @ Food Lion this week!)
I almost always drink water, but especially when we eat out!
I’ve cut down to green tea most mornings, and only coffee a couple times a week. I also only have about 1 glass of diet soda. The green tea is healthier but also has that caffeine to get me going.
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I wish I could do green tea, it has so many health benefits!
I can’t give up my coffee although it does hurt my budget with all the Folgers and coffee creamer. However, we don’t drink soda. I don’t buy it and it has saved us a TON of money & empty calories. We also drink water when we go out to eat unless it’s one of our parents treating us to a night out
I wish hubby would give up soda for his health sake, not the money. But I am not going to force him.
I quit buying soda for the house. I did buy sprite for a rebate, but those I can donate or take to family. Dh gets soda when we eat and I will on special occasions, ie. birthdays, anniversaries etc. I do buy the occasional energy drink from time to time (I need one to get me going right now).
I used to buy soda when we lived in Hawaii. But cut it when we moved back and our budget shrank dramatically!!! Saves us money and calories.
With me just drinking water, 98% of the time, it saves a ton!
My caffeine fix comes from green tea. It’s healthy and doesn’t have all that much caffeine compared to coffee or soda. I generally buy it with coupons at CVS when they have their Unilever deals (buy $10 in Unilever products like Lipton tea, Ragu sauce, etc. and get $3 in ECBs), so a box of 48 tea bags ends up only costing about $1.
Oh, and congrats on making it into All You magazine!
– Laura from Frugal Follies
I wish I could do green tea, it has so many health benefits!
And thanks Laura!
I drink caffeine (Coke or Sweet Tea) when I am really sleepy! I absolutely can not live without Ginger Ale (Seagrams)! It keeps my tummy settled! I try to by those only when it is on sale and stock up! My hubby likes to drink Coke every now and then. When we go out to dinner, which is once a week, we order a fountain drink (lemonade/sweet tea). My hubby can drink 3 glasses in one sitting, but I only drink half a glass! So, I’ve learned to ask for to-go cup! My son, who is five, HATES soda and even ginger ale! And, that is a blessing!
Any kind of pop bothers me a little (the acid), but I occasionally allow myself a root beer with no caffeine or Sierra Mist. But that is probably around 1-2 times a month!
I am caffeine free and I love it. I love how there’s such a selection of diet caffeine free pop here so that even when I do feel like some soda, I can still indulge!
Any kind of pop bothers me a little (the acid), but I occasionally allow myself a root beer with no caffeine or Sierra Mist. But that is probably around 1-2 times a month!
It is hard to just give it up completely.
It is, no matter how ‘good for you’ it is!
I don’t drink coffee and I gave up soda a year ago because of the ACID that my body does not need. Water is great and green tea is a better drink. I use the $1.00 off coupons on the Celeste tea brand.
I have trouble with the acid and caffeine. I wish I could do green tea, so healthy!
There is no way I could get out the door in the mornings without 2 cups of coffee! And another right after lunch! lol But, we always order water, all around, when we go out. It might sound bad but I keep sodas in the van if anyone has a problem with not having one in the restaurant, they know they will get it as soon as we leave. lol Personally, I never drink soda, I hate carbonation! But can’t live without that coffee!
This is such a funny topic! I started to cut it out. I did! BUT after 3 days I couldn’t do it! I’m bad! I start each day with a sugar free red bull. A few cups of coffee a day is a MUST and I have it in my work out vitamins as well…
It is pricy. and is a big part of my budget but I’ve cut down in other areas to balance my budget. Sometimes its ok to keep the things that are $ as long as you balance it elsewhere. My Priorities are not others!
I totally understand, on mornings like today I wonder how I do it….!
Thank you though for bringing this to our attention. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you spend on coffee even if you make your own and use sales with coupons. You did spark my interest in changing to green tea. Maybe I can find one with extra caffeine and that way I am at least drinking something with health benefits. Even if it still has the caff jolt it will at least help me burn calories.
Thank you!!
In August I gave up caffeine and ALL beverage except for water. It has made a HUGE difference in the quality of my life. The first week was hard but now it is awesome! I am saving so much money and I feel great! The first 3-4 days are hard but once you make it you will be thankful.
I know I feel better and am glad you do too!
I didn’t give up caffeine or soda, but this year I made a commitment not to keep it in the house. I was drinking way more than I will ever admit to anyone. Not having it on hand means I drink less and spend less. I still order soda at restaurants and occasionally treat myself to a cold one at the grocery store. Sure, that’s way more per unit, but I’m still spending way less.
I understand that Heather. Why have the extra temptation just lying around?
I need to do a lot of things for my health and to save money, it just so happens I was forced into this one.
Oh my goodness! I couldn’t live without my daily dose of coffee! However, I don’t drink it for the caffeine. I drink diet sodas, but I can drink caffeine free without feeling like I’m missing something. Caffeine does not affect me the way it does others. Yes, the coffee and the creamer are an added expense, but I never (or try not to ever) go without either one of them!
I know you love your coffee Anna!
We drink water for all meals–no coffee, tea, or soda for us. We don’t go out to eat, so that isn’t an expense for us, either.
However, I have no intention of giving up chocolate
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