It is definitely a waste of money... and a way to grow your waist... if you drink soft drinks of any sort. In one's month's time of cutting out all drinks with high-fructose corn syrup in them, I've lost 4 inches on my waist, and dropped a shirt size. Bottled water is not much cheaper, but if you get it at a Sam's or Costco it's usually something like a little over $4 for about 32 16.9 oz. or 20 oz. bottles... 12 to 15 cents per bottle... way cheaper. The key is this... ONLY grab a bottle from the fridge when you are going out or leaving the house and know you'll be thirsty while out... while inside the house use ONLY the filtered water on the fridge door, or from a Brita or Pur filter... your water bill is usually based on a prorated average consumption for the block or neighborhood you live in anyway, so the cost there will be negligible at most. The amazing thing is that eventually your caffeine headaches/desires/etc. go AWAY after a week or so... and if you have that need, just brew some tea. Tea is incredibly cheap in bulk... coffee as well... but now with those drinks you'll be tempted to doctor them up with sugar. Use sugar if you must, but goodness, when you're away from high-fructose corn syrup for very long you find your cravings actually subside for all sugars. And when hooked on the high-fructose drinks, I couldn't live without maybe 2 Sweet-n-low in a regular glass of tea or cup of coffee. Now I am fine with maybe a half of a packet of the fake stuff when I need an instant sweet fix. It's amazing that if you lay off the stimulants found in the sodas your body actually becomes way more receptive of subtle tastes... not to mention how much more energy you have, and how much better you feel in general. And "WOW" if you happen to sip a Coke or the like after a month away from it. Yech! You could get hooked in again I'm sure... but when I tried a can of Pepsi I not only thought to myself "Did I drink crap like this without realizing how sugary it was/is?" - But I also realized the acids in the drink gave me the heartburn I used to fight, and made my stomach ache and burn in general. Now, the doctor did not tell me to cut these things out of my life... in fact our family doctor hasn't seen me since I've made these changes... What happened then? I just hit 34, realized my kids are already 7 and 5, enjoy the mess out of them, and decided I'd like to curb any statistical trends in my future if I can help it. I've seen other family members, and people in general struggle with bad habits that resulted in poor health turning poorer and decided I'll try and skip that part. It's amazing what a month of decided change like that will do. And it's also pretty easy to tell the change has happened in the pocket book! What's even more excellent is that my son and I are now out on the driveway together, shooting hoops and he's really got a pure shot... he rips it on the 8' goal, and can already bank 'em in set to 10'... So yep. I agree. Those bottled 20 oz. are way too pricey! Too much to pay in many, many respects.
You guys are getting old, that's all. The sugar is too much for you and as for the price "when I was in high school, so-n-so was half the price it is now"!! How many times have you heard your parents say that? Your grandparents? So, yeah, go ahead and give it up. It's ridiculous how much they've raised the prices. Where else in the world do they do that??
I just got back from Fuddrucker's. They charge $1.89 for a soda. And the drinks and drink prices aren't on the menu board.
It seems like I've been to a Red Robin that charges 2.29 for sodas, plus tax. It's getting pretty ridiculous -- more and more often when I go to a restaurant I just order a glass of water. I wouldn't be surprised if more places started charing for water.
If you're $2.29 away from making ends meet, you probably shouldn't be eating at upscale restaurants like Round Robin.
With Aspartame in it... uh, no thanks. Toxicity Effects of Aspartame Use Selection of adverse effects from short-term and/or long-Term use Note: It often takes at least sixty days without *any* aspartame or nutrasweet to see a significant improvement. Improvement in health is also often accompanied by weight loss. Check all labels very carefully (including vitamins and pharmaceuticals). Look for the word "aspartame" on the label and avoid it. (Also, it is a good idea to avoid "acesulfame-k" or "sunette.") Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic Association. * seizures and convulsions * dizziness * tremors * migraines and severe headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake) * memory loss (common toxicity effects) * slurring of speech * confusion * numbness or tingling of extremities * chronic fatigue * depression * insomnia * irritability * panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction) * marked personality changes * phobias * rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction) * asthma * chest pains * hypertension (high blood pressure) * nausea or vomitting * diarrhea * abdominal pain * swallowing pain * itching * hives / urticaria * other allergic reactions * blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia) * menstrual cramps and other menstraul problems or changes * impotency and sexual problems * food cravings * weight gain * hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair * burning urination & other urination problems * excessive thirst or excessive hunger * bloating, edema (fluid retention) * infection susceptibility * joint pain * brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals) * death Aspartame Disease Mimmicks Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases * fibromyalgia * arthritis * multiple sclerosis (MS) * parkinson's disease * lupus * multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) * diabetes and diabetic Complications * epilepsy * alzheimer's disease * birth defects * chronic fatigue syndrome * lymphoma * lyme disease * attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD) * panic disorder * depression and other psychological disorders ---seriously, just use sugar if you must, but stay away from fakes and high-fructose corn syrups
otherwise known as rumsfeld disease. http://www.rense.com/general67/rum.htm <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W8N0z8stino"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W8N0z8stino" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
