Going out for drinks is supposed to be a fun, light-hearted
affair, but for many people, it’s more of a drag on your wallet. It’s hard to
have a good time when you’re spending more on a drink or two than you would for
a measly gallon of gas, but you don’t have to resign yourself to paying full
price! The following seven tips can help you cut back on the cost of drinks without
having to resort to just water or worse – going thirsty to save a couple bucks.

Buying in Bulk

The first thing that comes to mind whenever you want to save
money on anything edible or drinkable is to buy it in bulk. It’s a long-used
marketing tactic to encourage customers to buy more of a product, since
price-per-unit tends to drop as quantity goes up. So, rather than paying $1.99
for a single energy drink, you could buy two for $3 or a pack of four for $5. It’s
worth the extra money now if you’ll drink them! Simple enough, but if you drink
something—a type of beer, soda, energy drink, juice, etc.—only occasionally,
then it might not be worth the extra upfront cost. Keep this in mind while
you’re out shopping.

Take Advantage of
Coupons

Most stores offer some kind of discount on their drink
selections, but why not take the extra step and find coupons prior to purchasing? Sometimes
manufacturers offer “buy one (or two, or three), get one free” coupons, while
others offer discounts on newer products they’re trying to garner buzz for. For
example, last summer I got free samples of Starbucks Refreshers because they
were trying out new items for their menu.

Make Coffee at Home

Of all the ways to save on coffee, brewing it from the comfort of your own home is one of
the best ways to reduce your drink-related costs. Your startup costs will
include a coffee machine (between $25-100, depending on the quality and special
functions) and a supply of coffee (beans or single cups like the ones from Keurig),
and cream and sugar – if that’s how you prefer it. After a while, the savings
will outweigh the costs of buying coffee on the go ($2-4 for a single cup at
Starbucks, anybody?) and you will have more options when it comes to brand and
flavor.

Cheap Wine

Delicious or disgusting, there’s something to be said for a
$3 bottle of wine. If you’re one of those who can hardly taste the difference
between $3 wine and $300 wine, BevMo and Walmart are just two of many stores
that cater to a variety of alcohol budgets. Unless you’re hosting a fancy
dinner with a myriad of guests, buying wine doesn’t need to be an expensive
undertaking.

BYOW (Bring Your Own
Wine)

If you enjoy good wine but don’t want to pay restaurant’s
outrageous markups on their bottles, consider bringing in your own bottle and
simply paying the corkage fee. It may seem pricey (some places charge as much
as $50!) but if you’re determined to have wine with your meal and don’t want to
pay up to three times the retail price of the bottle, BYOW is a viable
alternative.

Happy Hour

Beer, wine, and cocktail enthusiasts alike can appreciate
this one: Happy Hour! Generally lasting 2-3 hours in the afternoon on weekdays,
Happy Hour specials can help you save on both drinks and food! Appetizers are
offered at a discount (sometimes over 50%) and $2.50 beers or $5 cocktails
aren’t unheard of. It does restrict when you
can go out for drinks, but if you have a flexible schedule, Happy Hour is a
great opportunity to cut back on your dining out-related expenses.

Just Drink Water

…Preferably from a stainless steel bottle that you can
refill on the go, rather than buying plastic water bottles that could
potentially harm our environment. Some people can’t stand the taste of tap
water, but if you don’t mind it, your only cost is the water bottle itself (as
opposed to $1-2+ for a new, plastic water bottle every time you feel thirsty).
Also, it’s common knowledge that water is one of the healthiest drinks out
there, so both your wallet and your body will thank you.

Kelly Kehoe is a staff writer for Money Street Smart and works with SumoCoupon.com, a site full coupons and coupon codes.