H2O

LaCroix Flavored Soda Water

We go through a case (24 cans) of soda water a week. Freddies usually has three or fours flavors of their house brand and it suits us very well, but lately they seem to have trouble keeping it in stock. Today when I went to the store they were completely sold out of the house (Kroger) brand. The rest of the soda aisle was full up on soda pop (Coke, Pepsi, et al), but the short section devoted to the house brand of flavored soda water was empty. Just opposite was La Croix, on sale for $2.50 for an 8-pack, which is within spitting distance of the $3 for 12 of Freddie's brand, so I picked some up.

Recently, the State of Oregon raised the bottle and can deposit from a nickel to a dime. Ten cents times 48 cans is almost $5, $5 once every two weeks is like $125 for the year. $125 is not to be sneezed at, unless you have to spend 125 hours jumping through hoops to get your money back. Not to mention that most stores will only pay out something like a buck and a half on each visit, so it's not like you can save them up and do 'em all at once.

Since I throw the cans in the recycling, the price of an ice cold can of soda water has gone from 30 cents to 35. Still much cheaper than beer, which is usually about a buck a bottle.