Stretch Your $$ Series–Home Essential Tips that also Save You Money (By Kevin Finke and Rob Stalder)

TIP #2: Purchase an in-home soda maker and make your own sparkling water and sodas.  It’ll keep you in the green, both $$-wise and with regard to the planet.

If you’re anything like us, you love the fizz.  We especially love sparkling water and drink it fairly exclusively.  There’s just nothing better.  But, like you, we found ourselves caught between a rock and a hard place with our love of carbonated beverages and the desire to be a green crusader, doing our part to help save the planet.  We recycled our cans and bottles, but that didn’t seem like enough.

Then a friend introduced us to SodaStream (www.sodastream.com).  SodaStream offers a range of soda making products as well as flavor mixes for in-home use. For pennies a day (19 – 21¢ per liter), you can make your own sodas and flavored or unflavored sparkling water.  Their pricing is very reasonable, but the soda maker will pay for itself in a short time anyway (depending on how much carbonated beverage you consume).  SodaStream also has a number of starter kits/value packs that include the soda maker, gas cans/carbonators and reusable beverage bottles.  You literally wouldn’t have to purchase carbonated beverages again, which means no more cans or plastic–at least for carbonated beverages.

Moreover, the soda makers are stylish, coming in a number of designs and colors that will work with any kitchen/bar décor.  And replacing the used gas cans/carbonators is super easy.  You just pack them into the pre-paid return box and either call for a pickup or drop it off at one of SodaStream’s retailers (locate one near you via their website).  How easy is that?

But, wait!  There’s more.  The SodaStream soda makers use no electricity for operation and their soda mixes contain 2/3 less calories and sugar than national soft drink brands.  So buy one and save your money, your body AND the planet!

Kevin Finke and Rob Stalder are the owners of Gatherings, an earth-conscious lifestyle and event planning company.