… and not a drop to drink.  -The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

When I was young people drank something I like to call water.  And we didn’t purchase it in bottles.  And it wasn’t flavored.  And it wasn’t carbonated.  My parents paid for it each month by way of a utility bill.  It came straight from the tap.  And it was good.

It seems that now more than ever we are daily bombarded with a barrage of beverage choices.  Soda pop, juices, sports drinks, etc.  I can even purchase artificially flavored powders to dump into my pre-bottled water just so I won’t have to bother tasting the water.  Seriously.

Maybe it’s just me, but I cannot imagine anything more thirst-quenching than a good ol’ glass of cool water.  These days, we filter our water mostly because it just tastes better.  (I like the Brita Ultramax.)  Given that our bodies are over 70% water, it just makes good sense to drink it.

When we are dining out, I order water.  Yes, it saves me money, but I am one of those people who actually prefer it.  You will hardly ever find me without my stainless steel water bottle by my side. 

Water.  Is.  My.  Friend.

I especially dislike how fruit juice is touted to be such a wholesome drink option for my kids.  In most cases, it contains just as much or more sugar than a can of soda!  In a perfect world, I would rather them be consuming whole fruit with a glass of water or milk… a more beneficial choice. 

However, my husband is crazy about his juice… and so are my girls.  In an effort to curb the sugar intake (and pad my pocketbook since the cost of fruit juice is frighteningly absurd) we use the half and half principle.  Half juice.  Half water.  Yes, it’s diluted, but my girls don’t know any better.  Even my hubby has grown to love his juice less-than-full-strength.

So I raise my water glass to good health, joyful moments and hot coffee!  Cheers!

  This post is a part of the Frugal Tuesday Tip and Fresh Bites Friday.