The last thing any of us want to give up when we’re faced with creating a new budget is that little item called “luxuries”. You know what I’m talking about. That creamy Mocha Latte, or tall, refreshing Fruit Smoothie at the mall. But, when you add up how much money you spend each month on these specialty drinks, you discover very quickly just how important it is to your family’s financial well-being to give them up.
When you’re buying expensive beverages, something has got to go. Since your family has probably decided that food won’t be sacrificed, you’ve agreed to cut out the fancy coffee and smoothies. This is not something that can be squeezed out of your household budget. But, now everybody is pouting and it’s not much fun.
Is there a way to make this sacrifice a little more, shall we say, palatable? With all the cut-backs you’ve already made, it sort of hurts to take away one of the most pleasurable of all luxuries. What if you asked your family to give up fancy beverages, but could give them something in exchange? That might take some of the sting out of this particular sacrifice.
Would it surprise you to find out that the answer to your sacrifice is found in your grandmother’s cookbook? Once upon a time, our families were struggling to make every penny count, just like we’re doing today. Back then, if you wanted a rich, creamy cup of coffee, you added some cream and maybe a little sugar and, if you were really going to be fancy, a dash of vanilla extract. It’s time you brought those old-time homemade beverages back.
Even though you can easily mix up a Cafe Latte with some of your own pantry items, you’d be surprised at what some of the newer recipes for drink mixes have to offer. The designer beverage recipes that you can make at home have been re-worked to get the perfect blend of flavors and smooth textures so you feel like you just stepped out of a fancy coffee shop. But this is better… it’s inexpensive AND yummy!
Now, where did you hide that blender? If you stashed it somewhere far, far away, it’s time to retrieve it and place it center-stage in your kitchen. The blender will be your favorite new gadget. All Smoothies need to be blended, but you will also find some wonderful coffee and cocoa drinks that benefit from a good blending, as well. No matter what you make, you want the result to be a smooth, professional finish.
You’ll find recipes for Fruit Smoothies and Slushies, which are usually blended with a combination of milk, and ice, or other liquids. They are ready to drink right out of the blender. Because I’m a fancy coffee and cocoa fanatic, I like the instant coffee and cocoa mixes that I can make. These mixes are kept in a sealed container and ready whenever you want to treat yourself to a fancy Swiss Mocha Coffee, a French Vanilla Coffee, or even some Chai Tea. Spoon a little of the mix into your favorite mug, and suddenly it doesn’t seem like you’re sacrificing anymore.
I love the idea of making my own inexpensive drinks at home, but like you, I had some questions about whether they would be as good as the ones I had been buying. The truth is you’re using fresh ingredients for your Fruit Smoothies, and creamy and rich ingredients for your Cafe Latte, Hot Cocoa, and Chai Tea, so they always turn out delicious. Real ingredients create drinks that taste, well, real. Real cocoa, real coffee, real lemon, whatever makes a good drink taste good, these recipes have it figured out.
Just because we’re all watching our pennies, doesn’t mean we can’t try to find a few luxuries that we can afford. Homemade beverages are the perfect opportunity. You’ll save money and still be able to share a little cup of kindness with your family.
Discover how to make a smoothie at home as well as other frugal beverages for your family. Come see us at HillbillyHousewife.com for lots of fun healthy kids snacks, and much more!



