Let's figure out the best way to get your fizzy faves.

Catherine Hiles • September 15, 2022 • Advertising Disclosure

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.

Like many people, I am obsessed with sparkling water. What was an addiction to Diet Coke changed when I started making healthier choices and discovered the deliciousness that is LaCroix.

Before I knew it, I was going through two to three cans per day. Unfortunately, my wallet was feeling the strain.

I shopped around to find the best deals, and eventually purchased a SodaStream home carbonation system to see if it would be a cheaper and more efficient way to feed my addiction. Here’s what I found out.

The most basic SodaStream model costs $99.99 from Target (as of July 2022), though you may be lucky enough to find one on sale. It comes with a full CO2 canister and a plastic carbonating bottle. (You can get a better model with a one-touch button for $129.99, but the extra cost wasn’t worth it to me.) With the model I chose, I have to push down on a button several times depending on the level of fizziness I want to achieve. (That’d be five for me because I love fizz.)

If a canister of CO2 lasts me three weeks, that means I’m replacing them about 18 times per year if I consistently drink a large quantity of sparkling water. That’s a total annual cost of $270 for the canisters, plus the initial cost of $99.99 plus tax. Total annual cost: About $370.

The cost of the water was negligible because I use tap water that I already pay for through my city utilities bill.

The first CO2 canister lasted me about three weeks with fairly continual use. After that, I took the empty canister back to Target’s Guest Services and exchanged it for a full one. Doing this saves you money — up to 50%, according to Target. When I traded mine in, I paid $15 for a new canister filled with CO2; buying a full canister without one to trade in costs $29.99.

In short, yes, it is cheaper, though it depends on how much bubbly water you drink. If your family goes through 120 to 140 cans a month, you could easily save more than $500 a year by using SodaStream. And that’s even if you buy the seltzer water at a discount warehouse like Costco.

As a fairly thrifty person, I’ve never been the type to buy full-price cans of name-brand sparkling water from the grocery store. Rather, I used my Costco membership to my advantage to test out the different sparkling waters they sell and see which one offers the best taste for the best price.

A case of 24 cans of lime-flavored LaCroix costs $12.69 at my local Costco. Let’s say my husband and I get through five or six cases per month (around 120 to 144 cans — yikes!). That means we’re spending $63 to $76 per month, or $756 to $912 per year.

LaCroix isn’t the only choice out there. Another brand I purchase quite often is bubly, which sells for around $4.50 for a pack of eight at my local Kroger. If we get through 120 to 144 cans each month, that would cost us $67.50 to $81 per month, or $810 to $972 per year. It’s worth noting that I can often find bubly brand sparkling water on sale at Kroger, which would decrease those costs if I stock up during sales.

Overall, using a device like SodaStream can save you money on sparkling water if you drink it often enough. If you can make your SodaStream last several years, you’ll only pay for the canisters, which reduces your cost to $270 per year — over $500 less than a year’s supply of LaCroix sparkling water.

The other benefit of switching to SodaStream is that you’re producing less waste, thus reducing pollution and dependence on fossil fuels. Four cases of LaCroix sparkling water produce 96 cans on their own that are sent to landfills or maybe recycled.

And while aluminum is a much better option than plastic when it comes to recycling, it’s still waste you wouldn’t produce if you used a SodaStream.

If space is a concern in your home and you don’t want to have multiple cans hanging out in your recycling bin until trash day, a SodaStream could be a good option. Just make sure you have the counter space in your kitchen since it’ll be out on display at all times if you’re using it consistently.

For me, it came down to convenience. As a full-time working mother of two young and highly energetic kids, I found it hard to be able to replace my CO2 canister right after it ran out, and would end up waiting a few days or even a week before I had time to get to Target for a replacement.

I would, therefore, stock up on cans of sparkling water to tide me over until I could make the Target run and use my SodaStream again. I found myself using it less and less, and it eventually made its way into the basement in favor of pre-carbonated cans of water.

If you have the counter space for a SodaStream and can get organized enough to refill your canisters in a timely manner, SodaStream is a good option to help save money on sparkling water.

But if you’re a casual soda or sparkling water drinker and don’t get through as much as my household does, it might be more cost-effective to stick to buying cans of your favorite beverage and leave your countertops free for other fun kitchen gadgets, like that air fryer you’ve been eyeing.

Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.

  Like Article   Add a Comment

Simple ways to make, save, and grow your money daily:

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Every week our podcasts bring you lively money discussions that will give you a few laughs along with advice that will make you richer.

Some of our favorite stories for you to read next.

Join our many free newsletter subscribers building wealth and destroying debt:

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

© 2022 Money Talks News. All Rights Reserved. ‭1 (833) 669-8557 | 1732 1st Ave #26661, New York, NY 10128

Advertising Disclosure: This site may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.

Help us produce more money-saving articles and videos by subscribing to a membership.

Help us produce more money-saving articles and videos by subscribing to a membership.

Our Policy: We welcome relevant and respectful comments in order to foster healthy and informative discussions. All other comments may be removed. Comments with links are automatically held for moderation.

Please enable JavaScript to view comments.

Join our happy subscribers and sign up for our free newsletter! You'll get:

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.