The Bottled Drink Thrifty Shoppers Always Leave On The Shelf In Grocery Stores

Being a thrifty grocery shopper isn't only about buying items on sale. You have to consider factors beyond a product's price tag — including whether or not it's a better value to whip up something similar at home. In the case of bottled smoothies, the convenience of a pre-made drink isn't worth the trade-off in nutrition, taste, and price, which are just some of the many reasons why smoothies are one of the common store-bought foods frugal shoppers avoid.  

Pre-made smoothie beverages are certainly easy to take on the go, but that's really the only advantage they have over homemade recipes. Smoothies usually command a higher price than other fruity beverages like juice, especially if shoppers think they can replace a meal. But, while the word "smoothie" implies whole ingredients like fresh fruits, veggies, and dairy, the reality is that most commercial smoothies are mainly composed of sugar and don't satisfy your appetite.

If you want all the benefits of whole fruits, including vitamins, minerals, and satiating fiber, you're not going to find them in a bottled smoothie — especially the cheaper ones. While the best bottled smoothie brands taste decent, nothing holds a candle to a thick, cool, freshly-blended version. Bottled smoothies make you pay a high markup for the least satisfactory form of the drink, making them a terrible value, even if you can score a few bottles on sale.

Many thrifty shoppers online have cautioned against buying bottled smoothies. One Reddit user explained the negative effects of the high sugar in these drinks: "You have zero benefits from this on the health side. You get a high though, and a crash afterwards because your blood sugar skyrockets." They recommended making your own smoothies to have complete control over the ingredients and sugar content — a sentiment echoed by tons of other commenters. Even shoppers who do buy bottled smoothies acknowledge that the products aren't cost-effective. "The only ones I'd drink are the ones with very little sugar," one Redditor said. "And even then, they're really expensive."

Beyond following the tips you need for a perfect smoothie, you can use a few frugal strategies to make sure your drinks are a great value. Firstly, Vitamix blenders are some of the best kitchen appliances to buy secondhand, so there's no need to shell out hundreds of dollars up front. The investment will save you lots of money in the long run. Try to buy affordable frozen produce in bulk or nab the cheapest fruits and vegetables when they're in season and freeze them for the future. Oats and dates are also frequently named as cheap, filling smoothie ingredients that really stretch your dollar. Best of all, you can use these ingredients for all sorts of dishes aside from smoothies, while a store-bought smoothie is just one serving of one drink. That's all the more reason to go the homemade route.