The Frozen Drink Non-Latte Factor July 12, 2006
If you’ve been to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Jamba Juice, Amazon Juice, Cold Stone Creamery, and many other eateries lately, you’ll notice that there’s a barrage of new drinks (usually frozen, since summer has arrived) to get the consumer to have more trendy drink options. It’s the Latte Factor of the frozen summer drinks. I love frozen things; ice cream, slurpees, slushes, smoothies. I even chill my water in the freezer and will create a ‘water slush’. And these coffee shops, cafes, and smoothie places make it hard on a frozen drink lover who’s trying to save money. So far I have not tried any of these because looking at the prices is a deterrent. Some examples:
- Starbucks Frappuccino blends ($3 to $3.75)
- Amazon Juice smoothie (starts at $3.75)
- Dunkin’ Donuts smoothies ($3.39 to $4.99)
If you buy one frozen drink a week at $5 (with tax), it adds up to $20 per month. I know, the 7/11 Slurpees are cheaper at $1.65 but you’re essentially drinking frozen sugar water. As an alternative, blend your own smoothie at home. There are tons of recipes online. They’re easy to make, cheap, and you can make them with any fruit, and it’s healthier than the store bought ones because it has less sugar. Buy frozen bags of fruit at your grocery store and mix and match.
Source:
Fruity summer drinks are a tropical paradise of profit, By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY