Our SodaStream arrived last week. I love it.

I’ve been spending about $11.45 a week on carbonated water. The SodaStream should more than pay for itself within two months. Awesome.

“But why spend the money in the first place?” you ask.

I use to be a major soda drinker. Not diet soda. Regular. Coke was my choice drink. By the time I stopped drinking colas, I was probably drinking 5 12-ounce cans a day. Yikes!

I’ve tried cutting back before, replacing Coke with water. But while I love my tap water, I had a hard time drinking enough water in a day. I even tried to make my water more exciting – adding lemon, lime or orange slices. I still couldn’t drink more than 4 8-ounce glasses a day.

It wasn’t the caffeine that I craved. It was the carbonation. I loved the mouth feel of the bubbles. The sound of the fizz hitting the ice in my glass was music to my ears. I loved the sensation when the bubbles went down my throat.

Thankfully I discovered black cheery carbonated water. I love cherry flavored anything. It had no sugar and no carbs. When I got home, I gave it a try. Yes, as I opened the bottle it did explode and soak my shirt, but it was sooo tasty. From that moment I was sold. I was able to quickly eliminate soda from my daily routine. For what little caffeine cravings I have, my home made ice tea can accommodate me.

For nearly a year, my daily water intake is split between tap water, carbonated water and ice tea. It’s roughly a 45/45/10 split. As great as it’s been, it has taken a toll on the wallet.

A couple of our friends had a SodaStream and swore by it. I have to say I was skeptical. I’ve seen the ads and have tasted sodas from earlier versions or knock offs. They were horrible. But or friends who we trust swore by it and issued their own Pepsi Challenge. I had to admit that the small sip I had was very good. I was surprised it came from their machine. So we bit the bullet and decided to get one. We’ve only had it a few days, but it is one of the best purchases we’ve made. Doing the math, I’m now saving $50/month. My husband gets his diet Dr. Pepper taste for under $0.20 a glass.

I’m keeping to my 45/45/10 split and saving money to boot! What more could you ask for?