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Drinks
Coffee, cocktails, tea, kombucha, sparkling water — what's actually cheaper at home and what's a wash. Most pieces here have a sister-site recipe to back them up.
Is it cheaper to make cocktails at home? The math.
A cocktail at a bar runs $14–18. The same drink at home, made with bottles you've amortized across 30 or so pours, runs about $3. A two-cocktail-a-week habit moved home saves about $900 a year — and you can drink better while you're at it.
How much you save by making coffee at home
Two daily lattes from a coffee shop run about $1,800 a year. The same drinks at home, with decent beans and a basic espresso setup, run about $600 — a $1,200 swing. Here is the math, including how fast the gear pays itself back.
Cold brew concentrate at home
A 32 oz bottle of cold brew concentrate runs about $9 at the grocery store. The same volume from $14-a-pound beans, made overnight in a mason jar, runs about $1.80. A summer-long iced coffee habit moved home saves about $350 a year, with no equipment beyond a jar and a strainer.
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Cocktail party for 8 for under $80
Going out with eight friends to a bar costs about $400 between drinks, food, and tip. Hosting the same evening at home — one batched signature cocktail, two snacks, three bottles of backup — costs under $80. Even hosting once a quarter, that's $320 a year.
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