Just walking past the beverage cooler often made my wallet hurt.
Thus, I stuck to consuming this fermented favorite in moderation.
Thus I began the journey to saving money by brewing my own kombucha.
What Do it’s crucial that you Make Your Own Kombucha?
Gathering materials is pretty simple.
You likely have most of the ingredients and equipment already in your kitchen.
I know I did.
Got that, too.
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
Sites like Craigslist and local DIY communities are also great places to look for a scoby.
As for equipment, youll need a quart jar, coffee filters and a rubber band.
A 12-pack of 16-ounce bottles can cost youup to $170, though even the$50-80range isnt cheap.
Sure, its healthier than soda, but thats pretty steep.
Even scaling down to 8-ounce bottles, a 12-24 pack runs about $30-45.
Is It Hard?
Kombucha, I discovered, isnt as difficult to produce as it may seem.
The initial activation took about 15-30 minutes.
Check out thisrecipeorvideoto get started.
The first culturing session takes roughly 30 days, and its pretty hands off.
Ideally, store your jar at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.
Hey, you cant survive on kombucha alone.
Water Kefir: Another Cheap, Easy Fermented Drink
My kitchen curiosity was piqued.
What other delights awaited the empty Ball jars decoratively displayed above my stove?
No, that wasnt a typo.
Its essentially liquid fermented by bacteria and yeast grains.
As the name suggests, water kefir ferments, well, water sugar water, to be exact.
A much shorter fermentation time later about four days youve got your first batch ready for flavoring and bottling.
A quickAmazon searchyields loads of results.
Add some lemon juice, and youve got lemonade.
A few teaspoons of vanilla extract and youve transformed that water kefir into cream soda.
One of my favorite concoctions?
Sure, the mixture may sound odd, but its amazing.
Pro-tip: be heavy-handed with the mint extract and honey to offset the garden undertones from the kale.
Like a kombucha scoby, water kefir grains can be reused in subsequent batches, and they actually multiply.
Could Kombucha and Water Kefir Help You Save Money?
Both drinks are packed with probiotics.
If youre getting overwhelmed, check out thisguide to taking a break.
Still, its a small price to pay for the probiotic and savings benefits.
At least you dont have to walk your kefir when its freezing or raining outside.
Your Turn: Have you tried brewing your own kombucha or water kefir?
How did it go, and did it help you save money?
Disclosure: A (kombucha) toast to savings!
Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.
Moe Long is a Durham Movies Examiner, and Contributing Writer for AXS, Cliqist, and Blasting News.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
