The summer here in the U.S. is often a time where people take to the road. Whether taking time off from work or enjoying a break from school, people drive to see family and friends or to reach vacation destinations.  It can be a fun time of year, and quite warm at times in many place.

It can also be a time for complaining about gas prices.

Being annoyed at the cost of gas is understandable, I suppose. I certainly don’t want to spend as much as I do on gas. The lower the price, the better it is for the average citizen.

That said, most of us pay up anyway. Sure, there is public transportation in some cases, but inevitably we will need to fork over the dough if we want to fuel up that car and get moving. Thus, we will pay since we are dependent on energy. But it doesn’t stop many of us from complaining about how the oil companies and some oil-producing nations are making money hand over fist while we keep paying more and more for gas.

Ok, so they have us over the barrel, so to speak. 

To view this “money gouging” in a different light, let’s revisit these summer driving trips. Aside from gasoline, and a working car, what else do you need for a long journey?

How about water?

Sure, it’s possible (though not altogether healthy) to guzzle soft drinks, coffee, tea, or other beverages instead of consuming any water on a long road trip. But water is needed to make those other beverages anyway, right?

Thinking about it more broadly, aside from road trips, we need drinking water every day. We need it to stay hydrated; we need it for our organs, brain, and overall health.

We simply need drinking water. It’s a must-have. Without it, we perish.

Is gas a must-have? Well one could argue that it’s a necessary resource for us to be able to function in today’s world. I would agree, though let’s ask ourselves which resource we would choose if we were only allowed one: gas or water? I would say water, as would each person reading this.

What’s interesting is that water is available to the general public at a very low cost. For just the price of a water bill at home, and a water bottle to carry around, one can have an ample supply of the resource that’s about as valuable any. That’s a pretty good deal, when you think about it.

So, when we complain about the cost of gas, or really any other item – be it a home, car, shoes, airfare or toothpaste – let’s not forget that we are getting the most valuable resource at an incredibly low price.

Who knows, maybe drinking water will be a commodity that’s traded more fervently than gold. Again, going back to the question asking which would you rather have, let’s substitute gold for gas. Would this change your answer? Probably not. You can have all the gold in Fort Knox, but if you don’t have water, you won’t make it.

There is a never-ending demand for clean drinking water, yet here in the U.S., prices are so low. As long as this continues to be the case, we have reason to be thankful.

Recently, a new policy took effect in San Francisco which banned the sale of sugary soda beverages from vending machines on city property.  I don’t live in that great city, but this initiative caught my attention. If you’re thirsty and see a vending machine, don’t plan on getting your favorite cola. You may like that tasty, carbonated drink, but you’re no longer allowed to buy one from a machine.

But what about freedom of choice for thirsty consumers? Sorry. It’s gone.

Instead of sugary drinks such as certain sodas, sports drinks, fruit juice that’s not 100% pure, etc – there is to be a healthier set of alternatives.

What constitutes healthier, in this case? Well, diet soda (you know, that noted health food) can still be a small percentage of the offerings. Apparently, water, milk, soy milk, and rice milk are among the others covered in the recent directive.

Just imagine this scenario:

John Doe, doing construction work near city property, wants a break from his hard work, and would like to quench his thirst. He strolls over to the vending machines, ready for his treat.

He then scans the choices, and thinks to himself, “Juice, milk, soy milk. Hmmm….not sure that I see what I’m looking for yet.”

Then he keeps looking, and his eyes freeze on his target. His thoughts scream out at him: “Aha. RICE MILK! I want the rice milk. Just what I crave to quench my thirst! Perfect. There’s nothing like some rice milk on a day like this!”

Sure.

Now, I have to say that while I have a diet soda once in a while, I realize that they’re not good for us to drink. If sodas take the rust off cars, or dissolve coins if given enough time, they can’t be too good for us – particularly our teeth.  So, I do applaud the intent of keeping people healthy. And I have to admit: I do have soy milk on occasion. I even purchased almond milk once, though it didn’t do much for me.

That said, instead of restricting people from making specific purchases, how about educating them on good nutritional choices? Then let people make their own decisions. In schools, I’m absolutely in favor of restricting choices. But as adults we can make our own choices.

A better solution for people, instead of buying drinks from vending machines, would be to carry water. Make a small investment in a reusable canister that you can carry with you, and fill it with water as you leave home. It will save you plenty of money over the course of time. It will also keep you healthier. What’s a better drink for a thirsty person than water?

Let’s say you’re working 250 days a year, and have the existing habit of getting a drink out of the vending machine every day. If the cost of a drink is $1.20, you will be paying $300 over the course of the year.

$300 in savings and a healthy, calorie free drink instead of soda – or rice milk – seems like a pretty good deal to me!

Do you ever skip breakfast?

If so, congratulations! You’re eating the ultimate frugal breakfast: a breakfast of nothing!

Of course, while that might be a nice frugal victory, we all know that we shouldn’t skip breakfast. It’s very often described as the most important meal of the day. When you eat breakfast, you’re literally breaking the “fast” that took place while you were sleeping. You consumed no nutrients since the prior day, so your body needs to be nourished to get a new day started on the right foot.

It has been shown that people who skip breakfast, and make up for it later in the day, tend to consume more food later when they eat. Additionally, when hungry, they tend to be more likely to eat higher-calorie, less-nutritious food as well.  Furthermore, without breakfast, we just don’t have the right energy in the morning to optimize our health and attitude as we get the day going.

Ok, so we know that we must eat breakfast. But how can we do it cheaply, and nutritiously?

For me, the choice is oatmeal. Now, I have to say that I never grew up eating oatmeal. I ate more of the processed, sugary cereals that line supermarket shelves than I probably should have. Let’s chalk that up to the ways of the 1970′s and 1980′s (I just can’t blame my Mom and Dad!). 

These days, however, it’s almost like a habit to start the day with oatmeal. While I occasionally have a homemade, nutritious smoothie, it’s oatmeal that’s usually for breakfast.

Why oatmeal? Well, besides tasting good (at least to many of us), oatmeal has the following 3 big benefits:

1) Helps you lose weight by controlling cravings

2) Helps reduce LDL cholesterol

3) Is good for diabetics, as it slows the digestion of starch

4) Provides a good source of protein, fiber, and nutrients

And here’s the part that’s exciting to the frugally-oriented:  it’s very inexpensive.

I recently bought a canister of quick oats, in a non-name brand version, and paid $0.99 for 16 ounces. This comes out to about 11 servings of 1/2 dry cup of oats, which represents exactly how much I have in the morning.

Basic math tells me that I paid $0.09 for my morning serving of oatmeal. That’s it. Nine cents!

Now, I do like to doctor up the oatmeal a bit, and supercharge it with additional nutrients. I usually, depending on the day, add one, two, or all three of the following:

• 1/2 tbsp flaxseed – cost $0.04
• 3 strawberries – cost $0.40
• 1 banana – cost $0.20
• Sprinkle of cinnamon – cost $0.01

The total cost of this breakfast ranges from $0.09 for the basic version to $0.74 for the fully-loaded version.

It’s been a great way to start the day for me, as I’m getting nutrition and doing it at a reasonable cost – without too much prep time.

What about you? Do you have any breakfast favorites that are both quick and relatively nutritious, that would appeal to the frugally-oriented among us?

This article was included in Festival of Frugality #233 at Learn Save Invest