An average energy drink can cost anywhere from $2-$4. Yes, I know that might sound cheap. But what if you’re a regular energy drink consumer and want to cut down the costs.
Key Takeaways:
The cheapest way to buy energy drinks is by purchasing from discount stores like Dollar Tree or buying them in bulk. However, you can also get cheap energy drinks by looking for alternative options from stores like Aldi or making your own energy drink using powders and SodaStream.
The Best Cheapest Ways To Buy Energy Drinks
#1. Dollar Tree
If You’re not familiar with Dollar Tree it is a chain of stores present in the USA and Canada. It is well-known for selling things at an affordable price – usually $1 or less.
If you are looking to buy cheap energy drinks, Dollar Tree is the first place you should check out. They typically have killer deals on energy drinks. You could get energy drinks from known brands at an inexpensive rate.
But beware of the manufacturing dates of the energy drinks. In this store, you could get discontinued energy drinks and even energy drinks that are just about to expire.
Pro Tip: I highly recommend checking out this guide on energy drink shelf-life, to get a detailed rundown about how long energy drinks last.
#2. Bulk Purchase
When you bulk-purchase any product, including energy drinks, you are going to get discounts on it. And there are many reasons for it.
First, when you purchase energy drinks in bulk, the cost of shipping and transporting is saved on the manufacturer’s end.
So the total cost per energy drink can is reduced.
Secondly, retail stores usually add a markup cost to each of the energy drinks for reasons such as storage, utilities, and labor. As you buy these energy drinks in bulk, you are essentially helping the retail dealer in reducing their operational cost (because now they can spread out the cost over several units).
Also, stores often like to sell their products in bulk because it ensures faster inventory clearing. And when their inventory is cleared faster, they can stock more products. Therefore, they are happy to offer discounts on bulk purchases.
Moreover, bulk purchases also enhance the supply chain workflow. Less time and investment are spent on individual products when they are purchased in bulk. So this cost saving is sometimes passed to you in the form of savings when you purchase energy drinks in bulk.
Like these, there are several reasons why the bulk purchase of energy drinks is worth it. They do have some downsides like storage issues or spending a bulk amount upfront. But that said, it’s a smart way to save on individual energy drinks.
And the more energy drinks bulk quantity you purchase, the better you save.
For instance, just to give you a rough idea, let’s compare the cost of Red Bull energy drinks 4 can pack and Red Bull energy drinks 12 can pack.
| Energy Drink Pack Type | Total Pack Cost | Per Fl Oz Cost | Per Can Cost |
| Red Bull 4 Can Pack (8.4 fl oz) | $7.24 | 86.2 cents | $1.81 |
| Red Bull 12 Can Pack (8.4 fl oz) | $17.98 | 17.8 cents | $1.50 |
Through the above chart, you can see the difference in cost per can when you purchase in more quantities – that too, in bulk.
Yes, the cost difference may be only a few cents per can. But, when you total it up, it can still be a reasonable saving.
#3. Online Deals
One of the best ways to buy energy drinks at cheap prices is to get them through online deals. You can regularly check out sites like Amazon, Target, and Walmart and look out for any sale.
Particularly, on sites like Amazon the prices for bulk energy drinks keep on fluctuating. So you can keep an eye on it and whenever you get a good deal, you can just purchase it at a relatively affordable rate.
Usually, you will find deals on online sites for bulk products and not single energy drink cans. Bulk products allow the dealers to clear up their inventory and get new stocks, so often they may offer energy drinks at a discounted price.
You can also look out for online marketplaces like eBay. Often you can get the best deals on bulk purchases.
#4. Aldi
Aldi is a popular discount retailer and grocery store spanning 11 countries in the world and more than 6000 stores worldwide.
You can get energy drinks at a relatively cheaper rate at Aldi than at other convenience stores. For instance, when the popular energy drink – Prime Energy first hit the market, it was available at a very cheap price at Aldi.
Also, in this discount retailer store, you can get cheaper alternatives of the popular energy drinks that have similar tastes.
You can check out the Red Thunder energy at Aldi. It is quite similar to Red Bull both in terms of packaging and taste. And the best part? It is usually available at a very affordable rate of $1 per can. If you have a tight budget and still want to get the feel of popular energy drinks, trying out Aldi’s Red Thunder could be a nice option.
#5. SodaStream
If you really want to cut down your spending on energy drinks, then it would be great if you make your own energy drinks. Yes, you heard me right!
And guess what, you can still get the same fizzy feeling even with the home-made energy drink version, thanks to the SodaStream machine.
To put it simply, SodaStream is nothing but a sparkling water maker that allows you to infuse the carbon dioxide gas in the water, making it sparkling water.
Click here to check out the latest price of a SodaStream machine on Amazon.
So all you need to do is just add an energy drink mix to the sparkling water mix – and there you have it! Your homemade sparkling water energy drink.
And the best thing is, whenever you use energy drink mix and powders, your cost is greatly reduced.
You see, it is because you don’t have to pay for the can, the liquid content, and all the associated shipping costs.
Powder energy drinks cost less for companies to ship and store, so as an end user, you have to pay less for the energy drink.
There are many energy drink mix powders available in the market. In fact, you can also check out SodaStream Energy Drink Mix which is loaded with vitamins and caffeine to give you the required energy boost.
You can also go with popular brands like ZipFizz energy drink mix or the G-Fuel Energy Tubs.
#6. DIY Energy Drinks
Finally, one of the best and cheapest ways to have energy drinks is by making them on your own – the DIY option!
All you need is a good recipe and the necessary ingredients.
Of course, you may not get that fizz unless you use carbonated water or sparkling water as a base. But with homemade ingredients, you can make a good energy drink that will be not only healthy but also act as a quick energy boost.
Check out our step-by-step DIY natural energy drink recipe to make your own DIY energy drink.
Struggling To Find Cheap Energy Drinks? No Problem! Explore Alternative!
When it comes to energy drink alternatives, green tea, and coffee are the first choice. They are healthy and offer similar energizing effects.
But if you don’t like tea or coffee, you can also go for coconut water and fruit juices. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals to help you power through your day.
Moreover, on sites like Amazon, you can also find energy drinks that come at a much affordable rate when purchased in bulk yet taste good. For instance, try out the Amazon brand Solimo energy drink (on Amazon) which is available at an affordable rate.
It tastes similar to popular energy drinks like Monster and can be a nice alternative to those costly energy drinks.
Note: If you are specifically looking for alternatives to some of the popular energy drinks like Red Bull, I highly recommend reading this guide on the cheap Red Bull alternatives that are affordable but give similar benefits.
And I would also encourage you to check out this guide about why energy drinks are so expensive. Give it a read and you’ll get a complete understanding of the market of energy drinks and how the different factors affect their price.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, you can explore cheap energy drink options in stores like Dollar Tree, or Aldi. Also, if you can purchase in bulk, then you can look for online deals from sites like Amazon.
Buying energy drink powders also proves cheaper in the long run because you can save on the shipping and packaging costs of energy drinks.
But if you are looking for healthy options, then you can go with natural and homemade DIY energy drink options.
