Where Is a Bargain on Energy Drinks?

Went into coles and woolworths the other week looking to pick up a couple energy drinks since I have some mid sems coming and the best deal I could find was x2 '500mL mothers'for $5.00 (this was offered in both coles & woolies). This was the cheapest $ per mL/Litre they had on the shelves in these two stores. Surely there is a better bargain to be had?

Would ideally like to stay clear of sugar free and those berry types. I've only had redbull and mother in the past and think they taste nice and similar would be up for trying monster

Comments

  • +6

    You could just pop some No-Doz tablets and drink some Coke or Pepsi, it'll have the same effect and you'll be saving money.

    Each dose is 100mg and the effects last about 2-5 hours (depending on your metabolism).

    • +2

      Last time I mixed something with coke it was coffee beans before an exam and my stomach did not like it at all, had to leave an hour into the exam to make it to the nearest bathroom

      • +21

        you know that most energy drinks are loaded with tons of sugar and caffeine…. there is no magic ingredient inside energy drinks that give you 'energy' (actually: it's just the sugar).

        The guarana and ginseng and all that vitamin BS? They are just marketing spin to make you think the drink has some kind of herbal effect.

        The caffeine generally raises your heart rate, and keeping your heart rate too high over an extended period of time leads to an increase in the likelihood of a whole host of cardiac problems.

        Well, apart from not being good for your health they are also kind of a rip-off, and not to mention they are also addictive (both the sugar and caffeine component).

        If it's caffeine and sugar you want, you already have them inside your kitchen pantry. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and suck on some lollies.

        • +3

          or make
          Yuenyeung, coffee with tea, also commonly known as Kopi Cham in Malaysia is a popular beverage in Hong Kong. Made of a mixture of three parts of coffee and seven parts of Hong Kong-style milk tea, it can be served hot or cold

        • +1

          I popped 5 no doz before my last chem test, felt invincible. But I guess there is no substitute for study lol. But seriously watch out cause i find them very addictive, i couldn't stop taking them for almost two weeks.

        • So how do sugarfree energy drinks work?

        • @ronnknee:

          They contain about 86 mg of caffeine
          per serve, just like the normal ones do. They don't contain sugar but may use sucralose or saccharin.

          No sugar so you can drink without getting the associated sugar buzz and calories but will still elevate your heart rate.

          The 'energy' in most energy drinks though just refers to simple sugars. Fast burning fuel for your body. Just a little bit of clever advertising.

        • +3

          @scrimshaw:

          "Sugar buzz"

          Unless you're midway through a hypoglycaemic episode, sugar never provides a 'buzz'. It's an old wive's tale that has somehow become a common medical misconception.

        • +2

          @Condog:

          I popped 5 no doz before my last chem test, felt invincible.

          Have you tried adderall?

        • @ronnknee: They don't.

        • @Munki: From your experience, a study or a scientific source?

        • @ronnknee: Just inanimate objects don't really have employment statuses.

        • @Munki: What?

      • You could have coffee intolerance. I have something similar. Pure caffeine is fine, but there's some extra chemical in the coffee beans which some people are intolerant to and which makes them go to the toilet.

    • Energy drinks are much more than caffeine.

  • Don't forget to consider electrolytes Scrimmers. And the potentially ill-effects of 'sports drinks' on teeth…

    • +6

      If it's a brain-boost that OP wants, I would recommend a bit of aerobic exercise (e.g running, swimming). Harvard study shows that exercise boosts your ability to recall things, a recent study seems to back this up and a study from 2010 showed that children who exercised before a test got better scores.

      It was noted that resistance training did not have any effect, only aerobic exercise did. So put on the joggers and go for a run OP. You'll feel better.

      Electrolytes are something you'd consider packing before you run a marathon or start a gym session, not a cram session :)

      • I agree. If you artificially induce an altered state whilst you are studying and do not recreate that same state when you take an exam you may not gain anything.

        • +3

          Aye… 'state-dependent learning', I believe that is called… kinda like when you get drunk and stash something, then you can't remember where you stashed it until the next time you get drunk…

        • @GnarlyKnuckles: Ha, never thought about it much but now that you mentioned it… that sounds about right!

      • +2

        But then he'd be spending time exercising instead of studying. He isn't going to miraculously earn an A+ by splitting his time to exercise. /AsianDad

  • +7

    The monster ultra in the white cans is the best. Sugar free and delicious.

    • I love all the monster flavours.

    • Really loved them to begin with. Over them now though.

  • the Red Bulls are $6, other than that the sales are weak this week.
    You can get Vs for $2 at the Reject Shop pretty much ongoing.

    Changes every week, the 4 packs of Mother, Monster, V, and Red Bull go as low as half price quite often.
    I'd be willing to bet the new sales with have some decent discounts, we'll find out in an a matter of hours.

    There are cheaper unknown brands, but they're no good. Don't even bother, they don't work.

  • +3

    Try asian supermarkets for packs of 24 thai red bull. I did this once and it made my heart feel funny

    • Do you actually like the taste of the Thai Red Bull drinks?

      I hesitate a little before I pick it out of the convenience store fridge in Thailand - to me, it almost tastes like they forgot to add water to the syrup. I always get a bottle of water with it and drink them one gulp after another. haha

      • +2

        I quite like the Thai (original) red bull, but as with all red bull drinks you've gotta drink it while it's cold. It tastes absolutely shit if it's warm.

      • +3

        Yep, I agree it is pretty sweet though. Fortunately it is in a mini can.
        I drank a lot more yakult than red bull when I was in Thailand.

      • +1

        I agree too syrupy but still nice, the carbonated can we have is better but from memory was 5x the price in 7/11

    • I LOVE the kratendang! I prefer it over the western version and its so much cheaper too.

    • In Thailand you can drink alcohol at bars till you pass out and have another ready when you wake up.
      Try and drink a lot of their own redbull and they will cut you off.
      It's great stuff and i like this version a lot but people in Australia still get caught out drinking too many energy drinks.

      • Thai red bull does nothing special to me (or anyone else I spoke to who drank some without being told beforehand how legendary it supposedly is).

        Are you sure it's not all in your head?

        • +1

          Might depend on how many you have.

  • +4

    Best energy you'll get is natural and never found a can costing $4.
    Go have a good night sleep for a week and tell us all how much better you feel and how much more energy you have….

    • +2

      I find that rainbows are the best remedy. Sometimes I think that we forget we are all energy beams sent here by god.

      Anyway I better get back to ionising my aura…

    • pics or gtfo

  • Where I am (Armidale) Woolies run specials on Mother about once a week. I pick up 4 packs for around $6 or less

  • my local coles (QLD), regularly has (i.e. not special price), 15 cans of Mother (375ml) in a single box, for $20…. however of the 3 Coles near me, only the largest of them stocks this!

  • berocca performance is surprisingly good … also good for focus as less jittery sugar & caffeine laden crap

  • Sodastream energy syrup is pretty cheap

    • +1

      I don't believe they sell this anymore. Saw some mum whinging about the sale of it on their facebook page and they were like "we've removed this product from sale in australia"

  • +3

    Energy drinks are like REALLY BAD for you.
    Best drink in the world is clean fresh water from your tap - preferably filtered for better taste

    • At least with coffee there is a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest its actually not too bad for you.

      Energy drinks on the other hand are just pure garbage.

      • How are energy drinks garbage? They're just soda with caffeine..

        • Exactly!

  • Yes, they are not health drinks, and you might get more caffeine per cent another way but if you're coming up to exams, understandably even a placebo effect is attractive, so if you want red bull go with red bull.

    The supermarket specials change on a Wednesday. This week, in NSW metro at least, from Weds Woolworths is doing red bull 4 packs for $6, and Coles is doing V 4 packs for $6

  • NQR 6x500 ml original Mother $5. Past BB date but 100% sure it doesnt do anything to you.

  • +2

    Aldi have cans for 0.99 each and they have a sugar and sugar free option. The sugar free one is pretty good and at the price it's much better than mother or Red Bull and you don't have to wait for them to go on sale at the major supermarkets

    • Its called "Flying Power", its trying to imitate red bull. The taste is like a less bitter version of red bull imo. Depends on how generous your Aldi is, in some stores they keep them both on shelf and some in the drinks fridge/juice fridge, other stores only keep them out on shelves.

    • Have you bought them recently? At mine they are $1.29 now, went up a little while ago.

      But they used to have them in a-6 pack for $5

      • bugger! I hadn't noticed. Baby food went down though so that's a bonus!

  • I'd you just want the energy kick look into guarana powder . It gives you a more long lasting kick rather than a caffeine high and following low. You can mix it with other drinks such as orange juice, hot chocolate or coffee.

  • -1

    You can also try cutting out all non-water drinks for 2 weeks.
    After this time; you'll have even more energy, consistently, for $0.

    Otherwise costco is probably cheaper.

  • The Mother Original 4 packs go on half-pice fairly regularly, I believe it's $5.47 per 2L pack. If you've got a further discount (e.g Coles Team Member of Woolies gift card) you can bring the price down further.

  • diluted pure fruit juice

  • +1

    1kg white sugar = $1
    Cup of cold water from the tap = $negligible

    Mix them up for a bargain energy drink.

  • +4

    When I was a uni student and studying late nights, I used to go to the 7 eleven coffee machine get a small $1 coffee cup and keep on pressing the short black button.

    Warning- You may begin to see new colours and notice people around you moving really slow.

    • A french press and a ground coffee from Aldi can work well as well.

      It costs you around $20+ bucks, but if you drink coffee every day, you break even in a month time.

  • Any good deals on monster energy drinks lately?

  • Redbull is always on sale, one week at woolies and the next week at Coles. Generally the 4 packs are reduced to $6.

    The mother cans (4 pack) on the other hand only go on sale about once every 4-5 weeks.

    • +1

      More every 2 - 3 weeks for Mother 4 x 500ML packs, at Woolworths.

  • I just have green tea…similar effect.

  • V occasionally goes down to ~$4.50 for 4x275ml, and more often it can be had for $6 of you need it sooner. Red bull occasionally goes down to $5 (less often than the V goes down to $4.50) or also $6 from Colesworths. Price hipster says both went down to their lowest price a few months back, so they might be due for a good special.

    The only sugar free energy drink I like is monster and I've never seen multipacks of it available anywhere (I'm in WA, so no Costco if it's been there)

  • I always stock up on the Sugar Free Mother 4 x 500ML when it goes down to $5.47 (special applies to original as well). Woolworths has a few specials that they rotate for Mother, with this being the best one.

  • I raided the local woolies a few months back when they were offloading the last of their blueberry red bull. $4 per box.

    I had around 70 cans in the pantry.

    Probably a years supply for me, but think of the savings!

  • Here is my secret to saving money on energy drinks. I don't buy any…if you respect your health you wouldn't drink that crap

  • Water is good for you. Water + sugar = cordial/juice (OR) water + carbonation = sparkling water. Water + sugar + carbonation = soft drink. The entire industry is an exercise in how to get people to pay more for water, and it's been an extremely lucrative exercise at that. Even when trying to be healthy most people will buy Coca-Cola's 'Mount Franklin spring water' from a soft drink fridge. Red bull just wanted their cut, so they added caffeine*, and another lucrative market was born. But it's just an offshoot.

    *Actually Redbull is (or was) a marketing company. Not just a company with marketing, but a company that creates 'value' by branding existing products and services. IIRC they bought a pre-existing business that makes the energy drinks as a means of entering a niche market before turning it in to something much bigger.

  • Get a box of Bacchus D from Korean groceries. Few years back I was getting 10 bottles for $5 or $6, not sure if the price has held. Was $1 each if you buy separately, so don't do that. 100mL shots of energy drink, similar content as a red bull, maybe less caffeine but loaded with taurine. Little syrupy, but not as sweet as the thai red bulls. It's a good little boost, but doesn't kick in as hard as a red bull

    Good stuff back in my undergrad days, cheap and small enough to always keep a bottle or two on hand. Lady at the store I'd get them from told me some of her regulars would get really upset when they ran out of stock. All I could do was laugh and hope I didn't get to that stage, as I bought yet another box and a pack of cigarettes

  • I stopped with the energy drinks after getting an espresso machine, it's a good way to go. Not even a very good one, it was about $80 from aldi, not one of the capsule machines but a proper special buy espresso machine. Made better coffee than my newer $200 Breville too. Get a pack of ground 'Oro'-style coffee and you can have a quick cheap coffee that actually tastes really nice without adding anything. I make a long espresso, basically just letting the machine go for a little longer than it should, which balances the flavour really well between a regular espresso and a long black. Stopped adding milk and sugar when I realised coffee could actually taste okay by itself

  • fluro green urine ftw

  • white monster 4 packs half price at coles atm. yeaaaaa

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