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I was recently went on business trip to Australia, and I was dragging. Since I can’t sleep on planes for the life of me, going 27 hours with barely any sleep along with jet-lag, was tough.
Everyone on the trip, including my boss and colleagues, were pounding cups of coffee and tea. While they were getting their caffeine boost, I was quietly sipping some ice water in the corner, hoping the jet lag would quickly pass.
I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy. But, I haven’t had a caffeinated beverage in over 12 years. Like no coffee, tea, Coca-Cola (never a fan of Pepsi– it was too sweet), or Red Bull.
For the most part, I haven’t had much difficulty avoiding caffeine since I quit.
I’ve never enjoyed coffee or tea. Red Bull smells like chemicals to me. However, giving up Coca-Cola was hard. I was straight up addicted to it.
Caffeine Consumption
While I was in the corner drinking my ice water, my colleagues, who were downing coffee, fit right into the nearly 54% of Americans who drink caffeine on a daily basis.
Plus, the majority of caffeine drinkers drink 3.1 cups of coffee per day, according to this study by Johns Hopkins. Furthermore, 80% of adults in the US have some sort of caffeine each day.
Can you believe that?
I’m part of the 1 out of 5 people who don’t have caffeine every day.
That’s mind boggling to me.
Clearly, people love their caffeine. And, Starbucks is benefiting as 35.2 million people, or roughly 10% of the US population, has visited a Starbucks within the last 30 days in the US. I’m sure this won’t surprise you, but the stock since Starbucks’ IPO in 1992 has gone up over 10,000%. I really wish I had had the foresight to have bought it back then.
Coca-Cola
While I never could stand coffee, I absolutely loved Coca-Cola. I drank so much Coke that I could crush any blind taste test. I could easily pinpoint the Coke compared to its lowly competitors. However, in 12 years, I haven’t had a drop of that sweet nectar. Even still, I have no doubt that I could still pass a taste test. 🙂
According to Brandon Gaille, “The average person will consume at least one Coca-Cola product once every 4 days,” and “7% say that they drink 4 or more servings of soda every day.”
Sadly I was in the 7% statistic that drank way too much Coke. If I didn’t have Coke by noon, I would start to develop a headache. And, it was an expensive “need”.
Everytime I went out to eat, I had to spend an extra $2-3 to maintain my Coca-Cola habit. Because I would go out to lunch every day at work plus at least once on the weekends, that added up to around $60 per month, or $720 per year.
On top of that, I drank a 2-liter bottle of Coke every day in addition to those restaurant purchases. Since I wasn’t a savvy shopper, I would usually spend $2 on a liter. That’s roughly another $720 per year spent to satisfy my Coca-Cola addiction.
I was spending $1,440 per year on soda alone.
That is sickening.
However, I wasn’t alone. In 1998, the average American drank 54 gallons of soda to just 42 gallons of water. I really don’t even want to think about how many gallons of Coca-Cola that I ingested.
Here is some perspective though.
The average person is suppose to drink 8 cups of water a day. Based on these stats from 1998, Americans were drinking less than 2 cups of water a day.
Thankfully, Americans have cut back on their soda habit to 44 gallons per year. Average water intake has increased to 58 gallons of water a year.
Negative Side Effects
I’m sure many of you are probably retching at my past exorbitant Coca-Cola intake. Trust me, I am too as I think about it.
As a finance blogger, I shouldn’t admit this, but the real reason that I gave up drinking Coke had nothing to do with finances.
It had to do with anxiety.
Growing up, I never drank Coke since my mom wouldn’t buy it. However, like most kids, when I got to college, I started to make my own [poor] food and drink decisions.
Besides the fact that I gained some weight due to my daily soda intake of 840 calories, I became incredibly anxious. It affected the way that I lived.
Initially, I thought the anxiety was due to typical college stress and trying to fit in. As time went on though, the anxiety became worse. I started to take it more seriously and was trying to pinpoint what was triggering it.
At first, I still just chalked it up to restlessness in my twenties. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until about 6 years after college that I figured out that there was a direct correlation between my anxiety and the soda that I was drinking.
Quitting Cold Turkey
When I decided that I needed to give up caffeine in order to get rid of the anxiety, I knew that there was only one way to do it.
Cold turkey.
At first, it was not pretty. I was incredibly sick for a couple days with night sweats, dry-heaving, and pounding headaches. My withdrawal from Coca-Cola was horrible. But then I noticed a subtle shift in my emotions. I started to feel less anxious, more energetic and less irritable.
It all made sense though when I started to do some research.
Caffeine has been found to have a 6-hour half-life. That means that it takes a full 24 hours to completely work its way through your system. So, the caffeine that I drank from my lunchtime Coke would still be in my system at 50% strength at bedtime.
According to Coffee and Health, increased caffeine results in less sleep, poorer sleep quality, and waking up more frequently during the night.
Related: Why You Probably Need More Sleep
Decreased Cognitive Performance
If you’re reading this thinking that you need caffeine for the jolt and drive you need to get through the day, think again. A recent study by the University of British Columbia actually found that excessive caffeine may actually cause you to slack off.
The Johns Hopkins study I mentioned before also found that once the morning high wears off, the residual caffeine actually reduces your cognitive performance and negatively impacts your mood, much to the chagrin of your colleagues.
Increased Stress Levels
For those who believe that caffeine helps cope with stress, according to James Lane, “The caffeine we drink enhances the effects of the stresses we experience, so if we have a stressful job, drinking coffee makes our body respond more to the ordinary stresses we experience.” He goes on to say, “Everyone accepts that stress can be unhealthy. Our results suggest that drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks can make stress even more unhealthy.” With that amount of stress we’re all already under, why would we undertake any additional stress than we don’t have to?
Health Benefits
Some argue that caffeine is good for you.
Interestingly enough, some studies contradict those that previously claimed that drinking caffeine in moderation was good for you.
Other Experiences
My wife decided to give up caffeine shortly after we got married. I like to think that I convinced her to, but I’m not exactly sure. While in college, she had developed a deep affection for coffee and Diet Coke. She heavily relied on caffeinated beverages to stay up late studying.
Like me, she also experienced a bit of anxiety and also insomnia in her twenties, but she assumed it was just par for the course of life. I encouraged her to drop caffeine to see if she would experience any positive benefits. She started by switching to non-caffeinated Zevia flavors, which helped her eventually transition into drinking La Croix and Pellegrino to satisfy her carbonation fix. Now, she doesn’t even need the carbonation. Plain old water is just fine to her.
Both of us agree that eradicating caffeine from our lives has yielded amazing results. Those include: diminished anxiety, clarity of mind, better sleep, and interestingly enough for me, several promotions at work. That has been an added bonus: more money in our Personal Capital account each year.
Related: Why You Should Use Personal Capital
As an unabashed caffeine addict, I found this article compelling. I own an espresso machine, prefer my coffee black (so I can have more caffeine with less calories), and I make it a focus to maintain a bottomless supply of $0.25 iced espresso doubleshots on hand to avoid impulse purchases of overpriced java.
I’ve also long suffered from stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Interestingly, I can trace all three maladies to a number of years before I began drinking coffee, though admittedly my soda consumption at that time may have been to blams. I’ve quit many addictive substances so far, and caffeine may one day be on the chopping block. That day might have to be after I retire (< 4 years).
Thanks for stopping by Jack!!! I too had a ton of stress, anxiety and insomnia but sleep much better now that I’m off the caffeine. YOu’ll have to let me know if you stop 🙂
I rarely if ever drank caffeine before kids. Lack of sleep thanks to midnight wake ups makes coffee a requirement to function. Still I cut back to one cup periodically from my normal two a day. Moderation imho means coffee is fine. The trouble is staying with moderation.
FullTimeFinance recently posted…It’s the People Stupid
I couldn’t do moderation myself. So it was all or nothing. I had to choose nothing unfortunately 🙂
Coincidentally, I am also in the 20% that doesn’t consume caffeine on a regular basis. I didn’t quite per se, I just never gotten into it. I get hiccups pretty easily when I drink carbonated drinks so no coke or Pepsi for me. As for coffee, it’s too bitter and I would have to add a mountain of sugar to mask the bitterness. I do drink tea, but only occasionally.
Leo T. Ly @ isaved5k.com recently posted…How To Negotiate Better Deals With Your Financial Success
Thanks for sharing Leo!!! I love meeting people in the 20% crowd with me and my wife 🙂
I’m glad you quit coke. It’s much better for your health. And you will be able to save lots of money too.
I don’t drink coffee or tea either. I just drink hot or warm water every morning, and my colleagues think it’s odd.
For me, it’s mainly to save money. But now it’s also a habit that keeps me healthy ;D
Ms. Frugal Asian Finance recently posted…Why I Don’t Pay For Yoga Classes
Hahaha…if your co-workers only understood the benefits 🙂
I love coke and i love coffee. But i have problems sleeping. I usually take a sleeping pill or Xanax in order to get uninterrupted sleep. Great on weekends.
Due to this, i only drink one cup of coffee in the morning and if i do have soda, i only drink diet caffeine free coke or Sprite Zero. I gotta watch the sugar as well.
CJ recently posted…7 Reasons Why You Are Always Broke
The sugar is the killer. I had no idea how much sugar I was ingesting at the time 🙂
I’ve never considered giving up my morning coffee (I drink so colas or energy drinks, only strong black coffee). In fact, for me giving up coffee would be like asking me to give up sex! It’s somethibg I enjoy. I wake up, grab my iPhone, sit on the back porch, sipping coffee and scanning overnight emails (usually bloggers like yourself, not thing work-related.
I used to always have three cups per day; upon awaking, another cup around 10 am and another everyday at 4 pm.
I’ve weened myself down to 1 cup first thing in the morning and that’ll always be my mainstay.
I get my sleep because I’ve been on prescription Halcion for years and it puts me right to sleep. On my recent trip to Italy I simply took 1/2 a pill and slept for a solid 5 hours and felt great.
I have to admit I’ve never understood drinking coffee and relaxing on the morning porch. I wish I could do that as it looks thoroughly satisfying. But unfortunately I’m not wired that way 🙁
Agree on the “something I enjoy” part — you gotta pick and choose your spots, for the ‘vices’ of life, and coffee is a pretty innocuous one on the scale! The enjoyment to ‘bad for you’re ratio seems to be favorable for me
Hahaha…so very true 🙂
All coffee drinkers are addicts.
Seriously, think about it. They need it the first thing in the morning; can’t go a single day without a cup; and get offended when people call them addicts. Typical addict behavior 🙂
The caffeine is bad enough but when coupled with the sugar in soda/pop, that’s a deadly combination, especially when consumed on a regular basis.
Personally, I don’t drink coffee. Maybe have a cup of tea once a week. Same a can of Coke, maybe once a week.
Hahaha…I’ve never thought about it like that but I guess you’re right 🙂
I used to love myself a Diet Coke and would drink them regularly. I still have one occasionally (like every 3 weeks or so), but it is a special treat. I am “addicted” to seltzer and champagne (separately, of course) for all of my bubbly needs! Unfortunately, both are still wallet-drainers compared to tap water.
Hahaha…I use to love it when my coke was flat….not a huge bubbles fan 🙂
I wonder how you distinguish between the effects of caffeine and sugar since Coca Cola was your primary caffeine source.
“I’m part of the 1 out of 5 people who don’t have caffeine every day.”
Just to confirm, you don’t consume chocolate or cocoa products regularly?
Also people who have frequent headaches can consume caffeine in their pain relievers.
When I have a bad headache I definitely think about how much caffeine helped. If I didn’t think I’d get hooked on it again, I would definitely use it as a pain reliever 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I’ve changed my caffeine habits since I was a kid. As a teen I almost exclusively drank soda–very little water. Like, at least two Dr. Peppers a day, but usually more. I stopped soda once I went to college, mostly because it made my hilly hike to class unbearable.
Nowadays I drink soda, usually at home. I’m very sensitive to caffeine, so I’ll brew coffee and refrigerate it, sipping on it for a few days. I know that’s weird, but it works for me. 😉 I had health issues back in the fall and decided to try switching to matcha instead of coffee for the health benefits.
Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…Is spending $70/week on food frugal?
Thanks for sharing!!! I was just the opposite when I went to college I needed all the caffeine I could get to stay awake to study 🙂
I don’t drink coffee regularly as well and have never got into the habit of drinking it. I would drink coffee once or twice every few months or so just to get myself awake if I didn’t sleep well.
As for soda especially Coke or Pepsi, I used drink a lot of it in high school and college. I just liked the taste of it and would even drink it in the morning. But as the years have gone by I drink way less soda now and exclusively drink water or milk nowadays.
I knew it was a sign that drinking soda was not good for me when I drank a can of coke recently just to experience it and my chest started to feel funny because it wasn’t used to all the sodium that was in the coke. No soda for me anymore!
Kris recently posted…My Reading List for the Summer
Oh man…I’m terrified if I started to drink coke again that I would become addicted. I would probably justify the funny feeling in my chest and keep drinking.
I think it is a good pick me up in the mornings and I never raced a marathon without some caffeine in me. In fact most of the performance calorie glucose gel packs come with a caffeine laced version now and there is some pretty solid research that shows caffeine is very efficient at increasing endurance to the point that the negative factor of it dehydrating you is overwhelmed by the benefits which are substantial. But then I’m a zero anxiety (no idea what that feels like even), low stress, sleep like a baby, non-worrier person.
Steveark recently posted…Life Turns on a Single Moment
I’ve known a couple of weight lifters that consume caffeine before they list to help them through their workouts. Interesting to hear all the benefits of caffeine as well 🙂
I am a coffee addict myself. I have one issue holding me back from stopping….I really, really enjoy the taste and smell of coffee haha But I know and understand what you are saying. Coffee is probably why I can’t fall asleep early in the evening and keeps me wired/on edge.
I’m really excited that you quit coke though. In my younger days, I used to drink a lot of pop (yes, I’m from the north and call it pop and not soda). After a while, I went cold turkey like you. Instead of pop, I would drink water, coffee or tea. I felt a lot better afterwards and I noticed a difference in how my body felt a few weeks after. It was a positive experience in my life, and I’m sure my wife would say the same for when she switched from Diet Coke to La Croix. Now, when I do drink the occasional soft drink, I don’t mind it, but I would rather have water or something else. But I’ll have the occasional Dr. Pepper or Sprite and not complain haha
Thanks for sharing your story and I would recommend this to anyone!
Bert
Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Bert’s Recent Buy – Leggett & Platt, Inc. (LEG)
Thanks for stopping by Bert!!! That’s awesome to hear that you went cold turkey with coke as well. All that sugar probably isn’t that great for us. While I’ve never had a coffee addiction, I know of so many people that absolutely love it 🙂
My parents are coffee drinkers, but I didn’t like it as a kid / teen. My grandma got me into herbal tea, and there is a comforting nostalgia about a cup of lipton tea with milk and sugar when I feel like I’m getting sick. I have about 1 cup a day of either tea or coffee, but I don’t need it to function. I like the taste of tea, and prefer flavored coffees. I went caffeine free (except chocolate) for a month, and was doing well. Then unexpected events happened and I had a sleepless night and the sound of warm coffee was just too appealing.
I do have insomnia tendencies so I cut myself off from caffeine at lunch time, unless it’s a Fri / Sat and I plan to be up socializing, then unsweetened iced tea at dinner seems to not affect sleep. I think I’m invincible sometimes. A few Saturdays ago, I expected to be up past 11 pm, and thought a ‘dirty chai’ sounded good, chai with espresso. I was still very awake at 2 am. I am not allowed to have espresso any more.
I mostly brew at home, but on the road may stop at Dunkin. I bring tea bags with me, especially work training, because they rarely have caffiene free for after lunch. Mist of my luggage and laptop bag have random tea bags in them. The past few years my Christmas stocking has contained herbal tea my dad & step mom notice I like when visiting. I am a fan of ‘all things in moderation’, and 1 cup of caffeine to me seems reasonable. 🙂
Thanks for sharing Jacq!!! I’ve never heard of a dirty chai, it sounds delicious but that stinks that it caused you to stay up so late. The prices we are willing to pay at times 🙂