In my series of articles on frugal hobbies, I break down an individual hobby for people who want to have fun without breaking the bank. The overview will include the details of the hobby itself, how to go into it with a frugal mindset, and the best ways to make use of your money. Not all of the hobbies covered are cheap or easy to get into, but I find ways to help you save money while still being able to partake in your favorite pastimes.
Wine
Wine is a favorite for many it seems, even beyond whiskey. Everywhere I go, I see people talking about wine, drinking wine, laughing at corny jokes printed on wine merchandise, and so on. Whether you realize it or not, it’s a surprisingly influential component of our culture, and it’s a passion shared by many. Of course, since wine is something a lot of people partake in, it’s an area where a lot of people may not realize they can save money.
That’s where I come in. It’s time to break down some ways you can save money on wine, as well as give some general pointers on various aspects of the hobby.
Drink What You Like
Obviously, you should drink what you like. It seems clear to a lot of people that you should drink what you like, but many others drink to impress or based purely on hearsay. Chill out with that. If you like a specific wine, it’s okay to drink it. A lot of people feel some shame about the wine they like because it’s not a “high end” bottle, or it’s not one some famous person recommends. At the end of the day, all the matters for your personal wine drinking is that you enjoy your wine. Stop trying to impress others.
Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Wine Though
With that said, it’s still a good idea to try new wine. Drink what you like, appreciate it, but once in a blue moon it’s wise to try a little taste of something new to expand your horizons. You may hate it, which is fine. Yet, I think it’s worth the risk since you may find something else you can add to your main rotation that you absolutely love.
So, stick to what you like and occasionally try something new. If you don’t like it, don’t buy a bottle. If you like it, then enjoy it and buy more! That’ll help with your enjoyment of the hobby. If you drink things just to fit in, you could end up ruining something you genuinely love.
Ways To Save
Next up, the point of the article, let’s dive into ten different ways you can save money on wine. With these tips it’s best to not overthink things. Keep it simple and do what helps you enjoy wine in your free time the most. You don’t have to follow every single tip here. Think of them as just tools in your arsenal.
1. Drinking At Home Is The First And Easiest Way To Save Money
I have to say, drinking at home is easily one of the best ways to save money on wine (or any alcoholic beverage, really). Go to your local wine store, get some wine, and then enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Restaurants typically have an exorbitant markup, so you’re saving more than you realize. Better yet, you may be able to make tastier meals to pair with your wine anyway!
2. Check Reviews
Let’s call this tip a product investigation. Sounds fun, right? Before you make a large purchase, like trying a bunch of different wines, look up what you can online. There may not be a ton of information available, but at minimum you can find reviews. Whether you want to heed the opinion of professional critics or the layman is up to you – wine sites will likely have opinions from both.
Take all the reviews with a grain of salt, but see what some have in common. You should be able to see some general trends that can help you identify wines you might enjoy and would find to be worth trying. As an added tip, check out reviews for wines you already know and love. Seeing what people say about those may help give you the terminology about the flavors that can help you line things up and make sense of other reviews.
3. Do Price Comparisons
This is an easy, obvious option for most people. If you have multiple wine stores, check out their prices and compare them. Do your best to compare bottles that are similar or the same. That will help keep it consistent and fair. Once you’re familiar with the pricing, you can choose the best store for you.
If you live in an area with only one wine store, or wine stores with unfair pricing, you can also trying checking out prices online.
4. Give Boxed Wine A Try
I know I’m going to get some hate for this one. Boxed wine often has a bit of a negative reputation. To be honest, I’m not even the biggest fan of it. However, it has come a long way in the past decade or so, and many boxed wines are quite commendable. They probably won’t be your favorite wine, but they are likely hard to beat for the price. So, if you want an extra frugal pick, try some of the best boxed wines and see which ones you like.
5. Split A Case With A Friend
If you’re lucky enough to have a friend, or multiple friends, with some overlapping taste then you’re set. Buying in bulk (aka a case) usually makes it cheaper per bottle. So, you can always buy a case on your own. However, if you want those savings per bottle, but don’t want a whole case of wine, then you can split the price with a friend and divvy up the wine accordingly.
6. Double-Check Costco And Other Grocery Stores
This is another one that might get me in trouble. Costco and grocery stores don’t usually carry the best wine, but you’d be surprised. I’ve seen some great deals on good wine before, and I’m glad I walked through the section to give it a quick check. You may not find rare special releases here, but sometimes there will still be great options.
7. Use Leftover Wine For Cooking
Ah, I know the feeling of having left wine out a little too long and being upset at yourself. It’s not completely spoiled, but it’s not exactly what you want to drink either. At this point, just use the wine for cooking! It makes it so it isn’t a complete waste, and helps maximize your money.
8. If You Drink Multiple Bottles, Start With The Expensive And Transition To The Cheap
I’m not recommending that you drink multiple bottles in one sitting. In fact, I recommend you don’t do that. However, if you have friends over and you’re all drinking, I can understand going through a few bottles in one night. In that case, try to start with good wine, and then work your way towards worse wine (not bad wine, just not the good stuff). That way you’re not wasting more good wine when you’re tipsy and your taste buds are less discerning.
9. Look For Cheap Tastings
There are a lot of good opportunities for budget wine tastings. Some places do it for free during special events or at specific times. Others will do it at a discount price if you’re already a shopper there. Whatever the case, look into wine tasting options near you. It may be a much better option to try a wine before you buy a whole bottle of it.
10. Keep Value In The Back Of Your Mind
Obviously, when you drink wine, the better it is, the happier you are. However, also consider the value the bottle has. Don’t just factor in how good it is. Factor in how good it is for the price. If something is amazing, but overpriced, you may still purchase it – but rarely. If something is amazing for the price, then it may become a regular part of your wine repertoire.
Accessories And Tools
Next, we’ll go over tools and accessories you can get to help you with your wine enjoyment.
Bundles
First up, I generally recommend people just get a basic bundle when they’re starting out. You probably know what I’m talking about. You can get an electric wine opener, a foil cutter, an aerator, stoppers, and many other tools with these bundles. They’re perfect because they have just about everything and it’s generally a stellar value.
Glassware
Glassware does in fact matter for your wine tasting. Fortunately, deals can be found everywhere online, so you shouldn’t have issues getting a basic set for most purposes. I highly recommend you get glasses with a stem, so the temperature from your hand doesn’t affect the wine.
Keep A Record
It may sound odd, but keeping a record of wine you like, love, dislike, and hate can be quite useful. That way you know what you should get again or what isn’t worth it. After you have some time in the hobby under your belt, it can be hard to keep track of what you have or haven’t tried, so this is just another way to help you keep it straight.
Conclusion
Hopefully that gave you some basic ideas to help you save money on wine. If you have any tips of your own, please share them with us in the comments. For more content like this, and a free budgeting template and financial goals worksheet, be sure to sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter!
