13 Clever Ways to Score Cheap Liquor, Wine, & Beer
No more searching for the “cheapest liquor store near me” — use these tips no matter where you source cheap liquor, wine, or beer!
Cheers to affordable adult beverages!
How does the idea of spending less on alcohol sound? From beer and wine to liquor and mixers, prices can add up pretty quickly and before you know it, you’re forking out a good chunk of change on casual drinks and big get-togethers.
Of course, you could not imbibe alcohol altogether to cut costs, but enjoying a glass or two is a treat for many. By following a few of these money-saving tips, you’ll be able to enjoy a drink at the end of a long day or cater to a large party without blowing your budget.
Here’s how to score cheap liquor, wine, and beer:
1. Filter cheap vodka in a water filter.
If you’re a vodka drinker, you probably know that the more times it’s been filtered, the more expensive it usually is. To avoid paying the high price for a quality bottle, try filtering a bottom-shelf cheap liquor brand at home with a water filter.
Yes, seriously!! Lots of penny-pinchers have tried this booze hack and reported improved flavor, aroma, and smoothness after 4-5 filtrations. Although you’ll have the initial cost of the water filter, you’ll save quite a bit by not spending more on top-shelf vodka.
2. Save on draft beer with reusable growlers.
There’s nothing like an ice-cold brew on a hot summer day. But before you stock up on your favorite six-pack, consider using a beer growler instead. Many grocery stores and bars will fill up a 64 oz. growler for $9-$15 (depending on the brew) and that could end up saving you a few bucks.
Don’t forget to do a price comparison first to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Growlers are usually available for purchase at grocery stores and craft beer shops, but you can also get them on Amazon for pretty cheap.
3. Get wine discounts when you buy in bulk.
You’ve probably seen 10%-20% off wine case offers at numerous grocery stores and, while you’ll spend more upfront, you’ll save a lot in the long run.
Total Wine & More offers 16% off their mixed wine cases, and Whole Foods will take 10% off your purchase of 6 or more bottles. A few other grocers that offer bulk wine discounts include Publix, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, and Safeway. Ask your local grocery or liquor store about case discounts to see what they offer!
4. Try a monthly wine club.
Wine clubs are a great way to save on large quantities and you’ll likely get a really good introductory offer, too. Here are a couple of affordable wine club offers to consider:
- Firstleaf: Buy 6 bottles of wine for only $39.95 shipped!
- Wine Insiders: 15 bottles for only $89 shipped!
5. Check Groupon for some major deals on adult beverages
Believe it or not, Groupon usually has a plethora of deals on beer and wine and some of the biggest discounts I’ve ever seen. A few current offers include:
16 bottles of wine at just $3.56/bottle?! It doesn’t get much better than that!
6. Make your own hard cider.
Cider making is an investment as you’ll likely spend $40-$60 on equipment, but once you have it, the only additional costs are purchasing fresh apple juice, yeast, and yeast nutrients.
Since you can make large quantities at such a low cost, you can enjoy $3 homemade cider gallons all year long, which is substantially cheaper than the cost of a 6-pack of cider at the store.
7. Get cashback offers with savings apps.
If you don’t see an in-store deal, don’t forget to check cash back apps like Rakuten, Ibotta, and Checkout 51. They offer pretty sweet cheap liquor deals at hundreds of popular stores.
We’ve seen offers for up to $5 cash back on already low-price items and when you do the math, you could save up to 50% on some alcoholic beverages.
8. Check your local drugstores for beer and wine deals.
Surprisingly, Walgreens and CVS offer amazing beer and wine discounts on a frequent basis (depending on where you live). We’ve spotted prices that beat out Walmart and discount wine shops many times, but you’ll want to take advantage of the deals when you find them because they usually don’t last long.
While you can’t use drugstore coupons on alcohol sales, you can take advantage of cash-back offers through Ibotta or Checkout 51 (mentioned above) and save even more on your purchase.
9. Shop for adult beverages at budget-friendly stores like Costco, ALDI, and Trader Joe’s.
If you’ve got a Costco or Sam’s Club membership, you already know how unreal the deals are. You can easily find affordable beer, wine, and spirits priced lower than other major retailers. If you’re not a member but happen to live in one of these states, you can actually still purchase alcohol in the store.
Costco savings tips:
- Pay attention to prices that end in random numbers like .77 instead of .99—this means that Costco negotiated with the manufacturer to get their customers an even lower price.
- Go for Kirkland-brand beverages. They’re substantially cheaper than other labels and are also pretty good quality.
- If you’re not a Costco member, you can still buy your booze there if you live in one of these states.
Walmart also holds true to its everyday low prices when it comes to adult beverages. Their selection isn’t very big, but you’ll likely save $2-$4 on beer and wine compared to prices at other grocery stores.
Trader Joe’s has some pretty darn good prices on beer and wine, and their selection is quite expansive. From their famous two-buck chuck wine to cheap craft beers, there are hundreds of affordable and enticing options to choose from.
Hip Tip: We tried out several of the wines from Trader Joe’s for under $10. Here’s the taste test review!
If you’ve got an ALDI in your area, you can score quite a few great deals on beer and wine. From Winking Owl wine under $3 to quality prosecco under $10 and a small selection of craft beers, you can’t go wrong with the affordable options they’ve got. ALDI also has a great variety of artisan meats and cheeses to pair with your wine.
10. Stop buying mixers and start making them.
Mixers are often just as expensive as liquor, but there’s a way around that and it involves just a little bit of mixology! Not only will you save money, but your drinks will likely taste WAY better!
Here are a few cocktail recipe hack ideas:
- Classic Margarita: Squeeze citrus juice from lemons, limes, and oranges and mix with homemade simple syrup (equal parts sugar + warm water) and tequila. Garnish with salt and lime zest.
- 3-ingredient Piña Colada: Freeze canned pineapple chunks and blend with canned coconut milk and rum. Garnish with shredded coconut.
- Easy White Russian: Instead of buying pricey Kahlua, whip instant coffee with warm water until it reaches a foamy consistency. Pour flavored coffee creamer (vanilla or sweet cream work) and vodka over the foam and add a few ice cubes. YUM! This is one of our favorite cheap cocktail hacks!
- Simple jam cocktail: Mix your favorite fruity jam with seltzer water and your spirit of choice. You can’t go wrong with a gin and blueberry combo with a squeeze of fresh lime. So easy and so delicious!
Don’t have a fancy shaker to mix up your cocktails? Use a mason jar or wide-mouth water bottle instead!
11. Check Valpak and other local flyers for deals on adult beverages.
Most liquor stores don’t advertise this in the store, but a number of them offer deals in Valpak mailers and other local coupon flyers.
You can also find out about sweet deals in advance when you subscribe to your local liquor store’s newsletter and check their website frequently.
12. Aerate cheap red wine in a blender and it’ll taste twice as good.
Who knew a blender could turn a $5 bottle of wine into a $15 bottle of wine?! I’ve been using this hack for quite a while and it really does work!
Your cheap red wine will come out smoother and less acidic, making it much more palatable. I’ve even tested this hack out with friends and family and they were blown away by how much better their wine tasted!
13. Get money back with liquor store rebates.
Just about every liquor store has a variety of rebate offers on spirits. Most range between $1-$5, but some will give you as much as a whopping $10 back! Talk about a cheap liquor store score.
Keep an eye out for rebates throughout the store and online and be sure to submit them while they’re valid because they could potentially save you hundreds over time.
Have you tried one of these White Claw adult slushie recipes yet?! They’re perfect for summer sippin’!
Thanks! I think I saw some wine at Walmart for $2.50 a bottle. I think they were smaller bottles than standard size but not a bad deal.
Anyone have a no sugar simple recipe ty
Hey Trim! I like to make sugar-free lemon drops using just fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon per drink), 1-2 tablespoons of allulose or monk fruit sweetener (depending on how sweet you like your cocktails), and seltzer or lemon Bubly. So refreshing! We’ve also got some good keto-friendly cocktail ideas in this post:https://hip2keto.com/tips/keto-friendly-cocktails-drinks/. Hope that helps!
That’s not bad at all! Especially when you compare one of those little bottles to the cost of a single $5-$8 glass at a restaurant! Thanks for sharing Hip2trade!
I can’t wait to try these recipes! Thank you! I also suggest Winking Owl Moscato at Aldi for under $2.75!
Great suggestion, JulietteY! The Winking Owl brand is so affordable🙌
Thats my favorite from Aldi@
I think you mean filter in # 1. To distill you process it through a still versus a filter like Brita.
The more you do it takes out some impurities which improve taste and take away some hangover effects. I just did a strawberry rhubarb infused vodka at home and then mixed it with lemonade and some chopped strawberries. I’m not even a huge vodka fan and it was so good!
Candace, that sounds amazing! You are quite the mixologist!👏
You are right! Thanks for pointing that out, Lilmamag❤️. We’ve got the post updated to reflect this.
My son and his friends did that in college 25 years ago. Little did we know what the Brita was really for!
Wow, that is too funny! Clever kids haha!
A big thing where I live is Moonshine Cherries. Used to only see them in tourist areas of The Great Smoky Mountains. Now they’re in liquor stores everywhere, but they are pricey. We make our own using drained jars of maraschino cherries and adding your favorite liquor. just seal them up in glass jars and let them sit at least 24 hours. They are great to eat by themselves or add them to a cocktail or dessert.
I’ve never heard of Moonshine Cherries, they sound good though! Great idea to make your own, thanks for sharing Malinda!
Yum! I have had the touristy moonshine cherries. This diy is so easy and sounds great!
My Costco recently started selling Kirkland Premium Strawberry Margarita ready to drink. It is really good and cheap.
The Kirkland brand is the best! That sounds like such a good summer drink mix, Elaine!
If you shop at safeway, you should check the “Wine, Beer, and Spirits” coupon category in the app. There are often rebate coupons that you get reimbursed to your PayPal account. I jus t got $12 rebate for purchasing two 12 packs of Hop Valley beer. It’s super easy!
Those are savings worth celebrating! Thanks for sharing that tip with us, Orsara!
I need more details on the wine/blender scenario. How many times? Wait time with lid off? Very interesting!
Hey Mary! I usually blend the wine for about 20 seconds on a higher speed and then pour it into a glass and let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the bubbles are gone and it looks mellow again. One round of blending should do the trick!
Total Wine & More opened up in my area and I grabbed a few bottles of wine for under $5 each. So far, the 2 that we’ve opened have tasted just as good, or if not better than some of the pricier wines we’ve picked up over the years. And if you ever get a dud, use the wine to deglaze your pan after cooking meats (white for chicken / pork, and red for beef) They have a rewards program too, so don’t forget to join!
Woohoo for under $5 bottles! Total Wine has got a great selection🙌. Thanks for the deglazing tip–that’s a really good idea!
Meijer sometimes does these rebates on the huge bottles of cheap vodka, making them less than $2. It’s rare so I stock up on those then and have learned some tricks to make them fun for parties and tailgates. We make infusions with fruit or candy. I really love jolly ranchers. Hard candies are the easiest bc they simply dissolve and you’re done!
How fun! I’ve never tried candy infusions but that sounds tasty and easy!🍭
Please don’t forget the “budget friendly” Aldi’s (for those with an alcohol section). I feel for those who have not or get to experience an Aldi’s. We love ours for more than just the alcohol.
Hi Lisa! Aldi really is the best for affordable adult beverages and a plethora of other things! I’ve updated this post to include them as a great budget-friendly option. Thanks for sharing!🤗
I mix our homemade cocktails in an older protein shake blender bottle we have.
Good idea! Who says you need a fancy cocktail shaker anyways?!
I want a pineapple print top too!
Haha I have seen some cute ones on Amazon, Elsie! I got mine at Marshalls 3 years ago so that one may be hard to find!❤️
Great ideas! I also suggest shopping for wine at Grocery Outlet!
I love reading about all these deals. Too bad that New York State and parts of New Jersey do not allow liquor sales, except in liquor stores. 🙁 Once in a while we find wine in a few Costcos outside of NYC.
That is a bummer! Hopefully you can stock up when you find it at your nearest Costco!
Would love to be on ur research team the next time u do a post on this! 🤣completely agree that I find my fav beer much cheaper at drug stores often with rebate offers! Thank u for the extra tips on getting tipsy 🤣🤣
Haha who knew there are so many ways to save? Drugstore rebates are awesome, cheers to cheap drinks!🥂
Move to a state that allows Publix to have BOGOs on alcohol. A few weeks back, Truly 12 packs on BOGO. 8 for the price of 4 and I should’ve bought more!
Wow, that’s an awesome deal! Publix does have some great offers from time to time.🙌
When we drive to Florida- from Michigan, a visit to Costco and/ or Sams is a must. For some reason, the alcohol is much cheaper there. For example, a bottle of Patron tequila is $53 in MI, but only $35 in FL. Jack Daniels, rum, etc is cheaper in Sunshine state.
Hard to find deals on good champagne and cava.
Although it’s Ok, those are once in a while treats.
Trader Joe’s and Aldi usually have some really affordable champagnes, Nita! I’ve seen some options for under $6!
With so much mass production and the selling of it on every street corner in town. I wonder what kind of chemicals and cheap ingredients are the new normal.
Best not to get sucked in. Never so happy, healthy and energetic since I quit 10 years ago.
That’s amazing Evie, congrats on 10 years!!!👏
No alcohol rebates in TX. But we do have Aldis and Total Wine!
Thank goodness you’ve got Aldi and Total Wine nearby, they’ve got great selections!
we mix 1 can of frozen limeade with 1 can of cheap tequila. blend it with ice for KILLER frozen margs!!!
Yum! I love quick and easy margarita recipes!