Frugal Upstate

Use what you have, get creative and save!

  • Home
  • Cooking
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Repairs/Mending
  • Contact
  • About
    • Disclaimer
You are here: Home / Frugal Skills / A Cheaper Chelada

A Cheaper Chelada

March 11, 2009 By Jenn @ Frugal Upstate 13 Comments

This post may contain sponsored and/or affiliate links. Click here to read our full disclaimer and find out more about this.

My husband has been on a Chelada kick lately.

For those of you not in the “know” Chelada* is a new beer put out by Budweiser that is a combination of beer and clamato juice.

I know. It sounds disgusting. This drink is one of those things that you either hate or love.

Hubs loves it.

Anyway, after a few weeks of him buying a couple of cans each week to “treat” himself I started thinking about the expense. After all, they are selling them individually for over $2 each.

The frugal gears in my brain started turning. Hmm-is there anything in there besides beer and clamato? I checked the label-just those two ingredients.

Ok, well what about the proportions? Well, the can is about twice the size of your average beer can, but according to the label the alchol content is the same as a single 16oz beer.

OK, so logically that should mean that if I pour a regular beer into a large glass (we have very tall German beer glasses that the store bought Chelada just fills-like the one in the photo) and then fill it to the top with clamato, I should have my own homemade version.

So we tried it. Hubs actually prefers Coors Light to Bud, so we used that. . . Guess what? He actually likes it better than the one in the can-and it is less expensive.

Tada! Frugality wins out!

*according to my research,the Bud Chelada doesn’t really reflect what one would normally expect to be a chelada. . . I’m just going with the name they use folks, so don’t correct me!

Photo by Baltimike

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Pinterest Share
Share on LinkedIn Share
Share on Digg Share

No related posts.

Filed Under: Frugal Skills

Tweet
« Twilight Giveaway
Saving Money at the Airport »

Comments

  1. TJ says

    March 11, 2009 at 9:16 am

    We call it red beer around here, and my friends were making it long before Budweiser thought to make a buck off of it.

    Plus, I prefer it with spicy V8, and they don’t sell that premade. But if I have my choice, beer tastes better on its own (and of course is cheaper).

    Glad you got your hubby switched to the more frugal version!

    Reply
    • Stan says

      November 7, 2014 at 10:06 am

      Yep. I’m from the midwest and we’ve been drinking it for YEARS. Just tomato juice for a long time. I switched to spicy V8 for a while but didn’t care for it nearly as much as a good bloody mary mix.

      Reply
      • Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says

        November 7, 2014 at 10:20 am

        Hubs still enjoys drinking these in the summer–somehow it’s just not as appealing in the winter.

        Reply
  2. Trevor @ Financial Nut says

    March 11, 2009 at 9:44 am

    That stuff sounds disgusting! You’re absolutely right.

    And, yes- don’t you love when frugality wins?! 🙂

    I found you via Wisebread’s Top 100 Personal Finance Blogs. Congrats on making the list!

    Reply
  3. Amyrlin says

    March 11, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Jenn_ When I lived in Phoenix I worked at a liqour store and we sold tons of Bud light and clamato side by side. It is very popular there.

    Reply
  4. The Bean says

    March 11, 2009 at 10:26 am

    could you do something similar for drinks like monster or jolt? my dh loves those disgusting sugar drinks and it burns my frugal brisket that he spends +$2 a can for them! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Amanda says

    March 11, 2009 at 11:32 am

    Well done! Isn’t it great when things work out right?

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    March 11, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    It’s yummy – try it! And the Clamato gives a different taste than tomato or V8 juices. And TJ is correct…I remember the old-timers drinking “red-eyes” when I was just a little tiny shaver, out with my Dad. I had forgotten about it until we did the “Beer Garden” Tour at Busch-Gardens Virginia, this past summer. After seeing it and trying it – I remembered and I also think the Germans did something similar (Rotes Bier translated Red Beer).
    Anyway, I recommend it – especially on really hot days…a great refresher!

    YB

    Reply
  7. Nicole says

    March 11, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    In France I used to drink beer with grenadine syrup in it. It was called a Monaco. (Put the syrup in the glass before the beer for way better mixing). This sounds interesting too!

    Reply
  8. Vic says

    March 12, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    My favorite weird beer combo was from Germany: beer and banana juice (is that even sold in the US?).

    And my brother-in-law is after my heart. I love clamato with a passion. I am going to try this!

    Reply
  9. James says

    May 4, 2009 at 6:33 am

    I think this is very good thing. I have never taste but i would like to taste.

    Reply
  10. Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says

    May 4, 2009 at 6:34 am

    Try it and enjoy!

    Reply
    • BILL G. says

      May 26, 2015 at 12:28 pm

      BILL i’ve been drinking bud light Chelada for 4 or 5 years now and I think its great, just a bit pricey

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Follow us

  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • rss

About Frugal Upstate

About Frugal Upstate

I’m Jenn –an Upstate NY wife, mom, blogger and veteran. I talk very fast, read constantly, take on too much and make plenty of mistakes. I’m a real person, not perfection. I love to talk about the frugal lifestyle, “Village Homesteading”, living a more sustainable lifestyle and being prepared for all the curves life throws at you.

Search

Free Email Updates:

FEATURED

Contributor at the Homestead Bloggers Network

The Motherboard
Blogger Outreach Made Easy Quantcast
Blog PR Wire Blog Network
Frugal Upstate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Copyright © 2025 · Designed by Design Junky · Hosted by New Blog Hosting

Copyright © 2025