What's your best calorie saving tip?

There is no evidence that non-nutritive sweeteners cause cancer. The original research on lab mice has long since been debunked. Even cyclamates have been re-approved for human consumption in many countries outside the US. There is a whole thread on non-nutritive sweeteners elsewhere on this board that you might find interesting.

The carbonation in diet soda is likely to cause more problems in the long run than the sweetener.