Shouldn't We Finally Break Our Plastic Water Bottle Habit?

As the United States and the world at large enter a recession, most families are looking for easy ways to save money without having to hurt their lifestyle. It turns out that one such simple method is clear - literally. Thousands of families are spending hundreds of dollars every year on water. Bottled water is many times more expensive than water filtered from your tap, so this is an expense you can eliminate easily. Best of all, water filters are also more attractive than water bottles and actually produce safer water.

How much do you think you spend on plastic bottled water each year? It is almost always more than you think. In a recent pricing study, a US supermarket sold a popular brand of bottled water for $1.19 per twenty ounce bottle. In this study, the same bottle of water was typically sold for $1.75 in vending machines. 90% of the expense of bottled water is in making the bottle itself - all of which are soon disposed of.

The majority of dietitians recommend that people drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Even if we assume that only half of that comes from bottled water, that could still mean that a person is spending up to $1,022 each year bottled water. In an average-sized family, the amount of money wasted on bottled water can be several thousands of dollars each year. Just think of all the things you could do with that money! Luckily, the use of water filters can get that money back for you to spend however you see fit.

Water filters are a very affordable option. Water itself is amazingly cheap. Tap water costs only two-tenths of a penny per gallon. Adding in a step of filtration only adds a small amount of cost, since the same water filter can be used for hundreds of gallons of water.

Plastic water bottles tend to be ugly and to take up a lot of space. When you think about it, it is really quite silly how so many people take up valuable space in their kitchen pantries to store bottled water. A water filter only takes up a few square inches, and can come in many colors and styles to match your existing sink decor.

Some people drink bottled water because they do not trust that tap water will be safe. This is a very common misconception, but it is also very misinformed. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate bottled water, but it does regulate tap water. Tap water is at least somewhat safe, but you have no such guarantees with bottled water. If you put your tap water through a filter, you make it even safer by removing metals and contaminants.

Now that you know a little bit more about the relative benefits of using water filters versus bottled water, I hope you can go out and start making wiser consumer choices. Remember that water filters save money, look better, and are safer as well.