We do buy some bottled water, but we also use a Brita pitcher at home and use refillable bottles.

My live-in MIL drives me insane with her bottled water havit. Every time she goes to Costco she gets a new giant case of bottled water and drinks almost all of it herself. Her kids have bought her fancy water bottles (hell, all kinds of water bottles) and she just refuses. So annoying and so wasteful.

We buy the big spring bottles that you use as a water fountain and that get recycled. Not the individual bottles. We are looking into a proper filter system to put under our sink.

Unfortunately tap and Britt are not an option for us, our Tap water is simply disgusting (I am not picky: the cat won't drink it)

we don't buy bottled still water but we go through tons of sparkling water - la croix and perrier. We bought the machine to make your own but it is not as good.

Anonymous wrote:I still can't wrap my head around the fact that there are people who consider bottled water a grocery item. The stuff flows out of your taps. Why would you pay extra to buy water that flowed out of a different tap before it was bottled? It's all tap water at the end of the day, there's nothing special about bottled.

Spring water flows out of my tap? I hate the taste of water, and can only tolerate spring. We used to live near a place you could fill up for free. But, alas, I'm buying t until it flows from the gap someday!

Bottled water? Water filters?

What is this madness; just turn on the tap. So free, so uncomplicated.

We use filtered water from the fridge while at home. Outside, we buy and drink bottled water from Costco. It averages out to something like 20 cents a bottle. Bottled water doesn't get old/stale. Partial bottles also typically do not go bad after a day or two. Do and experiment - drink half a bottle of water and then just leave it in the car. Check it after a month.

There is no energy source inside purified water or spring water. It's a harsh place for bacteria.

I am the OP and I asked the question specifically with the spring/mineral water in mind. Many bottled water brands are spring, including deer park, TJ's, just to name a few. Mineral I think stands for springs of mineral water that are known to be not simple springs but special enriched water sources. The Whole Foods sparkling mineral water is a case in point. It comes from an Italian mineral spring. I am torn between the good taste and cleaner feel of these waters and the more economical filtered tap.

Anonymous wrote:Another way that DCUM does not reflect the average. Someone is buying all that bottled water at the grocery store and Costco. If they weren't it would have been discontinued long ago, not seeing the number of manufacturers increase.

People who buy bottled water overlook this thread, scroll right past it. Those of us who think it's crazy to drink tap water that someone else put into a bottle have the desire to come in and say so. Buy a filter and a refillable bottle. I cringe when I see people drinking out of a plastic bottle, almost as much as when I see someone smoking. Yes I realize I'm fired up about the plastic waste, thus making my point. Most people who don't care won't even read this thread.

We buy a flat of them at Costco about once a year to send on school/camp outings that require a fully disposable lunch. Otherwise, tap/filter/reusable water bottles for everyone.

Also, some of my family lives in a rural area and get their water from a mountain spring. It does not taste better, and one of them jokingly calls it "deer pee water". I'll take my chlorinated, fluoridated, filtered tap water over that any day.

Anonymous wrote:So "spring" and "mineral" water is not really spring and mineral, but tap?

Not all bottled water is spring water. Giant brand bottled water (it probably says "filtered" on it) is tap water that has been put in a bottle. I believe if it's labeled "spring" that may be the one times it's worth paying money for, beyond going to the water fountain. Probably 10% of bottled water is spring water. I am not sure what mineral water even means. That sounds like a fancy way to sell tap water.

Also to the PP who stores it in her trunk, that is a terrible idea. When it gets hot in your car, the plastic leeches into the water leaving all kinds of nasty carcinogenic stuff floating around.

Never!!! We use the filter in the fridge at home and fill water bottles and water fountains on the go. It's not only horrible for the environment but such a waste of money (and I am not exactly frugal!)

Anonymous wrote:Another way that DCUM does not reflect the average. Someone is buying all that bottled water at the grocery store and Costco. If they weren't it would have been discontinued long ago, not seeing the number of manufacturers increase.

IKR. Another hilarious thread.

I keep some water bottles stashed in the trunk for emergencies. (and an emergency can be that i forgot my daughter's water bottles for soccer, or mine on a hot day.) In general, I think bottled water is bad for the environment and I don't buy it. We use a brita filter at home and plastic water bottles that are dishwasher safe.

Another way that DCUM does not reflect the average. Someone is buying all that bottled water at the grocery store and Costco. If they weren't it would have been discontinued long ago, not seeing the number of manufacturers increase.