Thrifty Thursday: Losing the Bottled Water Habit

Do you know what one of the most expensive (nonalcoholic) beverages is?  Bottled water.  It's crazy that people (like me) buy water.  I am currently making an effort to not buy any bottled water.  However, I live in the city and I do not like our tap water.  The solution?  This:

And this:

I bought the Brita Filtration Station at Wal-Mart for about $30.  I bought the Rubbermaid reusable water bottles at the Dollar Store for about $2 each.  I only bought two of the water bottles for now, but if this system seems to work, then I will buy more to keep in the refrigerator.

So, for about $35, I was able to make my own bottled water.  Frank and I usually drink at least 10 bottled waters during a week.  A 12 pack of Dasani is about $5...I think.  Anyways, this system should pay for itself in two months. 

The filter station is cool because it has a spigot for dispensing water into your glass.  We use that alot.  But those Rubbermaid water bottles are awesome!  I use some of the water from the filter station to fill up some ice cube trays ($1 for a 3 pack at Dollar General) and use the filtered water to make "filtered" ice cubes for my water!  Awesome.

On a side note, the filter station has a filter that should be replaced about every 3 months.  I'm not totally sure on the cost of the filter, but I would venture to guess that it is about $12-15.  For course, the "every 3 months" instruction is merely a suggestion.  :)  I will probably go at least 4 months before changing the filter...unless the water starts to taste funky.

What are some ways that y'all try to save money on beverages?  If Frank and I could ever learn to kick the soda habit, we will be WAY ahead!!!