I added up what I spent on bottled water in a year and felt a little sick. It was hundreds of dollars, and I was hauling heavy cases from the store for no good reason. A twenty dollar filter pitcher replaced all of it, and the water tastes just as good.

The Math Is Embarrassing

A single bottle of water costs more per gallon than gasoline in a lot of places. A filter pitcher, even replacing the filter every couple of months, costs a tiny fraction of that. If your tap water is safe to drink, which most municipal water is, the only thing you are paying for is the plastic bottle.

How to Make the Switch

• Buy a filter pitcher or a faucet mounted filter, whichever fits your sink.
• Get a reusable bottle to take water with you.
• Replace the filter on schedule so the water keeps tasting clean.

What I Do Now

I keep the pitcher full in the fridge, so cold filtered water is always ready. I bought a decent reusable bottle for the car and refill it everywhere. The only thing I miss is the convenience of grabbing a bottle at a gas station, and honestly that was just a habit, not a need.

If your tap water has a real issue, get a filter that handles it or have your water tested. But for most people, this switch is pure savings.