There’s a long list of environmentally friendly practices that save money. I could complete a home energy audit or drive a hybrid car to cut down on energy consumption. On the other hand, home improvements and purchasing a new vehicle seem like a hassle and involve up front costs that I’m not willing to absorb. Sure, these investments will save money in the long term; however, I would like to make a minor adjustment with big results for my wallet and the environment.

There is one environmental problem that wastes over $40 of my paycheck a month and adds hundreds of plastic bottles to the already crowded landfills. The issue: bottled water consumption. The culprit: me. Between going to the gym and being thirsty at work, it became obvious that I was going through too many bottles. Shame on me for wasting money and double shame on me for throwing away plastic water bottles that take billions of years to biodegrade.

Here is my remedy. Instead of drinking bottled water, I rehydrate using a stainless steel water bottle. This product can cost up to $20. Lucky for me, it was a Christmas gift (thanks Mom!). Filtered water is free at work and I have a Brita water faucet ($25-$38) at home. Water filters for the faucet cost $18 and need to be changed every 4 months. Now I only buy one $18 filter a quarter. This is way better than $8 for a case of water every week and $1 bottles from the drink machine every day.

This change was simple and I will save over $400 in one year. My plastic bottle water wasting days are over and my H2O consumption continues with an extra $400 in my pocket.

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