The economy has affected many of us in the last couple of years. Trying to shop for a family of five and stay within budget isn't easy sometimes, especially when you are trying to buy healthy items that everyone will like.
Sometimes it is tempting to buy soft drinks as a treat because they're on sale, but I try to avoid them. I decided to try the bottled teas instead. They are more expensive, but because they are glass, I wash them with a bottle brush and refill them with filtered water.
I keep them in the fridge so the kids can grab them anytime, and as a result, they're drinking more water. I tell them to put them in the sink to be rewashed and used, so we aren't littering landfills with plastic water bottles.
It might just be me, but the water tastes so much better out of glass bottles!
By Jeannie from Valdosta, GA
This page contains the following solutions.
Recycle standard size, screw-cap soft drink bottles for your family. I have found using the screw-cap soft drink bottles are wonderful for taking drinks with me to work for my small office refrigerator.
Instead of paying for decorative bottles for my oil and vinegar, I use empty wine bottles. After washing them and letting them dry, I fill them with olive oil or vinegar and top them with plastic liquor pourers for handy use.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone know where I can purchase 1 gallon "glass" bottles that I can take to the grocery store to refill with water? I've been reusing Gatorade bottles, but I'm concerned about using the plastic bottles over and over.
I've been cleaning them with vinegar, but I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I'd like to use glass, because it's easier to clean.
By Betty
You might contact a local bar (or several); and ask if they would have empty gallon glass bottles you could have. Glass won't hold the odors/flavors, so your water should still taste like water.
Have you ever considered a water filter for your home. You can go as simple as the kind in a pitcher, or as complex as a whole house system? The water you are buying at the grocery store is simply filtered water.
I dont know how many you want to purchase but I wanted a glass bottle for filtered water in the fridge so I bought milk at the grocery store that comes in glass bottles (half gallon and also smaller sizes) and used them after the milk was gone. You have to pay a deposit on the bottles usually beside the price of the milk but it was still cheaper than buying an empty bottle. Mine has a plastic cap but some only come with paper caps.
Natural food stores also sell milk this way if you grocery store does not. They might also sell empty glass bottles now with all the concern about plastics.
To me water and milk taste so much better and colder in glass than plastic.
EDIT: After reading Jilson's comment below I agree. We use the Brita pitcher filtering system and love it. It comes out to less than $2 a month for us. Depends on how much filtered water you go through. And the replacement filters go on sale quite often nowadays.
In spite of all the FUD and hoaxes forwarded by AOLers, plastic bottles are quite safe. All those companies won't
use anything, that might get them sued. Believe it or not, Bleach bottles are the toughest and use the best plastic.
Some brands of Orange Juice come in flat gallon jugs with very comfortable handles, just like Anti-Freeze and Motor
Oil jugs. There is no need to lug heavy and dangerous glass jugs around.
As another reader pointed out, in the long run a filter is the best solution. As long as you don't buy them through
an MLM, they are quite affordable. For example an Aquasana 4000 is just under $100, and if you replace the
filter cartridge at the recommended times, which nobody does, the water costs you under 10 cents per gallon of
filtered table water.
I have also used industrial fuel filters for about twenty years. They are much cheaper. Just be careful not to use
water trapping cartridges. Those DO trap and block water! With regular cartridges your cost drops to below a penny
Have fun! DearWebby
webby.com/
As plastic ages, it can release trace amounts of Bisphenol-a (BPA) used to strengthen some plastics, and phthalates used to soften others. These chemicals are endocrine disruptor which mimic hormones. Even tiny concentrations can cause problems, including structural damage to the brain, hyperactivity, increased fat formation and altered immune function.
Heinz vinegar comes in glass bottles in the one liter and one quart sizes, but I don't know if they come in the gallon size. I use the 1 liter size and fill them with filtered water and keep them in my refrigerator. If you don't know what to do with all that vinegar, there are tons of ideas on this site:-)
My family loves pickles so I buy the gallon size jar of whole pickles from the bulk section at walmart. After the pickles are gone I always wash and reuse the jars.
I buy juices and cider at our health food store in glass gallon jugs. They cost more, but I also reuse those glass jars.
Are there any good uses for the little bottles that contain hot sauce when empty?
By Freckles
Remove the little plastic thing that helps the liquid to come out a few drops at a time and the after cleaning out bottle, pour vinegar in it.
For the times you only want a few drops in your food; like when making tuna fish.
Regular vinegar bottle openings allow too much to come out at once.
The same goes for glue or paint. After cleaning the little bottles, put the paint in. You have much more control and if the bottle tips not much will come out. Controls glue for kids too.
What crafty thing can I do with small glass syrup bottles? Also medium size oak leaf shaped bottles. Thanks.
By HJB
The cute glass bottles from Starbucks Frappuccino beverages can be reused and decorated for a thrifty gift container.
Some wine bottles can be reused as juice containers and pitchers. This is a page about reusing wine carafes as pitchers.
More and more foods seem to come in plastic containers or wrapping, but I noticed that our recently empty vinegar bottle was a lovely shape and made out of glass.
