About fifteen years ago I bought bottled water on a weekly basis. Fresh out of college, I was living with my parents, and working a full-time job. I pitched in as I could with groceries and of course, bought my own food for lunches, snacks, etc. I took multiple bottles of water to work with me each day. I drank the water and tried my best to recycle the bottles. Looking back, I am pretty horrified over the amount of money I spent and wasted over the years on buying bottled water for the sake of convenience.

My parents live outside of the city limits, so they are on well water. It's slightly filtered, and most folks who are on well water prefer it immensely to those who have city water. If they lose power, however, they also lose water, so they tend to stock up on bottled water, just to have it on hand in case of an emergency.

There are a lot of instances where people might be worried about not having access to clean, safe drinking water. Just this week in the Carolinas, we're facing Hurricane Florence's imminent destruction, and there are bottled water shortages and worries over whether or not water will be contaminated.

After my husband and I were first married, we decided to invest in a water filter. We moved around a bit and were never entirely sure as to whether or not the tap water coming out of our faucets was indeed safe to drink. We also thought about the cost of buying bottled water, and just couldn't bring ourselves to spend that kind of money on water for the sake of convenience.

After moving back to the Carolinas and being on city water once again, now with children of our own, clean, safe drinking water was a top priority for our little family. We also needed to cut our grocery budget, so buying bottled water wasn't going to be an option for us. We found that investing in a water filter system was a huge money saver! With little maintenance required, we would have access to clean, filtered water throughout our home. This was especially important to us as our children began to age, as they always wanted to put water in their mouths that came from the tub faucet, the bathroom sink faucet, the kitchen faucet, etc. Knowing that you have filtered water at home gives you peace of mind for the long haul!

If you've been thinking about ways to ensure your family has access to safe, filtered water at home, check out QualityWaterLab and these Water Filter Answers. It's easier than you think to have a filtered water system in your home, and it will save you a ton of money in the long run if you'll just use reusable water bottles and fill them up daily, rather than buying plastic water bottles. While they can be recycled, you might be surprised to learn how many people just throw them away, adding to landfill trash.

Be kind to your budget and to the environment by considering a home water filter system.

Do you usually purchase bottled water or use a reusable water bottle?