Filters vs. Bottled Water
And, the winner is… tap water. Tap water in Chicago is perfectly good and safe. And, cheap!
However, if you live in an old building, you might have some stuff floating in your water from your pipes. Gross. In this case, a filter, be it Pur, or Brita, or a knockoff, is a necessity.
Filters run $6-$10 each. One Brita filter serves a family of four for 2 months. Since I’m just one person, I use each filter for 6 months. And, I fill up my water bottle at home, and take it to my gig when water is not provided, so I don't have to buy water.
Through Dec. 31, 2008, Brita is offering a $4 rebate on a 4-pack bought at Bed Bath & Beyond. Limit one rebate per address. At my local BB&B, the 4-pack is $23.99 before Illinois' 10.25% sales tax... $26.45 after tax, or $6.61 per filter. With the $4 rebate, the BB&B filters come to $5.61 ea. A nice deal when you compare it to Drugstore.com's $5.75 per filter, or Amazon's $6.94 per filter (3-pack, shipping included).
Bed Bath & Beyond accepts expired coupons, so I also used an old BB&B $5 off coupon. My total purchase was $20.94, and I got 20 cents cash back by putting it on my American Express Blue Cash card. So, with the $4 rebate, that's $16.74 total, or $4.19 per filter!
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