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
Some wine bottles can be reused as juice containers and pitchers. This is a page about reusing wine carafes as pitchers.
The cute glass bottles from Starbucks Frappuccino beverages can be reused and decorated for a thrifty gift container.
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.