Cost vs. Convenience vs. Health vs. Environment

We like bottled water. It comes in bottles. That we can throw in the car, or knock over at our desks and not make a mess. Right now I have one leaning over a pillow on my bed, where I can reach it. Can't do that with a glass.

We have been buying the 2 1/2 gallon refridgerator jugs and refilling bottles regularly. I reuse a bottle for a few days, then recycle.

The water in the last few jugs have tasted like plastic to me. Baking in the delivery trucks, perhaps? I don't know whether that is actually unhealthy, but it tastes terrible.

We had a water filter on our faucet once, but it never got the water cold enough and then it broke.

So I called Culligan. They have a "water club" where they rent you a cooler and the Culligan man brings you 5 gallon bottles once a month.

This seems really indulgent, I know. Particulary when the financial people all say not to add monthly expenses if you can avoid it. And I have been pretty good. When we picked up DVR, we cancelled all of our premium cable channels and ended up ahead. Then, feeling all frugal, we scaled way back on our telephone service. So this is a step in the opposite direction for me. But here is the math:

Those 2 1/2 gallon jugs cost $5.00 at my grocery store and we went through about one a week. So call it $20.00.

Culligan's 3 bottle service with a hot and cold water cooler is $25.95. So basically, for an extra $5.95 per month, someone brings the water to my house. Plus I get the room back in my refridgerator. Plus instant hot drinking water. And I know that Culligan is all reuse/recycling the bottles.

I am taking that deal.