Stocking Up Doesn’t Always Work Out As Planned
My spouse and I received a Brita water filtration pitcher as a wedding gift many many years ago. Our tap water is safe as far as drinking it, but has a distinctly odd taste that keeps us from drinking too much of it without the filter. So to encourage water consumption, we filter our water for drinking. The filters themselves are pricey, so when I can get a good deal on them (sales and coupons working together for the greater good), I tend to stock up. Walgreens also makes a generic filter that fits in our pitcher, so when that was free after rebate for a few months, I got those too.
Last night, my spouse accidentally dropped the pitcher on the floor and broke it. Oops.
Now, this isn’t that big a deal - the pitcher is widely available after all and we can replace it. However, if I didn’t already have a large supply of filters in the cupboard for this particular brand of pitcher, I might look into other options for filtering our water. Would an attachment directly for the kitchen sink be less costly? Would another brand of water pitcher work equally well and cost less? I don’t know yet, and I intend to find out. But the supply of filters will have to factor into the equation as well - for even if they came at a discount, they did have cost associated with them, and if I make a different water decision, they’ll go to waste.
I try to think ahead when I stock up on sale items - how much does my family use? How long until this product expires? What is the likelihood of not being able to use this item? But this one wasn’t something I’d considered. But it brings another factor into the equation - when stocking up on an item, consider its use and if the product it is used in might not continue to be serviceable.
Hopefully after my analysis Brita comes out on top and I can just replace the pitcher we had with a clear conscience. But, we’ll see. Off to price out water-purifying devices!
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May 18th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
My suggestion: get a faucet mount from crystalquest.com. Brita’s cost per gallon is way too high. It’s kind of like inkjet printers - I think they sell you the pitcher at cost or a loss just to get you coming back for cartridges every few weeks. Don’t let the replacement cartridges sway your decision; they are a sunk cost - sell them on eBay or a garage sale.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
You might want to look into a water cooler, and home delivery from a company that specializes in distilled water. I found that at places like Home Depot, a cheap cooler can be purchased, and that the bottle exchange program can come out to be cheaper than buying filters for a pitcher- or faucet-based system.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Think about posting a “want” ad on Craigslist and/or Freecycle. I’m sure plenty of people have used pitchers that they no longer bother with.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Your point here is actually a good demonstration of faulty thinking. You have already spent money on those filters. That means they are a sunk cost. To be rational, you should only consider your marginal costs. So, if some other method of filtering your water is cheaper than replacing the pitcher then go with that. Only consider the costs that you have to spend now. Considering sunk costs can lead to bad decisions.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
If you find something that would work better for your family maybe you could sell your stockpile on eBay (or Craigslist etc)? Just a thought!
May 18th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
If you do end up getting the actual filtration system, you should think of the filters as a sunk cost (fallacy). You’ve paid the money, it’s gone already. Live and let live and let it go
May 18th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Brita isn’t a water purifier, it’s a water filter. But we had the same problem! Our pitcher got broken when we moved - but the filters didn’t!
I want to get a Berkey. It’s expensive initially, but by far the cheapest per gallon, and it’s actually a water purifier!
May 18th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Also, if you do wind up going a different route for water filtration, it might be possible to sell the filters you currently have.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I second the vote for looking for a new pitcher on craigslist/freecycle/garage sales. People upgrade or stop using them or combine households and then have 2.
If that doesn’t work out and you decide to change to a different system, I don’t think you’ll have much trouble selling them either locally or on ebay. Lots of people use brita and if you got a good deal on them initially, you can pass on some of the savings and maybe even make a little profit.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I checked the price difference between Brita and Pur a couple of months ago and Brita definitely came out on top. Plus, they are much easier to find used! I got mine with a new filter included at a consignment shop for $5
May 18th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I did a flurry of stocking up on treats, mac & cheese, and peanut butter, and now my at home DD is dieting. Argh. I think I’ll try and yardsale most so there’s no temptation! Best laid plans….
May 18th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I see them at thrift stores often…check there.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Conversely, look into your options, and then sell your filters if you choose something else. You might not completely re-coup your costs, but it should lessen the bite a bit.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
We use a faucet mounted Pur filter. Honestly, had I looked into things more closely, I would have gone with the Brita. Their filters are significantly less expensive than the Pur, and I’m sure a host of others.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Sorry about your pitcher breaking! UGHH!! After you do your research, I agree, you can either by a pitcher via Ebay/Craig’s List or if you find a better alternative, you could sell your filters on the same.
I think stocking up on basics or those items you know you will use is great. I think it is more often the rarity to not use what you have. And if you hit a rough spot & funds were limited & your DD was hungry, she would eat the mac & cheese!
May 19th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I see them at my local Goodwill thrift stores all the time for 99 cents. The most I have seen used ones for either at yard sales or other thrift stores is $2.00. I just bought 2 new at a Bi Mart discount store for only $5.00 each. Each had 2 filters. Not sure if all stores had them, as I didn’t see them at the other Bi Marts I shop at. They might have sold out. This was even the sleek newer design model. Love my Britas and price wise, locally, they are less expensive than Purs. I am also looking into getting a Berkey, but will still use my Britas in some areas of the house, guest cottages, garage and for travel.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Mine broke, too! They’re not cheap to replace, but I found one that wasn’t too exorbitant at Target–and its design was an improvement on the old one, whose lid arrangement was very annoying. Every now & again you’ll see them at yard sales around here. But if you want to filter the water now, waiting until one turns up is kinda counterproductive.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:43 am
I’m sure that a friend/neighbor/random ebay user would be happy to take the filters off your hands for the price you paid - after all, you’re saving them the time and effort of searching out the deals.
If the pitcher is broken, but the plastic insert (which is the bit that holds the filter anyway) isn’t, you could always go super-frugal and sit that on top of a regular pitcher to filter water in advance, and then store the regular pitcher in the fridge. At least a solution until you decide what to do in place of the broken one…
May 21st, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Sell the filters on ebay.. I can send you a mount for your kitchen sink they work much better. Better value. Just drop me a note.
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
There’s usually plenty of pitchers at the thrift shop… get a cheap one ($3) and use it until you run out of filters. THEN switch to an undersink model…
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
One thought. If the water taste bad, you may want to consider a direct hookup to a kitchen faucet. Cooking and coffee making with the water is going to concentrate the minerals/ chemicals. Which will transfer to the food and coffee.
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
if it turns out that Brita isn’t the cheapest way to go, or another style (that takes a different filter) is better - you could probably also sell your unused filters on ebay or craigslist…just a thought!
June 1st, 2009 at 11:47 pm
If it’s just the taste, have you thought about storing the water in (open) pitchers or gallon jugs for two days before drinking?
It’s definitely cheaper than any other option and might taste just as good.