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"One day, I even found myself asking my girlfriend for a few cents because I had no money to buy bottled water" In general, when you have no money, tap water i

"One day, I even found myself asking my girlfriend for a few cents because I had no money to buy bottled water" In general, when you have no money, tap water is better than bankruptcy.

bphogan 11y ago
Came here to say the same thing. This whole article could be summarized as "I was pampered growing up. I was pampered through school. I was so pampered I had no concept of what things actually cost because everything was paid for me." It's quite a shock when you start noticing that $3 bottles of water start adding up.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  Unless you are in a country without potable water (like China where a bottle of water really is just 24 cents), then by all means, that bottle of water is a good investment.
  - jrowley 11y ago
    Or if you live in Flint, Michigan or any other number of places in the US that don't have potable water.
    - EGreg 11y ago
      I highly doubt the poster lives in Flint.
  - PakG1 11y ago
    You could live like locals and just boil the water. It doesn't get rid of everything in there, but it's better than drinking straight from the tap. I run mine through a Brita filter first. I know that the Brita doesn't actually do much, but it tastes much better at least.
    - brianwawok 11y ago
      Depends where you live. I have fine tapwater and drink it, but if I was even 1% worried - I would pony up for the 5 gallon jugs of bottled water. Life is too short to save $10 a month and die of cancer.
      - PakG1 11y ago
        Except my friends tell me that the big water dispenser jug services are actually not trustworthy. Heck, this is a country that is currently experiencing a big vaccine safety scandal that's hard to imagine happening in many other countries. Then again, I wouldn't have imagined Flint's water problem to be as bad as it is, but something similar once happened in Canada too in a small town that found e.coli in their water. BTW, if it's not clear, my comments are regarding China.
        seanmcdirmid 11y ago
        Ya, avoid the big water dispensers. We just buy boxes of bottled water now.
nadezhda18 11y ago
exactly! bottled water is a good that is well-known to be over-priced
- SteveNuts 11y ago
  Over priced and 100% unnecessary, unless you live in Flint
  - agumonkey 11y ago
    I'm sure even bottled water isn't prone to pollution, but more and more alarms are raised about medical pollution in tap water. So I'm still happier when I drink out of a bottle.
    - saiya-jin 11y ago
      you might be happier, but that's just your emotions playing with you, no rationality. I see it all the times with colleagues - they have amazing tap water coming straight from Alps (it really tastes well) and 2 metres next to it vending machine with 2 euro per 0.5l plastic bottle. Well guess what they do every single effin' time... most of bottled water is tap water in plastic bottles, potentially infused with mix of BPA and other if ever exposed to slight amount of sunlight. don't ever think they use some high quality inert plastics on that bottle, because they don't. with true deep well/mountain spring you are getting potentially better quality prior to bottling, and no idea what in final bottle. if you have really poor quality tap water where you live, that's your best choice. it still might not be a healthy choice though.
      - merpnderp 11y ago
        My city's water comes from deep aquifers. In theory it is high quality, but in practice it tastes horrible because it is so hard. My city just kicked off a project to deepen the wells so they don't need as much anti-bacterial treatment and the savings will be used to soften it a bit.
      - cmdkeen 11y ago
jkot 11y ago
Not if you are in Thailand or some other strange country. Camping water filter, or UV purifier is the cheapest option in that case.
- trill1 11y ago
  You get used to the local water, it's safe in most any urban area in SEA. Refrigerated bottled water is cheap though, only 12 cents, but I know many locals who perceive drinking out of plastic bottles to be a bigger health risk than drinking tap water.
mathattack 11y ago
Yes - I found it reading like he hadn't hit rock bottom for the VH1 Behind the Music story to be complete. :-) "But look at me from my great new life in Thailand." Umm... ok - I guess your life didn't really end then.

"One day, I even found myself asking my girlfriend for a few cents because I had no money to buy bottled water" In general, when you have no money, tap water is better than bankruptcy.

bphogan 11y ago

Came here to say the same thing. This whole article could be summarized as "I was pampered growing up. I was pampered through school. I was so pampered I had no concept of what things actually cost because everything was paid for me." It's quite a shock when you start noticing that $3 bottles of water start adding up.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago
Unless you are in a country without potable water (like China where a bottle of water really is just 24 cents), then by all means, that bottle of water is a good investment.
- jrowley 11y ago
  Or if you live in Flint, Michigan or any other number of places in the US that don't have potable water.
  - EGreg 11y ago
    I highly doubt the poster lives in Flint.
- PakG1 11y ago
  You could live like locals and just boil the water. It doesn't get rid of everything in there, but it's better than drinking straight from the tap. I run mine through a Brita filter first. I know that the Brita doesn't actually do much, but it tastes much better at least.
  - brianwawok 11y ago
    Depends where you live. I have fine tapwater and drink it, but if I was even 1% worried - I would pony up for the 5 gallon jugs of bottled water. Life is too short to save $10 a month and die of cancer.
    - PakG1 11y ago
      Except my friends tell me that the big water dispenser jug services are actually not trustworthy. Heck, this is a country that is currently experiencing a big vaccine safety scandal that's hard to imagine happening in many other countries. Then again, I wouldn't have imagined Flint's water problem to be as bad as it is, but something similar once happened in Canada too in a small town that found e.coli in their water. BTW, if it's not clear, my comments are regarding China.
      - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
        Ya, avoid the big water dispensers. We just buy boxes of bottled water now.

nadezhda18 11y ago

exactly! bottled water is a good that is well-known to be over-priced

SteveNuts 11y ago
Over priced and 100% unnecessary, unless you live in Flint
- agumonkey 11y ago
  I'm sure even bottled water isn't prone to pollution, but more and more alarms are raised about medical pollution in tap water. So I'm still happier when I drink out of a bottle.
  - saiya-jin 11y ago
    you might be happier, but that's just your emotions playing with you, no rationality. I see it all the times with colleagues - they have amazing tap water coming straight from Alps (it really tastes well) and 2 metres next to it vending machine with 2 euro per 0.5l plastic bottle. Well guess what they do every single effin' time... most of bottled water is tap water in plastic bottles, potentially infused with mix of BPA and other if ever exposed to slight amount of sunlight. don't ever think they use some high quality inert plastics on that bottle, because they don't. with true deep well/mountain spring you are getting potentially better quality prior to bottling, and no idea what in final bottle. if you have really poor quality tap water where you live, that's your best choice. it still might not be a healthy choice though.
    - merpnderp 11y ago
      My city's water comes from deep aquifers. In theory it is high quality, but in practice it tastes horrible because it is so hard. My city just kicked off a project to deepen the wells so they don't need as much anti-bacterial treatment and the savings will be used to soften it a bit.
    - cmdkeen 11y ago

jkot 11y ago

Not if you are in Thailand or some other strange country. Camping water filter, or UV purifier is the cheapest option in that case.

trill1 11y ago
You get used to the local water, it's safe in most any urban area in SEA. Refrigerated bottled water is cheap though, only 12 cents, but I know many locals who perceive drinking out of plastic bottles to be a bigger health risk than drinking tap water.

mathattack 11y ago

Yes - I found it reading like he hadn't hit rock bottom for the VH1 Behind the Music story to be complete. :-) "But look at me from my great new life in Thailand." Umm... ok - I guess your life didn't really end then.