When I was in middle and high school, I was capable of drinking a half gallon of milk a day. Skim milk was the only beverage I really liked (besides soda)…of course it wasn’t as expensive back then, but it was still pricey. And since I was homeschooled, it was common for me to raid the fridge as I was doing my math or history or whatever.
I disliked most other drinks, especially water. Hated the stuff.
Once I moved off to school, however, I found myself in a trickier situation. First, we only had a tiny dorm room fridge. Second, milk is pretty expensive when you’re a college student. And third, while I theoretically had an unlimited meal plan, getting it out of the cafeteria and into our fridge just wasn’t feasible. So though I drank it with meals, I had to start looking for substitutes.
While dancing, I’d learned that I don’t mind water from a fountain or a bottle, especially when I’m really thirsty. Since buying bottled water is expensive, I bought a single bottle of Dasani (which may just be tap water anyway) from the dorm vending machine and started refilling it with tap water. I washed it periodically and eventually recycled and replaced it (a couple months later).
I’ve kept that up ever since and it keeps our beverage spending extremely low. I still drink one cup/glass of milk a day because I enjoy it.
I think I’ve figured out why I was able to suddenly go from disliking water to loving it. At home, water was always a chilled beverage and always served in a glass. I find something fundamentally offputting about water in a glass and I don’t like it chilled. Cool is ok, like from the cold tap. But cold tap is a lot warmer than refrigerated.
And it’s in bottles, not a glass. The bottles are portable, they don’t put pressure on me to drink it all right away (though I often do). I don’t know what else makes me like them more, but it just feels right.
I know that those soda-type bottles are not optimal when it comes to reusable water bottles. For me, they had the comfort factor and I was used to drinking water from them and being ok with it. I think that was important to the transition. When it comes to buying water bottles for the long haul, here’s some advice to check out.
25 responses so far ↓
1 Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances // Apr 21, 2008 at 11:09 am
I grew up with sulphur water and just never got the taste for it, so I drank soda and tea mostly.
I finally got around to drinking water when I moved, though. The water here is actually pretty good straight from the tap, though I had to work up to it. I had the same problem with fridge water being too cold, but I didn’t like how warm the tap was either. For some reason, though, drinking it out of a bottle made the difference for me, too!
Another thing that probably helped, though, is that I got used to tap temperature tea because I’d reuse the leaves with tap water throughout the day.
Speaking of which, something I like to do is to throw a bag of tea into my water bottle. I started doing that recently while flying since the hot tea was way too hot for such a turbulent trip we were having. I just asked for some tea bags and slipped them into my bottle.
2 L@spillingbuckets // Apr 21, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I used to be the same way about chilled water. I still don’t really like it cold from the fridge, but I will drink it now. The worst is water in a glass that is cold and has ice. I keep a Brita pitcher out by my desk so the water is “tap temperature” or even room temperature.
It’s good that you drink so much milk, you probably have very strong bones.
3 Clean Simple // Apr 21, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’m always a bit shocked when I hear about how much cow’s milk many Americans drink. Our local paper had a front page story on the high cost of food and one family was mentioned as going through SIX GALLONS of milk a week. It’s expensive and not particularly good for adults to drink. Good on you for switching to water!
4 Lori E. // Apr 21, 2008 at 12:38 pm
My husband and I have Siggs and we love them. They give the water a nice minerally taste.
I don’t like icy cold water either, although I do like drinking from a glass.
5 Vered - MomGrind // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I completely agree about cold water. I just don’t like it. But I don’t mind water if it’s not chilled.
Have you ever noticed how sweet water taste when you are really thirsty?
6 mrsmicah // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:53 pm
@Vered, I’ve noticed that and found it rather surprising at first. Now I just crave it.
7 Fabulously Broke // Apr 21, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Yep that sounds like me.. I trick myself into drinking water by disguising it
8 Kacie // Apr 21, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Sometimes, I want really cold water from the fridge. Other times, I just get it from the tap.
Lately, I’ve been adding sprigs of mint to my water to change it up a bit.
9 budgets are sexy // Apr 21, 2008 at 5:25 pm
bottled water all the way! i go through at LEAST 4 bottles a day @ work (we keep them stocked in the fridge here, so no need for budgeting). but when we run low, i keep the bottle and refill from the tap.
i enjoy cool/warm water the most though. when it’s too cold it goes to my brain! and makes me say things like “Ahhhhh”. haha..
But, my all-time fav is sparkling water
bubbly and refinement all in one. love it.
10 Ken Clark, CFP // Apr 21, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I’m all for water!
I’m especially for making your own ice! What a waste of money to buy ice!
11 David@The Good Human // Apr 21, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Thanks for the mention Mrs. Micah!
12 Shanti @ Antishay // Apr 22, 2008 at 12:20 am
I find it interesting that you used to love milk so much - I’ve never really liked it. On cereal, fine, but I can’t even remember the last time I bought cereal OR milk. Interesting!
I LOVE water, and always have. It must have something to do with my parents never offering anything but water to drink my entire childhood. I also do what you do - bottle it and drink it coldish from the tap or room temperature. I think cold water isn’t fun to drink. I use Nalgene water bottles, though, which I got as a gift many many years ago.
Thanks for sharing
13 Mark Krusen // Apr 22, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I love a nice cold glass of water on a hot day. I’ve gotten to where I add the packs of Lemonade or Propel to the water. I think they’re ok to drink. No calories and all that stuff. I helps me get my daily intake of water anyway.
14 cybele // Apr 22, 2008 at 5:49 pm
water is the nectar of the gods. If you get a chance, watch Francois Truffaut’s “The Wild Child,” as he drinks a glass of water… pure, clear, cool (not cold, as you say) water. Impossible to find a better drink, actually.
15 Amanda @ Me vs Debt // Apr 23, 2008 at 6:55 am
mmmm… Water… definitely my drink of choice. Cold, cool, or hot. Bottle, glass, or mug. I just love it
16 plonkee // Apr 23, 2008 at 8:39 am
I absolutely hate milk - don’t drink it, won’t put it on cereal.
I’m also not a fan of water. I’ll drink it if there’s nothing else, but I always add cordial to it if I can (sugar-free and has the same kids feel as Kool-Aid, I think).
I also prefer water from a bottle, and am not a fan of drinking it with ice, although it is nice with a slice of lemon.
17 FFB // Apr 23, 2008 at 10:12 am
I was like you. Didn’t much care for water in the beginning. I grew up on soda so water was like a downgrade for me. Now I hardly ever drink soda and water is what we mostly drink. I think growing up there was less concern about the health of food and drink and we didn’t see soda as being very bad. Now I find myself refreshed with good ol H20. And like Mark above I’ll add powdered Gatorade to a water bottle if I’m going out for a long run (the powder saves on buying the individual bottles).
20 Kristen // Apr 25, 2008 at 10:39 am
I like bottled water the best, but for me it has to be very cold. We buy bottled water, but we also have a filter on our tap. To save costs I sometimes refill the empty bottled with tap water. If I’m in the mood for a little flavor, I add the little packets of Crystal Light or some Special K Protein powder to the water.
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