A few years ago, when I started paying attention to my diet, I found that drinking at least a liter of water a day kept my brain functioning better, and in the case of two liters a day, kept me from gaining weight. Where I was living, the tap water was unpalatable, so I made a habit of stopping at the Kwik-E-Mart and buying some bottled water for the road trip and the rest of my morning.

I’ve been a fan of recycling since I was a child, so none of my bottles ever got thrown away, but they hardly ever saw a second use. What I didn’t realize (and please forgive my lateness in arriving to this party) was how many of the Earth’s natural resources went into making, filling and then shipping each bottle so that I can buy it in the morning. Let me sum up: a lot.

Some alarming statistics from Wikipedia:

• The Pacific Institute estimates that producing the bottles for American consumption in 2006 required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil.
• Once the bottle is created and filled with water, large amounts of fossil fuel are expended delivering the water from its source to end user by means of ground transportation.
• If a container holds 1 litre it requires 3 to 5 litres of water in its manufacturing process

When people hear “petroleum,” we think “I use gas in my car”, but food costs and petroleum prices are so tightly knit. I am embarrassed that I never realized that before. If only to help reduce our dependency on oil (foreign or otherwise), I have stopped drinking bottled water.

My wife and I finally hooked up the water line to our refrigerator, which has a filter and a water dispenser (it was not an expensive refrigerator), and I started looking for a resuable mug for my water. I wanted something that could fit a liter, but I settled for the 32 oz. Eddie Bauer model in the picture over on the side. I found it at Target on one of our increasingly-consolidated shopping trips.

The mug cost about $16. The water line was at Lowe’s for $7. I imagine our water utility bill will be higher than it was, but annually, I bet I’ll still be saving money over $1.09 / day. More importantly, I’m helping reduce our need for oil. Please consider joining me in this effort.

About the author: This article was written by Emily Starbuck Gerson whose personal mission is to help people learn about credit and debt. She writes for the blog, Taking Charge (read her posts here).

I love cookies. They’re one of my favorite things to eat, and everyone who knows me knows this. I avoid fried food so I rarely eat fast food, but when I do, I tend to go to Whataburger because they have large, fresh, gooey chocolate chip cookies. The thing is, the last several times I’ve gone, regardless of location, they’ve been out. McDonald’s recently started offering similar large, gooey chocolate cookies of equal goodness, which are even cheaper, and they’re never out. Even though salads is the only actual food I’ll eat there, it’s become my new fast-food cookie stop.

But the other night I got a craving for a Whataburger grilled chicken sandwich. I considered going elsewhere, but I remembered the cookies, and my decision was made. Upon entering the drive-thru, I was told they were out of chocolate chip cookies (they had macadamia, but those don’t do much for me).

I was not thrilled. I was even less thrilled when I got home to find that my sandwich was fried chicken, not grilled chicken as I’d ordered. I was so hungry, I ate it anyway.

I sat at home eating the order I didn’t order, thinking about how annoyed I was that Whataburger never seems to have the cookies anymore, and that the woman who took my order looked exhausted and messed it up. I normally never complain to a restaurant unless anything is vastly unsatisfactory, but I decided it was time to open my mouth. I went to the Whataburger Web site and found an area where you could make a complaint or comment. I was able to pick from a list which store I visited, and I explained my discontent, though I assumed nothing would come of it.

The next day I received a call from the general manager of the Whataburger I had visited. She was extremely kind and apologetic. I told her I could forgive the wrong order since it happens everywhere from time to time, though I was annoyed that the cookies were my favorite part of Whataburger, but never seemed to be available anymore. She said she’s been trying to get her staff to always have cookies ready, but she would make a more concerted effort because all menu items should be available at all times. Being my push-over self, I apologized for complaining, but she said she was actually glad I did, and appreciates the feedback. She told me she’d be sending me coupons in the mail.

Sure enough, yesterday I checked the mail, and there it was. An envelope with a handwritten note from her, apologizing again and asking me to accept the coupons. She included two coupons for a free burger and a handwritten note on her business card for me to get two free cookies. Those made up for the price of my incorrect order and then some.

The moral of the story? If you receive unsatisfactory service somewhere and feel like your money has been wasted, do something about it. Be a bold consumer and lodge a complaint. I told my co-worker I was writing this, and she cited a similar example, when she received a box of food that was supposed to have six items in it, but only had five. She complained to the company and was sent a new, full box of six. Don’t take this the wrong way—I don’t want people to use this strategy to try to get free items when they aren’t deserved. That’s hurting businesses unfairly. But if you feel it is truly warranted, don’t be afraid to complain—you will likely be rewarded for your efforts.

If you enjoyed this article, please visit Emily Gerson’s blog for more tips and thoughts about credit, debt, and identity protection. We would appreciate your comments and reactions, so if you would like to contribute to the discussion, add your comment below.

The most effective emergency fund, for use in the event of a job loss or unexpected major expense, is actually a combination of several types of investments. You should be prepared with a small amount of physical cash to hold you over until you can get money from a bank, highly liquid investments like a high-yield savings account, a Roth IRA (if you qualify) in which your contributions can be withdrawn penalty-free and tax-free, and possibly credit access.

NZbird wrote to suggest an interesting addition to an emergency food: a stocked pantry. By stocking up on non-perishable food items, you will leave more of your money available for use in the event of an emergency.

Keep your food pantry WELL STOCKED. I mean food is an essential right. And if you have kids you don’t want them stressing out because the basics like food aren’t there. So stock up your pantry real good with all the ingredients for meals. I try to keep around 6 months supply on hand. My husband use to laugh at me when I started doing it, but you know it introduced a discipline into our grocery shopping that wasn’t there before… The kids always knew the ingredients were in the cupboard for lunches, breakfast, and any snacks they wanted to make. I believe it’s that feeling of security and hope for the future that must be maintained for the sake of the children in times of job loss.

At first, the thought of stocking up on food seemed more like preparation for a pandemic, but the main point is that if your income is suddenly grounded, you won’t have to worry about spending your emergency fund for food and will have more available for rent or mortgage payments and electricity bills.

Thanks for the suggestion, NZbird!

If you perceived a painful sting each time you opened a wallet in a grocery store or at a gas station last year, it wasn’t just you. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has informed the public that the Consumer Price Index for 2007 is 4.1%, the highest inflation rate since 1990. The increase is due to higher costs of energy (up 17.4%) and food (up 4.9%). Without energy and food, the core inflation rate is 2.4%. [BLS: Consumer Price Index Summary]

Besides charitable giving, this year I’m focusing on clutter-free gifts: experiences and consumables. While experiences are great gifts, consumables give you something to open and enjoy Christmas morning.

Unclutterer.com has some nice suggestions for theme-based consumable gift collections, such as bulbs and seeds for a gardener, spice collections for someone who enjoys cooking, and the always-popular bath sundries collection for anyone who enjoys self-pampering. There’s even a very utilitarian garage-themed collection idea with motor oil, work gloves, etc.

My tastes run a bit more colorful, as I believe the holidays provide a great chance to give premium consumables, little luxuries life might not otherwise afford us.

My favorite food and drink gifts include:

• Aged Balsamic Vinegar – It’s a surprisingly flexible gift, suitable for everything from salad dressings and bread dips (include some fresh loaves of bread for an irresistable gift basket) to marinades and even as a topping for ice cream. There are a range of prices and qualities available, and The Splendid Table has a great guide. Print out some relevant recipes and include them, too!
• Wine – Even better when paired with a gift certificate to a BYOB restaurant and maybe a cute wine tote, but there’s so much you can do with wine gifts. A nice bottle you’ve tried and enjoyed, different vintages of the same wine so the recipient can sample and compare, or a selection of bottles from a region with accompanying reading material on that region’s wines can make a memorable gift. You can find nice, well-rated wines for less than $20 a bottle. Wine Club memberships are wonderful too if you have the budget.
• Say Cheese! – Last year one of the best gifts I got was a stylish reusable tote filled with a variety of fine imported cheeses, candied nuts, and crackers. Food gifts made for sharing are perfect for holiday entertaining. There are plenty of places out there which sell preassembled gift baskets, but I think the best approach is to find a local cheese shop or market and try things out yourself. Add fresh or dried fruit and nuts and you can make your own extravagant gift for much less than you’d pay at Harry and David or Williams-Sonoma.
• Sweets – Speaking of indulgence! Last year I gave my father-in-law a set of dark chocolate bars made from cocoa beans from different countries for a comparative tasting. Homemade cookies or cakes are always appreciated, and can provide a more economical gift alternative. I’m partial to british candy as a fun and inexpensive gift.
• Citrus Fruit – Sweeter than candy, the juice from Temple oranges is a rare treat in the cold winter months. I order them now for delivery January through March from Nokomis Groves. You could make a fabulous gift basket around a citrus gift (think breakfast kit) or let its sunny glory stand on its own.

  

• Salumis, Seafood and Special Meats – Salami, bacon, proscuitto, ham, smoked turkey, scallops, salmon – whether you spend a lot for a fine imported meat or seafood product or assemble your own basket from a local specialty shop, there’s much to choose from.

  Whether you’re seeking truffles from France or salumis from Italy, finding a great source is key. If you can’t find these imported items at a local market, you can find them at a markup at Dean & Deluca, but you can also try your luck finding better deals and culinary rarities at sites like EthnicGrocer, Gustiamo (Italian), La Tienda (Spanish) and French Feast.

  Amazon has a great collection of gourmet gifts under $25 worth checking out.

  You can also take a look at Food411’s Holiday Picks or Sur la Table for more inspired gift ideas.

  Image Credit: Sur la Table