Why do we spend money on things we used to get for free?

Speaking to the headline, it's because we got "free" services from someone like Google for long enough to realize the fallacies of free-- no support, lack of privacy protection, less input into the design & development process --and then purchase a service that gives us more control.

Speaking to the article itself, water is only "free" (the consumer of the water didn't fork over cash on the spot) if you use a public restroom or a water fountain. You pay for the water coming out of your tap at home. Maybe you actually get a water bill, maybe it's bundled with your other utilities, or perhaps it's included in your rent, but you are directly paying for the water. (Sure, you're paying for the cleaning of the water - dubious distinction.)

Speaking to the 'silliness' of bottled water, I agree that it's absurd to have water bottled in Italy and shipped around the planet to sell it in the US just so that someone can purchase "sparkling Italian water." But in general, bottled water has its purposes: we stop at the convenience store, decide hydration is required, decide sugar won't do, want water to carry along- it needs to taste good or we're not going to drink it.

Is all bottled water the same? Absolutely not. Coca-cola is absolutely obsessed with consistency with its products. HFCS Coke tastes the same everywhere. Sugar Coke tastes the same everywhere. Dasani bottled water (yep, made by Coca-cola) tastes the same out of every bottle. I can't get that kind of consistency from the tap. The public water supply cares about water quality as far as it doesn't make someone sick and they couldn't care less about taste. Yes, I can taste the difference. I can also taste the difference between Dasani, Aquafina and Deer Park bottled waters (Deer Park tastes like dirt - I'm guessing 'minerals' are to blame for this. Aquafina? Can't remember exactly because I avoid it and it's been so long.)

When making flavored drinks at home (coffee, tea, iced tea) the additional flavors do an acceptable job of masking the flavor of the tap water. Acceptable enough that I'm not buying filtered bottled water to make them. I'm not a complete taste snob, but I do expect consistency in the products I've purchased for a high markup from a corporation that claims to care about it.

I think it revolves around the fact that these days we can afford to go hi-fi and seek something like finesse at nearly everything.

THis is usually a sign of filling some sort of a void because one needs to have the time, motivation, and energy to narrow yourself down in the array of products and options.

Some time ago, nobody could care less about the taste of water. It was just great if you got it from the tap and you didn't die of it, and even greater if you also got hot water from the same outlet. Water was water and the more pure and clean it was the less it tasted. Water doesn't in itself taste of anything.

Some time ago, nobody could care less about which make, model, or brand your car was. If you owned a car in the first place, that was in itself remarkable. Maybe there were cheap cars and expensive cars, but as far as everyone was concerned just about any car was more convenient than horse wagons or walking.

It's no longer like that.

At some point of your life you buy your first stereo set. If you keep thinking about it, you'll probably upgrade to basic hi-fi loudspeakers and amplifier later. Unless the price ranges become too high for you, you will probably go through a few iterations of more and more expensive equipment that you each time consider a bit better choice for your audiophilic needs.

Depending on your financial situation and what matters to you most, you go hi-fi with some areas in your life and stay at a basic level with other areas. It can be it gardening tools, computers, biking gear, hiking gear, cars, power tools, mobile devices, clothes and fashion, restaurants and cuisine, hobbies, sports, ordering your latte in a coffee shop, or just about whatever you happen to get into.

For a lot of people in western economies, that is so. We can afford to distinguish ourselves and our appearance in search for who we are, and because who you are is a major question for everyone it is a huge void to fill. Pour in the brands and fool yourself to think there's a difference!

At one extreme, some people can be really anxious about their choices and it seems as if their identity fumbles down into pieces if they could only find a bottle of San Pellegrino instead of Perrier. Most people stick with something and try to rationalize it away to avoid constant reconsideration of their choices and thus, their identity. I'm a Perrier man because it's the most original water. Or a Marlboro man. Or I drive a BMW because it allegedly has the best technology that gives me the best drive. Or I chose my headphones because Sennheiser gives the cleanest sound.

At the other extreme, there are people who have some sort of innate balance about themselves and somehow they manage their lives without paying much, if any, attention to what water they drink, what car they drive, or what clothes they wear. And when they do decide to choose something, they understand the irrational and almost comical nature of their preferences. Some people can recognize tastes between different waters. Some people do, yet they decide it doesn't matter.

Please excuse a somewhat OT question from a non US-resident: don't US have bottled spring water that is not imported?

I'm asking cause I've seen many bottles of french brands, and the NG article refers to italian and polish brands.

But I'd bet there are springs on the other side of the pond?

Pretty terrible article considering that they only gave one example, and not even a good one at that.

We buy bottled water because we want to ensure our health and safety. I personally use the water filter and drink tap water.

Coke is 95% water but you need 2.5 litres of water for 1 litre of coke? Perhaps I should give my degree back?

I buy crates of bottled water, and keep them in the back of my car so I always have some handy. For this I pay $5. I am not paying $5 for water, I am paying for convenience, the disposable bottles, somebody else to fill them and make it easy for me to purchase the bottles and transport them to my car. Sometimes, I pay an extra $1 a crate for bottle caps that don't need to be unscrewed to drink. Those paying for San Pellegrino are probably paying more money for status than for water. In a convenience store, buying a single bottle, I am primarily paying for cold and ready to go. I'd say overall, I feel that I am paying less than $0.05 for the actual water, if I broke it down. I am paying for it because it is cheaper, easier, and more convenient than doing it myself. There are many things like this.

I wish my university would give away empty bottles. They installed "filtered" water fountains a year ago, which should give people more confidence about the water. However, they don't give away empty bottles first.