Best Value on Jars

Hi guys!

I've been taking note for some time which items I could buy in the grocery store that have the best bottles for using at home.

I don't have to tell you guys what we can use great bottles for, right?  Drinking, vases, crafts, storage, even measuring.  The great thing is, they all come with their own lids, too - so unlike their less useful  cousins, glasses and cups - they're much more portable and versatile.

So...jars = good, yes?  Groceries = necessary and good.  Conclusion: Groceries and jars in one = Good the the power of 2?

With this indisputable equation in mind, I narrowed it down to four of what I think are the best VALUE for grocery/jar combo.  Value being the key word here, because you can buy $16 bottles of olive oil with fabulous bottles, but that's not my bag, so I'm sticking to best value here.


Let's start with my overall favorite for practicality and price.  For around $2 you get pasta sauce, (which, of course, is something that is always handy to keep stocked in our pantry).  Plus, a large drinking glass with a lid - so you can use it for storage, canning, take it with you, or use the lid to shake up recipes, etc.  plus, a handy measuring cup in the case that your other measuring cup is dirty or MIA.  They even say, "Atlas Mason" on them, which I'm not really sure what that means, but I think it kind of gives them some character as opposed to a completely clear, undecorated jar.

These next ones are fun.  The Marketside brand salad dressing has different dressings to choose from, and they totally look like vintage milk jugs, don't they?  They just make me happy when we have neighborhood kids over and I give them each some chocolate milk in one of these little jugs.  I fancy myself a frugal 50's housewife giving the children fresh milk just delivered by milk man that morning....................(except in reality I get the jars at Wal-Mart, and instead of wearing a cute 1950s style dress and apron, I'm wearing black yoga pants and a "Star Wars" sweatshirt.)

These next ones are Martinelli's apple juice jars.  As for now, we just use them for drinking, but they're the smallest and therefore the easiest to grab and put in my purse when we're on the go - but with the little leafy designs around the lip, these would also make a cute little vase to accent a shelf or an end table.  They are small enough that you can just stick a clipping from a house plant in there and you won't even have to buy or pick flowers. 

This last lovely lady is a $4-5 large bottle of apple juice.  These are also Martinelli's apple juice, but in a bigger jug, rather than the smaller travel sized ones.  I know $5 is a little pricier than some apple juices out there, but look at the great bottle you get out of it.  I still think it's a great value.

 Here's another picture of the apple juice jug turned vase:

And finally, here are all the jars together as I currently display them on our open shelving:

Thanks for stopping by the blog!