Pennywise Revival Budget Win: $31.45 in Groceries for 25¢

$31.45 in groceries paid with BottleDrop credit — only 25¢ out of pocket.

Sometimes the best grocery wins happen when you don't even plan them. I checked my BottleDrop account and saw I had $31.20 in store credit, so I decided to see what kind of groceries we could stretch that into.

The result? $31.45 worth of groceries for only 25 cents out of pocket.

We picked up fresh produce, a fun cheese and fancy salami, a couple of Chomps turkey sticks, and yes — we even splurged on a 2-liter Diet Coke.

What is BottleDrop?

BottleDrop is an Oregon-based program that simplifies redeeming the 10-cent deposit on beverage containers.

Green bags are used to collect cans and bottles at home and drop them off at retailers or redemption centers. Once processed, the funds are credited to your account, typically within about 7 days.

The 20% Bonus Feature

BottleDrop offers a unique feature that allows you to receive 20% more value if you redeem your balance as store credit instead of cash.

In this case:

• Cash redemption value in account: $26.00
• Store credit option (20% bonus): $31.20

That extra boost makes a big difference when you're trying to stretch every dollar.

What We Bought

• Pretzel rolls (markdown) $3.17
• 1lb Baby carrots $1.39
• Head of Iceberg lettuce $1.99
• 1 Bag Snow peas $3.49
• 4 Avocados (produce markdown) $1.50
• Bag of Mini limes (produce markdown) $1.50
• Two 6oz containers of raspberries (sale) $1.99
• 4oz Gouda cheese (clearance) $3.37
• Belgian ale & lemon zest salami - Reg $11.99 on clearance $4.20
• Two Chomps turkey snack sticks (clearance) $1.$26
• 2-liter Diet Dr Pepper (sale) $1.99
• $0.10 Bottle Deposit + $0.05 Bag Fee
We could have opted for a cheaper cheese & salami option but today, these were a couple fun things to try at a much lower price point.

Other States with Bottle Deposit Programs

Several other states have similar “bottle bill” systems that provide financial incentives for returning beverage containers.

• California: CalRecycle Bottle Deposit System
• Michigan: Michigan Bottle Return System (10¢ deposit)
• Maine: Bottle Return System (up to 15¢ deposit)
• New York: Bottle Return System
• Connecticut: Recently increased to a 10¢ deposit
• Other states include: Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont

These systems help reduce litter and increase recycling rates by offering a small financial incentive — usually 5¢ or 10¢ — for returning beverage containers.

Why Bottle Returns Are a Budget Secret Weapon

Bottle deposits may seem small, but they add up quickly. If you consistently save and redeem them, they can turn into:

• Free groceries
• Extra produce
• A fun treat you wouldn't normally buy
• Emergency grocery money

For us, it turned into $31.45 worth of groceries for just 25 cents.

Not bad for something that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin.