Reuseable grocery bags?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Do you use reuseable grocery bags? If so from where did you get it and what did you pay? How many do you have? I borrowed my neighbors and love it. But it's so expensive. I don't want plastic but cotton/canvas ones. Ideas?

[noppenbd]

At the beginning of this year, my New Year's resolution was to use less than 20 plastic grocery bags this year. Well, I'm not sure that I will make it, but I am way down from how many I used previously.

We have 5 Chicobags from Greenfeet.com. They have a deal where you can buy 5 of one color for $20. Not exactly cheap, but the bags are really durable and versatile. They are a lot more rugged than a standard grocery bag so you can really pack them full. Also, they tuck into themselves when not in use and so you can throw it in your pocket or purse easily.

[HNorton]

I'm a HUGE Aldi fan. They have reusable heavy duty plastic bags that are like 10 cents per. It's good for the earth and your pocketbook. Since I'm single I only need 3 bags and I'm good to go.

[Caoineag]

Almost all the grocery stores in my area sell 99 cent canvas bags (Safeways, King Soopers, Whole Foods, Sunflower Market, etc). I have two of these, the backpacks my husband and I use in our daily commute and one slightly more expensive canvas bag that I got before everyone started producing 99 cent canvas bags. Very handy stuff.

[Scanner]

My sister gave me two - never used them.

[MonkeyMama]

I think ours were of the 99 cent variety (at the grocery store).

The grocery store gives a 10 cent rebate on every canvas bag we use, so generally get a good 50 cents off of our groceries each trip. (Paid for the bags in 2 months)?

Not sure where the expensiveness comes in... I mean I have seen nicer canvas bags at Walgreens and the like, for a couple bucks.

[Snowgirl]

I've been using them for 3 years now, so easy! I got a few canvas ones from my local grocery store at 2-3$ each, and last year on our vacation bought some plastic ones with a "fabric look & feel" at Shaw's for 1$. They're a small practical size, and they have a plastic insert at the bottom for rigidity. I love them, everyone ask were I bought them and my boyfriend stole one to transport some of his stuff! Can't wait to go back camping in New England in the summer, just hope they still have them.

[Spud]

I collect them from different grocery stores. My favorite is a whole foods one that is a little insulated and has a zipper top. The 'fabric look & feel' ones are mostly what i use though. They are the recycled plastic kind - kind of like woven Tyvek. I prefer these over the canvas - they are just as strong, and are lighter weight. I pay less than a dollar for them. It's soooo nice not to have all those annoying plastic bags!!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Last week Target had in their $1 and up area at the entrance a poly fiber bag with a rigid bottom that neatly zips up on itself. I think they were $1.49. I'm not going to buy any permanent bags because I've been telling myself for the longest time to just make some with the many abandoned long sleeve shirts my husband has accumulated.

Since February I've noticed a lot of stores offering those poly fiber bags for $0.99 with the store logo imprinted. Am I the only one who does mind having advertising on a permanent possession, even something as lowly as a shopping bag? Heck, some times I take labels off of items in my kitchen and bath just because of the cluttery appearance imparted by a bunch of busy, colored labels. Labels irk me unless they have info that I want to read. I know: this is a peculiarity all my own.

There are two large grocery stores just two and three blocks away from me. Almost every day I have to pick up those plastic grocery bags that have blown into my front yard. I'm waiting for everybody to decide to carry permanent bags.

[FrugalFish]

I am not using them yet, but have considered it off and on. I've saved a number of old sheets with the intention that they could be sewn into reversible (2-sided) grocery bags when I had the time and mind to do so. There are some very nice patterns on the internet for reusable bags, if you sew.

My mom uses totebags that she's gotten from donating to various organizations. I don't particularly care for the totebag type because they are a little more cumbersome to carry around.

I think I saw some nice ones at the container store online- the price seemed reasonable too. It was a while back that I looked at them though.

[Scanner]

I guess I could try to get used to the idea. . . maybe as I take the groceries out, just keep the bags in the trunk of my car. Maybe just directly carry the groceries in a box.

If it's not simple and I have to remember. . .I won't do it.

[kilcher]

We use them. Our local grocery stores - Schnuck's and Meijer - both sell really nice cloth bags for $1.

[cschin4]

I got mine for free as a door prize. But, I have never used it yet and really just don't remember to bring it along.

[ThriftoRama]

I use them and love them. I have a combination of the 99 cent ones you can buy at Kroger and Wal-Mart and bags I made myself. I just cut up a paper grocery bag and used the parts as a sewing pattern.

Also, Trader Joes sells very cute ones for 99 cents. If you want heavier duty canvas bags on the cheap, Jo Ann Fabrics or your local craft store will likely sell them in a 3 pack for under $10. At least, they do around here.

[Spud]

Originally Posted by Scanner

I guess I could try to get used to the idea. . . maybe as I take the groceries out, just keep the bags in the trunk of my car. Maybe just directly carry the groceries in a box.

If it's not simple and I have to remember. . .I won't do it.

I bring my groceries in the house in my bags, stuff all the bags into one of the bags, and put them by the front door. The next time I leave the house, whether I'm going shopping or not, I bring the bags back out with me. I use them everywhere -- Target, Costco, Grocery, Trader Joe's, etc.


Joan - I don't mind advertising for our local organic co-op, but I wouldn't want a bag that said Safeway across the front. Also, I've only bought bags at our local co-op and Whole Foods, because I think the colors of their bags are pretty.

[getforfree]

why would you want to purchase bags and pay for them?

I don't want to pay extra + I don't want to be bothered to remember carrying them around. Or even worse, spend money to launder them and space to keep. I like plastic bags because I can use them as garbage bags and use them to take my lunch with me to work.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Because it's better than having a ton of plastic bags? Nicer for the environment? And I use an insulated lunch bag for work.

[Caoineag]

Originally Posted by getforfree

why would you want to purchase bags and pay for them?

I don't want to pay extra + I don't want to be bothered to remember carrying them around. Or even worse, spend money to launder them and space to keep. I like plastic bags because I can use them as garbage bags and use them to take my lunch with me to work.

I have more plastic bags than I can use up and we use them to clean up after the dog. Also, every store that sells them discounts your groceries for 10 cents per bag. It doesn't take long to recoup the cost and save more in the future. As to taking food to work, that is why I have a backpack. Also environmentally, plastic bags are a nightmare.

Keep in mind as well that most places are moving to ban or eliminate plastic bags. So pretty soon people will have to switch anyways.

[geojen]

I bought 5 cotton mesh bags online. I love those things. You can pack those babies full. I fit 100 dollars worth of groceries in these things regularly. They came with their own little stuff sack to keep them in. They are really strong and durable. Unfortunately, around here, nobody else uses them! I am constantly getting weird looks from people, and the bag boys are always "pushing" their plastic bags on me.

[noppenbd]

Originally Posted by geojen

... the bag boys are always "pushing" their plastic bags on me.

Funny story: Recently on a trip to the grocery store, I went through the self-checkout. There was a bagger who was working the self-checkout, and I handed her my reusable bags, saying "Here, I have these." I went back to the self-checkout, finished, and paid. I turned around to pick up my bags and found... plastic bags! She obviously had no idea what to do with my bags, so she put them into a plastic grocery bag, along with all my groceries. No matter how much good you do in this world, there are always stupid people out there who can cancel you out! I would have given her the benefit of the doubt, but c'mon, she's a bagger!!!