I know you’ve
heard this one before so I’m not going to harp on why we need to bring our own
bags. I am going to offer some tips
that have helped us remember to bring our reusable bags.
Gather up your
bags. We stuff all our grocery bags (including a cooler bag and a wine bottle bag) into one bag. Then put them in an obvious place so you will see them when you head to the store.
We keep ours near our grocery list.
Keep some bags in your trunk (or bike basket) for unplanned trips to any store. I have a friend who keeps a ChicoBag in her purse because it folds up so small and fits into its own storage bag.
If you forget your bags in the car, ask the checker to put your purchases back into your cart. I did this once and after having to bag my food in the parking lot, I never forget to bring my bags into the store anymore. It was a great way to help me remember!
If you don't want to buy anything new, reuse the plastic ones from the store until you've exhausted your supply. These tend to fold up very small and can even fit in a pocket.
We did this for a long time before we invested in canvas ones.
Another no cost solution is to make your own by repurposing something you already have. Here’s a really simple way
to make your own bag from a t-shirt. One tip: use a small-ish t-shirt (no bigger than an adult size medium) because the first time I tried, I used one of Mr. Green Stuff's old shirts and it turned out to be an enormous bag!
Did you know that many stores including Target and Whole Foods give you 5-10 cents off when you bring your own bag? Just another way that being green saves some green.
We reuse (other people's) plastic store bags for our kitchen trash. Friends send stuff to our house in them. People have given us unpotted plants in them. Boy Scouts leave them on our porch. (Don't worry; we participate in their food drive.) Caribbean grocery stores won't let you leave without forcing some on you. And the couple times in the past 5 years when we've miraculously run out of them, our friends were more than happy to give us the ones pouring out of their kitchen cabinets.
And, remember that once it becomes a habit, it’s easy. How often do you forget to bring your phone/purse/wallet/keys? Bringing your bags will become a habit too.
If you have any tips for remembering your reusable bags, please share them in the comments or post them on Facebook.
We reuse (other people's) plastic store bags for our kitchen trash. Friends send stuff to our house in them. People have given us unpotted plants in them. Boy Scouts leave them on our porch. (Don't worry; we participate in their food drive.) Caribbean grocery stores won't let you leave without forcing some on you. And the couple times in the past 5 years when we've miraculously run out of them, our friends were more than happy to give us the ones pouring out of their kitchen cabinets.
And, remember that once it becomes a habit, it’s easy. How often do you forget to bring your phone/purse/wallet/keys? Bringing your bags will become a habit too.
If you have any tips for remembering your reusable bags, please share them in the comments or post them on Facebook.
Peace,
Stacey
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