Resuable shopping bags: what do you think of these?

[Ellie]

Saw them on QVC. The video explains their use.

 

I'm not big on reusable bags, but these look interesting.

[LaxMom]

I 99% of the time use reusable bags... I fail to see the point of these. Why would I want to bag my groceries, un-bag them to put them on the belt, then bag them again? That seems silly and redundant. And they cost too much to be silly, redundant and sort of small.

[GailV]

Honestly, they seem awfully fussy for their purpose. I use the 99 cent ones places have that are very, very simple and boxy -- the clerks are used to packing them,, and they don't take up a lot of storage space when they're empty. Dh uses ones that, when empty, fold into a tiny little bundle -- that's more of a priority for him. Plus I think he got them free somewhere, and has used them for the past 3 years, so the return on investment has been great.

 

I think those would annoy me, and I can't imagine them being worth that much money.

[happypamama]

The huge branch of the big grocery store chain near us gave me one similar to those a while ago, the same time they introduced the little scanners that you take around with you, so that you scan your items, place them in your bag, and then pay for the whole thing at the register. No putting your items in the cart, unloading them onto the conveyer belt, then bagging them -- just one step. It was great for moms of littles, because the line at the end was much shorter and faster. The bag was BIG -- it stretched all the way across the cart and held a TON. (Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as my normal-sized reusable bags, maybe because it held so much that it got too heavy and ripped.)

 

ETA: I didn't watch the video, so maybe there's something in it that I missed.

[Rebecca VA]

I'm a big fan of the 99 cent bags. They're basically the same size and shape as paper grocery bags, but they last forever, are easy to clean, and are extremely versatile. They don't hold too much or too little. I've also noticed some clothing stores giving away heavy-duty bags (we have a number of wonderful bags from Athleta) -- it's great advertising for the store, and they get used over and over.

 

I'm so happy with the 99 cent bags that I use them every chance I get. I'd rather use them than paper or lightweight plastic bags.

 

The other kind just seem hard to deal with.

[elegantlion]

The reviews mentioned being useful at a place like Costco where items are larger. I could see that. Otherwise I like my .99 bags.

[Lady Florida.]

I suppose I could use them at Sam's or BJ's since they seem to be made for large items, but I think they're overpriced. For everyday shopping I prefer my fold-up Target bags that fit in my purse. I saw a link to similar Chico bags on a thread here once, but just can't make myself pay a lot for reusable bags. The Target ones aren't as cute as Chico, but they're only $1.50 and are essentially the same bag. I even use my Target bags at Walmart. :)

 

I can't find them on the Target website, but here's a photo. They're usually near the Dollar Spot at the front of the store. This is the Chico bag they are imitating.

[Ellie]

I 99% of the time use reusable bags... I fail to see the point of these. Why would I want to bag my groceries, un-bag them to put them on the belt, then bag them again? That seems silly and redundant. And they cost too much to be silly, redundant and sort of small.

 

I put my groceries in the shopping cart, put them on the conveyer belt, bag them, then put them back in the cart. So, in the case of these bags, I'd be putting groceries in the cart (since the bags fit inside the cart), taking the groceries out and putting them on the conveyer belt, then putting them back in the cart. No bagging. I'd go out to the car and lift the two bags out of the shopping cart and put them into the back of my van, instead of having several bags to tuck in there. And there would be only two bags to store.

 

I'm not convinced that I need reusable bags anyway; these just look interesting. :-)

[Cinder]

I like the cheapo reusable bags from the grocery store. I love all the cute designs that Publix has but have found the Kroger bags to last longer. I use the reusables as much as possible and I still have an overabundance of plastic bags which I reuse as trash bags. And I've thrown the reuables in the washer and they came out fine. Well worth $1. I wouldn't spend $17 for 2 unless they could do the actual shopping for me. :p

[LaxMom]

 

 

I put my groceries in the shopping cart, put them on the conveyer belt, bag them, then put them back in the cart. So, in the case of these bags, I'd be putting groceries in the cart (since the bags fit inside the cart), taking the groceries out and putting them on the conveyer belt, then putting them back in the cart. No bagging. I'd go out to the car and lift the two bags out of the shopping cart and put them into the back of my van, instead of having several bags to tuck in there. And there would be only two bags to store.

 

I'm not convinced that I need reusable bags anyway; these just look interesting. :-)

Yes, but what advantage would there be to putting them inside bags inside the cart while you're shopping? (Outside of the scan as you shop scenario, which is awesome but we don't have at any store within a 50 mile radius, so...)

My 15 year old, 99cent, Whole Foods bags do very well for containing groceries on the way to the car, and have long enough handles that I can throw them over my shoulder. This is a bonus in all shopping bags, since I'm 5'0" and bags tend to drag when I carry them. ;)

[regentrude]

They are ridiculously expensive and too small if closed. They look bigger on the video than the listed measures.

I have sturdy canvas bags that stand up which I got for free.

[bettyandbob]

Most of my reusable bags were free, given away with some store promotion. I just bring them into the store, fill up my cart and hand tthem to my checker. The checker fills them like any bag. All my bags are washable, which I think is essential.

[Mergath]

I 99% of the time use reusable bags... I fail to see the point of these. Why would I want to bag my groceries, un-bag them to put them on the belt, then bag them again? That seems silly and redundant. And they cost too much to be silly, redundant and sort of small.

 

This is exactly what I was going to say.

[nukeswife]

No thanks I'll stick with my current reusable bags. I hate the cheap ones they sell at the stores and prefer my heavy canvas ones from reusit.com. I've had 8 of them for 10 years and about 12 of them for 2 years and you can't tell the difference between the old and the new. If they get dirty or something spills I just toss them in the washer. I also have 4 insulated style ones for when I go the commissary and get frozen/cold things as the drive is a bit longer than from my usual store. I have a set of produce bags too, because I hate those plastic ones they give you at the store. They are pricey, but like I mentioned the last a LONG time. I'm always getting compliments from the baggers at the commissary, they love my bags. They can pack them really full and not worry about the handles breaking or the bags ripping.

[Lara in Colo]

I prefer to use rubbermaid bins. I put the stuff back in the cart, unload in the car, then I can sort as to where I want the bin to go at home. So I have a downstairs bin, a kitchen bin, etc.........

[Guest inoubliable]

I badly want to post Tim Minchin's song urging the use of canvas bags at the supermarket. Not everyone's cup of tea, though. I know some of you are off to the The Great Google now.

 

FTR, I like my heavy canvas bags. I used the $.99 bags at the supermarket for the LONGEST time. When they did finally start to fall apart, though, I bought a few canvas bags. Now I use those and the cooler bag that I bought from Trader Joes a billion years ago.

[redsquirrel]

I bought a bunch of the .99 ones years ago and they are still going strong. I use those things for everything!

 

I have one that my mom gave me, it folds into itself and fits in my small purse. I keep that one with me for unplanned shopping. I haven't had to get a plastic bag (my kids call them Turtle Killers) in years.

[KungFuPanda]

Nah, I have an impressive collection of grocery bags and I haven't paid for any of them. I just end up with them. They don't need to buy bigger ones. They hold a lot more than plastic store bags. I 'could' just use my giant Ikea bags, but it's impractical since there's a limit to how much weight I want to carry in one trip. I use reusable bags most of the time. It's practically a requirement since most stores (except target) have switched to super thin bags that split if the corner of a box touches them.

[Lady Florida.]

I also have 4 insulated style ones for when I go the commissary and get frozen/cold things as the drive is a bit longer than from my usual store.

 

Thank you. I've been meaning to look for a decent insulated bag. These look perfect.

 

I have a set of produce bags too, because I hate those plastic ones they give you at the store.

 

 

I have a set of these and love them!

[KungFuPanda]

I think this conversation can best be summed up in an interpretive dance:

 

 

 

 

 

[Brilliant]

The reviews mentioned being useful at a place like Costco where items are larger. I could see that. Otherwise I like my .99 bags.

 

I have a Costco with lousy service. They have no idea what to do with my reusable bags. :confused: Unless I directly hand them to the bagger and say, "Please put the small items in these", they will just put them aside and start loading my stuff into the cart.

 

So I'm not convinced these would be useful at *my* Costco.

[cin]

I have a ton of the 99 cent bags, but I always forget to take them into the store. DH works in IT for a major grocery chain and when they have dog & pony vendor shows he gets a bag. Sometimes it even has a cheap insulated mug in it!

[tammyw]

These are the bags I have, and they are the greatest things ever. Every store I go, they ask where I got them. They are also so heavy duty and hold a ton. Love, love, love them!

 

http://reuseit.com/store/reuseit-earthtote-original-p-10.html?slave_id=79

[Baseball mom]

Most of my bags are freebies or 99cent bags. I do have a couple I got from Sam's. They come in a 2 pk for less than $4 and are really big. Love them for light weight boxy items.

[nukeswife]

These are the bags I have, and they are the greatest things ever. Every store I go, they ask where I got them. They are also so heavy duty and hold a ton. Love, love, love them!

 

http://reuseit.com/s...tml?slave_id=79

 

Those are the same ones I have and linked to above. They are THE BEST!

[Ellie]

 

I have a Costco with lousy service. They have no idea what to do with my reusable bags. :confused: Unless I directly hand them to the bagger and say, "Please put the small items in these", they will just put them aside and start loading my stuff into the cart.

 

So I'm not convinced these would be useful at *my* Costco.

 

 

These stay in your cart. There wouldn't be any way to put items into the cart without having to physically pick these up and move them.

 

I'm shocked that there are any baggers at a Costco. I've never seen that. o_0

[higginszoo]

Where we live, both of our close HEBs are within Austin City Limits, so now we have to pay a fee/fine if we don't use reusable bags. But they've had ones on sale for 20c that are similar to the plastic ones -- they tend to be not so big that they get too heavy to lift out of the cart. I also have the dollar reusable bags with handles like the old paper bags -- as long as they don't do the milk in there, I can fit a lot of groceries without them getting too heavy. I actually like to bag my own groceries. Working at the commissary as a teen, I was trained to get things in efficiently, but also to pack things according to function and/or temperature, which they don't seem to teach anymore.

[Ellie]

Yes, but what advantage would there be to putting them inside bags inside the cart while you're shopping? (Outside of the scan as you shop scenario, which is awesome but we don't have at any store within a 50 mile radius, so...)

 

I didn't say there was an advantage. I was countering the other comment about bagging the groceries in the non-disposable bags, then unbagging them and putting them on the conveyer belt, then bagging them again. These bags (and I'm not trying to sell anyone on them; I was just wondering what y'all think) hang in the cart, so you put your groceries in them the same way you would if they weren't there, KWIM? Did you watch the video?

[Baseball mom]

I actually like to bag my own groceries. Working at the commissary as a teen, I was trained to get things in efficiently, but also to pack things according to function and/or temperature, which they don't seem to teach anymore.

 

No I don't think they are taught this anymore. I will put my groceries on the belt in little groups with the bag on top of each group. Do most bag it that way? Nope. Or worse they move my bags and start bagging stuff in the plastic bags.

[Harriet Vane]

I just use cheap canvas bags and bags my dd made out of old tee shirts. So far they have all lasted years and years, and I can easily toss them into the washer/dryer. For this, simpler is better IMHO.

[sillymommy]

No thanks I'll stick with my current reusable bags. I hate the cheap ones they sell at the stores and prefer my heavy canvas ones from reusit.com.

 

Ditto! That's my bag. I have a set of 8 or 10. Easy for baggers to use. Easy for me to carry. Durable. Never rip or fall apart like the Cheap Charlie ones.

[TechWife]

I badly want to post Tim Minchin's song urging the use of canvas bags at the supermarket. Not everyone's cup of tea, though. I know some of you are off to the The Great Google now.

 

:rofl: :rofl:

It sounded too great not to google!

 

"Canvas is for everyone, whether you be rebellious and iconoclastic, or conservative or ecclesiastic...I'm not trying to be ironic or sarcastic, do something drastic to rid the world of plastic, take your canvas bags to the supermarket."

 

But you really must watch the video to get the full impact - it can't really be explained.

[Word Nerd]

I think it looks like an interesting concept, though I use the $1 ones.

 

The Portlandia "No Grocery Bag" sketch is also worth Googling. ;)

 

 

[Amber in SJ]

No stores can give out bags without a fee in our county. If you don't bring in a bag you have to pay. The store can charge from $.10-$1.00/ bag. The cashiers at the ten cent place have said they will be required to raise their bag prices this year. I have been bringing my bags for years, but now that everyone has to it takes forever to get through the line. Everyone has a different type of bag. The courtesy clerk takes forever to figure it out. Your other choice is to go through self-check and bag your own. If they gave me a discount, maybe, but why would I want to do all the work?

 

Amber in SJ

[TechWife]

 

The Portlandia "No Grocery Bag" sketch is also worth Googling. ;)

 

Pretty good! We visited two different countries last fall & the grocery stores assumed you brought your bags. We bought one the first time we shopped - it was about 50 cents. It was reusable, but not durable. I think the US stores would do well to start doing this.

[regentrude]

. Your other choice is to go through self-check and bag your own. If they gave me a discount, maybe, but why would I want to do all the work?

 

Because you can do a better job?

I love self-checkout (if the machine works properly).

That way, I get to group the groceries the way I want (which never happens with a bagger, even though I lay them out on the belt in groups) and to pack my own bags really full to utilize all the space (which rarely happens either; they almost never manage to fit everything in my bag and want to give me more plastic bags).

[Bear23]

I have heavy canvas totes from LLBeans. They are the discounted ones because there was something wrong with them like the wrong letters or whatever. Anyways all my totes have served us well. The XL tote will carry 3 gallons of milk and we tend to go thru at least that many a week. I have dollar store mesh bags and lightweight bags also dollar store for light stuff like breads and veggies/fruits.

 

I prefer self check out and would love it if the commassaries would set up a place along the check out so we can bag ourselves.Commassary baggers work for tips and most are lousy at bagging so I tend to tell them to leave my stuff.

[Dandelion]

Meh, it's "not my bag".

 

Sorry, that was just too easy... :tongue_smilie: I like my heavy-duty canvas bags.

[justasque]

I can't imagine spending $17.46 + $6.22 S&H on a grocery bag, however fancy it may be.

We have a ton we've picked up here and there, plus our Goodwill always has a ton of convention swag-type bags, some of which are really nice, for $1 each.

I like them sturdy and washable.

I don't see any advantage to putting things in the bags as you shop, no matter how the bag is arranged in the cart.

You don't need huge bags; if they're too big they get too heavy to carry. The size of a standard paper grocery bag or a bit smaller is ideal. I prefer ones with longer straps so I can sling them over my shoulder.

It's nice to have one or two of the nylon ones that fold up to next-to-nothing, for those little one-bag trips. Otherwise, I just keep the bags in my car. When I'm finished unpacking the groceries, they go back in the car to wait for the next trip.

I *do* like using the reusables when I remember them; it really cuts down on the number of plastic bags that end up in my house, plus it minimizes those times where the bag breaks and your groceries go everywhere.

 

(Loved the interpretive dance!!!)

[momofkhm]

The huge branch of the big grocery store chain near us gave me one similar to those a while ago, the same time they introduced the little scanners that you take around with you, so that you scan your items, place them in your bag, and then pay for the whole thing at the register. No putting your items in the cart, unloading them onto the conveyer belt, then bagging them -- just one step. It was great for moms of littles, because the line at the end was much shorter and faster. The bag was BIG -- it stretched all the way across the cart and held a TON. (Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as my normal-sized reusable bags, maybe because it held so much that it got too heavy and ripped.)

 

ETA: I didn't watch the video, so maybe there's something in it that I missed.

 

 

 

Love this idea. I had heard it was coming, but I haven't seen it yet. What grocery store?

[LaxMom]

 

 

I didn't say there was an advantage. I was countering the other comment about bagging the groceries in the non-disposable bags, then unbagging them and putting them on the conveyer belt, then bagging them again. These bags (and I'm not trying to sell anyone on them; I was just wondering what y'all think) hang in the cart, so you put your groceries in them the same way you would if they weren't there, KWIM? Did you watch the video?

 

I don't have a video, just photos, but I get the concept. I just don't get what the *purpose* is. Do some stores have carts without a bottom, so your groceries would just fall to the floor without an added layer to fiddle with?

 

I also don't get the vast majority of advertising that suggests I need a product based on perceived incompetence: why is a strainer that you have to hold on the side of a pot (presumably full of steaming pasta) an advantage over a proper colander? Why can people apparently not operate a knife, so we all "need" a chopper that simply adds steps and still requires wrist strength (as opposed to the rubber wristed person demonstrating how difficult it is to wield a knife?

 

You asked, and I find them silly and superfluous.

[Lady Florida.]

 

I'm shocked that there are any baggers at a Costco. I've never seen that. o_0

 

I've never seen any warehouse type store that has baggers.

 

they tend to be not so big that they get too heavy to lift out of the cart.

.

 

You don't need huge bags; if they're too big they get too heavy to carry. The size of a standard paper grocery bag or a bit smaller is ideal.

 

:iagree: I can't use huge bags because that makes them too heavy for me to carry.

 

 

My cheap bags from various stores have lasted for years. I've never had one break on me.

[Ellie]

I don't have a video, just photos, but I get the concept. I just don't get what the *purpose* is. Do some stores have carts without a bottom, so your groceries would just fall to the floor without an added layer to fiddle with?

 

I also don't get the vast majority of advertising that suggests I need a product based on perceived incompetence: why is a strainer that you have to hold on the side of a pot (presumably full of steaming pasta) an advantage over a proper colander? Why can people apparently not operate a knife, so we all "need" a chopper that simply adds steps and still requires wrist strength (as opposed to the rubber wristed person demonstrating how difficult it is to wield a knife?

 

You asked, and I find them silly and superfluous.

 

 

There's a video of the show. You can watch it to see how the bags are used.

 

You hang the bags on the sides of the cart. You put your groceries in them as you shop. You put the groceries on the conveyer belt, the checker does her thing, and the groceries go right back into the bags. There are only two totes to take out of your shopping cart and put in the car, then there are only two totes to take out of the car into the house, instead of several individual bags.

 

 

I don't have a horse in this race. I'm just asking. :-)

[FaithManor]

Too fussy, too small. I make my shopping bags out of cotton or canvas fabric, whatever Walmart has for $1.00 a yard on the clearance shelf, and french seam for sturdiness. I use old blankets for padding for the handles. I try to get an old pilled one for 50 cents every year at a garage sale and then use it for this purpose. My bags are very sturdy, large enough to be practical but not so large that they are too heavy to lift when loaded, and spare me the endless drove of plastic bags that I so deeply hate collecting. I lke easy wash fabrics too. I quilt for a hobby, so leftover fabrics can also be sewn together into a decent square and then made into a bag. I get many positive comments about those totes and when I want something heavy for meats, I line the back with the cut-up blanket and another piece of fabric. It takes me all of about 20 minutes to make one.

 

A lot of local stores are not paying baggers anymore. So, I can either wait for the clerk to bag items or do it myself. So putting items in the cart and then onto the conveyor belt in a timely manner, and then getting down to the other end so I can begin bagging makes the most sense for me since I don't enjoy shopping and will do most anything to reduce the amount of time I spend in lines! I wouldn't bother to pre-bag as a shop with these expensive bags and since my homemade are so cheap, I'd really balk at the price tag.

 

Faith

[Brilliant]

I've never seen any warehouse type store that has baggers.

I'm shocked that there are any baggers at a Costco. I've never seen that. o_0

 

Really? Do the cashiers at your Costco load the cart or do you have to do it yourself?

 

I am surprised. I thought the service at my closest Costco was truly lame (they are slow, not friendly, frequently don't ask if I want a box, won't use my bags, etc) compared to the location I shopped until last year. But they almost always have a separate bagger with each cashier to speed the lines along.

[Brilliant]

Too fussy, too small. I make my shopping bags out of cotton or canvas fabric, whatever Walmart has for $1.00 a yard on the clearance shelf, and french seam for sturdiness. I use old blankets for padding for the handles. I try to get an old pilled one for 50 cents every year at a garage sale and then use it for this purpose. My bags are very sturdy, large enough to be practical but not so large that they are too heavy to lift when loaded, and spare me the endless drove of plastic bags that I so deeply hate collecting. I lke easy wash fabrics too. I quilt for a hobby, so leftover fabrics can also be sewn together into a decent square and then made into a bag. I get many positive comments about those totes and when I want something heavy for meats, I line the back with the cut-up blanket and another piece of fabric. It takes me all of about 20 minutes to make one.

I have a large number of feedsack bags that I made 35 years ago--they have denim handles from old jeans. ...

Pictures, please!

[Lady Florida.]

Really? Do the cashiers at your Costco load the cart or do you have to do it yourself?

 

 

 

They don't. Your items just stay on the conveyor belt until you put them in the cart.

[nukeswife]

Really? Do the cashiers at your Costco load the cart or do you have to do it yourself?

 

I am surprised. I thought the service at my closest Costco was truly lame (they are slow, not friendly, frequently don't ask if I want a box, won't use my bags, etc) compared to the location I shopped until last year. But they almost always have a separate bagger with each cashier to speed the lines along.

 

My costco, has a person at the end to help the cashier, but they aren't a bagger, they are just there to put your stuff back in the cart, which speeds things up.

 

I've never shopped at a warehouse store that had actual baggers, they are just there to keep things moving since some people are truly remarkably slow at removing their items from the belt.

[Mom-ninja.]

No, not easy enough to clean.

 

I like canvas bags. Earth totes on reusablebags.com are great.

 

Also baskets/bins are easily sprayed and cleaned.

[KatieJ]

We shop pretty exclusively at Costco. Most of the time there is one checker and one person to help you unload and reload your cart. I get grumpy if I am there alone and have to do by myself. Sad, I know.

We use the cardboard boxes from there to bring stuff home and then we burn it all in the fireplace. I have resuable bags, but I forget to take them with me when i am shopping. I do refuse plastic if I don't need it, and I reuse whatever I bring home to line my bathroom trash cans.

Ellie, while I think they have a place for some folks, I don't think I would ever spend the money on them.