How do you remember to bring your reusable bags shopping?
It took me about 1 full year to completely get into the habit of bringing my reusable shopping bags with me shopping. Now finally, after all that time I am happy to report it is a habit, one that I don’t have to think too much about.
1 year is a long time, but it started out once in a while I would remember to bring the bags with me. After that I would have bags with me but forgot them in the car, and did not want to bother running back out to the car. Like most habits you want to change or form, it is a process but can be well worth it in the end.
There are several reasons I like using reusable bags. The obvious being it produces less waste. Our family already manages to produce enough garbage in our home between braking things, all the food and snacks, not to mention diapers and wipes. It sets a good example for my children. I am hoping because they are so young using reusable bags will be all they know so that they don’t have to work on it for a year like I did.
Another big plus is that reusable bags can carry more weight than plastic ones. I am one of those people that would rather have heavier bags to unload, than have to make more trips to the car. My husband often unloads the bags too, and he prefers that as well.
If this is a habit you would like to make you have to find a system that works for best for you. I tried leaving bags in my car but I would always forget to bring them in, so I decided I needed to come up with another way.
Start out slow. The first goal of mine was to remember the bags while grocery shopping because that was the biggest culprit of waste. I decided to work on other times after I got this one down. The system that worked well for me was to leave the bags in a visible spot in my garage. I walk through the garage to get to my car to do the shopping. Grabbing the bags at this time allowed me to place them in the front seat of my car, where I could easily see them to help me not forget to bring them into the store. Also having the bags in the garage made it easy to return them to their spot, because what good are they if they don’t make it back for the next time.
If leaving bags in your car isn’t working. Try leaving them in a location near the exit out of your home. An added bonus to forming this habit is that I get points at my local grocery store for using the bags, which can use to purchase other items, and I LOVE that!
Once I conquered the grocery shopping, I moved onto other shopping such as clothes, shoes, drug store and all the random times that are not necessarily planned out. For these times I leave to reusable bags in my purse that fold up small. It is great because that way they are always on me.
It took me about 1 full year to completely get into the habit of bringing my reusable shopping bags with me shopping. Now finally, after all that time I am happy to report it is a habit, one that I don’t have to think too much about.
1 year is a long time, but it started out once in a while I would remember to bring the bags with me. After that I would have bags with me but forgot them in the car, and did not want to bother running back out to the car. Like most habits you want to change or form, it is a process but can be well worth it in the end.
There are several reasons I like using reusable bags. The obvious being it produces less waste. Our family already manages to produce enough garbage in our home between braking things, all the food and snacks, not to mention diapers and wipes. It sets a good example for my children. I am hoping because they are so young using reusable bags will be all they know so that they don’t have to work on it for a year like I did.
Another big plus is that reusable bags can carry more weight than plastic ones. I am one of those people that would rather have heavier bags to unload, than have to make more trips to the car. My husband often unloads the bags too, and he prefers that as well.
If this is a habit you would like to make you have to find a system that works for best for you. I tried leaving bags in my car but I would always forget to bring them in, so I decided I needed to come up with another way.
Start out slow. The first goal of mine was to remember the bags while grocery shopping because that was the biggest culprit of waste. I decided to work on other times after I got this one down. The system that worked well for me was to leave the bags in a visible spot in my garage. I walk through the garage to get to my car to do the shopping. Grabbing the bags at this time allowed me to place them in the front seat of my car, where I could easily see them to help me not forget to bring them into the store. Also having the bags in the garage made it easy to return them to their spot, because what good are they if they don’t make it back for the next time.
If leaving bags in your car isn’t working. Try leaving them in a location near the exit out of your home. An added bonus to forming this habit is that I get points at my local grocery store for using the bags, which can use to purchase other items, and I LOVE that!
Once I conquered the grocery shopping, I moved onto other shopping such as clothes, shoes, drug store and all the random times that are not necessarily planned out. For these times I leave to reusable bags in my purse that fold up small. It is great because that way they are always on me.
If you don’t use a purse try putting them in your coat that you wear most frequently, and that will cut down on the times you are without one. Then remember after you unload them at home to put them back where they belong so you have them the next time.
After forming this habit, I started to take it even further. Now I even use produce reusable bags. I got these bags free using points I had collected at the grocery store Save-On from using the other reusable bags.
After forming this habit, I started to take it even further. Now I even use produce reusable bags. I got these bags free using points I had collected at the grocery store Save-On from using the other reusable bags.
Also, when I can I love to use reusable bags as gift bags. The added bonus is a lot of the time they are even cheaper than gift bags. Often you can find them for $0.99. These are 2 of my favorites. One I found at Michaels, and the other Sears.
When I come across a reusable bag I think is cute I buy a couple and store them for when I need a gift bag. You don’t want to have to spend time hunting them down last minute.
Making this habit has been work and a slow progression, but looking back I am happy I did it. Once the habit is formed it doesn’t take much thinking to keep it going.
Have you come across a reusable bag you are particularly found of, or think is cute? If so, where?
Making this habit has been work and a slow progression, but looking back I am happy I did it. Once the habit is formed it doesn’t take much thinking to keep it going.
Have you come across a reusable bag you are particularly found of, or think is cute? If so, where?
