Bags? Bags? Who has the bags?

In response to my ""Irish" post that was not all about being Irish, a  post that asks: Do you have any old habits that are destructive to the earth, expensive, habits you have trouble breaking? Linda at hello its me answered with a comment about an earth-friendly habit she cannot quite master:

"I keep forgetting to take my cloth bags to the store. I feel awful about it! We live on the third floor of our building so emptying the cloth bags and taking them right back to the car isn't appealing. We leave them hanging by the door and then don't look at the spot where they hang as we leave! I have to break myself of that habit!"

Linda,
I, too, had that problem. One day at the grocery store I was soooo frustrated by my lack of remembering to bring bags from the car that I told the clerk to just put it all back in the cart and I would bag the food in the parking lot. Standing in the parking lot, bagging food into my canvas bag, I was more frustrated but really relieved that now I could figure out what to do when my bags were in the car or at home.

Thankfully, I have never had to bag groceries in the rain or really high temperatures. I have fallen into the habit of not taking them all the time. So, this post is to boost my memory. There are other solutions to forgotten bags than bagging them in the car or going home and bagging them to get them into the house. I would not want to climb three stories to retrieve bags. I really don't blame you for taking plastic!

Maybe one of these solutions will work or help you to figure out a viable solution for you:

*Bag the groceries in the parking lot like I do. (#1 for me)
*Bag the groceries at home after you retrieve the bags from the house like I do.
*Have two sets of bags that will give you an opportunity to maybe keep one set in the car.
*Get bags free or cheap so that keeping all bags in the car will allow you to have forgotten the rest upstairs.
*Ask someone to carry the bags down when that person is leaving but not  going shopping, ie., when someone is going to school or work, even if the person is not going in the car that needs the bags.
*Attach the bags to your purse or keys so that you will have to take them to the car next time you leave...binder clip, twist tie, string, anything that will hold bag full of bags to your purse. It does not have to be pretty. It just has to get them beyond the door of your apartment, on the way out.
*Put all the bags you have into one bag, making it easier to get someone to comply and take bags to the car and easier for you to take them.
*Don't wait for grocery shopping day to take the bags to the car.
*Ask the store employees for a box or two so the walk up three flights won't hurt you. Yikes!

I don't have any way to improve your memory. If I did, I would improve mine first. LOL

How do you get more bags, cheap or free? I wrote a post about how I get bags cheap or free.

Your turn
It seems that remembering the reusable bags is a problem for many people. How do you solve the problem of remembering the bags?

Free Bags

Free Bags

Free Bags

Free Bags

This weekend, I found the Mother Lode of bags, all sorts of bags. I snagged 10 for myself.
Today, they are hanging in the sunshine. None smelled musty and 7 were new, never used. You know the stiff feel of unwashed canvas?

Method and Purpose
I attempted to categorize these with numbers on each so you could see for yourself. But, the numbers are not clearly visible. Number 10 is the one hanging below the other.

This blog is not just to show off my "new" bags. I want you to see what you can have for free or cheaply. The woman said everything was going to dumpster, to take all you wanted.

I took only ten bags.
You cannot see most of the numbers, so just count. Remember, number 10 is hanging below.
From the left of the photo:
1-new, lightweight cloth
2-new, canvas
3-new, sealed in bag, canvas, coated inside with heavy vinyl, zipper top, inner zipper pocket, bottom stands
4-new, canvas
5-mesh
6-new, canvas
7-new, still folded, soiled on a corner
8-new, canvas, coated with heavy vinyl inside
9-new, with child's name inside
10-(bag hanging underneath) washed, but looked new, canvas

Original Sources
Maybe you have friends in these industries, jobs, positions. Maybe you can ask if this friend has an abundance of bags. Ask if you can trade a jar of jelly for bags. Work it out.

These originally came from teachers, schools, colleges, Mother's Day Out, #3 from a cruise broker?, an electric coop. I also have these from banks, neighborhood watch, insurance, etc.

These were free to me. I left one bag there, strong, sturdy, roomy, and with something gooey on the inside. Don't think I took all of them or only the good ones, leaving undesirable ones behind. I was there two hours after the freebie giveaway. Others had picked over the bags before me.

Oooops, found another that go with the 10 above.

Last week, I found more bags when out and about.
I forgot how I came across these bags or where. After dark, I brought them in and had to photograph them on a chair. All three are heavy canvas. You can plainly see the sources of these bags.

All three were in good shape, no soiling or excessive wear. The top one was new. Maybe all three were. At a yard sale I never pay more than a quarter for bags.                            

Cute and Matching

That's what you want? Why? Think it over. But, if matching bags is your desire, of course, you can buy them. But, WHY? These are useful. Some have never been used at all. Unless a bag has an unethical-to-me logo, I will use it. Yes, I prefer them without stains. That looks grody unless I put the stain there!

Maybe you can sew and make cute, matching bags? Or, you can made bags from jeans or another sturdy fabric. That works.

Your turn

Where is your best source of bags? Do you ever carry an assortment like I do? Actually, I believe I have a matching set of some of the school bags, all gathered from different yard sales, attendance of conferences in which I participated, free boxes at different places.