BUT it is fun to see some crazy cool bags once in a while; so let’s start there. Next up look for mid-cost bag options.

Dream bag uses: Dream bags are not typical all-purpose grocery bags. In my opinion, you should have a normal collection of basic well-priced reusable grocery bags, and then one or two nice dreamy bags for everything else. The reason I like bags over purses, is because one, if you have kids they’re way handy for fitting all that kid stuff, and two, if you’re ever caught sans grocery bags you’re not totally out of luck, because a decent amount of items fit in a bag, which is impossible with a purse. I like the looks of bags more too, although of course that’s a personal decision.

Some super dream bags:

I love this Canvas Pocket Tote from Urban Outfitters. My best friend has a bag like this and I always want to steal it. Of course stealing is wrong and this bag is actually a good deal cost wise, so far as dream bags go, thus I could get my own:

If you’ve never heard of Little Odd Forest, you’ll fall into some sort of blissful love state when you visit. Items there are costly, but beautiful and handmade. If you’re a sewer, this is a spectacular place to visit for ideas of bags or clothing you might make yourself. This shop is cool also because there’s way more than bags (and it’s all amazing) plus there’s usually a nice clearance section happening and sale items. Following are some of my dream bag choices from Little Odd Forest:

A Walk In The Forest (Mungo Shrooms) and Forest Seedlings Tote (Dotty Blooms):

I also like the Leaf Couplet Bag (Lavish Beige), even though there is some red on there and the super cute Cheeky Monster bag. I wouldn’t carry the monster bag around daily, but know people who would. In any case, I still think it’s adorable.

There are many more styles of bags, including some killer wooden handle bags – visit Little Odd Forest to see them all.

I’ve got some more dream bags saved, but before that we’ll be looking at some mid-level and less expensive bags.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

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How many grocery bags?:

I used to have a bunch of odd shaped bags. Now I have eight that are exactly the same size; 12″ wide x 12.25″ tall with a flat 6.5″ bottom gusset. Plus when I bought them, I got a free bag. Personally, I think I got one bag too many.

When Cedar and I go grocery shopping we GO grocery shopping. I hate wasting gas on multiple trips, don’t like shopping anyhow, and you buy less the less you go, so we go grocery shopping infrequently, but big time shop when we do go. On a major grocery trip, we usually fill a typical sized cart – then we only have to go back a few more times per month for fresh produce. On our shopping trips we grab food, toilet paper, and anything else we might need that month. And it turns out that seven of the bags I got will hold it all.

If you fill a cart with groceries, then seven to eight typical grocery sized reusable bags will likely work out for you. I also like having one extra bag to carry all the bags in. It’s much easier to hand the bagger one bag with all the bags in it.

How many produce sacks?:

When I bought my grocery sacks, I also bought four large and three small reusable Organic Cotton Mesh Produce Bag. I think I’ll be getting a few more. Here’s how we used them on our last grocery trip:

• Pears and apples – we filled two large bags.
• Carrots – filled one large bag.
• Very wet lettuce – filled one large bag.
• Small peaches – four fit in one small bag.
• Green beans – filled one small bag.
• Bulk pretzels – one small bag.

Oops, I’m out of bags. I threw peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, and squash all into the cart without a bag, which was fine, but then needed to put some various berries and bulk sunflower seeds into plastic produce bags. (I brought two old ones along – but still). I could use more produce sacks. I love them because they work for bulk food items and produce, but we buy a lot of those items. While I don’t care if peppers and cucumbers are in a bag at all, cherries rolling all over the cart is not ok.

Estimate high if you buy plenty of bulk and produce items. I may be buying about 10 more, because farmer’s market season is not even here yet, and then we’ll really be buying lots of produce. Also when I get in bread baking mode, we buy a lot of bulk seeds and grains.

The bottom line:

If you go on smaller more frequent grocery trips, you’ll need fewer bags overall. But in my experience about eight odd sized, or seven typical sized bags will bag a cart full of groceries. But, people differ. Tell me how many bags you use in one trip.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

[Image by my son, via Cedar's grocery store series]

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I ended up getting eight of the ACME Bags – Lightweight Recycled Cotton Tote with Dual Handles from reusable bags. Using one of the discount codes I posted about here, I got a free extra bag as well. I also got four large and three small reusable Organic Cotton Mesh Produce Bags.

Perks of the ACME Bags, as noted before include:

• Flat bottom
• Choice of colors – I got brown, because our light colored bags get dirty and dingy and these won’t look dirty!
• Made with recycled cotton.
• Machine washable
• Fair Trade
• Long & short handles

Perks of the Produce Bags include:

• Drawstring closure
• Saves use of plastic produce bags
• Certified organic cotton
• Compact & lightweight
• Machine washable
• If you buy in quantity you get a discount
• Can also be used as gift bags, lunch sacks & for general storage

What I think of the grocery bags:

My last reusable bags were a collection of old random bags I’d picked up from every which where, and they were all odd sizes. It’s really cool to have eight grocery bags that are all the same size. I over-estimated a little. I likely could have gone with seven bags and been just fine. Cedar and I go shopping all at once; so we don’t have to go back except for fresh produce, so we usually have a full cart. It takes about six bags to bag up a cart full of groceries. After having weird sized bags forever I was amazed at how much these bags hold.  They hold a ton of groceries.

I was really worried that these bags didn’t self stand. They do flop over, but it hasn’t been a problem, except for an occasional cashier not being able to figure out how to load it. Frankly though, I did have some bags that stood up before, and cashiers still had issues, so I can’t blame the bags.

HUGE PERKS: The handles and color. Cedar helps to carry the bags and he’ll drop stuff or drag them, and they don’t show a lot of grime because of their brown color. Also the handles are fantastic. The long ones are perfect for me and the short ones make grabbing them fast a snap. I really like that they came with two sets. It also makes the bags feel really sturdy.

I can’t comment on how well they hold up, because I haven’t had them too long, but they seem very well made.

The produce bags:

These rock! As I mentioned before I’ve never had produce bags, but don’t like to use the plastic bags, so one, I end up with produce all over the place, and two, if I buy something wet, like lettuce, it gets all the other groceries sopping wet. I love being able to separate my produce, I love that my apples and beans aren’t flying around my cart anymore, and I wish I’d got these sooner. They have easy drawstring closure too. So far I’ve washed four of them twice each and they’re perfectly fine, a little wrinkled, but so?

The only drawback is that cashiers hate them. They sigh because they have to open it to see the stickers on the produce. Which is lame, so I ignore them. You can also get produce bags that are see-through mesh, but I hate those kind of bags, so I got solid ones.

Price & service: Ordering was simple, no stupid system glitches, or never ending forms to fill out. I got my bags about four days after ordering which was nice. Total cost was about $75 for nine grocery bags and seven produce bags. That sounds like a lot – but if you break it down that’s $6.22 per grocery bag, and the other $20 was for produce bags.

If I went with grocery bags from one of my local markets they’d have been about $1-2.00 each, but non-machine washable, non-doubled handled, and I needed the produce bags anyhow, which still meant I needed to go online. Also, I think these bags will last a super long time. So to me, a one time purchase cost was worth it.

Total Score:  +

Five out of five happy tree smiles based on service and bag quality; plus a bonus point because the produce bags have changed my life!

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

[images via reusable bags]

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I actually still wanted the Mikado Pouch set from Envirosax for visuals, but didn’t like that they didn’t have the flat bottom, also they’re sold out everywhere on the planet. Then I wanted the organic bags Peggy suggested, but they were also sold out.

So I went with a newer style bag from reusable bags; the ACME Bags – Lightweight Recycled Cotton Tote with Dual Handles. I was kind of worried because they’re lighter weight than the original organic cotton ones I wanted, and don’t sit up quite the same, but after reading some reviews I decided that the pros outweighed the cons.

Pros:

• Flat bottom
• Choice of colors – I got brown, because our light colored bags get dirty and dingy and these won’t look dirty!
• Made with recycled cotton.
• Fair Trade
• Long & short handles

Hopefully these work out. I’m thinking from the reviews that they will. I really like the duel handle deal. Also, I like the fact that they’re recycled. I also got a load of small and large produce bags, and using one of the discount codes I posted about here, I got a free extra bag as well.

I’ll post a full review after I get them and use them. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions

[image via reusable bags]

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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In any case, I was looking around some more and found the bags I’d buy if I was super rich. I love how cute they are, but $30 for one bag, that doesn’t look so wide at the bottom makes my brain ache. Still they are 100% organic which is a plus and they’re the most adorable I’ve seen.

All bags are from rock scissor paper.

apple stack is my favorite:

Followed closely by green tree and shine brightly.

There are three other cute styles to choose from.

Oh, you know everything is on sale at rock scissor paper right now, which makes these bags only $22, but since I need six (still gulp).

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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I do however need new bags. I have some reusable grocery bags but they’re seriously old and dieing. Also, I want some produce bags. I’ve never had reusable produce bags; I just toss veggies and fruits into my cart all helter skelter style. Frankly, it’s hard to manage, and I’m sort of sick of grocery clerks giving me dirty looks.

My issue is I need a big set. Cedar and I don’t go on little trips to the grocery store normally. We tend to shop once biggie style, so we don’t have to return to the store again for a while except for fresh produce. SO one nice reusable bag won’t cut it. We need at least four, but preferable a larger set. Six might be ideal.

In any case reusable produce bags were easy to find. I like these best, and they’re cheaper if you buy more.

[Organic Cotton Mesh Produce Bags via reusablebags.com]

It’s the large grocery bags I’m having issue with. I found some different options I like. I actually like the Mikado Pouch set from Envirosax for $37.95 the best but unfortunately they seem to be out of stock of almost every single item I like. It’s weird I wonder if they’re going out of business. Still, I’ve been looking around to see if another online store has it (no luck).

Too bad though; look:

Pretty right (except the red). I wish they wouldn’t post stuff that’s not available. Since Envirosax is out of these, plus linen, plus organics, I stared looking elsewhere.

My second favorite is this set from Green Concept. Pros: Beautiful and nice size. Cons: Only a set of four and not machine washable. However, right now the entire set is on sale for $18.99 so really I could buy two. The set comes with these four bags.

ACME Dual Handled Lightweight Hemp Tote Reusable Shopping Bag Set from reusablebags.com. I like this set. It’s not so artsy beautiful, but a nice color, machine washable, and each tote has long and short handles. Cons are the set only comes with 4 bags, but maybe I could buy two more separately. Cost: $39.60. Another pro is the set comes with free items – Evert-Fresh Green Bags – 10 Pack (which I don’t want) and 4 Organic Cotton Mesh Produce Bags (which I do want).

Last I found these bags but it’s an Australian shop, Ecoezi so not sure if it’s worth the energy to ship. Also, the site doesn’t say what material they use or what they look like opened? Weird. I like that you get 10 bags though and that they’re machine washable. If you’re in Australia, this seems like a good deal.

In any case, I’m hoping to get some new bags asap. I don’t know if any of these choices are perfect. I’m leaning toward the hemp totes though. I may look around and find some other choices before I decide.

What do you think of the bags above? Or do you have a better suggestion?

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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