As if groceries aren't expensive enough already!!!!!

**Luv2BeFrugal1** · 04-20-2007, 08:21 PM

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The news last night said our state government is going to propose a 15 CENTS PER PLASTIC BAG TAX!!!!!

Groceries up here are expensive enough!! If you bought 10 bags of food, etc. each week that's a whopping extra $1.50/week out of the budget!!

I could scream!

Don't get me wrong...I'm all for using canvas bags, etc. instead of plastic. But, if you forget a bag, or don't own that many bags in the first place (we only own 3)...you'd get gouged! For instance, we try to go to Walmart only one time per month (so as to keep spending temptation to a minimum). If we need to stock up on tissues, t.p., laundry soap (we get small boxes that we burn for home heat after they're emptied), etc...that turns into 8 bags, no problem.

Also, we use them for our small garbage cans, to give goodies or what-not to friends, to carry lunches to work when there are things that could be sticky or leak a bit. You wouldn't do any of that with a bag that you paid for and HAVE to use over and over!!

Here's the link if anyone is interested:
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6391686

**latierra84** · 04-20-2007, 08:24 PM

IKEA is doing that too. i ended up walking out of there with things in my arms just to not have to buy the bags.

**emily_hope** · 04-20-2007, 08:29 PM

I guess here we would have to bring our own bags to Walmart, or maybe they would start offering an alternative. At Ingles they will ask if you want paper or plastic and at the Commissary they do that, also.

**FrugalMomof3** · 04-20-2007, 08:40 PM

Our our supermarket they ask if we want paper or plastic, if they added that 15cents tax I would choose paper, no harm done to me. I guess you would just have to bring your own bags or ask for paper.

**Jaded** · 04-20-2007, 08:49 PM

Just bring your own bags. I used to take mine to Sav-A-Lot and leave them for other people to use. Those bags only cost a penny apiece. I know, because we had a meeting at work about it, and about trying to put more things into them. I guess the $.15 is because they use petroleum, and they don't decompose in landfills.

Oh well, another cross to bear. Good thing most of us sew, we can make our own canvas bags.

**PB&J** · 04-20-2007, 09:01 PM

Bring some boxes. There is a grocery store here that doens't have any bags. You have to bring your own boxes or bags. SOmetimes they have empty boxes available to use, too. I would just put all my groceries back in the basket after they were rung up and then transfer them to the box that I put in my car.

**paintedsky** · 04-20-2007, 09:27 PM

I honestly think its a good idea. I have a bagful of bags lol It's sort of like the idea Aldis implements on reusing or paying for your bags. I think it'd be alot better for the environment. I always reuse bags. I seriously never run out of bags to reuse that sometimes when I get too huge of a bag of bags I need to chuck because it takes up too much space. I use them from lunch, smaller garbage pails, etc. I think target bags are better quality then wm though. WM bags always have tears in them.

**Luv2BeFrugal1** · 04-20-2007, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by PB&J

Bring some boxes. There is a grocery store here that doens't have any bags. You have to bring your own boxes or bags. SOmetimes they have empty boxes available to use, too. I would just put all my groceries back in the basket after they were rung up and then transfer them to the box that I put in my car.

Hey, that's a great idea to just put them back in the basket to transfer them to you car! (Evidently I need "think outside the box" lessons.).

As far as just asking for paper bags...they're not common up here...it takes like 7 trucks to get the number of paper bags up here as compared to 1 truck for the equivalent number of plastic bags. (Talk about environmental impact).

What bugs me is that the cost of various items already have the cost of bags factored in. So, if you bring your own, you're still paying for the plastic ones...you're just not getting screwed by the tax. Erf...

The paper bag option doesn't exist for Walmart.

I'm thinking buying a roll of the little garbage can liners would end up far cheaper than paying the 15 cents each for the grocery plastic bags...??? I've never priced them, though??

I'm thinking that the grocery stores aren't going to like people carrying numerous canvas bags in... Shoplifting up here is pretty rampant and many stores don't allow you to carry bags in in the first place. Not sure how we're supposed to get around that rule in order to bring the bags in for our own groceries??

**Scattymum** · 04-21-2007, 04:53 AM

they bought in a tax on plastic bags ountrywide about 3 years ago, its actually not that much of a hassle, most people bring their own big canvas bags with them, i keep them in the car and as soon as I unload them in the house I put them straight back in the car.

Some stores just give you a paper bag which is free.

Sometimes I forget to bring the bags into the store, if i do this then i just put everything back in the trolley and pack my bags when I get to the car.

once you get used to it its not that bad!!

**warramra** · 04-21-2007, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Scattymum

Sometimes I forget to bring the bags into the store, if i do this then i just put everything back in the trolley and pack my bags when I get to the car.

I really don't think not using plastic would be that big of a deal for the consumer. Most people I talk to find all those plastic bags a nuisance. You can only use so many of them for other purposes. The group that you have to get on board with not automatically using plastic bags are the large retailers. I have found that when I am using my own bags or ask that items not be bagged I am always stopped at the doors to have my receipt checked and purchases examined. And since most store security are not trained with customer service in mind, these are not the friendliest encounters.

At BJs and Sam's Clubs this isn't an issue because they do this as part of their system. But Walmart, Target and even Kroger I have run into this problem. They are mean about it and assume you are trying to take something. I prefer to take my business elsewhere in this case.

**Darlene** · 04-21-2007, 10:25 AM

I've been recycling my plastic bags for years, most stores have a bin for these somewhere in their store. I like using boxes because it keeps everything upright but in most stores it's not practical. I can see the lady at Walmart now with me handing her a box and her looking at me thinking wth? Those carousals they have in the stores now aren't made for the cloth bags...or boxes for that matter. Oh well, we'll all figure it out.

**Grayce** · 04-21-2007, 01:42 PM

I think it's a great idea to use less plastic bags. I try to always bring my own bags. I keep them in the car and just throw them in the cart on my way into the store. I have bought resusable bags at several different stores. I also have a few plastic grocery bins. The reusable bags are pretty cheap here, about 3 for $5. The bins are $3.99. The bags are very sturdy and hold a lot of weight. The resusable bags from one store have a garantee and if they rip or wear out they will replace them for free. So far they have all held up well. I have way fewer plastic bags lying around my house. Here milk comes in plastic bags I use those bags for times when I need plastic bags such as cleaning up after the dog .

**iida** · 04-21-2007, 02:34 PM

Plastic bags have never been free here. Not in my lifetime anyway and that´s 40 years. They are free if you buy clothes or other things, but for food, they cost from 10 cents to 25 cents. (And the currency is Euro). I think plastic bags should be even more expensive. Canvas bags are very good, but I also always have a light cotton bag in my pocket just in case.
And, paper bags cost just as much as plastic bags.

iida

**OzFreeBird** · 04-21-2007, 05:26 PM

In regards to lining your rubbish bin, well plastic bags have only been around since about 1962. In Australia plastic shopping bags were the norm in about 1982. How did people line their bins before then?

Apparently they lined them with newspaper. You sort of overlap the newspaper inside the pin in a flower petal arrangement, and then fold over the top once the bin is full. This probably meant they had a lot smaller bins. But then again pre 1960's everyone was so frugal that they probably didn't waste a lot and things NEVER came in any sort of packaging, so you had nothing to throw away anyway. If you wanted some bacon, you went to the butcher and he handed it to you in some greaseproof paper, wrapped in butchers paper. Same goes for most things.

If anything, having to pay for plastic bags makes me think of other ways I can go without, and other ways I can reuse and recycle things. For example yesterday I buried a lot of 3 litre plastic milk containers in the vegie garden, pricked tiny holes along the sides, filled them up with water and presto! Automatic waterers for my vegies - rather than wasting water by doing it from above with a watering can, I just unscrew the milk top, fill up the container in situ, and then it percolates slowly into the soil over several days.

**Luv2BeFrugal1** · 04-21-2007, 07:25 PM

We're all just utterly frustrated because things are so terribly expensive up here already.

Most wages are about $10 - $13/hr (if you're lucky)...and many of the jobs have little to no benefits. And you're talking about rent that's $900/month and up (not counting utilities...and no, not a fancy place).

Ground beef is $2.99/lb (yes, the crappy 20% fat kind). Fresh anything is out of site. It's just one of those "one more thing" type situations.

I just needed to vent...

We are SO ready to move!!!