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The Shopping Bag Topic


Tropicalsenior

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I just got back from shopping, which I only do once a week. My blood pressure can't stand the shock of the rising prices more often than that. I realized that I have developed a system of shopping that accommodates most of my weaknesses. When bringing your own bag became absolutely mandatory here, I bought a lot of inexpensive colored bags. Now when I get to the checkout counter, I have three requests of the checker. First and most important don't fill the bags too heavy, second, put all the refrigerated things in the blue bags, put all the vegetables in the red bags and everything else in the green. I make sure that I separate everything on the conveyor belt just to make it easier for them. Everything in the blue bags has to go in an insulated bag in the car just to get home because it gets so hot down here. 

Then when I get home I know that I have to put everything in the blue bags away first, then the red bags and then, if I'm exhausted, I can sit down with a glass of iced tea, put my feet up and stare at the green ones without any guilt.

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At the grocery store on my weekly visit I have taken to asking the produce guy to open a few plastic bags for me Really hard for me. The guys are usually sweet, happy for break and a chat, and I tell them they can check off "good deed for the day"

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7 minutes ago, heidih said:

open a few plastic bags

Oh, those plastic bags are just the worst. Not only are they getting cheaper and more flimsy, now we can't take off our masks to lick our fingers to get them open. Not to mention that our fingers just don't work as well.

Did I mention, we have some of the best Checkers here. I've never come across anybody that doesn't bend over backwards to help once they know you need it.

Edited by Tropicalsenior (log)
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Last year I bought some mesh reusable bags for produce, in part because of the plastic bag frustration. I still use the plastic bags for wet items like lettuce/greens since the supermarket insists on "misting" the greens to keep them fresh. Or packaged meat which may leak. We are going to "bring your own bag" later next year, the system that @Tropicalsenior uses is very smart. I separate items as I put them on the belt, but bagging does tend to become random if not monitored. I also "prioritize" grocery items for putting away, this makes it dead simple.

Edited by BeeZee
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"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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The store that I go to has something that seems to be unique in our area. It is a carousel that sits at the end of the checkout counter. The checker can hang five or six bags on it and rotate it to put things in the appropriate bag if necessary. I wish that I had taken a picture of it today. The people in this store are really something special. There is a store from this chain that is less than a mile from my house but I drive almost five miles to this one just for the service.

Edited by Tropicalsenior (log)
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13 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

The store that I go to has something that seems to be unique in our area. It is a carousel that sits at the end of the checkout counter. The checker can hang five or six bags on it and rotate it to put things in the appropriate bag if necessary. I wish that I had taken a picture of it today. The people in this store are really something special. There is a store from this chain that is less than a mile from my house but I drive almost five miles to this one just for the service.

We have those where I live, too. One chain (Sobeys) uses them, the other (Superstore) does not.

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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2 minutes ago, chromedome said:

We have those where I live, too. One chain (Sobeys) uses them, the other (Superstore) does not.

I don't know why they don't all use them. It's faster, it eliminates the need for a separate bagman, it has a neat little area in the center to put items that need to go in last and it makes it so much easier to accommodate difficult people like me. They do it with a smile, at least I think they do. Hard to tell with the mask.

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1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

Last year I bought some mesh reusable bags for produce,

I liked the idea so much that I went to Amazon to see what they offer and I found this

https://www.amazon.com/YIHONG-Produce-Reusable-Drawstring-Colorful/dp/B07G9T9JLK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=mesh%2Bshopping%2Bbags%2Bfor%2Bproduce&qid=1639090328&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1

I can't order things on Amazon here in Costa Rica because of the cost of shipping but I've got a grandson that works at Amazon and he's coming to visit right after Christmas. This has gone on my wishlist.

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3 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

The store that I go to has something that seems to be unique in our area. It is a carousel that sits at the end of the checkout counter. The checker can hang five or six bags on it and rotate it to put things in the appropriate bag if necessary. I wish that I had taken a picture of it today. The people in this store are really something special. There is a store from this chain that is less than a mile from my house but I drive almost five miles to this one just for the service.

Walmart has those carousels, but you have to watch them, depending on how fast your checker is, to  make sure that each customer clears and gets all of their bags.  And that you retrieve all of yours before the customer behind you starts collecting.  

Edited by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

eGullet member #80.

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My grandson just let me know that he has ordered my bags. He was kind of incredulous that I was asking him to bring plastic bags to Costa Rica but he's getting them.

Just the word from the horse's mouth, head office at Amazon, and this is a direct quote from him.

"Keep in mind a lot of this stuff takes longer to get to me because shipping #$%^ is messed up right now Prime shipping or not".

 It seems that right now about half of my wishlist is in jeopardy. If you want to order anything for Christmas, order it now!

Edited by Tropicalsenior (log)
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I nailed the family several days ago, told them that I did not have the capacity to "shop" for Christmas, ergo, they needed to line up and give me specific requests.    I must have scared them in submission 'cause by this morning i had a tidy list which I dispatched (Target, Macy's, Amazon) and actually have everything en route as we speak.     The most rewarding one was a tween granddaughter who wanted a "baking kit" from a fancy catalog.    I asked her if I could make up one for her and she was delighted.  So adding an American Test Kitchen kids' cookbook, I will box up some extraordinary cookie cutters and molds, baking tins, mini-cake tins, etc.   Eat your heart out, MndWare Catalog!

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51 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

That would be fun, and oh so easy to get carried away. Wooden spoon set, whisk, apron and oven mitts. Things that she will treasure forever.

 

When she turns 21 a corkscrew.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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18 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I just got back from shopping, which I only do once a week. My blood pressure can't stand the shock of the rising prices more often than that. I realized that I have developed a system of shopping that accommodates most of my weaknesses. When bringing your own bag became absolutely mandatory here, I bought a lot of inexpensive colored bags. Now when I get to the checkout counter, I have three requests of the checker. First and most important don't fill the bags too heavy, second, put all the refrigerated things in the blue bags, put all the vegetables in the red bags and everything else in the green. I make sure that I separate everything on the conveyor belt just to make it easier for them. Everything in the blue bags has to go in an insulated bag in the car just to get home because it gets so hot down here. 

Then when I get home I know that I have to put everything in the blue bags away first, then the red bags and then, if I'm exhausted, I can sit down with a glass of iced tea, put my feet up and stare at the green ones without any guilt.

How clever!

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I leave my bags in the car. I put things back in the cart after checking out and then out to the car where I distribute them to my liking - I have a collapsible cooler in the car for the cold. I return the cart to one of their shopping cart corrals in the parking lot. No more bread at the bottom of the bag.

Works for me.

 

p

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