How I did it: For me what worked was finding some tough zippered bags at Fred Meyer's.  They have insulated sides which are stiff enough to stand up when open, and they are a stylish black.  I bought six of them.  Now I feel proud of my bagging system, and am eager to use it every time.  I keep all six folded and stored inside a seventh bag, which is a sturdy canvas bag with pretty pictures on the outside.

When I first tried using a mishmash of bags purchased here and there I always felt unhappy because they were so awkward and ugly.  I felt like a "bag lady" every time I used them.  It makes such a HUGE difference to have bags I love now!

While training myself to never accept a plastic bag, sometimes I would "slip up" and forget to bring my bags shopping with me.  Then I made a pledge that if I ever found myself without a bag I would BUY a reuseable bag right then to carry my stuff home in.  That made a big difference.  I've only had to do that twice.  I learned my lesson.

Another good tip that helped me was keeping one or two old plastic bags rolled up into a little ball in my purse.   They are not as nice, but they saved me several times when I was stuck without a cloth bag to use.

I feel so proud of this accomplishment!  It's a good first step towards being more eco-friendly. 

Oct 31, 12:09AM PDT | 3 comments | 12 cheers