the joys of reusable shopping bags

This will probably be the dorkiest post on the blog so far but I feel so strongly about this that I will forgo my pride and dignity to post this.

There are not many more wonderful things to me these days than tools that make my life easier. This is why I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the reusable shopping bags. You've seen them at the store for $1 or so. They are wonderful because:

1) you can shove WAY more groceries in them than those cheap bags they give you at the stores. I can get our entire family's groceries for 2 weeks into 10 bags. (That's saying something- there are 7 of us). This $10 investment has brought me more smiles than a lot of other servings of chocolate ice cream for the same price. You can bring in your groceries in far less trips from the car and the long handles are so much easier to carry than the plastic hand held ones.

2) I use my bags for hauling EVERYTHING. I even pack the kids clothes in them and throw them into a large suitcase for trips. Things stay organized in the luggage because everyone has their own bag but I'm not hauling 7 bags in and out of the car, plane, bus, etc.

3) Smiths will give you 5 points (5 cents) for each bag you use for your shopping. After 20 trips to the store your bag has paid for itself.

4) They last longer than a plastic bag and are more friendly on the environment. Less use of the earth's resources= less waste, happier everyone. If you're handy with a sewing machine they will last even longer. I've had mine for a year and they're still hanging in there.

Sorry, I told you it was dorky but they truly are the coolest thing since sliced bread......
Melissa