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Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

There are few places that you can go anymore that don’t sell reusable shopping bags. Whether you are visiting the grocery store, the bookstore, the library or your favorite clothing store, everyone wants to cash in on going green. Every store offering their own design, size and material they are made from. They are quickly becoming the next “status symbol” that everyone must have. Even top designers are cashing in on reusable bags. Which begs the question then, are reusable shopping bags worth the investment?

Let’s start with the impact on the environment. When you consider the impact of using “paper or plastic” on the environment the answer is yes. Reusable shopping bags are definitely the way to go. Now many people have asked which type of reusable shopping bag is better for the environment. There are cotton, hemp, polyester and polypropylene all of which have some environmental impact when it comes to their manufacturing. However it is really negligible when you compare the manufacturing process to the impact using paper or plastic bags.

Now many of you may remember the “tote” bag, a deep bag with two handles that you could basically carry whatever you wanted in them. My grandmother used them for the movies, pool and the beach. They had wild designs or they were very simple. Their purpose was to help you get what you wanted to carry to where it was you were going. I call this the “original” reusable shopping bag. If you have a tote bag at home, you can use it to carry your groceries in. It works just as well and possibly even better.

Designer bags, like Anya Hindmarch’s “I’m not a plastic bag,” canvas bag that is due out this June are nice to look at. They are painted with a good message and soon everyone will want to have one. Are they necessary?

No, you don’t need to spend $15 or more on a bag that you are going to use for groceries or books or clothing. Instead opt for the bags that aren’t going to cost you a fortune and send an even better message.

First look for the free bags. These would be the ones that you have already, such as the tote bags that I already discussed. There are also free bags that you get at golf outings you have attended, if you have gone to a conference or seminar OR you can also reuse any paper or plastics bags you currently have. Don’t throw them away, take them to the store with you.

The next best place to get the reusable shopping bags is the grocery store. Currently where I live, depending on which grocery I visit and the size of the bag I get the cost ranges anywhere from .99 to $2.99. The benefit is that when you take them back to the store to use them, most of the grocery stores where I live will give you a credit on your grocery bill anywhere from .05 - .10 / bag used to bag groceries. It doesn’t seem like much, but if you buy 5 bags and you paid .99 per bag that is 4.95 for all five. Use them each time you go to the grocery store and in a few months you will have recouped the cost of the bags. What is even better, use them at any store that offers a discount and you can earn/save the money back even quicker.

With all the being said, the best reusable grocery bag is going to be the bag that you are going to actually use. You can have 30 reusable grocery bags but if you keep forgetting them at home and then get your groceries bagged in paper or plastic you are not helping the environment or saving money.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of CheapInsider.com. Cheap Insider provides everyone with Tips and Techniques for saving money and finding bargains. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Money Saving Tips”

When keeping a close eye on every penny you spend and trying to make sure that each dollar goes as far as it can many people are considering bulk buying. We have all seen the bulk stores in our local cities and towns. The parking lots are often over flowing, but are those people really saving money and are you missing out? The simple answer is yes, if you are smart.

Just like when you go grocery shopping at the normal grocery store you think about what you are buying based on your needs and the size of your family. You would not want to go to a Bulk Supply Store and buy fresh vegetables or other produce related items if there is only you, or you and a partner. You can only eat so many green peppers in a week. Yes, most bulk stores will offer a gallon of milk, and it will be a few cents cheaper… they sell eggs and things which can help you save money.

What about the other items though, and your budget? If you know the cost of the same products at your local store and you have a list of the items you actually need you can save a lot of money buying in bulk most of the time. I want to give you a few examples that I have encountered locally. I know that a case of Pepsi at the local grocery is around $7.00. I know that a case of Pepsi at the Bulk Store is $9.87. Initially you think that the case at the Bulk Store is more expensive, but it isn’t. Actually it costs the same at both places; the case at the local store is for 24 cans, which come out to .27 per can. The case at the bulk store is for 36 and again they are .27 per can. The trick there is that you are getting more in the case so you think you are saving money.

Another example, a case of toilet paper the local grocery has Charmin 12 rolls for 6.99. The bulk store has 36 rolls for $12 something. If you buy the toilet paper at the bulk store you are going to save .24 per roll of toilet paper or $8.64. So it makes sense then to buy toilet paper and other paper goods at the bulk store. You can go and buy your paper products at the beginning of the month, save money and not have to worry about it when you go to the grocery the following week.

I can also give you an example for bread. At the bulk store you can get hot dog and hamburger buns cheaper then what you can get them at the local store. The same holds true for bread and bagels and such. But if you are not going to eat 48 hot dog buns and you don’t have the space to freeze them, you are still wasting money.

I also want to interject a little note here. Your local grocery may offer a bulk food section. Pay attention to the price per pound compared to the prepackaged item in the next aisle. Sometimes it saves you money and sometimes it is going to cost you more.

Another thing to consider is that when you buy in bulk you are protecting the environment. Instead of the waste of packaging materials used to wrap each paper towel, or one package of napkins or one loaf of bread that ends up in a landfill, bulk buying allows more items to be placed in one packaging container.

Buy your staples in bulk, pay attention to prices based on the quantity in the package and you will save hundreds of dollars on year on groceries.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of CheapInsider.com. Cheap Insider provides everyone with Tips and Techniques for saving money and finding bargains. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Money Saving Tips”