Do you bag your own groceries?
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
November 13, 2009 5:26am CST
I know some people prefer to bag their own while others opt for someone else to do it. I know I like the stores where they bag it for you if I have my kids with. I usually end up spending more time bagging it myself because of having to watch my kids and make sure they are safe & not getting into trouble at the same time. I will say though I do like one of the stores that bags it for ya since their baggers are usually retirees and will help you to your car if you have alot of items or have your kids will you.
But the grocery store like Aldi or Save-a-lot don't have baggers but their prices are much cheaper! And I'm ok with bagging my things if it saves me money in the long haul. Though the one chain is now starting to offer a line lower than their own store brand line in price to be more competitave with Aldi's.
What do you prefer?
2 people like this
19 responses
@Muelitz (1592)
• Canada
13 Nov 09
Yes, here in our area, they have started encouraging people to go green. Shoppers are charged 5 cents per bag. So to save on plastic bag costs people bring their recyclable bags. Most of the time I bring mine so I have to fill-it up myself.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
13 Nov 09
Most of the time I go to stores where I have to bad my own groceries and I am fine with it. I don't like the way that most people bag my groceries when they do it for me. Even when I go to the stores that bag for you I do the self checkout, so I can bag the stuff myself anyway.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
13 Nov 09
I would rather someone else bag my stuff but they rarely do it as I wish. I will purposely group items in categories--the frozen stuff all together, the lighter weight things like bread and Kleenex at the end, canned goods altogether, etc. They usually mix them all up and even put bread in with the canned goods!
I'll usually get in the self checkout lines and bag them myself.
Our Aldi store is very small and doesn't offer much of a selection but I haven't been there in over a year. I plan to check them this week and see what they have. My sister in law told me yesterday that their produce is cheaper and better than other stores. Since I've switched to mostly fresh foods now, I think I should give them another chance.
@kittykat7983 (59)
• United States
14 Nov 09
I agree with you! I would rather not have to do it but I like certain items to be bagged together like the frozen together and dairy together and such. Some times when I go to fresh and easy they do it for me and I end up re-bagging it when I get to my car cus I didn't like they way they had bagged it. Some days I bag myself and end up messing it all up though LOL. Also most of the time I use my canvas bags at Fresh and Easy and we actually get a bag credit at the Sprouts 5cent off if you bring your own canvas bags. I was lucky and I was able to get a few free canvas bags. One was from Macy's they were selling them and then I guess they stopped and they had to give out the rest when they were bagging purchases so we just lucked out on that one. The other ones I got from fresh and easy with a coupon for joining the newsletter or whatever and with the coupon you spend like 10$ or more on your shopping trip and you get the canvas bag free. I got 2 of those coupons. And usually I can fit all my groceries in those three bags since the Macy's one is pretty big as well as extra thick. I love the fact that you don't have to worry about your bag tearing. Also they can be washed if they get too dirty. Mine actually need to be washed soon. I think I might need to take care to make sure and not let it shrink though LOL.
Jen aka Kittykat7983
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
14 Nov 09
I've got to remember to take my bags in, Kitty. I really don't like all those plastic bags taking up drawer space in my kitchen! They come in handy but I have a huge excess. I got some canvas bags for $1 each but I never remember to take them. Thanks for the reminder!
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
14 Nov 09
I like to bag my own as I can do it as it's being checked out, saving some time. Also I like to put things in my own preferred order into my bags as I find the checkout operators tend to put things like eggs or bread at the bottom and heavy stuff on top - but, I don't have children to watch out for like you do. If I did have, I might prefer to have my shopping bagged for me while I made sure the kids were behaving themselves.
@Skyeblue25 (545)
•
14 Nov 09
I work in a forecourt garage, but we are also a small supermarket. We have restrictions on space so we bag the customers shopping. Because of the lack of space it isn't the easiest thing in the world if the customer has a large basket.
I always try and stick foods in the same category together. But its annoying when the customer has it all muddled in their basket. Sometimes they have put all the heavy stuff on the top and the light stuff on the bottom squashing their own food.
Other times when you want to put the heavy stuff in the bag first, its all at the bottom of the basket, and there isn't the space to put all the small light things anywhere to get the heavy stuff out first.
When I go shopping myself I prefer someone packing for me as I do enough packing in my job. Though if the shop is really busy, usually the self-service checkout is clear and its quicker to do it myself.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
13 Nov 09
I don't shop at stores that have you bag your own groceries... unless you count the wholesale club, but those items are too big to bag anyways. I do most of my shopping at Walmart, so the stuff gets bagged by the cashier.
Although honestly I would prefer to bag it myself. I absolutely hate the way some cashiers bag my stuff. Putting bread with a jar of spaghetti sauce, frozen and cold stuff in with boxed foods (condensation ruins the boxes). They just never seem to get it right, and I'll end up rebagging before putting the stuff in the cart. That sometimes annoys them. I've had cashiers get so angry at me (because I was stopping the turning table with the bags on it in order to rebag some stuff) One time a cashier started throwing my food around and spinning the table while I had my hand in a bag. I complained to the manager and got a $20 gift card!
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
13 Nov 09
They use school children out here (Known as Schooler's) to do the bagging and as hey re working for money to go to school then I let them bag and carry to my car and try to tip them well. Their parents cannot afford the expense of sending them to school.
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
14 Nov 09
I prefer they do it. However the trend is like gasoline stations where you pump your own gas, they are few and far between and if they provide the service, they charge you for it now. I foresee the future where the self serve checkouts will be the only option.
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
14 Nov 09
I've never heard of a grocery store where there are no baggers and you have to bag your own groceries. Here in my country all grocery stores have baggers. But sometimes I help the baggers when I'm in a hurry to leave. And you won't see retirees bagging groceries here. That job is given to young people.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
14 Nov 09
I would rather have someone else bag my groceries. I would rather they use paper instead of plastic but Walmart only has plastic. I have been to a few stores that have a few checkout where you can check yourself out and bag your own groceries. I did though as I was waiting to cash out see that an employee has to double check your receipt before people can bag their groceries.
@rg0205 (2636)
• Hong Kong
14 Nov 09
I am okay with bagging my own stuff, too. Actually, I normally do because the baggers usually get things mixed up and I dont like that. They'd put raw food in the same bag as detergents so that doesn't sit well with me. In addition to that, they don't put things nicely sometimes. They just throw everything in as if they were dumping garbage into a trash can. So, well, if it could save me money, too, I'd do it myself. I already am doing it myself most of the time anyway.
@DrRichason (34)
• United States
14 Nov 09
I'm entirely too lazy to bag my own groceries, besides they got folks to do that for ya anyway. If there's a problem with the way they bagging it, don't hesitate to let them know.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
13 Nov 09
Even Walmart here bags - some of the clerks are better than others tho...
I really don't mind bagging - of course, I don't have kids....
Another local store has baggers, but not for every checkout stand, and so I'll be down there bagging while the clerk might also be bagging.
It can be a bit harried tho if I also need to pay.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
13 Nov 09
i do sometimes if there's no bagger or they're taking their sweet time about it.
one store we have here is bag your own all the time.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
13 Nov 09
We have started using the canvas bags. And alot of the time, I can just hand them to the bagger. THey seem fine with it. If I am at a place where I have to bag for myselg, my daughter likes to help, so it works out well. My daughter tends to go a bit overboard with how full she gets the bags, but has fun. Aldis is always an experience!
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
13 Nov 09
Our stores around here don't usually have baggers helping. So I usually wind up bagging all my groceries. I don't mind it though. A couple of our grocery stores also have U-Scan, where you can scan, pay and bag your own groceries. I love doing that. It saves me so much time without having to wait in the long lines.
@randomusername (125)
• Canada
13 Nov 09
I like to put bags on my groceries myself because some stores don't handle my products well and just throw them in the bag. Sometimes i get picky and I want specific items in specific bags so they stay in good condition.
