Budgets Are Sexy

And I’ve already gotten suckered into it TWICE on opening day! (This new tax went into effect Sunday, the 1st of the year. Kinda like my free Wendy frosties too, only that one doesn’t require me to bring my own cups!) Jeesh… I remember when the bag trend hit DC a cple years back, where everyone was charged a few pennies every time they needed a bag from a convenience store (or as luck would have it for me, Subway), and it seems now it’s hit the great state of Maryland too.  Which is good and bad…

Good, because obviously we’re trying to save the environment here and many of us like nabbing those bags left and right without a care in the world (or at least I did used to ), but bad cuz now it’s costing us every time we do it!  And double when you extra bag it for those milks and other heavy items at the grocery store – quickly making your total add up. (I think on our last trip we used like 25 plastic bags, which would have come out to what?  $1.25?).  But you add in trips to 7-Eleven or Subway, or any other place you buy things at that normally require a bag, and that $hit will pile up faster than you can say Al Gore. (See what I did there? :))

Of course, you can easily avoid these new fees too as long as you play by the rules.  But so far the only way I can figure it out is to fill your car w/ a dozen or so recyclable bags and then carry them in with you every time you dip into a store.  Effectively making you the newest bag lady on the block.  It’s def. not convenient, that’s for sure.  Though yes, I know, it’ll still save some trees and landfills.  Which I’m all for, believe me, I just need to figure out a smoother way of doing so.  And one that I’m not gonna forget every other shopping trip!

Has these fees hit any of your areas yet?  Are you already rockin’ those re-usable bags like it’s second nature? If so, I’d like to hear about your secrets. I need to whip myself into shape before I end up blowing hundreds of dollars a year off of something I used to get for free for the last 32 years – that’s one helluva habit! Help me save the environment AND my wallet, please!

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PS: Also, what will you then use for trash can liners and dog poop picker uppers?  Do you know how empty our under-sinks are gonna be now? ;)

(Photo by normanack, who made my cat jealous)

Originally published at budgetsaresexy.com.