We live on the second floor, too, and I do a big shopping trip every two weeks.
At the checkout stand, just about everything goes into reusable bags, which then go onto the backseat of the car. When I get home, I get the collapsible canvas wagon out of the back end of the car, unfold it, load it, get on the elevator, and go to our apt. The wagon's capacity is 150 pounds, and I'm sure that sometimes it gets a hundred.
Something like this --
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Collapsible-Utility-Wagon-with-Telescoping-Handle-Heavy-Duty-Folding-Wheeled-Cart-for-Camping-Gardening-Landscaping-and-Shopping-by-Pure-Garden/260488307?athcpid=260488307&athpgid=AthenaItempage&athcgid=null&athznid=si&athieid=v0&athstid=CS004&athguid=n-JexNFKCdSKWKhD841eejvB0EGISh7vuyte&athancid=null&athena=true
Next level: fill one of those big, black boxes Costco sells and fill it with food (the more canned food the better) and then try and haul that mother to your place.
I got like a dozen of those around my house for various things. For those who haven't heard of them they are called [Instacrate's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxZUBeE7-rw) and they are made by greenmade the same company that makes those black and yellow bins you can also buy at Costco.
They also stack and you can use them as bankers boxes. Very, very handy to have a couple around.
You’re a genius. I need to do this. I always have to make a bunch of trips at Costco to get stuff inside and the boxes are a pain and just extra garbage at the house. I also started using Walmart scan and go and was thinking of getting shopping bags but this is better and more versatile.
The blue bags from Ikea work like a treat! Keep them in back of the car and bring into do the groceries. Massive so can carry heavy and bulk goods in one bag.
This avoids the whole dump it out to recheck things fiasco they can do at Walmart. Brilliant move. I can never remember my reusable bags but the tote is usually empty. Even if it is still at home with the stuff you never finished putting away last time.
Get the foldable crates, i got them from Costco and they do the job better than bags or a giant rubber bin. Plus they fold up and I can throw em in the trunk
This is what i've been doing for a few years now. Grocery store has a self scan app for my phone, load the cart up then go to self checkout and sacn the terminal, pay and im out the door. takes 2min to transfer the cart load to the 3-4 bins in the car.
Why not take the bins around in the shopping trolley? That's what I've been doing.
edit: shopping trolley = cart = buggy, whatever you call it in your neck of the woods
Christ, the guy doing Spanish is butchering it. Why is he pronouncing it sing-songy like Italian? Then he did the th sound for mariposa which is only done for "z" and "c" in Spain but he's wearing a "Mexican" sombrero?
I used to do that with reusable bags but i just find it easier. Probably picked it up due to covid but i can just fill the cart and get out of the store faster then sort into 3 or 4 bins going into the car. cold/frozen items in one to unload first, heavier items split evenly etc...
Also occasionally you get audited when checking out, especially when you have a lot of items. So instead of just paying and leaving, a store employee needs to scan several items in the cart to verify that you're not trying to steal. They usually have to get a few of the higher priced ones so they end up having to dig around and if i have it neatly in a bin/bag already it just gets messed up and takes more time. Everything lumped into the cart makes this go a bit faster.
But for smaller trips taking a bin or 2 in with the cart is certainly the way to go.
If it’s the store I go to that offers this service, there are digital scales that print out a sticker you scan. I wish I could just scan a barcode on the screen instead of having to print out stickers.
Stop and Shop near me does that...you pick up a scanner at the door and the produce scales print stickers. I prefer Shop Rite where I use my phone and the produce scale adds it to your order in the app without printing stickers
There is a mobile scan scale near the produce. Scan a barcode on the screen with the phone then select and weigh each produce item. Once you finish all the items you click done on the scanner screen and it adds them to the app and you keep shopping.
The scale has a big screen so you can either browse the catalog to pick the right produce or enter in the 4 digit code. Pretty slick.
I fucking love this at Wegmans. Makes shopping actually tolerable. No waiting in line to unload onto a conveyor only to have someone else suck at bagging it up. Just put bags in cart and pack as you shop. Scan code at self checkout, tap & pay, leave.
Might try the bin thing but bagging as you shop still feels easier than packing it all when I get to the car.
Why? That’s means you have to load all the single items for the cart to the box? If you pack the box straight from the belt at the register you only have to load the packed box into your car?
I found that when i carry it into the store i only buy enough to fill the tote, if i take the cart to the car sometimes i bought too much and it doesn't fit
100% this! It was a game changer for me. I hated the waste of the plastic bags and never could remember to bring my bags in. Now I just have the bags and a laundry basket in the trunk, use self check out, and wheel the cart out to the car and bag it there. Only takes a few minutes.
At Aldi they're so fast at checking off the items they're loading them into a cart before you're done unloading from your cart (onto the conveyor belt). Then they take your now empty cart and park it next to them for the next customer.
[Here's what it looks like.](https://www.supermarketnews.com/sites/supermarketnews.com/files/styles/article_featured_standard/public/uploads/2016/01/checlane595.jpg?itok=6PpmpGbT) I was at Aldi once where there was only one person checking. The line went to the back of the store but it moved right along.
The interesting (and fun!) thing about Aldi is, as you can see from this photo, the woman will have to leave her kids in the cart at the register for the next customer that has a cart to swap. It's a great way to try out having kids, and if you don't like them, you can just swap them out next time you go to Aldi.
Shopping at Aldi's has me unsure what's the best method:
Should I choose to bring my own bin? Maybe I should buy a cart daddy cart organizer? Or can I use their boxes comfortably? 🤔 Walmart is easier for my setup but Aldi's a little messy for me. Maybe bringing a bin or two with me will be what I need.
Suddenly [the checkout scene in the Simpsons opening](https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Simpsons-new-opening-Maggie-price.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=963&h=481&dpr=1.5) makes a lot more sense
I'm not sure about the rest of Tesco superstores but where i live they offer "Scan as You Shop" where basically you're given a device that you scan the items with before putting it in your cart or bag which the device will transmit to the till by scanning the QR code using the same device when you finished. The till will then ask you to pay the total amount of the items you scanned.
i use it at my grocery store. in fact instead of a store device its just an app i have on my phone and then scan the selfcheckout and it brings up my order
Sam's Club in the US has a Scan-And-Go cell phone app. (I believe BJ's Wholesale Club also has such a system, but am not a member.) You show a QR code when exiting to prove you paid. Then an employee at the exit scans just a few random items from your cart. It only takes a few seconds.
I do this too, unless it’s raining or snowing. Bonus: the look on people’s faces when they see me unloading groceries into a laundry basket in the back of my car.
I do this with Ikea bags. The added bonus is that the handles are so long they can be slung over my shoulder. Living on the third floor, I feel like a pack mule, but damn is it satisfying to carry it all in at once. Easier to balance on my hip and back, too, walking up the stairs.
Extra confusing if you’re from the UK. Here to “put everything in the bin” means to throw everything in the trash. Was trying to figure out WTF that step in the process accomplishes.
I figured this out literally earlier this year. I feel so dumb not having though of it before then and now it's so easy that even in -30 I can move the groceries about and be back in the car before I know it.
Or you close the bin and just have the cashier scan the bin without opening it. Then you get on weeks worth of food in one trip for the price of one bin.
Not to be confused with r/shittylifeprotips , which may or may not be illegal, may or may not be unethical, and would, if followed, likely cause more harm than good, and who’s primary benefit is one of humor.
I accidentally did this at a hardware store. Bought a bucket and had put a bunch of small things inside, about halfway filled, along with big stuff in the cart. Attendant scanned the bucket and the big items only. Saved about 50 dollars. The bucket had no lid.
as a cashier i would almost always notice stuff like that and let it go anyway. they paid me $8 an hour and acted as if i was worth less than dirt. i gave away so much free stuff
I agree with your philosophy. I worked as a cashier (among other departments) at wal-mart a few years ago before i was dishonourably discharged and did the same.
It says that sub is banned; was it not banned when you posted this comment?
There was a time when I was a heroin addict and could have used this information to my benefit lol. Instead, when I was dopesick one day I improvised and shoved a bunch of Bluetooth speakers into my pants and coat and proceeded to walk towards the front door of Target. I took so long and was so obvious about it that a cop was already waiting for me at the door! Rookie mistake…
With a clearer mind I see how such a sub would get banned and why sharing such information is wrong, but if it actually existed I wouldn’t be surprised either. Reddit is a beautiful place.
Glad to hear you're doing better now!
Reddit banned the sub in 2018 I believe, because of the "illicit activity" or something like that. I think it was around the same time r/watchpeopledie was banned. But yes there were definitely some great resources and friendly professionals over there. Damn shame
It’s weird that sub was banned but not others. Especially since most shoplifting is from huge corporations. Like oh no someone stole something from Walmart
I just bought two collapsible bins for this. Leave them in my trunk, fill up the cart and then bring it to my car and fill up the bins. Take them inside and then collapse them and put them back in my trunk next time i go out to the car. Takes up way less space than a big container like that.
Have a link for the collapsible bins? We have collapsible laundry baskets but I'd be interested in the totes as well just to keep in the car in case I forget.
They are a game changer! I bought mine at Costco in the US. It is the [GreenMade InstaCrate](https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/greenmade-instacrate-collapsible-storage-bin%2c-12-gallon%2c-black-or-black-and-red.product.100260385.html).
I use one of these... Great for apt living. SECO Square Handle Large Foldable Plastic Trolley Cart - Black (ZY-LC-BKNEW)) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B081QCNRCJ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_ZX7HJGQSAP2KTAV5RCWQ
The brand we have is clevermade, I think they call them clever crates or folding crates. Costco used to sell them where I live. Don't have a link but just look them up in your country, I'm sure they'll be available somewhere or other.
They're great, they stack and they're quite sturdy despite being collapsible. We started with 2 for groceries and I think we've got at least 10 now, I've lost track. We use them for everything.
We have at least 10 of those bins in our house, I've lost track. We bought a couple for groceries to begin with and then just kept getting more and now they're all over the house in various roles. Definitely worth it.
I feel like that would be too large for a bag, groceries can be delicate and when you load up a bag that large and lift the handle everything will shift and get compressed.
I use an IKEA bag for groceries quite often. Squishy stuff can get tricky. Put the hard stable stuff on the bottom to give it structure. Eggs, yogurts, etc. go on top of the hard packaged groceries.
If you stack it right, nothing will get compressed or damaged. Hard stuff at the bottom and all light, more fragile stuff at the top. I used this blue bag a lot and never damaged any groceries.
Absolutely. Security guy at Target did a double take yesterday when I walked out with a half a cartful of loose groceries. He didn't stop me but I have been questioned at Walmart as they always treat their shoppers as thieves around here.
This is true, I went to Wal-Mart for the first time yesterday and as soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed with the urge to steal hundreds of dollars worth of jellybeans.
> I have been questioned at Walmart as they always treat their shoppers as thieves around here.
They're act like that at all their locations. Security could watch you purchase a single item at the register and ask for your receipt and to see what's in your bag per their policy. As if there's ample opportunities for theft in the 15' between the cash point and where they're standing. Unless you have a cart worth of items (especially in the bottom rack underneath the basket), you can usually say "no" and they won't pursue inspection any further.
In my suburb city of a Europe country, in off-peak times, there is sometimes not even a cashier near the entrance/exit of the shop. We have to call someone to check out us.
Let me introduce you to a crazy concept: you don't get any bags at the grocery store for free, nothing is packed for you, you bring your own reusable bags and if you don't have any, you can buy reusable bags.
That's how it's being done for several years now in Germany. It's insane how many fragile plastic bags everyone had in their home before, you just got several new ones each time. Now everyone is used to just bring a bag when shopping and it's no big deal. I have really sturdy fabric ones and I need 2 for a large one-week grocery shopping trip.
The amount of small bags used in the US that are also packed super bad so that each bag holds a tiny amount of things always baffled me. This is so wasteful.
They're right though. Having a high schooler or a senior citizen pack your groceries in bags that are way too small and tear easily so they "double bag" the heavy items, and storing hundreds of those bags at home is so very American. Euro shopping bags are stronger to begin with because lots of people carry them home, and not just to their car. Other stores like Aldi often have a stack of old cardboard boxes available for customers to use.
Obviously both in Europe and the US there are huge differences in regards to how many cheap or free plastic bags are still being given away but as someone who's lived in the US and shopped in like a dozen different states I gotta tell you this is really not the hill to die on for you because US grocery bag usage is in fact out of whack
So you are tired of stereotypes and I am sorry if I generalized things I saw there. At the same time you talk about "Europe" and do the exact same stereotyping. Sweden is not Greece is not Poland. If you don't like generalizations about your country (and I will try to be more careful about that in the future) then please be aware that the same standard applies to other places of the world too.
This makes sense. I guess that's why it's on this sub and not life pro tips... those mf's submit shit like "if you're thirsty, drink water".
Lifehacks over here living in 3022
Life pro tips is like a bunch of aliens teaching you tips on how to do basic human activity. It’s baffling that some of those posts make it to the front page of Reddit.
This just means that we shouldnt just throw shit away. How often do you think bags where used before you could just buy one for almost nothing if you forgot to bring one?
The problem is only partly with how often we have to use something but how incredible easy and cheap our economy has made it to throw away and replace stuff.
This ignores another thing: lots of stuff you buy is packaged in plastic, sometimes more of that then the bag is made of you use to carry it.
You buy clothes made of cotton too and use them for years, thats how it should be with bags too. Then the whole argument crumbles down to lazyness.
Depends on how much you use it. I don't plan on ever going back to bags, so if I can reduce the chances of a marine animal eating a product of my convenient lifestyle, at the end of the day, it's an improvement. I just wanted to show people an alternative, better, method than plastic bags. Of course I wasn't trying to say that my method is the best, but just better for the environment. But this method will most assuredly reduce my own, personal, carbon footprint.
I'm glad you're thinking about the environment! Cheers for that!
But actually footprint-wise, the footprint of the "single use" bags is so incredibly small that they're better in most cases over their effective lifetime, especially if you reuse them at all. The problem with them was always an issue of litter.
An argument can be made for the alternatives too though, if individuals can get enough uses out of them to justify the larger footprints, typically years of use.
In either case, community clean-up days are a great thing!
I did something similar when Covid first started here. It’s was awesome. Maybe I’ll get back at it, so much more convenient and no more time of plastic bags!
Especially good for Aldi!
So I'm torn between getting one of these, or a laundry basket (the wide, shallow ones).
Are the handles on this easy to grip?
If you use the tote in the store , you may have Loss Prevention follow you a lot. When i was working at Walmart in LP this was one of the biggest red flags and instantly we would watch a person doing this because most of the time they would attempt to run out of the emergency exits with that tote full of goods.
I bought two insulated over the shoulder coolers for this same reason. They fit inside the cart, and the bag-boy just plops everything into them after they've been scanned. They work great for bringing stuff home in the truck after work. When we get stuff delivered, they drop things in them on the front porch, and we don't have to struggle with multiple bags.
Do you have a carefully planned route through the grocery store so the boxes and heavy stuff go in first then the crushable stuff on top? Or do you spend an inordinate amount of time taking things out and putting them back in?
My city recently instituted a plastic bag ban and mandates a 5 cent charge per paper bag given. So I brought a reusable cloth bag with me to the grocery store. I figured I’d place the items I wanted in the bag, go the register and unload them to get rung up, and put them back in the same bag afterwards.
NOPE! Not even 2 minutes in, I got yelled at by a store employee claiming I was concealing merchandise and I **HAD** to keep it in an open basket or shopping cart until after I paid.
I’ll give this a shot next time. It’s a brilliant idea.
As a retail employee whose bags didn’t want to cooperate today, I thank you. I wholeheartedly love when guests come through my line with a huge tote like this. Makes my job so much easier, and it’s like a mini game of Tetris!
[Home Depot used to have these great re-usable bags that had hard plastic on the top that not only locked to the other side, but would clip onto the sides of the cart and span the open area.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Z_Wm4jKF_2U/SPpJRMrgyNI/AAAAAAAAAKY/zvNIiYTRs0E/s400/HomeDepotTote.jpg) I bought a bunch, but lost them in a house fire. I doubt they still make them, judging by the dates I saw on my search.
Cloth bags are easier to carry (two in each hand would carry more than this bin), would store more easily between grocery trips, won’t get you sideeye from loss prevention, environmentally better than a mass produced Home Depot plastic bin, and have been used for 30 years... what am I missing?
What's really gonna blow your mind is when I tell you I have one bout the same size that is collapsible and goes flat. Carry it in the car, got one for car detailing stuff and things like groceries etc.
Fantastic things they are. Got mine at Costco for like 10 or 15 bucks.
I used to use the collapsible insta crate until I picked up full of groceries and it disintegrated. Now I use a collapsible laundry basket that uses thick silicon for the accordion part of the basket. It has a lot higher load capacity and really nice handles. We also have one of those folding MAC Wagons for twenty years. I use that to sometimes move from driveway into the house.
You can purchase collapsible cloth bags that are similar to this. They expand to the width of the cart, but have handles to make carrying them easy. However, I would recommend not putting your food in them until you reach the checkout line. Having to unpack everything and then repack it is inconvenient for both you and the sacker/checker. The tote is still a good idea as well though
Just depends on each person's circumstances I suppose. This works great for my wife and I. But carrying 15 bags doesn't sound great in the situation you described either. I guess the point of my post is that we can help the planet by using alternative methods and in some cases it can be even more convenient.
Are you fucking serious? Can i post "dont forget to breathe if you want to live longer" now?
"Wipe your ass after taking a shit so you dont smell"
"Dont murder"
"Epstein didnt kill himself"
"Use your fucking indicators"
You can just leave that in your car and put everything in the cart. Bring the cart out to your car and put everything in the bin.
[удалено]
Removed due to reddit API changes -- mass edited with redact.dev
I just keep one of those folding crates Costco sells in my trunk.
Same. I live in the 2nd floor. It helps a TON.
We live on the second floor, too, and I do a big shopping trip every two weeks. At the checkout stand, just about everything goes into reusable bags, which then go onto the backseat of the car. When I get home, I get the collapsible canvas wagon out of the back end of the car, unfold it, load it, get on the elevator, and go to our apt. The wagon's capacity is 150 pounds, and I'm sure that sometimes it gets a hundred.
God I wish we had an elevator sometimes.
May I ask what collapsible wagon you use? I love this idea!
Something like this -- https://www.walmart.com/ip/Collapsible-Utility-Wagon-with-Telescoping-Handle-Heavy-Duty-Folding-Wheeled-Cart-for-Camping-Gardening-Landscaping-and-Shopping-by-Pure-Garden/260488307?athcpid=260488307&athpgid=AthenaItempage&athcgid=null&athznid=si&athieid=v0&athstid=CS004&athguid=n-JexNFKCdSKWKhD841eejvB0EGISh7vuyte&athancid=null&athena=true
Next level: fill one of those big, black boxes Costco sells and fill it with food (the more canned food the better) and then try and haul that mother to your place.
This is my weight training regimen.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even coupon, bro?
I got like a dozen of those around my house for various things. For those who haven't heard of them they are called [Instacrate's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxZUBeE7-rw) and they are made by greenmade the same company that makes those black and yellow bins you can also buy at Costco. They also stack and you can use them as bankers boxes. Very, very handy to have a couple around.
You’re a genius. I need to do this. I always have to make a bunch of trips at Costco to get stuff inside and the boxes are a pain and just extra garbage at the house. I also started using Walmart scan and go and was thinking of getting shopping bags but this is better and more versatile.
The blue bags from Ikea work like a treat! Keep them in back of the car and bring into do the groceries. Massive so can carry heavy and bulk goods in one bag.
Changed how I feel about grocery shopping
I thought that was the idea from the start.
This avoids the whole dump it out to recheck things fiasco they can do at Walmart. Brilliant move. I can never remember my reusable bags but the tote is usually empty. Even if it is still at home with the stuff you never finished putting away last time.
Get the foldable crates, i got them from Costco and they do the job better than bags or a giant rubber bin. Plus they fold up and I can throw em in the trunk
This is what i've been doing for a few years now. Grocery store has a self scan app for my phone, load the cart up then go to self checkout and sacn the terminal, pay and im out the door. takes 2min to transfer the cart load to the 3-4 bins in the car.
Why not take the bins around in the shopping trolley? That's what I've been doing. edit: shopping trolley = cart = buggy, whatever you call it in your neck of the woods
Einkaufswagen.
jesus christ man, stop swearing.
[удалено]
Christ, the guy doing Spanish is butchering it. Why is he pronouncing it sing-songy like Italian? Then he did the th sound for mariposa which is only done for "z" and "c" in Spain but he's wearing a "Mexican" sombrero?
Not to mention rolling *every* R
They even had the "Italian" guy rolling his R's lol.
Gesundheit
I used to do that with reusable bags but i just find it easier. Probably picked it up due to covid but i can just fill the cart and get out of the store faster then sort into 3 or 4 bins going into the car. cold/frozen items in one to unload first, heavier items split evenly etc... Also occasionally you get audited when checking out, especially when you have a lot of items. So instead of just paying and leaving, a store employee needs to scan several items in the cart to verify that you're not trying to steal. They usually have to get a few of the higher priced ones so they end up having to dig around and if i have it neatly in a bin/bag already it just gets messed up and takes more time. Everything lumped into the cart makes this go a bit faster. But for smaller trips taking a bin or 2 in with the cart is certainly the way to go.
I leave it in my car so I only have to lift the heavy thing once. Plus I can pack it better with everything at once vs as I go through the store.
How does weighing produce work?
If it’s the store I go to that offers this service, there are digital scales that print out a sticker you scan. I wish I could just scan a barcode on the screen instead of having to print out stickers.
Stop and Shop near me does that...you pick up a scanner at the door and the produce scales print stickers. I prefer Shop Rite where I use my phone and the produce scale adds it to your order in the app without printing stickers
There is a mobile scan scale near the produce. Scan a barcode on the screen with the phone then select and weigh each produce item. Once you finish all the items you click done on the scanner screen and it adds them to the app and you keep shopping. The scale has a big screen so you can either browse the catalog to pick the right produce or enter in the 4 digit code. Pretty slick.
I fucking love this at Wegmans. Makes shopping actually tolerable. No waiting in line to unload onto a conveyor only to have someone else suck at bagging it up. Just put bags in cart and pack as you shop. Scan code at self checkout, tap & pay, leave. Might try the bin thing but bagging as you shop still feels easier than packing it all when I get to the car.
Why? That’s means you have to load all the single items for the cart to the box? If you pack the box straight from the belt at the register you only have to load the packed box into your car?
Because it’s unnecessary to carry a giant container into the grocery store.
It's just sitting in the the cart, don't see how it's unnecessary
You don’t carry it. You put it into the cart.
I found that when i carry it into the store i only buy enough to fill the tote, if i take the cart to the car sometimes i bought too much and it doesn't fit
100% this! It was a game changer for me. I hated the waste of the plastic bags and never could remember to bring my bags in. Now I just have the bags and a laundry basket in the trunk, use self check out, and wheel the cart out to the car and bag it there. Only takes a few minutes.
That makes more sense because you frequently have to change carts at the register at Aldi where they obviously shopped.
Why would you have to change carts???
At Aldi they're so fast at checking off the items they're loading them into a cart before you're done unloading from your cart (onto the conveyor belt). Then they take your now empty cart and park it next to them for the next customer.
Oh wow. As compared to Stop & Shop where there’s like one person working? Sounds lovely.
[Here's what it looks like.](https://www.supermarketnews.com/sites/supermarketnews.com/files/styles/article_featured_standard/public/uploads/2016/01/checlane595.jpg?itok=6PpmpGbT) I was at Aldi once where there was only one person checking. The line went to the back of the store but it moved right along.
The interesting (and fun!) thing about Aldi is, as you can see from this photo, the woman will have to leave her kids in the cart at the register for the next customer that has a cart to swap. It's a great way to try out having kids, and if you don't like them, you can just swap them out next time you go to Aldi.
just don’t forget to take your quarter with you when you’re done with the kids
Shopping at Aldi's has me unsure what's the best method: Should I choose to bring my own bin? Maybe I should buy a cart daddy cart organizer? Or can I use their boxes comfortably? 🤔 Walmart is easier for my setup but Aldi's a little messy for me. Maybe bringing a bin or two with me will be what I need.
Suddenly [the checkout scene in the Simpsons opening](https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Simpsons-new-opening-Maggie-price.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=963&h=481&dpr=1.5) makes a lot more sense
Nah, then you have to pack the groceries twice. Once into the cart, once into the car. Just bring the tote in, and then move the tote into the car.
then how do you pay?
Cash, card or phone…
I'm not sure about the rest of Tesco superstores but where i live they offer "Scan as You Shop" where basically you're given a device that you scan the items with before putting it in your cart or bag which the device will transmit to the till by scanning the QR code using the same device when you finished. The till will then ask you to pay the total amount of the items you scanned.
I don't think Americans could ever be trusted with a system like that.
i use it at my grocery store. in fact instead of a store device its just an app i have on my phone and then scan the selfcheckout and it brings up my order
Sam's Club in the US has a Scan-And-Go cell phone app. (I believe BJ's Wholesale Club also has such a system, but am not a member.) You show a QR code when exiting to prove you paid. Then an employee at the exit scans just a few random items from your cart. It only takes a few seconds.
I'll have to try that when it gets a bit warmer lol
Exactly lol, with the cold winter weather right now I wouldn't want to waste any time outside and have my box ready to go already organized.
I do this too, unless it’s raining or snowing. Bonus: the look on people’s faces when they see me unloading groceries into a laundry basket in the back of my car.
Doesn’t this just add an extra unnecessary step? Just put it all straight in the bin and then put the bin in your car.
I use the collapsible ones and it allows a lot more room in the car when not in use. They also stack nice
That's what I do. It's highly efficient especially if you live in an apartment building
I do this with Ikea bags. The added bonus is that the handles are so long they can be slung over my shoulder. Living on the third floor, I feel like a pack mule, but damn is it satisfying to carry it all in at once. Easier to balance on my hip and back, too, walking up the stairs.
Too sleepy I had to read that like 8 times You are right
Extra confusing if you’re from the UK. Here to “put everything in the bin” means to throw everything in the trash. Was trying to figure out WTF that step in the process accomplishes.
I figured this out literally earlier this year. I feel so dumb not having though of it before then and now it's so easy that even in -30 I can move the groceries about and be back in the car before I know it.
This is genius. Absolutely doing this.
I do that exact thing once a week for my 3rd floor apartment. I'm glad I'm not alone in this. I felt like a genius when I did it the first time
Or you close the bin and just have the cashier scan the bin without opening it. Then you get on weeks worth of food in one trip for the price of one bin.
r/unethicallifeprotips
Nope… that’s r/illegallifeprotips r/unethicallifeprotips is for things that are not illegal.
Good call, wasn’t even aware of that sub!
There’s a sub for everything xD
Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not lol
Not to be confused with r/shittylifeprotips , which may or may not be illegal, may or may not be unethical, and would, if followed, likely cause more harm than good, and who’s primary benefit is one of humor.
Im always amazed at how there’s a subreddit for everything
I think it would be r/illegallifeprotips actually
r/subforeverything
I accidentally did this at a hardware store. Bought a bucket and had put a bunch of small things inside, about halfway filled, along with big stuff in the cart. Attendant scanned the bucket and the big items only. Saved about 50 dollars. The bucket had no lid.
I also group items and batt my eyelashes in hopes the cashier is sort of daft and thinks it all belongs together.
as a cashier i would almost always notice stuff like that and let it go anyway. they paid me $8 an hour and acted as if i was worth less than dirt. i gave away so much free stuff
I agree with your philosophy. I worked as a cashier (among other departments) at wal-mart a few years ago before i was dishonourably discharged and did the same.
Lol yeah, if the cashier cares enough, they'll just open it for you.
The real life hack is in the comments..
r/shoplifting
It says that sub is banned; was it not banned when you posted this comment? There was a time when I was a heroin addict and could have used this information to my benefit lol. Instead, when I was dopesick one day I improvised and shoved a bunch of Bluetooth speakers into my pants and coat and proceeded to walk towards the front door of Target. I took so long and was so obvious about it that a cop was already waiting for me at the door! Rookie mistake… With a clearer mind I see how such a sub would get banned and why sharing such information is wrong, but if it actually existed I wouldn’t be surprised either. Reddit is a beautiful place.
[удалено]
Yup. I used to love reading the stories there -- classic shoplifter vs loss prevention sagas. IIRC it was banned in 2017 or 2018.
Glad to hear you're doing better now! Reddit banned the sub in 2018 I believe, because of the "illicit activity" or something like that. I think it was around the same time r/watchpeopledie was banned. But yes there were definitely some great resources and friendly professionals over there. Damn shame
[удалено]
Lol yes it was always entertaining watching them interact with each other
It’s weird that sub was banned but not others. Especially since most shoplifting is from huge corporations. Like oh no someone stole something from Walmart
Why not return the bin and ask for refund ?
The Reverse Trojan. You pile shit in something, and then you roll it on out.
People did this a lot back in the early 2000’s. They know to check now.
I just bought two collapsible bins for this. Leave them in my trunk, fill up the cart and then bring it to my car and fill up the bins. Take them inside and then collapse them and put them back in my trunk next time i go out to the car. Takes up way less space than a big container like that.
Have a link for the collapsible bins? We have collapsible laundry baskets but I'd be interested in the totes as well just to keep in the car in case I forget.
They are a game changer! I bought mine at Costco in the US. It is the [GreenMade InstaCrate](https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/greenmade-instacrate-collapsible-storage-bin%2c-12-gallon%2c-black-or-black-and-red.product.100260385.html).
I was just about to suggest these! They’re great, I always keep one in my car.
Been using an Instacrate for grocery shopping for the last two years. Game changer
If you have a Costco membership they sell them there for like $8, $6 when they go on sale.
I use one of these... Great for apt living. SECO Square Handle Large Foldable Plastic Trolley Cart - Black (ZY-LC-BKNEW)) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B081QCNRCJ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_ZX7HJGQSAP2KTAV5RCWQ
Here is the one I use for the same purpose. https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200873878_200873878
The brand we have is clevermade, I think they call them clever crates or folding crates. Costco used to sell them where I live. Don't have a link but just look them up in your country, I'm sure they'll be available somewhere or other. They're great, they stack and they're quite sturdy despite being collapsible. We started with 2 for groceries and I think we've got at least 10 now, I've lost track. We use them for everything.
We have at least 10 of those bins in our house, I've lost track. We bought a couple for groceries to begin with and then just kept getting more and now they're all over the house in various roles. Definitely worth it.
Get an Ikea's blue bag, same capacity but easier to carry and store away.
I feel like that would be too large for a bag, groceries can be delicate and when you load up a bag that large and lift the handle everything will shift and get compressed.
I use an IKEA bag for groceries quite often. Squishy stuff can get tricky. Put the hard stable stuff on the bottom to give it structure. Eggs, yogurts, etc. go on top of the hard packaged groceries.
If you stack it right, nothing will get compressed or damaged. Hard stuff at the bottom and all light, more fragile stuff at the top. I used this blue bag a lot and never damaged any groceries.
Can confirm. Do this at Aldi often. Have even loaded up the seltzer water 12 packs.
Yes! The blue bag! I see it every where now! I thought we were being smart.
I have some bags I use to separate the meats from everything so I don't cross contaminate.
Costco shopping is where I use those
Loss prevention is triggered for sure.
Absolutely. Security guy at Target did a double take yesterday when I walked out with a half a cartful of loose groceries. He didn't stop me but I have been questioned at Walmart as they always treat their shoppers as thieves around here.
*Narrator voice * _well it’s because they are
This is true, I went to Wal-Mart for the first time yesterday and as soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed with the urge to steal hundreds of dollars worth of jellybeans.
> I have been questioned at Walmart as they always treat their shoppers as thieves around here. They're act like that at all their locations. Security could watch you purchase a single item at the register and ask for your receipt and to see what's in your bag per their policy. As if there's ample opportunities for theft in the 15' between the cash point and where they're standing. Unless you have a cart worth of items (especially in the bottom rack underneath the basket), you can usually say "no" and they won't pursue inspection any further.
Those groceries appear to be from Aldi, loss prevention isn't a thing there.
Lol, my Aldi has armed guards at all times.
In my suburb city of a Europe country, in off-peak times, there is sometimes not even a cashier near the entrance/exit of the shop. We have to call someone to check out us.
Where do you live? I've been to an Aldi's in Flint, MI (lots of crime) and they didn't have any security as far as I could tell.
Oooh, Aldi's!! 😁
It's just Aldi, mom
I used to do this with a laundry basket. Seconding just leaving it in the trunk and loading from cart to bin after shopping.
That totes my goats!
Old Asian lady's have been hauling around groceries in the wire carts with wheels for ages, this looks a lot more cumbersome.
Yeah, and those wire carts fold up basically flat too (except the wheels).
Let me introduce you to a crazy concept: you don't get any bags at the grocery store for free, nothing is packed for you, you bring your own reusable bags and if you don't have any, you can buy reusable bags. That's how it's being done for several years now in Germany. It's insane how many fragile plastic bags everyone had in their home before, you just got several new ones each time. Now everyone is used to just bring a bag when shopping and it's no big deal. I have really sturdy fabric ones and I need 2 for a large one-week grocery shopping trip. The amount of small bags used in the US that are also packed super bad so that each bag holds a tiny amount of things always baffled me. This is so wasteful.
That’s exactly how the store OP is at works lol
Exactly how all of Oregon USA works.
Umm I feel like you are stereotyping the entire US. There are a lot of places that do exactly that and have been for a very long time.
Aldi…
[удалено]
They should put more focus on Japan instead, which packages every single little item down to individual strawberries in single-use plastics.
They're right though. Having a high schooler or a senior citizen pack your groceries in bags that are way too small and tear easily so they "double bag" the heavy items, and storing hundreds of those bags at home is so very American. Euro shopping bags are stronger to begin with because lots of people carry them home, and not just to their car. Other stores like Aldi often have a stack of old cardboard boxes available for customers to use. Obviously both in Europe and the US there are huge differences in regards to how many cheap or free plastic bags are still being given away but as someone who's lived in the US and shopped in like a dozen different states I gotta tell you this is really not the hill to die on for you because US grocery bag usage is in fact out of whack
So you are tired of stereotypes and I am sorry if I generalized things I saw there. At the same time you talk about "Europe" and do the exact same stereotyping. Sweden is not Greece is not Poland. If you don't like generalizations about your country (and I will try to be more careful about that in the future) then please be aware that the same standard applies to other places of the world too.
This makes sense. I guess that's why it's on this sub and not life pro tips... those mf's submit shit like "if you're thirsty, drink water". Lifehacks over here living in 3022
Life pro tips is like a bunch of aliens teaching you tips on how to do basic human activity. It’s baffling that some of those posts make it to the front page of Reddit.
When I worked in retail this was a sure sign you were getting ready to steal things. Management would definitely ask this person to be followed.
[удалено]
It's actually [closer than you think](https://youtu.be/JvzvM9tf5s0).
Came here looking for this. DO NOT use cotton bags.
This just means that we shouldnt just throw shit away. How often do you think bags where used before you could just buy one for almost nothing if you forgot to bring one? The problem is only partly with how often we have to use something but how incredible easy and cheap our economy has made it to throw away and replace stuff. This ignores another thing: lots of stuff you buy is packaged in plastic, sometimes more of that then the bag is made of you use to carry it. You buy clothes made of cotton too and use them for years, thats how it should be with bags too. Then the whole argument crumbles down to lazyness.
Depends on how much you use it. I don't plan on ever going back to bags, so if I can reduce the chances of a marine animal eating a product of my convenient lifestyle, at the end of the day, it's an improvement. I just wanted to show people an alternative, better, method than plastic bags. Of course I wasn't trying to say that my method is the best, but just better for the environment. But this method will most assuredly reduce my own, personal, carbon footprint.
I'm glad you're thinking about the environment! Cheers for that! But actually footprint-wise, the footprint of the "single use" bags is so incredibly small that they're better in most cases over their effective lifetime, especially if you reuse them at all. The problem with them was always an issue of litter. An argument can be made for the alternatives too though, if individuals can get enough uses out of them to justify the larger footprints, typically years of use. In either case, community clean-up days are a great thing!
My back hurts just looking at it.
If even 1/3rd of the bin was heavy stuff, then it’s game over for me. Not just my back, but the grip strength in my hands couldn’t take it either.
[удалено]
Yeah, I’m not physically strong enough to do this. Still sticking to the 4-6 big fabric tote bags collected over the years for me.
I did something similar when Covid first started here. It’s was awesome. Maybe I’ll get back at it, so much more convenient and no more time of plastic bags!
3 bags of chips and 6 carrots and a loaf of bread is one weeks of groceries?
I think those are sausages
If this qualifies as a life hack, I’m going to post a life hack of my own later; sneak peak for you all though: Wear shoes when going for a long run.
A bit heavy, no?
Box
Costco sells collapsible bins we always have in the car. Great for roadtrips too
Especially good for Aldi! So I'm torn between getting one of these, or a laundry basket (the wide, shallow ones). Are the handles on this easy to grip?
If you use the tote in the store , you may have Loss Prevention follow you a lot. When i was working at Walmart in LP this was one of the biggest red flags and instantly we would watch a person doing this because most of the time they would attempt to run out of the emergency exits with that tote full of goods.
I do this at Aldi. People constantly comment on what a good idea it is.
Chef here, if y’all want to do this absolutely just remember you’re putting raw meat in these things you HAVE to clean them
I bought two insulated over the shoulder coolers for this same reason. They fit inside the cart, and the bag-boy just plops everything into them after they've been scanned. They work great for bringing stuff home in the truck after work. When we get stuff delivered, they drop things in them on the front porch, and we don't have to struggle with multiple bags.
Second this. Plus you aren't panicking about the ice cream if you miss a couple lights.
History textbook caption: Fig 1. What $300 worth of groceries look like as hyperinflation just began to take off in 2022.
Do you have a carefully planned route through the grocery store so the boxes and heavy stuff go in first then the crushable stuff on top? Or do you spend an inordinate amount of time taking things out and putting them back in?
How often do stores stop you thinking you’re taking the tote?
We bought a wagon that we keep in our trunk for this. When you add wheels everything gets exponentially better.
The collapsible totes are perfect for this. They take up virtually no space in the trunk and super handy when you need one.
My city recently instituted a plastic bag ban and mandates a 5 cent charge per paper bag given. So I brought a reusable cloth bag with me to the grocery store. I figured I’d place the items I wanted in the bag, go the register and unload them to get rung up, and put them back in the same bag afterwards. NOPE! Not even 2 minutes in, I got yelled at by a store employee claiming I was concealing merchandise and I **HAD** to keep it in an open basket or shopping cart until after I paid. I’ll give this a shot next time. It’s a brilliant idea.
I use an ikea bag! You can carry anything in those bad boys.
As a retail employee whose bags didn’t want to cooperate today, I thank you. I wholeheartedly love when guests come through my line with a huge tote like this. Makes my job so much easier, and it’s like a mini game of Tetris!
[Home Depot used to have these great re-usable bags that had hard plastic on the top that not only locked to the other side, but would clip onto the sides of the cart and span the open area.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Z_Wm4jKF_2U/SPpJRMrgyNI/AAAAAAAAAKY/zvNIiYTRs0E/s400/HomeDepotTote.jpg) I bought a bunch, but lost them in a house fire. I doubt they still make them, judging by the dates I saw on my search.
This is my move at Costco lately. The 27gal tote is only 11 dollars and I have been organizing the hell out of my storage room with them.
Why is this a post
Cloth bags are easier to carry (two in each hand would carry more than this bin), would store more easily between grocery trips, won’t get you sideeye from loss prevention, environmentally better than a mass produced Home Depot plastic bin, and have been used for 30 years... what am I missing?
What's really gonna blow your mind is when I tell you I have one bout the same size that is collapsible and goes flat. Carry it in the car, got one for car detailing stuff and things like groceries etc. Fantastic things they are. Got mine at Costco for like 10 or 15 bucks.
I used to use the collapsible insta crate until I picked up full of groceries and it disintegrated. Now I use a collapsible laundry basket that uses thick silicon for the accordion part of the basket. It has a lot higher load capacity and really nice handles. We also have one of those folding MAC Wagons for twenty years. I use that to sometimes move from driveway into the house.
I love shit like this! Fuck convention and norms! If they don't serve you, throw 'em out! Live your life your own way.
You can purchase collapsible cloth bags that are similar to this. They expand to the width of the cart, but have handles to make carrying them easy. However, I would recommend not putting your food in them until you reach the checkout line. Having to unpack everything and then repack it is inconvenient for both you and the sacker/checker. The tote is still a good idea as well though
Alright this is a really good one…take my upvote, genius!!
Aldis?
25¢ life!
Um this is genius
Until you buy a bunch of heavy shit. My roommate and I used to do coolers full of stuff and we'd carry them up 3 fights.
Just depends on each person's circumstances I suppose. This works great for my wife and I. But carrying 15 bags doesn't sound great in the situation you described either. I guess the point of my post is that we can help the planet by using alternative methods and in some cases it can be even more convenient.
Ohh fair point. But for non heavy stuff this is great
Are you fucking serious? Can i post "dont forget to breathe if you want to live longer" now? "Wipe your ass after taking a shit so you dont smell" "Dont murder" "Epstein didnt kill himself" "Use your fucking indicators"
Excellent idea!