Lots and lots of people are complaining about the .10 cent bag fee now charged if you need a bag when checking out at major retailers in Colorado.

It's just .10 cents, but it feels like one more thing we have to pay for in this really really expensive time of life.

Personally, I'm all for reducing single-use plastics. It's a pretty gross convenience causing so much damage to soil, animals, and the ocean. So I'm for the idea, but I hate spending any extra money.

This is where we all just have to get really comfortable bringing our own reusable bags and the choices are endless. Big crunchy bags, soft cotton bags, burlap, and so many other materials. Some are easy to clean and some are not. Some of them fold way down and some are bulky and hard to fold or roll or wad.

These are the Top 5 Best Reusable Bags in the back of my car. Each one has its own purpose, but all of them save me from needing to purchase a bag at checkout.

5. Huge Crunchy Bag

This thing can hold so many items but go light. This is great for chips and cereal. Bought at TJMaxx for .99 cents.

4. Crunchy Bag with a Zipper Top

This one came from Ikea and is so nice to close things in. Think grapes or a loose onion.

3. Small Soft Bag with Little Pouch

This polyester one is perfect to attach to a purse or backpack so you always have a bag in case you need one. I love how easy these types of bags are to push right back into the little pouch. This one is from Blu Bag.

2. Personalized Quiet Bag

A friend made this for me 10 years ago. It's from Shutterfly. I use this one when I'm buying non-food items, like clothes or household items.

1. Heavy Cotton Shopping Bag

This is my winner. It's soft. I can wash it. It folds up easily and my goodness it can hold a lot of weight. All the cans go in this one! This one is obviously from Trader Joe's which always has a great selection of reusable bags.

I throw a mix of reusable bags into another bag and have it in my car. The hard part has always been remembering to bring them into the store. All the bags fold down very differently.

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