Paper or Paper?

I ventured out into the world of the plastic-less shopping bags. The question isn't really paper or paper? It's "Did you bring your own bags...?" All depends on what kind of bags you're talking about ;-)

I've actually been out a couple times. The Safeway freebee bag has come in handy. I took it into Target last week - and though I didn't buy much, I was glad to have it.

A friend gave me a Trader Joe's bag - that story is for a different post - the Trader Joe's bag has been used.

So - what prompts me to write about this again?

I went on a planned shopping trip.
A trip I prepared for.

I was headed to Macy's to return something. I still had the paper bag from when I purchased the item. I was so proud of myself for remembering to bring it but on the other hand, regardless of no plastic, I would have brought it anyway because I do that when I return things. But, it would come in useful because I had some Christmas money and a store credit to use (Claire had recently returned some things and she did not have the receipts so they gave her store credit. I wasn't happy about that, I'd given her the receipts...)

OK, so off to do my planned shopping. As I turned to put the key in the front door to lock up, I accidentally dropped the keys in the Macy's bag and when I reached into get them I tore the bag!! My precious Macy's bag - that costs 25 cents, I learned that day, not 10 cents - the bag that was going to serve me well - its structural integrity was suddenly in jeopardy. Darn it!


I continued on my way. I had even made a list of things to do. I needed to go to JDM shipping and the post office - mailing dolls (another post topic). I knew I could do the mailing at the mall, which is where Macy's is. Nice. But I needed bubble mailing envelopes and I knew I might find those at the Dollar Store. And I also wanted to go to Bed Bath and Beyond - continuing my search for a new soap dispenser (another post yet again) as well as some other things. Dollar Store and Bed Bath and Beyond are near each other on the same side of the street. I was so proud of myself being all organized about this trip.

No luck for bubble envelopes the right size at the Dollar Store. That's OK. I decided to go to Office Depot, across the street from the mall. But first, to Bed Bath and Beyond. I had my list in hand.

Guess what needed to be put on the list - anyone, anyone??

My Trader Joe's bag!

I knew I was going to go to BB&B but never once did I think about needing to take a bag in there. What is wrong with me? But they do have carts. I loaded up. I got what I'd gone for. At check out the gal asked me if I had my own bag. I was feeling disappointed in myself for having to say "No". I pushed my cart full of "loose" stuff to the car. At the trunk, I opened the Trader Joe's bag and promptly put my wares into the bag.

Onto Office Depot. I found the bubble envelopes. Looking for a good deal, I bought more than I knew I'd need for the day but I was looking ahead to the near future. I also bought some packing tape since the stuff I'd brought from home was running very low. I packaged up the doll I was sending off. And as I used the packing tape I thought "Hey, I could tape my torn bag." And I did.


OK folks. How desperate is it to fix/salvage a paper bag? Claire laughed when she heard the story. She joked what was the world coming to that her mother would tape up a paper shopping bag. But at least I knew it would get me through the afternoon. It got my stuff to the post office, still carrying the return item as well. Got me through wandering around Macy's looking for something fun to buy but I never did find anything. I returned the item. Overhearing the transaction going on before me, I learned the Macy's bags are 25 cents. I walked away from the counter, carefully folding the bag, and headed back to the car.

Side note - the item I returned - I had the receipt for it and the store credit card already for this shopping trip. But when I got to the check out to make my return I couldn't readily find the receipt. In the mean time, the gal scanned some sticker on the back of the tag which gave her the price I'd paid for it and info about the credit card used to make the purchase. Before I even knew I didn't have the receipt she was ready to credit the money back to the card. How did she do that? And why didn't the person who took the merchandise back that Claire returned, why didn't they do the same thing? Why did Claire end up with store credit? I was very happy to see that it worked for me. It would have been worse to end up with a store credit option which I know I wouldn't have taken. I would have gone back. But really - does anyone know why Claire with no receipt got store credit and I with no receipt got fully refunded??

I was feeling very silly with myself again for having planned so well the shopping trip only to realize I'd forgotten something very important. Once home I found the receipt AND the store credit card right where they'd been for nearly a week - sitting on the desk in front of the computer where they reminded me everyday "you need to take stuff back".