I'm a bag lady and proud of it.

It occurred to me today that I completely overlook some of the little ways in which it's possible to save money. One of these ways is through reusable bags. The idea of reusable bags completely adheres to the "green" concept, but before you green-haters automatically dismiss this post, try to hear me out.

Reusable bags are handy for many reasons beyond being "green":

1) Many grocery stores offer an automatic discount at checkout if you bring your own bags. This discount applies to *each* bag. And although the discount is small, usually 3-6 cents, that little amount can add up in big savings. For example, 6 cents a bag, 2 bags per trip, 2 trips to the store per week. That amounts to about $12.48 in savings a year. Add in holidays and "Damn, I forgot the milk" additional store trips and you're looking at close to $15 in savings. That may not sound like much in the big picture, but it's $15 that you get to keep in your pocket.

(Ok, for those of you who don't care about reusable bags beyond saving money, you'll want to stop reading here. There are common sense points coming up that won't agree with people who dislike green. Although, they are kind of fun points, so if you like such, then I would suggest reading on.)

2) It is sooooooooooooo much easier to carry groceries into your home when they are all in one large bag rather than a hundred small ones. Check out my monster reusable bag:

See, it's almost as tall as the bar stool in the background! This bag is extremely handy for large shopping trips. It fits at least four 6-packs of beer and five bags of Doritos. It is very practical and it cost less than $2 to purchase. I think they were on sale, but even regular price they were only about $5. Interestingly, they are a lot larger than the ones the grocery store offers, so I would suggest buying reusable bags from places like Dick's, Kohls, and similar type stores. But they will definitely make your life easier, and you can save money by using them.

3) I wanted to especially post this today because it's Superbowl Sunday and my team, the Colts, are in it, and they're going to win. To show my support, I bought a reusable bag last year with the Colts logo on it.

I love carrying this around. Do I need to say more about the opportunity for team spirit with each shopping trip? I think the picture holds a thousand words. Oh wait, let me add two more: Go Colts!!

So, as you can see, reusable bags may have a bad rap as being "green" and good for the environment, but the truth of the matter is that they can save you money, save you hassle, and even help show your team spirit. You would be silly not to go out and buy two or three right now. (I suggest buying the Colts bag. It's blue.)

These two hold the equivalent of about 10 grocery bags worth of items.

And the best part is, I still have a free hand in which to easily open my front door.