Reusable Produce Bags

I love to poke around the internet for things that I think will contribute to a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. Recently, while on a trip to Washington state, I found that they have outlawed the use of plastic grocery bags. As a result, everyone either brings their own reusable bags or they must pay a fee for old school brown bags. As I wandered up and down the aisles of the market, I was struck by all the unique reusable bags folks carried. After returning home to Arizona, I started researching reusable bag ideas. I found that there are lots of options with regards to grocery sacks. I also discovered there are many kinds of reusable produce bags.

"Reusable produce bags?" you ask. Yes, reusable bags to both shop with and to store your fruits and veggies in when you return home.

After carefully considering all the options that I found, I decided to go with Flip & Tumble produce bags. I like Flip & Tumble bags for several reasons. First, the bags are a convenient size measuring  12" x 14" each. The fine polyester mesh will prevent even the smallest of seeds or vegetables from slipping through, but allows you to run the bag under water to rinse the bounty contained within. You can even shop for bulk items such as rice and quinoa without dropping a grain. I especially like the color tabs on each bag. There are five separate colors that allow you to assign colors to a particular type of fruit or vegetable. The poly mesh bags can be washed in a washing machine as well, which makes them easy to keep clean and fresh. The mesh dries quickly when hung after washing.

You may be asking by now, "How much already?" Well, how's $11 for five of them? I looked at fabric at my local craft store, priced it by the yard, figured time and effort along with aesthetic end-result, and decided sewing these myself really would not save me anymore money and the time to do so could be better spent on other projects. I plan to order two more sets for a total of 15 of these great bags to allow for me to shop when some are still in use.

The bags compact easily and are super lightweight. Considering the ease of cleaning them, it will be no problem to take them along with my reusable grocery sacks even if I only end up using a couple on that particular trip.

Toggles

Being green starts in baby steps and this baby step is an easy one. I will improve these bags by adding a toggle to each one. I can buy them very inexpensively and they will secure the drawstrings for when the clerk is ringing up the contents without risk of them getting loosened or some of the contents potentially spilling on my trip back home.

Interested in a set of your own? Check them out here at my Amazon store: Flip & Tumble Reusable Produce Bags

What do you think about eliminating out the plastic produce bags that markets offer for produce? Do you think this should be mandatory, as in Washington state, or shopper's choice?

It Is Official - I Am Going With The Shouse

You may recall my post on November 14th about converting a prefab shed into a house. If not, you can read it here. Go, I will wait. Ok, you get the gist of it, right? I did not post yesterday as I was deep in thought about the building of the Tiny House. The piece of land I am looking at had a mobile home on it at one time, so I am happy to report it already has septic, a well, and electric going to it. That is HUGE in the world of land improvements. While I still plan to ultimately be off the grid, those improvements mean I can do more down the line if I choose to. The beauty of where this land is located is that code is not an issue. That means that building a tiny house on wheels may no longer be the best option for me. Let me explain why I am thinking a Shouse would be a better option.

First off, let me explain that a shouse is a shed or outbuilding that has been converted into a house or living space. From here on out I shall distinguish between a tiny house as a house on wheels and a shouse as a shed converted into a house. Here is why I think in my homesteading situation a shouse would be a wiser choice. Let us compare the two:

• My shouse will be 12' x 30' or 360 sq. ft 12' x 36' or 432 sq. ft. plus the loft space of 120 sq. ft. A tiny house is 130 to 204 sq. ft.
• A shouse allows for a full size bathroom and a washer/dryer. A tiny house does not.
• A shouse will allow me to can (preserve food) and put by. A tiny house has more limitation with regards to stocking up and cooking.
• A shouse will allow me to keep my freezer. I could not fit a freezer in my tiny house. 
• The shouse will have a loft that is 12' x 10' with enough headroom to put a long dresser on one side. A tiny house loft has only enough space for the mattress.
• The shouse can have a small staircase. The tiny house has a ladder or a staircase, but the staircase takes up valuable space. 
• I can install a more user-friendly closet in the shouse.
• I can use regular, full-size furniture in the shouse. 
• I can continue to sew using both my machines at the same time in a shouse. There is not enough room for my sewing machines in the tiny house. 
• The dog and cat will have more space in the shouse than in the tiny house. I can install a doggy door as well.
• The cost for the shell of the shouse (not including electric wiring, plumbing, insulation, and wall board) is the cost of just the trailer for the tiny house. 
• Windows can be installed where ever I want them in the shouse.'
• I can insulate the shouse just as effectively as the tiny house and still use my electric fireplace to heat the place.
• I can install an a/c unit in the shouse. 
• Like the tiny house, I can build the shouse on skids so that the building can be moved later if I so desire. If I don't like where I set it up at first, I will just have it moved to where I desire it.

So, I do believe that I have made a decision to go with the shouse. You will see that the information I provide in this blog is still related to tiny house living, as a shouse is not a mansion and the two are not mutually exclusive, but you will also note that this blog is really focused not only on living in a small footprint, but about living a more sustainable life.

What do you think of 360 square feet? Does this seem too small still or is this more reasonable in size for you?

Rancho No Dinero Episode 1

Introduction to what Rancho No Dinero is and who I am. Learn my take on a Tiny Houses and my plan for my sustainable homestead in the Pacific Northwest. Learn about my general plans and what my future podcasts will cover.

Check out this episode!