The Best Way to Store Grocery Bags

A roll of grocery bags in a “junk drawer” with ziplocks and flower food on top of brown paper bags.

This Tuesday tip comes from my Grandma Snyder’s kitchen. The sweet lady kept EVERYTHING, but EVERYTHING was exceptionally organized. By her phone, she had a file that held paper that she would allow the grandkids to use. It was always different shapes and sizes and had the softest edges. Turns out, she carefully tore the clean sides out of junk mail envelopes! It actually stressed me out having to ‘throw something away’ at her house because I never understood her system. She had bins for reusing, composting, recycling, burning and then finally: actual trash. (She was way ahead of her time in our small town that still doesn’t have recycling receptacles!)

Old grandmother in wheelchair with leg brace surrounded by 4 grandchildren. — This was the last time we saw sweet Grandma Snyder, before moving to Okinawa.

So you get the picture as to the kind of lady my grandma was. The best steward of all that God had given her. She grew up during the Great Depression, so you know I have so many Grandma Snyder hacks to share with you! Her salvaging ways have rubbed off on me in so many ways! I think the way she managed her grocery sacks is the most game changing for the most people. Everyone has these plastic grocery bags around, but very few people have a good system for them. Plenty of people have an entire drawer reserved for what need only take up 1/4 of the space, if that!

Grocery bag laid out flat with jumbled sides and handles on a wooden surface.

Prepare Your Bags:

This system works best for us now, because we are in a world where people mostly bring our own reusable grocery bags to the store. We no longer have to deal with 45 bags after every haul! Not sure I could keep up with this if that were still the case. And we are now charged five cents for the heartier plastic bags that are worth saving, though I still inspect the bags and throw away any that have holes. If they are wet from fresh produce, I make sure to dry it and let it air out for a few minutes. You can see in the picture above, the right side has been straightened out on the side seam and the handle. The left side is jumbled and sloppy. The left side will translate to a sloppy roll! The right side will be beautifully tidy.

How To Fold Grocery Bags:

Lay your grocery bag out flat. Grab the edges at the bottom, and straighten them out. The sides fold in where the seam is. Make sure to flatten out the handles as well. (My husband CANNOT be bothered with this part, but it looks so nice if they are straight, so I always try to beat him to it!) Your roll will take up more space and not look as tidy if you don’t take time for this step.
Fold in half vertically, then fold in half again. Make sure the handles are still lined up and flat.
Start rolling!

Gray grocery bag with green details on a wooden surface. Laid out flat, overhead shot.

Gray grocery bag with green detail laid out flat and folded in half.

Gray grocery bag with green detail folded into fourths and half way rolled up like a sleeping bag.

A roll of grocery bags that have been folded in quarters and rolled up on a wooden surface. One rubber band around it holding them in place.

It’s that simple! The few minutes it takes to deal with the handful of bags we bring home is well worth the peace of mind that comes from opening a tidy ‘junk drawer!’ I know the size I like my roll to be for different uses around the house. If I find myself getting low, I will intentionally leave my reusable bags in the car to bolster my roll!

I hope you are inspired to open up wherever you keep your grocery bags and give this a try! Leave a comment below or tag me @ournomadichomestead on Instagram!