Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

I love reusable shopping bags (even if I do have a tendency to sometimes forget them). I use them for all kinds of things — organizing stuff in my closets, carrying heavy books to and from the library, and of course shopping. But it turns out I might be carrying around little sacs of sickness.

Apparently reusable shopping bags are a potential health hazard. Then again, what isn’t these days? Really. Before you get worked up into a tizzy though, relax. You can curb the health risks fairly easily and still enjoy your favorite green grocery totes and other reusable shopping bags.

Let’s look at what the potential health hazard is, and what you can do to prevent problems.

How Reusable Shopping Bags Might Spread Sickness

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

It’s a simple concern, and one most of us probably should have thought of on our own — carrying products like raw meat (which can leak juice into your bag) alongside things like produce might lead to contamination with various microbes. Fun stuff, right?

You might become ill when you then eat that produce (uncooked we’ll say), especially if you haven’t washed it properly first. Of course if you read the article linked above, you’ll find that the chance of these bacteria leading to illness actually seems rather small.

How to Stay Happy, Healthy, and Green with Reusable Shopping Bags

So what’s the solution to this possible issue of contamination so you can keep enjoying green shopping habits? Wash your reusable shopping bags! Duh. The study showed that 97 percent of the people interviewed never do this. And I’ll admit it usually skips my mind too. Here are some more specific tips to make sure your reusable shopping bags don’t pose any unnecessary (no matter how small) health risks:

1. 

   Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

   Wash canvas or other cloth reusable shopping bags in hot soapy water — in a load of laundry for example.

2. Wash plastic reusable shopping bags with hot soapy water by hand, or wipe them down with disinfectant wipes or your favorite disinfectant spray cleaner (you know — the stuff you use to clean your countertops).
3. Put meat products at the bottom of your shopping bag when packing groceries so they don’t risk dripping juice on other food. Use some kind of plastic divider between your meat and other food if it makes you feel better too.
4. Better yet, carry more than one reusable shopping bag with you — one for meat or a specific one for produce to keep it separate.

Are you concerned at all about reusable shopping bags spreading germs? Do you regularly wash yours, or are you like most of us who apparently don’t bother? Will you start? If you have stories or tips to share, feel free to leave a comment.

Consumers are easily manipulated because:

• they are bad at math;
• they shop with their heart rather than their head.

This means you might be wasting your money (that is not so easy to earn) because you are being manipulated.

Do you think this is fair? Would you like to be sure you are spending your money because you want, not because someone wants you to? Do you want to save?

Then let’s learn which tricks sellers may be using to manipulate your shopping behavior.

Shopping momentum

Shopping momentum occurs when a buyer literally “can’t stop”‘: the first purchase produces a psychological impulse that makes him / her buy more.

How this works: Shopping has two phases: deliberation and implementation. The actual buying moves us from deliberation to implementation phase: we continue buying without returning to the deliberation stage.

How not to be tricked: break the shopping momentum. A good way to do that is to pay by cash and use several envelopes / pockets where you take the money from:

• counting cash makes you think: you thus return to the deliberation stage;
• paying from different envelopes forces you to return to the deliberation stage to think if the purchase was a good idea.

Confused consumers

A sales technique called “disrupt-then-reframe” can trick consumers into buying.

How this works: the seller first presents a confusing sales pitch to a customer and then restates the pitch in a more familiar way. Meaning, they first utilize technical jargon, complex terminology or large product assortments and thus “attract the consumer’s attention” who becomes eager to ‘understand’ the pitch.

How not to be tricked: in this case, knowledge is your best weapons. Just remain cool-headed and realize you are being cheated.

Double discounts

Ironically, shoppers are more attracted to the double discount, even though it involves less savings. An average American is not very good at maths, which is why a sale offering “20 % off the original price plus an additional 25 % off the already-reduced sale price” is effective.

How this works: the maths behind this is both complex to explain and spot. Say, one store offers 45% discount, while another one offers 25% + 25% discount for the same product. Which one do you feel is better? The second one? Wrong! In reality, the second offer is about a ~43 percent discount, because the second discount is taken on the reduced amount after the first discount.

How not to be tricked: well, use a calculator! Counting your money is the best way to save it. So counting ho much you are actually saving will help you understand who is honest and who tries to trick you.

Post images by jpockele, Cosmic Kitty, Jesse757, artykle.com

Food product choice is overwhelming as well as TV commercials and print advertisements that want to sell their food products to us. Who to believe? How to choose? Do you trust what is shown to you?

Obviously, it’s up to each of us to decide what we eat but if we’re constantly bombarded with images of food every time we pick up a magazine then we’re going to be swayed in what we choose

So what’s behind the advertisements? I am not an expert but here are a few examples of tricky advertisements that sell food to us because…

It is delicious:

Is it really as delicious as it looks? Here are just a few examples of what we see on the cover (left) and what we find inside (right photo):

It is better than anything:

Pepsi:

Dunkin Donuts:

It is relaxing:

Heineken:

Break tout Choco: “Have a chocolate break“

It is right for you:

Susu Cimory/Cisarua Mountain Dairy:

Negroni: “A world cut out for you“

Masterfoods Bounty Chocolate: “Two pieces of paradise“

It makes you better:

McDonald: “Wake up with the premium roast coffee“

PowerBar: “Increase Your Performance“

It is natural:

New York Fries: “Real Fries in a Fake World“

Big Gulp ice cream: “Have a bite of nature’s delight“

Nejma Sunflower Cooking Oil:

It is fun:

Pepsi Twist:

It defends you:

Verum Halsofil: “Army 100 billion good bacterias to defend your stomach“

It is cool:

McDonald’s:

Tiger Beer:

Masterfoods Skittles:

Perrier:

It is HUGE :

Snickers:

It is what you want it to be:

Miracel Whip: “Only 4,9% fat“

Heinz: Thick

Heinz Fit Ketchup: “No sin. More tomatoes, less sugar“

Source: Ads Of the World, post image by superbez