Those Plastic Bags

Category: Shopping
Italian Phrase: Non voglio la busta, per favore.
English Translation: I do not want the bag, please.

Grocery stores here charge anywhere from four to ten centesimi (euro cents) per bag. I wasn’t aware of this until I actually looked at my receipt one day – turns out the mysterious five cent “shopper” item was for the glossy plastic sack the cashier threw on top of my groceries in the checkout line. Yes, you get to bag your own groceries and the store gets to add a few cents to your bill.

To save money (it adds up!), next time I will bring a reusable bag and say “Non voglio la busta, per favore.”