I did some pre-Black Friday shopping last week at Target and was surprised to read this on this bottom of my receipt:

Get 5 cents off every time you use a reusable bag.

Since when did Target start offering a bag credit? Mind you, I’m not complaining, but it’s an excellent incentive for you to bring your own bag to save the plastic, plus Target gives you this five-cent credit for each bag you bring. And if you were one of the lucky ones on Black Friday, you may have received a free Target reusable bag that you can, well, use at Target. (From what I can tell, Target doesn’t care whose reusable bag you bring with you, just that you brought a reusable bag.)

Though many stores have discontinued offering a bag credit to their shoppers (they make more money selling you the reusable bags rather than rewarding you for bringing your own), many still do.

• For example, I know that when I shop at either SuperFresh (part of the A&P family) or ShopRite, I’ll get a three- to five-cent credit for each reusable bag I take.
• If you shop at Safeway, Kroger or Fred Meyer, you might enjoy similar bag credits of three- to five-cents per bag. (This post on the Freemania blog, including comments, offers additional ideas on where you can find bag credits these days.)
• Some Whole Foods’ locations give as much at 10 cents per-bag credit.
• And if you spent $.99 upfront for one of CVS’ Green Bag Tag, you’ll receive a dollar back in CVS Extra Care Bucks after every fourth visit.

Don’t forget the opposite of the bag credit–the bag charge. When you shop at IKEA and take one of the store’s plastic bags, you pay five cents per bag. Why not save yourself the money and just bring your own?

While bag-credit money isn’t life-changing money, it would seem unwise not to bring a reusable bag–and receive a small amount off your purchase–when a store offers you this opportunity. Agree? Disagree? Discuss!