Question for the Europeans: why choose the US over Europe?

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I used to love King Soopers. Emptying my cart and bagging my groceries? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[millefleur 5,046]

I thought the reusable bag was "in" now in the States? Maybe that's only a No-Cal/Pacific-Northwest hippie dippy thing?

I remember the whole "I Am Not A Plastic Bag" trend a while back. I thought Americans were getting more green and eco-friendly.

[NikLR 13,227]

Yeah bag my groceries in least food safe manner possible? No thanks.

My mother is bringing me reusable bags! *cheers*

[A'n'L 735]

Omg, I miss bagging my own groceries so much! The lines move so much faster when all the cashier has to worry about is beeping the items. And what's with the small talk? We all just want to get out of there!

[Georgia16 2,858]

Omg, I miss bagging my own groceries so much! The lines move so much faster when all the cashier has to worry about is beeping the items. And what's with the small talk? We all just want to get out of there!

LOL agree!!! And can see most Scandinavians feel the same!

[millefleur 5,046]

Omg, I miss bagging my own groceries so much! The lines move so much faster when all the cashier has to worry about is beeping the items. And what's with the small talk? We all just want to get out of there!

When I was a bagger, our other duties included cleaning the toilets, dust mopping and basically being the janitors for the entire store...there were no actual cleaning staff, the baggers did it when they weren't bagging. So that might be part of why the exist in the first place! Kind a two-for-one way that the companies save money.

Cashiers were the next level up on the food chain. They didn't have to clean anything or bag.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I thought the reusable bag was "in" now in the States? Maybe that's only a No-Cal/Pacific-Northwest hippie dippy thing?

I remember the whole "I Am Not A Plastic Bag" trend a while back. I thought Americans were getting more green and eco-friendly.

I'm not sure I've even seen one in the 2.5 years since we've moved to the ND/MN area. I use mine when I bike/walk to my local place.

We use the bags as trash can liners, etc.

The American grocery shopping bags are nowhere near as strong/thick as the Danish ones, I'll give them that. I've got a Føtex bag just sitting under my sink right now and there isn't a super good use for it. I find them too thick to use in the trash because they can be hard to tie up.

I'm not sure where the belief is that it moves quicker necessarily by bagging your own. The cashier bags the stuff as fast as we can put it on the conveyor belt and there would be no room for the next person to start if they had to wait for me to bag. I think this model might work ok with the smaller Danish families because they don't buy near the amount of groceries or do the once a week shopping trip like we do, but having done an American style shopping trip in Denmark, I can tell you that the cashier had to wait for us to finish bagging before scanning the next person because we filled both sections of that end bagging zone. I'm looking at you Bilka, get some baggers.

Edited October 12, 2016 by N-o-l-a

[Georgia16 2,858]

I'm not sure I've even seen one in the 2.5 years since we've moved to the ND/MN area. I use mine when I bike/walk to my local place.

We use the bags as trash can liners, etc.

The American grocery shopping bags are nowhere near as strong/thick as the Danish ones, I'll give them that. I've got a Føtex bag just sitting under my sink right now and there isn't a super good use for it. I find them too thick to use in the trash because they can be hard to tie up.

I'm not sure where the belief is that it moves quicker necessarily by bagging your own. The cashier bags the stuff as fast as we can put it on the conveyor belt and there would be no room for the next person to start if they had to wait for me to bag. I think this model might work ok with the smaller Danish families because they don't buy near the amount of groceries or do the once a week shopping trip like we do, but having done an American style shopping trip in Denmark, I can tell you that the cashier had to wait for us to finish bagging before scanning the next person because we filled both sections of that end bagging zone. I'm looking at you Bilka, get some baggers.

Gotta say as a Dane I completely don't agree on what you have to say about the Danish way of doing things in this thread.

Think it's the American in Denmark there is different, just as the Danish view in American is different.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Gotta say as a Dane I completely don't agree on what you have to say about the Danish way of doing things in this thread.

Think it's the American in Denmark there is different, just as the Danish view in American is different.

Okey-dokey, don't care.

I don't see how a population that has less cars per capita can have equally big shopping trips to the supermarket.

There is a reason you aren't living there and if Denmark is my BEC, that's my thing.

Edited October 12, 2016 by N-o-l-a

[millefleur 5,046]

Trader Joe's sells reusable bags. They tend to only have locations in big cities / trendy, cool college towns though. It's basically Aldi's cooler, younger American sibling.

[Georgia16 2,858]

Okey-dokey, don't care.

I don't see how a population that has less cars per capita can have equally big shopping trips to the supermarket.

There is a reason you aren't living there and if Denmark is my BEC, that's my thing.

You can only be surprised how much you can have on a bike, basket and bag pack

Yes, I don't live there because of my husbands job. If he could stop now i would LOVE to go back but that have to wait some years

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

You can only be surprised how much you can have on a bike, basket and bag pack

Yes, I don't live there because of my husbands job. If he could stop now i would LOVE to go back but that have to wait some years

I wouldn't be surprised because I've lived there and done that and it is way less. Maybe enough for a single person, but right now with two children, we practically fill up the car every week. Just the 4 gallons of milk would be a walking trip now. (My 7 year old can't bicycle far). I don't recall milk even being sold in that size. That's not even all the drinks, because we usually buy another 6 gallons of water.

I admit that I'd probably be in better shape. Those 25lbs of America weight didn't come from nowhere.

You haven't been around here long enough, but my experience in Denmark was absolutely terrible. I think three years later my daughter might finally be recovered. I went in thinking it was going to be great (because I like Sweden just fine), but now, I'd never recommend another American move there, especially one with children. After hearing from a ton of other ex-pats with similar experiences, I know that I'm not unique in it.

I won't go back again, ever. I should have held my ground and refused this past summer too.

It is fine, though, because my husband has accepted what we've known all along, he was meant to be an American.

[Georgia16 2,858]

I wouldn't be surprised because I've lived there and done that and it is way less. Maybe enough for a single person, but right now with two children, we practically fill up the car every week. Just the 4 gallons of milk would be a walking trip now. (My 7 year old can't bicycle far). I don't recall milk even being sold in that size. That's not even all the drinks, because we usually buy another 6 gallons of water.

I admit that I'd probably be in better shape. Those 25lbs of America weight didn't come from nowhere.

You haven't been around here long enough, but my experience in Denmark was absolutely terrible. I think three years later my daughter might finally be recovered. I went in thinking it was going to be great (because I like Sweden just fine), but now, I'd never recommend another American move there, especially one with children. After hearing from a ton of other ex-pats with similar experiences, I know that I'm not unique in it.

I won't go back again, ever. I should have held my ground and refused this past summer too.

It is fine, though, because my husband has accepted what we've known all along, he was meant to be an American.

Don't know where you lived in Denmark but seemed you had an unfortunate experience, sorry to hear that.

My sister shops for her family mom, dad, and 2 kids once a week on a bike and know a lot who does that. Also in Denmark usually kids can bike long from a young age.

But I'm glad you are happy in US and that your husband also is happy there, then you don't have to come back.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Don't know where you lived in Denmark but seemed you had an unfortunate experience, sorry to hear that.

My sister shops for her family mom, dad, and 2 kids once a week on a bike and know a lot who does that. Also in Denmark usually kids can bike long from a young age.

But I'm glad you are happy in US and that your husband also is happy there, then you don't have to come back.

Well, she has some fear/anxiety issues likely stemming from her abuse in Denmark, so she can't bicycle without training wheels. At her height, that isn't the most fun thing. Apparently Danish children are more resilient. I'll leave it there, but I will never forgive myself for bringing her there and if I could turn back time, I would rather have never met my husband than ever had her step foot in that country.

Edited October 12, 2016 by N-o-l-a

[A'n'L 735]

I wouldn't be surprised because I've lived there and done that and it is way less. Maybe enough for a single person, but right now with two children, we practically fill up the car every week. Just the 4 gallons of milk would be a walking trip now. (My 7 year old can't bicycle far). I don't recall milk even being sold in that size. That's not even all the drinks, because we usually buy another 6 gallons of water.

I admit that I'd probably be in better shape. Those 25lbs of America weight didn't come from nowhere.

You haven't been around here long enough, but my experience in Denmark was absolutely terrible. I think three years later my daughter might finally be recovered. I went in thinking it was going to be great (because I like Sweden just fine), but now, I'd never recommend another American move there, especially one with children. After hearing from a ton of other ex-pats with similar experiences, I know that I'm not unique in it.

I won't go back again, ever. I should have held my ground and refused this past summer too.

It is fine, though, because my husband has accepted what we've known all along, he was meant to be an American.

Curious, what in earth happened to your child in Denmark that has caused all this animosity?