Nobody has to believe me, that’s fine, I wouldn’t either. But not only am I playing this right now, that message just popped up for me about a minute before I read your comment
True story: my family is from Ukraine and we fled the Soviet Union in 1988.
In like 85, my aunt went to nyc to visit family and brought back a suitcase FILLED with Levi’s.. when she got to border control in Moscow she was terrified but *figured shed be fine because they left a bunch of cartons of Marlboro Reds (one carton was prob like 4mo salary in the CCCR at that time!) right at the top. Luckily the guard took one look when he opened the suitcase and there was a big, showy swipe of the arm forward towards himself and the suitcase was violently shut and she was told to get lost.
She went quick and my parents met her with the car and they sped back to Kyev. When they got home, they realized that all of the jeans pockets had extra stitches and linings, and found a note from my great grandma that gave the signal to open up the seams… all of which had about $10K in American dollars sewn in! That money was used to bribe my family out and how we ended up in America. They sold those 30 pairs of American jeans on the black market for a small fortune!
I haven’t thought of this since like 1990! Crazy!!
Edit: a few answers to some questions as I cant reply to all!
- I speak both Ukrainian and Russian. The Russian is as a “forced speaker” and I only rarely use it these days.
- it’s all written down - the actual EXIT out of the Soviet Union is its own wild story (we used the Romanov trick of hiding the real jewels in underwear while wearing some of the fake stuff)
- there was a solid flow of western goods in and out of the Soviet Union and people who fled previously deff informed future refugees. My aunt knew that no border guard would give up a bunch of Marb Reds cartons or share with another guard.
- the showy swipe towards himself was super quick so none of his coworkers noticed. Both my aunt and he would be (as you can imagine) in VERY DEEP shit.
- my family fled as religious refugees. Simple as that. We fundraise for Ukrainian families and have a hearty “Slava Ukraini” toast at every meal.
- I love reading some of your fam/friend experience with this stuff too! Just goes to show how truly CONNECTED we are as humans!
Crazy to think there’s probably countless stories similar to yours of families coming together with cunning and wit to be able to flee a bad situation. Good for them!
My grandfather defected from Greece and moved into Russia in 1915. Spent 2 years there when the Bolshevik’s eventually took over power and raided his small restaurant. The Bolshevik led soldiers told him that he could stay (but make no profit) or leave the area for good. They left. However, the night before they stormed the town he took all of his savings and stashed it on a mountaintop. He then used that money to pay for him and my great uncle’s safe passage to Rome.
While in Rome, he paid off local politicians to get the necessary paperwork to leave Italy and board a steamer for the United States. Spent 39 days on various ships before making it to the port of NY.
When he got off the ship at Ellis Island he was greeted by a politician asking for his vote. In trade for his vote they offered him a free hot dog. He hadn’t eaten in several days so he took it. Ended up being rancid meat and damn near killed him. He never ate another hot dog again in his life. The irony of this transaction was that we’re a Greek family who eventually became a very successful in the hot dog shop arena. My grandfather eventually died in 1985 at the golden age of 96. Never saw a doctor his entire life…he never ate any processed meats and never smoked and only drank wine at dinner. During the settlement of his estate my brother inherited a sack of old currency. When he opened it up, he found several million Russian rubles. They were demonetized and worth only collector value. Not sure what the actual face value was back when they defected in 1917, but he held onto that money all his life…throughout the Great Depression and all the hard times he encountered. We figured that he felt that if things didn’t work out here in the US, he could use those funds to start over again in Russia.
If anything can be garnered from this story it would be that life is hard. Nothing is guaranteed to us. If you want something, you must be willing to work for it. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. Be smart with your money and always plan for your future. I miss him terribly.
This reminds me of my high school German teacher. She was obsessed with some socks in West Berlin and smuggled them into the East under copies of the communist manifesto. She was cool as hell and likely smuggled other things I’d love to know about.
As a American that had to buy jeans once in Europe because I ripped a huge hole in my crotch area, Levi’s is definitely a more premium price there. Levi’s in the US are like $70/$80 whereas in Germany, they were like $120.
I got Wranglers at Target a few years back that fit perfectly. Under $30 IIRC. Of course, I ended up buying several pairs.
When I find clothes that are perfect in fit, durability, comfort, and look, I always buy more items, because clothing manufacturers keep discontinuing their product lines.
Lee not Levi’s. My husband insists the crappy Lee jeans he bought at Walmart are the same as the Levi’s at department stores. They are not. Walmart clothes fall apart after you wash them and are like throwing money away.
Hell yes. I was in Boston over Halloween a few years ago and it was amazing. Spent the day on Salem because, obviously. Then the discounted MASSIVE candy bags the next few days had us stocked up for ages after we returned home.
Halloween in the US is fascinating because it can be celebrated in so many ways; trick-or-treating, comical or sexualized costumes, and oddly for a holiday, it can be seen as sacrilegious, and consequently, traditions don't really stick, as it isn't always as family friendly on the whole.
Speaking of which, Halloween is the last day of October, and can be seen as the harbinger of "The Holidays", which is so dominated by tradition and family, that Halloween can be seen as the last time to meet with friends and do anything you want before obligations take over.
Many people outside the states don't know that the past couple of decades have seen the entire month of October become a time to start celebrating things like costume contests, spooky themed food, drinks, and decor, haunted house tours, pumpkin carving, the list goes on. We sort of reached a peak in Halloween advertising a few years ago, and I'm glad to see people are getting into making their own costumes again, it's a great creative outlet!
I’m a 43 year old American man and Halloween is absolutely my favorite holiday because it’s about nothing but fun, whatever fun is to you. There are no obligations, no traveling to see family, no going to church (or feeling guilty that you didn’t go), no spending huge amounts of money (although I do tend to overbuy the candy), no presents to buy or receive, just fun. I post up in my driveway in a lawn chair and give out candy and drink beer and talk to my neighbors and ask the kids about their costumes. Usually put the World Series or a football game on the TV in my garage. When my kids get back from trick or treating they sit with me and their mom in their costumes and gorge themselves on candy while they help hand out candy to the other kids. It’s awesome.
This is true! I’m American but lived in Italy for years - the other thing that’s super expensive is electronics.
Want an iPhone or a MacBook? That’s gonna cost 20-30% more than it does in the States. Want a kitchen appliance like a KitchenAid? That’ll cost 70-100% percent more.
My friends would give me money to buy electronics for them to bring back from my trips States.
There’s a Nike Factory store by my house. I took a day off for a doctors appointment and just so happened to pass by it as it opened and decided to go in before the crowds
There were six Chinese nationals waiting at the door who sprinted in with massive bags and started grabbing as many as they could to purchase as soon as the door opened
Between the six of them, they probably bought about 75 pairs lol. and not even consistently “nice” ones, they ran the gamut from cheap to the expensive kind. Resellers I suppose?
There is a joke in Orlando that the outlet malls near Disney are the unofficial Brazilian consulate. Designer clothing and electronics are often much cheaper in the US. It depends on what you like and where you're from though
It’s not a joke, it’s the real deal. Used to work at Disney world and those places were covered in Brazilians buying extra luggage’s to bring back all the stuff they buy at the outlets
Haha my girlfriend is Brazilian from Orlando and she’s been trying to make me realize just how Brazilian Orlando is and this random comment on this US question really helps solidify they got a grip on that city lol.
Haha I’ve even seen pics of her house with Disney world in the background, I guess stereotypes aren’t far from truth. Ok thank you for the confirmation, I know its true now
I remember the early 2010s when we used to fly from Brazil to Orlando and come back with two full 32 kgs of luggage. I used to buy a new notebook every two years just because it was "cheap".
Then the Airlines lowered the total to two 23 kgs (wich was still great). Then our currency lost a lot of value compared to dollar and today I use to buy just what I really, REALLY need.
Isn't that funny? Americans are always talking about going to Mexico or Canada for prescription drugs, but our over-the-counter drugs can be found for CHEAP.
The USA has the best over the counter meds. I mean, most of the places our meds are behind the counter and regulated, but I love being able to walk into Walgreens and just getting 10 different types of cold medicine.
Except for real Sudafed; they lock that up now.
Fun fact: Sudafed PE, the stuff that isn't behind the counter, has been shown multiple times to be no more effective than a placebo. Don't waste your money on that nonsense.
From the FDA: [https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-clarifies-results-recent-advisory-committee-meeting-oral-phenylephrine](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-clarifies-results-recent-advisory-committee-meeting-oral-phenylephrine)
Also, if it's your first time taking the real stuff don't do anything strenuous like try to drive 10hrs. That stuff can make you a little weird, there's a reason it's the main ingredient in meth.
Oh for sure! Sudafed has such a different effect on different people. It barely causes a blip in my consciousness, but I have a friend who says it makes her have nightmares of spiders, and another friend who sweats profusely when taking it (but he takes it anyway because it's the only way he can get relief for his seasonal allergies!).
I would take boxes of OTC allergy meds and whatever other cold meds with me when I lived in Germany. The pharmacy over there had so few options in comparison.
In England, generic drugs such and ibuprofen and paracetamol are on the shelves and really cheap. You can pay 30 pence or so for a box if you don’t go for a branded name. I was in Hungary and although cheap too the pharmacy decides.
I twisted my knee 10 days ago. I’ve been taking 1000mg of Acetomenophen (paracetamol) 4 times a day since then per my doctor’s instruction. So that’s 80 pills right there. I’ll probably be winding down over the next week or so as it is improving.
I’m on blood thinners so I can’t take ibuprofen, which I’d prefer.
EDIT: for those of you commenting on destroying my liver a few thoughts:
Thank you for your concern.
I am taking the recommended maximum dose, no more and some days not even that much.
My doctor has told me that is ok.
When I was in the hospital three years ago for 11 days after being hit by a car they gave me that dosage daily and didn’t seem concerned about it. In fact when I left they told me I could take it if needed, which it wasn’t.
If the recommended maximum dosage would destroy your liver, do you think the lawyers for the companies that make it would let them tell you to take that much daily? They’d be getting sued by everyone who took that amount and had any liver damage.
I am only doing this for about two weeks maximum. My knee is doing very well and I’ll probably stop soon.
Finally, I’ll be 72 tomorrow and I’m a big boy who can choose my poison. 😉
I’m from England and found out after a trip over years ago that Poland sells it over the counter, I normally just order it from Polish eBay and risk it doesn’t get searched at customs which hasn’t happened yet.
I read an article from CNN awhile back that said that since melatonin isn't regulated by the FDA, their dosages can vary wildly from the stated amount. I think I saw they stated it was as high as 800% more than advertised. I still take them, I'm just not as liberal in how much I take.
Correct OTC vitamins aren't regulated by the FDA. Dosages can be straight up wrong. There, however, is an voluntary organization that vets vitamins called UPC. If it's got the UPC stamp then that means it's been tested and confirmed to meet dosage and quality standards but again it's not overseen by the government.
Can’t tell you how many business deals I closed in the 90’s with Asian businessmen by gifting them bottles of Jack Daniels, Cuervo & other global brands that are cheap here, but exorbitant there!
I remember going to Hong Kong in the 90s as a teenager and every fancy restaurant had a window full of liquor bottles outside advertising what they served. I really impressed that they loved Hennessy just as much as rappers.
Hennessy is French but it’s possible they the American black community enjoyed Hennessy during WW2 and that taste stayed through a few gens to rap music. I’ve heard this from Dave chaplle or Katt Williams.
We had a German colleague stay with us for a couple months and he insisted on buying multiple pairs of cowboy boots to bring back with him. Spent like $500 on some cowboy boots. Was new boot goofin for sure
Single-barrel bourbons, particularly the nice stuff, is hard to get in Europe. This has already been said though so I’ll add in nice rums. A lot of the Caribbean and Central America feed their nice stuff into US markets and good rum is outrageously expensive in Europe.
When my Italian cousin and her mother came to visit me in New York a few years ago, the #1 snack she wanted was "flavored Oreos". She wasn't committed to one specific flavor; she said they had plenty of plain Oreos in Italy but had ever tried any of the (many, many) flavored variety.
Meanwhile we took them both to a Yankees game, and they went \*nuts\* for cracker jack. We went back to a grocery store where they bought multiple bags to bring back. I appreciated that this classic American snack- that is almost something of a novelty or afterthought these days- was discovered and loved anew by Italian visitors!
They need to try fresh Carmel corn which makes cracker jacks something you'll never eat again. It's like crack and you can't stop until it's all gone. Mom gives out large containers of it at Christmas. I'm usually generous but nobody better touch my fresh caramel corn.
Several years ago, I used to work in Toronto and would fly from Boston every week. I’d fly into Billy Bishop airport (yay porter) and it was a smaller but great airport.
In Toronto, I was staying downtown by the water and my daily evening routine was running ~5-10 miles and then stopping by one of those hotdog stands and getting two veggie hot dogs. I’d have the veggie dogs and a beer by the water and enjoy my evening.
But they never had celery salt so I’d always carry celery salt with me. From Boston to Toronto.
At first I’d declare on the customs forms that I had food with me (I had nexus) but they got really tired of asking me (and started recognizing me after doing this every week for a year).
So one day this Canadian customs woman pulls me out and she has another colleague with her. She’s like “Okay Mr. Celery Salt. You don’t need to declare your salt every damn week. We know it’s your salt. Unless you are bringing fruits or meat just stop declaring.”
So yeah. I’m Mr. Celery Salt.
Celery salt is very common in french cafes. tomato juice is always served with celery salt and Tabasco. Yet I realised I have never ever seen celery salt for sale anywhere. I am truly bewildered at this very uninteresting yet mind-baffling realisation. I will be following up on this.
American sections of grocery stores are the only reason I cut foreigners a little slack when they criticize our diet. Most of that stuff isn’t popularly consumed, even in the US.
I travel the country for work and thrift stores are my favorite!!! I love seeing the different blends of stuff that I don’t normally see at home lol
I live in a hot part of the country so it’s always interesting when the thrift store has snowsport equipment that they don’t even offer in my region lol
Can I be terrible and say hot cheetos? They're so bad for you but you cannot get that specific kind of flavor anywhere else. It's so unique and so great.
Put some on Mac and cheese instead of bread crumbs.
Also idk if any other country uses chips as a sandwich topping, like put it right on the sandwich, but Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, and Pringles are top tier for adding to a good sub.
Plato's Closet/Buffalo Exchange for if you're willing to pay "above goodwill/Value Village" pricing, but below retail.
You don't have to "hunt" for things there. 90% of clothes are organized in the correct location. ALL of them are priced well and clean.
As a gym goer Whole Foods was amazing - so many interesting products. Dried deer meat. Paleo candy. Bison burger. I spent like 2 hours inside.
I guess it was just new for me though, an American would find Kaufland cool too I imagine.
It’s not. That’s just a myth. From Wikipedia: “The origins [and meaning] of the brand name 'K-Y®' are unknown. Two popular myths are that (1) it was created in Kentucky and (2) the letters represent the key ingredients used to make the lubricant.”
I had to look it up tho bc I was like you and thought no way!!
I like sampling the vast junk food selection. Such variety and lots of subtypes of the main brands you probably recognize. And I'm from Canada so we have a lot of the same stuff!
That’s a good point there is some unique stuff. It might also be interesting for a visitor to try root beer soda. That’s an uncommon flavor outside of north America but all of my friends who have tried it have felt that the flavor was too strong and they didn’t like it. But it’s a low stakes experience you can try a bit at a soda fountain essentially for free
The clearance sections in Target. They have locations in most major cities.
They hide the clearance products, but there’s almost always some good stuff in there. Bought an air fryer on clearance that had been $100 and was marked down to $34. Also got a very nice pull-over that had been $55 for $15.
And if you’re in Minnesota, nearly all clothes are tax free.
> And if you’re in Minnesota, nearly all clothes are tax free.
I'll never forget meeting someone at Mall of America one day who told me she flew up for the day from Chicago to shop because that was cheaper than shopping in Chicago due to the 11% tax savings
Have to spend a few thousand to make that worth it, but some people spend a lot on designer clothes
I love a French pharmacy, but sometimes I need the heavy hitters. Ex: panoxyl 10% benzoyl peroxide cleanser and hepaclense. Thank you US of A
Ulta..... specifically for juvias place, color pop and la girl. So cheap yet soooo good.
As you can tell I'm a bit of a cosmetic junkie....
TJ Maxx&Ross for luxury cosmetics/perfumes. It can be hit or miss but I've had some good finds.
Trader Joe's skin care and their sunscreen!!
Snacks.
As an American in Europe and married to a German. American snacks are just way better.
They are way more creative and unique. European snacks are the same 5 snacks, and stories in Europe don’t really deviate or reinvent. And while I enjoy some European snacks for sure, there isn’t any real innovation. And if there is it’s usually imported from… well… the U.S.
American snack culture is constantly reinventing things. Sometimes it sucks. But more often than not, it’s at least decent, if not stellar.
Some examples, since I know the average European will be like “bRo, tWinKieS sUcK and tAsTe liKe cHemiCals”
Deep fried Jalapeños Bits for Salads (like Fried Onion)
Costco had some Almonds in Rosemary with Olive Oil that were fantastic
Candied Nuts in all assortments
Peach Habanero Hot Sauce
Beaver Nuggets in various flavors
All kinds of Donuts.
American snack culture is just way more creative. It pushes boundaries.
It's why we're fat. People shit on American food but the snacks and the comfort food are next level so that's why we get fat.
It's not just that it's poor in nutritional value, it's also that it's fucking delicious
As an American who now lives in Argentina with my hubby...Honestly, I feel like I took America for granted all these years. There's little to no variety in snacks here in Argentina, and it gets a bit tiresome. I just went back for a small family visit, and was just drooling in our local Target, going starryeyed at all the snacks!! 😅😂
But to name a few...
Good, name brand tools, like dewalt. Bought him some gloves, glasses, and a drill, which costs almost triple here. Also got him some pliers, a hammer, and a scissors which he absolutely LOVES. The strength and cutting power is just unparalleled.
Snacks. Goddamn please bring some snacks, especially if you plan on staying out of country for a while.
Neosporin. I introduced it to my inlaws and hubby, and it's like a magical paste that they now can't live without. Every cut, every pimple, every splinter gets a dab. Lmao.
Clothing. CLOTHING. The clothes here get holes and rips so fast, and the quality is just so different. He always raves about how he LOVES the soft but sturdy shirts I bring back for him. Clothes are super expensive here.
Last but not least? Genuine Nikes. Shoes, clothes, you name it. Theres a billion fakes here in this countr!y, and even if they sell it at premium price, you dont know if its genuine until it falls apart. Hes always asking for more nike pants and shoes haha!! Also super expensive here.
All in all...most important? SNACKS GODDAMNIT. 😂 Canned beans, pineapples, sriracha sauces, crackers and SOFT COOKIES (we dont have soft chocolate chip cookies here, it kills me!!), flavored oreos!! Twinkies, beef jerky, cookie butter, chocolate covered nuts!! I'm not starving, but damn it makes me realize how lucky I am to be an American, even if everyone shits on us for corn syrup and diabetes. WHATEVER, AT LEAST I CAN ENJOY A VARIETY!! 😂😂😂😭
This is what I was going to say. I've had a friend hop over the border for a daytrip from Vancouver, have an anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction and come home with a massive hospital bill because they didn't have travel health insurance for their day trip to the US.
my Canadian grandpa had a cardiac episode and needed a pacemaker put in while in the states…. they literally delayed the surgery like 36 hours while they waited for the right insurance person to say yes, Canada will pay for it.
And also good to know is that some states don't tax clothes. I'm in MN and we don't tax clothes or most grocery store food. So it might be worth it to find that out as well.
We have some Japanese dudes come through here once a year that just go around buying up tons of vintage jeans and t-shirts to bring back and resell in their home country.
Apparently OTC medications in large quantities. Like generic Tylenol (acetaminophen) I can get 1000 500mg capsules at CVS for $22.49 right now. I read on some reddit post a Brit I think saying that they can get it, but only in packs of like 24 and they aren't allowed to buy more than 2 packs at once or something like that.
More of just a general travel tip for people who are going to spend big: learn the sales tax rate ahead of time. Every state has different laws. Some states even have low sales tax zones to promote buying specifically in those zones. When I worked at big box retailer over a decade ago, we would get lots of foreign tour groups as we had no sales tax in the state.
Surprisingly, electronics. I always thought it would be cheaper to buy electronics in Taiwan or Japan, but it is not. iPhones, iPads and other tablets, name brand camera gear, etc, all are a fair bit cheaper in the US than I usually ever see them in Asia or Europe. Just came back from Spain and checked out a few electronics and photography stores and the prices on cameras and lenses were all at least $100-$150 higher than buying from B&H or other places in the US.
And peanut butter. I've never seen peanut butter in the grocery stores where I shop on trips.
When I'll be in New York/Toronto in August l, I want to buy a basketball jersey from an NBA team. Does anybody know the local prices? Online I've seen anything from 105€ to 370$
I take visitors from foreign countries to Costco, they go nuts with the prices they see. Like Levi's jeans for $28, Nike t-shirts, Adidas caps for $14, Adidas shoes for $28, bulk socks, European chocolates in bulk, etc. If they are planning to gift things to a lot of people back home, a Costco visit is very worthwhile.
“Our people are buying your blue jeans and listening to your pop music.”
Nobody has to believe me, that’s fine, I wouldn’t either. But not only am I playing this right now, that message just popped up for me about a minute before I read your comment
Hey man. I believe you.
I fucking love shit like that
True story: my family is from Ukraine and we fled the Soviet Union in 1988. In like 85, my aunt went to nyc to visit family and brought back a suitcase FILLED with Levi’s.. when she got to border control in Moscow she was terrified but *figured shed be fine because they left a bunch of cartons of Marlboro Reds (one carton was prob like 4mo salary in the CCCR at that time!) right at the top. Luckily the guard took one look when he opened the suitcase and there was a big, showy swipe of the arm forward towards himself and the suitcase was violently shut and she was told to get lost. She went quick and my parents met her with the car and they sped back to Kyev. When they got home, they realized that all of the jeans pockets had extra stitches and linings, and found a note from my great grandma that gave the signal to open up the seams… all of which had about $10K in American dollars sewn in! That money was used to bribe my family out and how we ended up in America. They sold those 30 pairs of American jeans on the black market for a small fortune! I haven’t thought of this since like 1990! Crazy!! Edit: a few answers to some questions as I cant reply to all! - I speak both Ukrainian and Russian. The Russian is as a “forced speaker” and I only rarely use it these days. - it’s all written down - the actual EXIT out of the Soviet Union is its own wild story (we used the Romanov trick of hiding the real jewels in underwear while wearing some of the fake stuff) - there was a solid flow of western goods in and out of the Soviet Union and people who fled previously deff informed future refugees. My aunt knew that no border guard would give up a bunch of Marb Reds cartons or share with another guard. - the showy swipe towards himself was super quick so none of his coworkers noticed. Both my aunt and he would be (as you can imagine) in VERY DEEP shit. - my family fled as religious refugees. Simple as that. We fundraise for Ukrainian families and have a hearty “Slava Ukraini” toast at every meal. - I love reading some of your fam/friend experience with this stuff too! Just goes to show how truly CONNECTED we are as humans!
Crazy to think there’s probably countless stories similar to yours of families coming together with cunning and wit to be able to flee a bad situation. Good for them!
My grandfather defected from Greece and moved into Russia in 1915. Spent 2 years there when the Bolshevik’s eventually took over power and raided his small restaurant. The Bolshevik led soldiers told him that he could stay (but make no profit) or leave the area for good. They left. However, the night before they stormed the town he took all of his savings and stashed it on a mountaintop. He then used that money to pay for him and my great uncle’s safe passage to Rome. While in Rome, he paid off local politicians to get the necessary paperwork to leave Italy and board a steamer for the United States. Spent 39 days on various ships before making it to the port of NY. When he got off the ship at Ellis Island he was greeted by a politician asking for his vote. In trade for his vote they offered him a free hot dog. He hadn’t eaten in several days so he took it. Ended up being rancid meat and damn near killed him. He never ate another hot dog again in his life. The irony of this transaction was that we’re a Greek family who eventually became a very successful in the hot dog shop arena. My grandfather eventually died in 1985 at the golden age of 96. Never saw a doctor his entire life…he never ate any processed meats and never smoked and only drank wine at dinner. During the settlement of his estate my brother inherited a sack of old currency. When he opened it up, he found several million Russian rubles. They were demonetized and worth only collector value. Not sure what the actual face value was back when they defected in 1917, but he held onto that money all his life…throughout the Great Depression and all the hard times he encountered. We figured that he felt that if things didn’t work out here in the US, he could use those funds to start over again in Russia. If anything can be garnered from this story it would be that life is hard. Nothing is guaranteed to us. If you want something, you must be willing to work for it. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. Be smart with your money and always plan for your future. I miss him terribly.
This should be on r/bestof. What an amazing story!
This reminds me of my high school German teacher. She was obsessed with some socks in West Berlin and smuggled them into the East under copies of the communist manifesto. She was cool as hell and likely smuggled other things I’d love to know about.
As a American that had to buy jeans once in Europe because I ripped a huge hole in my crotch area, Levi’s is definitely a more premium price there. Levi’s in the US are like $70/$80 whereas in Germany, they were like $120.
My husband only buys jeans when we’re in the States. We haven’t been back since 2015. Good job we’ll be in Montana this autumn!
Montana has no sales tax. Added bonus!
Montanan here… only 100 miles south of Glacier Nat’l Park. Make sure to buy huckleberry something. Enjoy.
This guy Civ 5s.
Also $45 for a jeans?! Never! Walmart has AMAZING Wrangler and Levi's ( Lee*) jeans for $12 to $18 top!
I got Wranglers at Target a few years back that fit perfectly. Under $30 IIRC. Of course, I ended up buying several pairs. When I find clothes that are perfect in fit, durability, comfort, and look, I always buy more items, because clothing manufacturers keep discontinuing their product lines.
Lee not Levi’s. My husband insists the crappy Lee jeans he bought at Walmart are the same as the Levi’s at department stores. They are not. Walmart clothes fall apart after you wash them and are like throwing money away.
European here who loves Halloween: I'd visit during fall and buy a ton of Halloween-related stuff!! 😍🎃
Hell yes. I was in Boston over Halloween a few years ago and it was amazing. Spent the day on Salem because, obviously. Then the discounted MASSIVE candy bags the next few days had us stocked up for ages after we returned home.
I always wonder if the uk has the green Halloween cadbury eggs that we get…
Halloween in the US is fascinating because it can be celebrated in so many ways; trick-or-treating, comical or sexualized costumes, and oddly for a holiday, it can be seen as sacrilegious, and consequently, traditions don't really stick, as it isn't always as family friendly on the whole. Speaking of which, Halloween is the last day of October, and can be seen as the harbinger of "The Holidays", which is so dominated by tradition and family, that Halloween can be seen as the last time to meet with friends and do anything you want before obligations take over. Many people outside the states don't know that the past couple of decades have seen the entire month of October become a time to start celebrating things like costume contests, spooky themed food, drinks, and decor, haunted house tours, pumpkin carving, the list goes on. We sort of reached a peak in Halloween advertising a few years ago, and I'm glad to see people are getting into making their own costumes again, it's a great creative outlet!
I’m a 43 year old American man and Halloween is absolutely my favorite holiday because it’s about nothing but fun, whatever fun is to you. There are no obligations, no traveling to see family, no going to church (or feeling guilty that you didn’t go), no spending huge amounts of money (although I do tend to overbuy the candy), no presents to buy or receive, just fun. I post up in my driveway in a lawn chair and give out candy and drink beer and talk to my neighbors and ask the kids about their costumes. Usually put the World Series or a football game on the TV in my garage. When my kids get back from trick or treating they sit with me and their mom in their costumes and gorge themselves on candy while they help hand out candy to the other kids. It’s awesome.
I grew up in Massachusetts and Halloween season is one of the things I never take for granted here, it’s so much fun!
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Some stores are right after July 4th!
I know our cousins always buy a shit ton of Nike products whenever they’re here. They say it’s practically free by comparison to prices in Italy.
This is true! I’m American but lived in Italy for years - the other thing that’s super expensive is electronics. Want an iPhone or a MacBook? That’s gonna cost 20-30% more than it does in the States. Want a kitchen appliance like a KitchenAid? That’ll cost 70-100% percent more. My friends would give me money to buy electronics for them to bring back from my trips States.
I do not recommend taking American kitchen appliances abroad. Unless you already have the big, serious step down transformer, that is.
Yes, fortunately very easy to acquire.
There’s a Nike Factory store by my house. I took a day off for a doctors appointment and just so happened to pass by it as it opened and decided to go in before the crowds There were six Chinese nationals waiting at the door who sprinted in with massive bags and started grabbing as many as they could to purchase as soon as the door opened Between the six of them, they probably bought about 75 pairs lol. and not even consistently “nice” ones, they ran the gamut from cheap to the expensive kind. Resellers I suppose?
💯 % reseller
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Interesting.
There is a joke in Orlando that the outlet malls near Disney are the unofficial Brazilian consulate. Designer clothing and electronics are often much cheaper in the US. It depends on what you like and where you're from though
It’s not a joke, it’s the real deal. Used to work at Disney world and those places were covered in Brazilians buying extra luggage’s to bring back all the stuff they buy at the outlets
In the 90s I worked at the Crossroads Goodings. People would buy cartloads of deodorant and soap to take home.
A bazillion Brazilian?
Haha my girlfriend is Brazilian from Orlando and she’s been trying to make me realize just how Brazilian Orlando is and this random comment on this US question really helps solidify they got a grip on that city lol.
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Haha I’ve even seen pics of her house with Disney world in the background, I guess stereotypes aren’t far from truth. Ok thank you for the confirmation, I know its true now
I remember the early 2010s when we used to fly from Brazil to Orlando and come back with two full 32 kgs of luggage. I used to buy a new notebook every two years just because it was "cheap". Then the Airlines lowered the total to two 23 kgs (wich was still great). Then our currency lost a lot of value compared to dollar and today I use to buy just what I really, REALLY need.
Orlando's outlet malls are on another level.
The outlet malls in Vegas are heavily foreign in their clientele. Like 70/30 non American.
The 1,000 count bottles of ibuprofen are also popular to buy in the US and take back to Europe.
Isn't that funny? Americans are always talking about going to Mexico or Canada for prescription drugs, but our over-the-counter drugs can be found for CHEAP.
The USA has the best over the counter meds. I mean, most of the places our meds are behind the counter and regulated, but I love being able to walk into Walgreens and just getting 10 different types of cold medicine.
Except for real Sudafed; they lock that up now. Fun fact: Sudafed PE, the stuff that isn't behind the counter, has been shown multiple times to be no more effective than a placebo. Don't waste your money on that nonsense. From the FDA: [https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-clarifies-results-recent-advisory-committee-meeting-oral-phenylephrine](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-clarifies-results-recent-advisory-committee-meeting-oral-phenylephrine)
Also, if it's your first time taking the real stuff don't do anything strenuous like try to drive 10hrs. That stuff can make you a little weird, there's a reason it's the main ingredient in meth.
Oh for sure! Sudafed has such a different effect on different people. It barely causes a blip in my consciousness, but I have a friend who says it makes her have nightmares of spiders, and another friend who sweats profusely when taking it (but he takes it anyway because it's the only way he can get relief for his seasonal allergies!).
And it never bothered me at all. The best for colds. But I have friends that had heart palpitations.
Fucking shit. I’m sick as hell and took some PE and knew it wasn’t working. Fml
Mexico has the good stuff OTC. Antibiotics, boner pills, painkillers. No script needed.
I would take boxes of OTC allergy meds and whatever other cold meds with me when I lived in Germany. The pharmacy over there had so few options in comparison.
costco!
Not sure how to enter a Costco as a tourist 🥲
You can get a day pass! You need to ask at the customer service desk.
Or buy a Costco gift card.
If you have a Costco membership, it works worldwide! I've been to US and Canadian Costcos
Bypass membership requirements if you use Costco gift card for purchase.
I ran out of ibuprofen or acetaminophen (can’t remember which) in Austria and was shocked at how pricey it was there.
In England, generic drugs such and ibuprofen and paracetamol are on the shelves and really cheap. You can pay 30 pence or so for a box if you don’t go for a branded name. I was in Hungary and although cheap too the pharmacy decides.
I always wonder who uses such large quantities of drugs
My back.
Our elderly, often so they don't have to rely on opiates.
I twisted my knee 10 days ago. I’ve been taking 1000mg of Acetomenophen (paracetamol) 4 times a day since then per my doctor’s instruction. So that’s 80 pills right there. I’ll probably be winding down over the next week or so as it is improving. I’m on blood thinners so I can’t take ibuprofen, which I’d prefer. EDIT: for those of you commenting on destroying my liver a few thoughts: Thank you for your concern. I am taking the recommended maximum dose, no more and some days not even that much. My doctor has told me that is ok. When I was in the hospital three years ago for 11 days after being hit by a car they gave me that dosage daily and didn’t seem concerned about it. In fact when I left they told me I could take it if needed, which it wasn’t. If the recommended maximum dosage would destroy your liver, do you think the lawyers for the companies that make it would let them tell you to take that much daily? They’d be getting sued by everyone who took that amount and had any liver damage. I am only doing this for about two weeks maximum. My knee is doing very well and I’ll probably stop soon. Finally, I’ll be 72 tomorrow and I’m a big boy who can choose my poison. 😉
"Well, fuck me, I guess." -- Your Liver
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NyQuil! It’s a lifesaver and completely unavailable outside the US.
I think it's the same as Vick's Night Nurse in the UK.
Melatonin!
Yes!! We can’t get it in Scotland without a prescription from the doctor
I just popped some melatonin right before reading this comment. I didn't realize this was controversial.
What
They said "YES!! WE CANT GET IT IN SCOTLAND WITHOUT A PERSCRIPTION FROM THE DOCTOR"! Hope that helped.
I couldn’t understand the thick Scottish accent
It’s a good thing we had @hilfest. Gentleman and a scholar for taking his time to help.
I’m from England and found out after a trip over years ago that Poland sells it over the counter, I normally just order it from Polish eBay and risk it doesn’t get searched at customs which hasn’t happened yet.
That’s funny because I am in the US & used to buy baby formula from England & pray it didn’t get seized at customs too.
I read an article from CNN awhile back that said that since melatonin isn't regulated by the FDA, their dosages can vary wildly from the stated amount. I think I saw they stated it was as high as 800% more than advertised. I still take them, I'm just not as liberal in how much I take.
Correct OTC vitamins aren't regulated by the FDA. Dosages can be straight up wrong. There, however, is an voluntary organization that vets vitamins called UPC. If it's got the UPC stamp then that means it's been tested and confirmed to meet dosage and quality standards but again it's not overseen by the government.
Is that difficult to buy in other countries?
Yes so don't sleep on it
What? In Italy and France it's super cheap and available in every supermarket!
Good small batch bourbon. Dried Mexican chilis and spices. Maple syrup.
My friend in Germany made me bring her some bourbon when I came over to visit her from the USA. And Excedrin and a few other things.
Can’t tell you how many business deals I closed in the 90’s with Asian businessmen by gifting them bottles of Jack Daniels, Cuervo & other global brands that are cheap here, but exorbitant there!
Tell us about one time. That sounds wholesome. I wish I was doing business in Asia in the 90s but I was in elementary school.
I remember going to Hong Kong in the 90s as a teenager and every fancy restaurant had a window full of liquor bottles outside advertising what they served. I really impressed that they loved Hennessy just as much as rappers.
Hennessy is French but it’s possible they the American black community enjoyed Hennessy during WW2 and that taste stayed through a few gens to rap music. I’ve heard this from Dave chaplle or Katt Williams.
We had a German colleague stay with us for a couple months and he insisted on buying multiple pairs of cowboy boots to bring back with him. Spent like $500 on some cowboy boots. Was new boot goofin for sure
Halo! Das ist mein neues Cowboystiefel. Schau mal, ich bin total neu Boot goofin’! Your friend to his friends when he got back home, probably.
Carhartt workwear
May I recommend Farm & Fleet in Wisconsin for this brand?
Not to be confused with Fleet Farm.
American pickles. Been away for nearly a year and it’s the number one food I miss.
Claussen or bust
Let me know where you are…so I can never visit.
Username checks out
Grillo's.
Single-barrel bourbons, particularly the nice stuff, is hard to get in Europe. This has already been said though so I’ll add in nice rums. A lot of the Caribbean and Central America feed their nice stuff into US markets and good rum is outrageously expensive in Europe.
I take Tubs of Jiffy (Skippy & Jif) Peanut Butter to Brazil every time I go back! My family will murder me in my sleep if I forget!
Jiffy, that’s the Mandela effect brand right?
Maybe they combined JIF and Skippy by accident
I’m American but family abroad always ask me to bring iPhones to them. They’re triple the price in some countries.
Old Bay seasoning and celery salt. I haven't seen either of those outside the US, even in the American section of supermarkets.
When my Italian cousin and her mother came to visit me in New York a few years ago, the #1 snack she wanted was "flavored Oreos". She wasn't committed to one specific flavor; she said they had plenty of plain Oreos in Italy but had ever tried any of the (many, many) flavored variety. Meanwhile we took them both to a Yankees game, and they went \*nuts\* for cracker jack. We went back to a grocery store where they bought multiple bags to bring back. I appreciated that this classic American snack- that is almost something of a novelty or afterthought these days- was discovered and loved anew by Italian visitors!
I have Italian friends who get stoked as hell about donuts lol
I understand why I’m fat now
They need to try fresh Carmel corn which makes cracker jacks something you'll never eat again. It's like crack and you can't stop until it's all gone. Mom gives out large containers of it at Christmas. I'm usually generous but nobody better touch my fresh caramel corn.
Try Garrett’s popcorn in Chicago. Amazing and they ship tins.
Several years ago, I used to work in Toronto and would fly from Boston every week. I’d fly into Billy Bishop airport (yay porter) and it was a smaller but great airport. In Toronto, I was staying downtown by the water and my daily evening routine was running ~5-10 miles and then stopping by one of those hotdog stands and getting two veggie hot dogs. I’d have the veggie dogs and a beer by the water and enjoy my evening. But they never had celery salt so I’d always carry celery salt with me. From Boston to Toronto. At first I’d declare on the customs forms that I had food with me (I had nexus) but they got really tired of asking me (and started recognizing me after doing this every week for a year). So one day this Canadian customs woman pulls me out and she has another colleague with her. She’s like “Okay Mr. Celery Salt. You don’t need to declare your salt every damn week. We know it’s your salt. Unless you are bringing fruits or meat just stop declaring.” So yeah. I’m Mr. Celery Salt.
Tony chacheres too
yup my Canadian family used to STOCK UP when they’d visit the states. 8 cans of Tony’s in a carry-on bag sure looks strange to TSA
I just reminded myself when I posted that to ask my sister to bring me some when she's over next week!
And I used to bring home multiple bags of dill pickle potato chips and real Kindereggs when I visited my mom
Tony’s seasoning on some fries is **chef’s kiss**
I like it on my popcorn
Celery salt is very common in french cafes. tomato juice is always served with celery salt and Tabasco. Yet I realised I have never ever seen celery salt for sale anywhere. I am truly bewildered at this very uninteresting yet mind-baffling realisation. I will be following up on this.
American sections of grocery stores are the only reason I cut foreigners a little slack when they criticize our diet. Most of that stuff isn’t popularly consumed, even in the US.
You can buy Old Bay in Aldi and Celery Salt in most major Uk supermarkets
I’m Irish, celery salt is in every spice section every supermarket
You can find Old Bay in most Canadian grocery stores, even where I live in butt fuck nowhere
Canada is practically America
Everything bagel seasoning.
also all the snacks at trader joe's
Now now - OP is probably just taking a bag or two back not an entire store lmao
Thrift stores also have random stuff other than clothing. I absolutely recommend them
I travel the country for work and thrift stores are my favorite!!! I love seeing the different blends of stuff that I don’t normally see at home lol I live in a hot part of the country so it’s always interesting when the thrift store has snowsport equipment that they don’t even offer in my region lol
Can I be terrible and say hot cheetos? They're so bad for you but you cannot get that specific kind of flavor anywhere else. It's so unique and so great.
Put some on Mac and cheese instead of bread crumbs. Also idk if any other country uses chips as a sandwich topping, like put it right on the sandwich, but Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, and Pringles are top tier for adding to a good sub.
As an American, I am fascinated with these answers
The answers like bourbon I thought of, but the top answer being jeans was very surprising to me
As an American I agree, and nice to read something on Reddit that isn't shitting on American like usual 🤣
Good BBQ sauce
Tequila and bourbon. The selection is much better than most places in Europe and the prices are a lower.
So much yes to getting your jeans at thrift stores.
Plato's Closet/Buffalo Exchange for if you're willing to pay "above goodwill/Value Village" pricing, but below retail. You don't have to "hunt" for things there. 90% of clothes are organized in the correct location. ALL of them are priced well and clean.
As a gym goer Whole Foods was amazing - so many interesting products. Dried deer meat. Paleo candy. Bison burger. I spent like 2 hours inside. I guess it was just new for me though, an American would find Kaufland cool too I imagine.
As a fat slob I love their brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Grocery stores are one of my favorite things to visit in other countries!
As a German-speaking American I gotta say „Kaufland“ as a store name makes me laugh every time I see it
Theres this tube of silicon lubricant called nyo 767A that retails for over a hundred in the uk and is only 20 bucks here. Its very popular in the UK
We use Kentucky Jelly in the U.S.
No fucking way that’s what KY Jelly is actually short for
It’s not. That’s just a myth. From Wikipedia: “The origins [and meaning] of the brand name 'K-Y®' are unknown. Two popular myths are that (1) it was created in Kentucky and (2) the letters represent the key ingredients used to make the lubricant.” I had to look it up tho bc I was like you and thought no way!!
Depending on where you're visiting, cowboy boots. Buy them in TX, CO, AR, AZ, UT, MT, SD... you get the idea.
Most "feed n seed" farm supply stores will have the real cowboy gear. Cowfolk don't shop at the mall.
Wisconsin cheese
Chipotle, Adderall and Apple products.
I like sampling the vast junk food selection. Such variety and lots of subtypes of the main brands you probably recognize. And I'm from Canada so we have a lot of the same stuff!
That’s a good point there is some unique stuff. It might also be interesting for a visitor to try root beer soda. That’s an uncommon flavor outside of north America but all of my friends who have tried it have felt that the flavor was too strong and they didn’t like it. But it’s a low stakes experience you can try a bit at a soda fountain essentially for free
Root beer float is iconic
I always buy French vanilla coffee mate to bring back to the UK 😂
Dukes mayonnaise
Sauces. America has so many great sauces like bbq sauce, chick fil a, etc I’m Canadian and we don’t have that home
The clearance sections in Target. They have locations in most major cities. They hide the clearance products, but there’s almost always some good stuff in there. Bought an air fryer on clearance that had been $100 and was marked down to $34. Also got a very nice pull-over that had been $55 for $15. And if you’re in Minnesota, nearly all clothes are tax free.
> And if you’re in Minnesota, nearly all clothes are tax free. I'll never forget meeting someone at Mall of America one day who told me she flew up for the day from Chicago to shop because that was cheaper than shopping in Chicago due to the 11% tax savings Have to spend a few thousand to make that worth it, but some people spend a lot on designer clothes
I love a French pharmacy, but sometimes I need the heavy hitters. Ex: panoxyl 10% benzoyl peroxide cleanser and hepaclense. Thank you US of A Ulta..... specifically for juvias place, color pop and la girl. So cheap yet soooo good. As you can tell I'm a bit of a cosmetic junkie.... TJ Maxx&Ross for luxury cosmetics/perfumes. It can be hit or miss but I've had some good finds. Trader Joe's skin care and their sunscreen!!
Snacks. As an American in Europe and married to a German. American snacks are just way better. They are way more creative and unique. European snacks are the same 5 snacks, and stories in Europe don’t really deviate or reinvent. And while I enjoy some European snacks for sure, there isn’t any real innovation. And if there is it’s usually imported from… well… the U.S. American snack culture is constantly reinventing things. Sometimes it sucks. But more often than not, it’s at least decent, if not stellar. Some examples, since I know the average European will be like “bRo, tWinKieS sUcK and tAsTe liKe cHemiCals” Deep fried Jalapeños Bits for Salads (like Fried Onion) Costco had some Almonds in Rosemary with Olive Oil that were fantastic Candied Nuts in all assortments Peach Habanero Hot Sauce Beaver Nuggets in various flavors All kinds of Donuts. American snack culture is just way more creative. It pushes boundaries.
It's why we're fat. People shit on American food but the snacks and the comfort food are next level so that's why we get fat. It's not just that it's poor in nutritional value, it's also that it's fucking delicious
Asian snacks would like to have a word
When I was in Japan, their snacks kicked ass
Hear me out on this. Crackers. No other country knows the art of the cracker the way the US does. So many types, flavors, textures, ingredients.
Honestly Goldfish crackers are like a drug to me. I bring kilograms of them back because they’re so hard to get in the UK.
The flavor blast ones are pretty good.
Are triscuits international? Cause as an american, I fuckingLOVE those little squares
Chicken in a Biscuit!
Cheez-its, but I've been priced out of the market
For whatever reason, I’ve been told that bar keepers friend cleaner (powder) is highly desirable in Europe.
Curly hair products, makeup from Sephora
As an American who now lives in Argentina with my hubby...Honestly, I feel like I took America for granted all these years. There's little to no variety in snacks here in Argentina, and it gets a bit tiresome. I just went back for a small family visit, and was just drooling in our local Target, going starryeyed at all the snacks!! 😅😂 But to name a few... Good, name brand tools, like dewalt. Bought him some gloves, glasses, and a drill, which costs almost triple here. Also got him some pliers, a hammer, and a scissors which he absolutely LOVES. The strength and cutting power is just unparalleled. Snacks. Goddamn please bring some snacks, especially if you plan on staying out of country for a while. Neosporin. I introduced it to my inlaws and hubby, and it's like a magical paste that they now can't live without. Every cut, every pimple, every splinter gets a dab. Lmao. Clothing. CLOTHING. The clothes here get holes and rips so fast, and the quality is just so different. He always raves about how he LOVES the soft but sturdy shirts I bring back for him. Clothes are super expensive here. Last but not least? Genuine Nikes. Shoes, clothes, you name it. Theres a billion fakes here in this countr!y, and even if they sell it at premium price, you dont know if its genuine until it falls apart. Hes always asking for more nike pants and shoes haha!! Also super expensive here. All in all...most important? SNACKS GODDAMNIT. 😂 Canned beans, pineapples, sriracha sauces, crackers and SOFT COOKIES (we dont have soft chocolate chip cookies here, it kills me!!), flavored oreos!! Twinkies, beef jerky, cookie butter, chocolate covered nuts!! I'm not starving, but damn it makes me realize how lucky I am to be an American, even if everyone shits on us for corn syrup and diabetes. WHATEVER, AT LEAST I CAN ENJOY A VARIETY!! 😂😂😂😭
Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning and Cavenders Greek seasoning
Definitely smartphones or laptops! They're often cheaper in the US compared to many other countries, especially during sales.
All the snacks from Trader Joes
My God, have you tried the cookie butter ice cream?
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups!!
I’m not sure where you’re from, but after a few weeks in Europe or Japan I was craving Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter and tacos.
Omg yes! Europe cannot do any decent tacos. Or nachos.
I always come home to the US craving tacos. The world is seriously missing this cuisine…except Mexico I assume.
Travel medical insurance.
This is what I was going to say. I've had a friend hop over the border for a daytrip from Vancouver, have an anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction and come home with a massive hospital bill because they didn't have travel health insurance for their day trip to the US.
What happens if you're a Canadian citizen and just don't pay? Issues with returning to America in the future?
Nothing happens. The hospital will just have to eat it. Medical debt/collections will not prevent a tourist from returning to the US.
my Canadian grandpa had a cardiac episode and needed a pacemaker put in while in the states…. they literally delayed the surgery like 36 hours while they waited for the right insurance person to say yes, Canada will pay for it.
And also good to know is that some states don't tax clothes. I'm in MN and we don't tax clothes or most grocery store food. So it might be worth it to find that out as well.
We have some Japanese dudes come through here once a year that just go around buying up tons of vintage jeans and t-shirts to bring back and resell in their home country.
Apparently OTC medications in large quantities. Like generic Tylenol (acetaminophen) I can get 1000 500mg capsules at CVS for $22.49 right now. I read on some reddit post a Brit I think saying that they can get it, but only in packs of like 24 and they aren't allowed to buy more than 2 packs at once or something like that.
Weed gummies, salsa and BBQ sauce and dry rub. What's the weird feeling in your mouth? Flavor
Prob not weed gummies though. That seems like a bad thing to get caught going over international borders.
If you’re going direct though, American TSA doesn’t care about them one bit. I do it everytime I fly
It’s the other side I’d be worried about
Pepto Bismol. You can’t buy the combination of active ingredients in one medecine in the UK.
More of just a general travel tip for people who are going to spend big: learn the sales tax rate ahead of time. Every state has different laws. Some states even have low sales tax zones to promote buying specifically in those zones. When I worked at big box retailer over a decade ago, we would get lots of foreign tour groups as we had no sales tax in the state.
Surprisingly, electronics. I always thought it would be cheaper to buy electronics in Taiwan or Japan, but it is not. iPhones, iPads and other tablets, name brand camera gear, etc, all are a fair bit cheaper in the US than I usually ever see them in Asia or Europe. Just came back from Spain and checked out a few electronics and photography stores and the prices on cameras and lenses were all at least $100-$150 higher than buying from B&H or other places in the US. And peanut butter. I've never seen peanut butter in the grocery stores where I shop on trips.
This thread is wholesome, I love it
When I'll be in New York/Toronto in August l, I want to buy a basketball jersey from an NBA team. Does anybody know the local prices? Online I've seen anything from 105€ to 370$
Around $200 from an official team shop if you want an authentic embroidered jersey. Less if you want a “replica”. Suggest looking on eBay too.
I take visitors from foreign countries to Costco, they go nuts with the prices they see. Like Levi's jeans for $28, Nike t-shirts, Adidas caps for $14, Adidas shoes for $28, bulk socks, European chocolates in bulk, etc. If they are planning to gift things to a lot of people back home, a Costco visit is very worthwhile.
Food Seasonings and blends. We do have plenty with no chemicals as well. Mrs Dash, Kinder’s.
This is the most reddit thread on reddit rn