Stateside shopping help

[MrsSunshine]

after months of putting off getting our PP.s finally did it last week. and VOILA we go them today. SO dh wants to head to PH some Saturday before the snow flies.. to stock up on some goodies and to get some xmas shopping done. SO which store is the best. Which one is the worst. Whats the best time to go. How much can you bring back with two people one day. How do you get the cards for discounts etc from the stores. How do you get coupons for each store. Any tips/advices etc to ensure our shopping trip is easy, fun and fast and of course full of bargains

[Samantha MacGregor]

Well hubby and I went to the states about 3 weeks ago. We were there for 5 days and could each bring back 200.00 worth of merchandise. If you are going for the day you are limited to 50.00 per person I believe, (
After each absence of 24 hours or more

You can claim up to CAN$50 worth of goods without paying any duties. This is your personal exemption. You must have the goods with you when you arrive in Canada and you cannot include tobacco products or alcoholic beverages in this exemption. If the goods you bring in are worth more than CAN$50 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead, you have to pay full duties on all goods you bring in.) from the border crossing website

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5056-eng.html

We loved Kroger. You just head to customer service, fill out the application and you get your card right than and there. The deals are great, but do be careful of some items. Also watch how much dairy you bring back (including cheese) and no meat. If you have internet on your phones, once you acquire your cards, you can go on the Kroger website and load e-coupons on your card that will automatically deduct when your card is swiped. At Kroger they also allow you to stack coupons as long as the are not 2 manufacturer coupons. Thats what CS told us, so you could use a in-store coupon and a manufacturer. Hubby and I also enjoyed Walmart. Just seemed like a lot more choices in clothing, food, tools etc etc.

Hope that helps! p.s start changing money over soon because the dollar is doing good!

[Couponinginthecountry]

I'm still trying to figure out how to find the really great deals over there!!! I do know the Sunday papers include the coupons! But haven't done as well in the States as I have in Canada! I was just over there this past weekend, and discovered a coupon fairy in Wal-Mart, coupons left by the items. My Mom and I were so excited!!!

[MrsSunshine]

can you make multiple trips in one day. so say you drive over buy $50 and bring it back across to Windsor drop it off at someones house and head back over. can you then bring another $50 back. or is it simply $50 no matter what?

[matchstix]

can you make multiple trips in one day. so say you drive over buy $50 and bring it back across to Windsor drop it off at someones house and head back over. can you then bring another $50 back. or is it simply $50 no matter what?

I believe its $50 in a 24 hour period. I wouldnt reccommend going back and forth, it costs $4 each time you cross the border there, so $8 per trip, and they track your vehicle and may assume you are doing something illegal.

[Sabina]

I thought it was $100 a day per person? But I am going by what my dad told me when he went over with my mom and they spent $200.00 and didn't pay anything extra

[Enow]

JUst be honest with the duty ppl.. its not even that much i spent $1000 the last time i whent for a weekend. So thats $600 over and only a fw things were for kids ( you pay less duty) and it only cost me $60 in extra duty. I have a friend who got busted for ling to the border, and it was bad they held her for a few hrs.

[Jester2000]

Most of the time if your in the 200 doller range all groceries they just wave you on. But if you do have t opay duty it is not that much, maybe %3 of total so not really an issue. I agree with above. Just be honest and say you came over for the groceries. Leave the alcohol behind. Tough I know but that will be what they are looking for. Not groceries.

[MrsSunshine]

so as long as we dont mind paying duty on the alcohol we can bring it back.

[Samantha MacGregor]

Yes but duty on alcohol is crazy ed. My brother worked at a Duty Free before, if you go over your limit on that or dairy for some strange reason, it is outrageous. If you made it a weekend trip just the 2 of you you could bring back more. But yes you are inputed in the computer and if you cross multiple times it will look suspicious. Keep everything handy as well. We had our coolers in our back seat so if they wanted to search they didn't have to go looking through our trailer or anything

[ingridmann]

My husband and I go to Port Huron regularly (every 6 weeks or so).

We like Target for their unique selection of housewares. You can also stack coupons at Target which is fun! Search the internet for Target printable coupons, regular printable coupons and take your U.S. coupon inserts with you if you have some.

Printable coupons allow for some very cheap buys at Walmart.

We like Meijer too for their groceries and we get our acetaminaphen and ibuprofen there (much cheaper than here).

We always stop into Hobby Lobby, Kohl's (LOVE their clothing!) and TJ Maxx (clothing and sterling silver jewellry).

I check the following sites before heading south:
www.couponmom.com (check by store to see what you can get for free with what coupons when you go)
www.moneysavingmom.com (kinda like the blog section here)
www.passionforsavings.com (another good tips site)
www.totallytarget.com (all things target)

I could go on and on LOL. Enjoy your shopping!

[joechoda]

Port Huron is fun! My wife and I go regularly and come back with plenty of deals.

I work in Sarnia, so I pick up the sunday papers in Sarnia when my schedule has me working on the weekend, the coupons are not as plentiful or high in value as they used to be. The detroit papers have way more coupons than the Port Huron paper.

In terms of a value amount - it can be a grey area, but keeping it around $200 per person is very low in terms of risk of having to pay duty. In terms of alcohol, it is still a mega deal to buy at duty-free and pay duty.

I'm not exactly sure of the numbers, but 5 cases of beer [cans] and paying duty on them works out much much cheaper. A number of my family and co-workers take advantage, and in some rare cases do not have to pay duty.

We love meijer the most for the selection and deals they have [plus they double coupons up to 50cents] Kroger and the card there are almost as amazing, and they also double up to 50 cents PLUS when you logon to their website with your kroger card, they have a number of "e coupons" you can load to your card before shopping there and use additional coupons on top of the e coupons and the store savings of using the card.

I also heard that in Gennesee county [Flint area] that Kroger doubles coupons up to one dollar... never tried and they may have changed that policy.

[onmom]

I know you posted quite a while ago...but for groceries I go to a little store called "Aldi". They don't accept coupons, so know your prices ahead of time. But for things like milk, yogurt, cheese, turkey dogs, they seem to have the cheapest prices. Milk is usually about 10 cents per gallon cheaper than even Kroger.

As for amounts you can bring back...technically the limit is $50 per person. We usually try to keep it to less than $100 per person, and we have never had to pay duties...yet. We never bring alcohol or tobacco back, so maybe that is why they never bother us??