Cross Border Deals Brag!

[Quponer]

We recently traveled to Chicago and wow did we get some great deals.
So many that we had to pack and extra box full of our deals!
Sadley we had to pay $105 excess luggage fees but even with the 3 pieces we were allowed we couldn't fit it all.

Then when we got to Canadian customs they asked how much we spent, so we told them, but then at the the next counter they pulled us aside to check all of our bags!!!
When the customs officer asked for all of my recipients, i warned her that we were into extreme couponing and the final prices were minimal. However even with the limit of $3200 for our family they wanted to check further, so we let them.

So after about 15 mins of her seeing the items and the receipets, her manger passed by and asked the officer, "Do you really think they have over $3200 worth of stuff?" Needless to say, the officer turned around and said, "the investigation is complete."

My husband and I both a little annoyed but in the end it was more of a lesson for the customs officials to see that you really can use coupons and pay $0.17 at the Gap for 2 pair of shoes, a dress, a pair of pants, and a Gap Perfume!
Trip was amazing all coupon receipts were under $5 each.... !

[wamme]

we are thinking of going shopping across border as well this month where did you get all the coupons for usa

[hcao]

Awesome Brag!

Could you please share what coupons you used at Gap? I am going to cross border soon. Thank youuuuuu!

[pingwinki]

I'm crossing over for Black Friday..I'm interested in knowing where you find all your US coupons as well.

[tiffanyhungry]

great deals!

[ericaraina]

excellent excellent!!! i wish retails stores in canada issued coupons like in the states. i always save $ or get freebies with printables online for all my fave stores.

[cheekysaver]

WTG! For those interested you can purchase inserts and individual coupons on ebay, clipping services and there are tons of printables. In many places it is perfectly ok to go thru massive recycle bins that hold only papers and take out the inserts. Knowing people south of the border helps too. Instore customer cards save you a fortune and in some cases can make it so you have store credit. Youtube is a great resource to learn how to do this. Couponlikeaman on youtube is one of many great places to start.... Not that I have researched this at all!!! LOL

[RonBC]

People here like to consider coupons as like 'cash'. A form of tender. I would think Customs would feel the same way. I'm curious though how you got all that stuff at Gap for $0.17.

[PurpleBunny89]

I'm going over tomorrow to do clothes shopping. It so foreign to me couponing over there. My aunt is the master. I dare not leave the country without her! I tried looking for food coupons online yesterday because you can bring back food tax free and I pretty much gave up. I was so out of my element. I did however print a few $1 off Alka Seltzer coupons because I was planning on buying those down there anyways. (They don't have orange here). Also will be looking for Neocitrin and Buckleys since we no longer get them here in Canada.

[Quponer]

Thanks Everyone! We were visiting by sister-in-law and she is also a couponer so she already had alot of the coupons she gae us but a few keys things I learned from here that helped us save hundreds were:
1. Order coupons on ebay
2. You can even purchase Groupons on ebay valid in the US.
(We bought $20 worth of Body Shop Groupons on ebay for $2. And the stores had buy 2 get 2 free, so $40+ worth of stuff for $2!)
3. Lots of the stores have online sign up bonus, if you sign up online and provide your email address they send you a printable cash coupon. (Naturalizer has a $10 coupon, so I got shoes for $13.35 on sale - $10 coupon = $3.35, value $80, another good store Kohl's has $5 coupons for signing up and can be used on any item $5 or more, so some things were $5-$5Coupon = FREE).
4. Store Credit cards have great promo's. Since my sister-in-law already had the store cards, we saved more there! The Gap Deal was spend X amount get $20 credit. We got the $20 credit on our first purchase, then when we went to use it the store had a awsome sale, shoes, pants,and dress were $2.97 and the purfume was $20, we applied the $20 credit and the store also had a promo 30% off all sale items so my final receipt showed the costs next to each item in pennies and a total of $0.17
5. CVS is the place to go for all heath and beauty items! Make sure to sign up for a loyalty card, check the flyer online, it comes out in advance, so you can order the coupons you need on line (ebay) and then see the combinations on sites such as slickdeals.com, they offer cashback in on loyaty cards if you make certian purchases so it turned out to be great deals, in pennies as well.

Hope these tips help, I still have a lot to learn there, and some of the deals i didn't even understand but the receipts would end up soo low! If i get a chance to scan some receipts I will, they are soo good they should be framed!

Good luck to all the US shoppers!

[nothingsweeterthanadeal]

i have a question lests say the retail value is $20 us, but with coupons you pay $1.50, now crossing the border back into canada, do you declare it at $20 or $1.50??i hope you understand , im asking can you bring alot of goods paying little oop and will this mean little or no duty?

[anicas_stash]

Wow, just the tips I needed! I plan to visit my sis in NYC perhaps this Christmas. Will try them and perhaps get her to use coupons herself. Thanks a bunch

[jaxflower]

Me too - taking a bus trip down to Erie, PA & have no idea about couponing in the US. I'd have no idea what would be good to pre-purchase on ebay. Any tips are greatly appreciated!
jax

[RonBC]

4. Store Credit cards have great promo's. Since my sister-in-law already had the store cards, we saved more there! The Gap Deal was spend X amount get $20 credit. We got the $20 credit on our first purchase, then when we went to use it the store had a awsome sale, shoes, pants,and dress were $2.97 and the purfume was $20, we applied the $20 credit and the store also had a promo 30% off all sale items so my final receipt showed the costs next to each item in pennies and a total of $0.17

That's amazing.

[Marzenia]

Just amazing! Wish I can score some great deals on my next trip down there