What to buy from USA

[berkshirecat]

I'm very excited as about to go to the USA for 2 weeks. I haven't been for quite a few years!

I love nothing more than nosing around supermarkets and shops and buying stuff we can't get here in the UK. So help me: what are your USA must buys?!

And what is neosporin?! I've never heard of it...

Sounds like I definitely need to check out bath& body works and the candy section of supermarkets!

Yes to Junior Mints!
Nestle chocolate chips so you can make your own chocolate chip cookies (make the toll House cookie recipe which is printed on the box)
Honey Nut Cheerios
Rice Chex
Spray n wash Stain stick
Tide pens
Manila folders
Nyquil
Orbit gum

Depending on when you go, it may be shamrock shake season at McDonald's!!!
Consider eating at Taco bell and getting some Dorito tacos
Eat actual real Mexican food

*not on the box. On the packaging.

If you like baking, also consider buying some funfetti cake mix and rainbow chip icing. Also, butterscotch chips. So good (and hideously sweet)

BACTINE antiseptic/anaesthetic spray for cuts, grazes, burns, insect bites. Contains lidocaine to numb the wound and doesn't sting when you apply it.
Comes in a lightweight pump spray bottle so won't weigh too much.

@Tartyflette ooh that sounds really useful, will definitely look out for it!

@dellacucina I hadn't even considered baking stuff!! This opens up a whole new world of possibilities

If only you could bring back ice cream.... The ice cream flavours are amazing..

I was was in new york recently and couldn't believe the cost of the medicines etc though.

I bought back jolly ranchers, ranch flavoured everything! Snyders pretzels, life saver sweets...

You need to watch the exchange rate as last summer nothing was cheaper than the U.K. Burts Bees was exactly the same. Supermarkets worked out a lot more expensive. Most of the branded sweets and Skippy you can get in the U.K. now.

Levi's are dirt cheap even factoring in the exchange rate.
We are going in August. Tend to buy clothes out there and apple products but looking at the exchange rate it Amy not be worth It.
This year and previous years we will have got- large bottles of paracetamol and ibuprofen. Ear syringe- hubby suffers from ear wax build up can do it at home instead of doctors now. EOS lip balm. Will be getting melatonin this year

Are you sure Levi’s are dirt cheap, they weren’t when we went. They were $$$$ like everything else. Eye watering my expensive. We bought very little other than a few very cheap souvenirs and a couple of things from Trader Joes this time. So much you can get here now or online , much of it cheaper.

If you're there for long enough, their exchange programme on Apple products is vastly better. You can save up to a grand by exchanging your laptop and buying new there.

We go most years. We pack 2 empty suitcases with us to fill up.

We tend to buy the majority of our summer clothes while there (making use of outlet malls and sales, which tend to be much better deals than here), Old Navy is a favourite for the kids especially. I find the quality of the cotton is much better than it is in the cheaper stores here. I hunt J Crew Factory, and always buy designer jeans in one of the department store outlets (Neiman Marcus Last Call or Off Saks Fifth for example). DH wears Abercrombie polo shirts all the time, and DD loves their stuff.

M&Ms (my favourite are the almond ones).

Less of an issue now, but I used to buy Victoria's Secret underwear, I think their selection of pick n mix pants are better than ours, and I think their Body bras have a greater selection there.

Secret Gel deodorants in amazing smells. Unfortunately my DD will only wear these now too, so we have to bring loads home!

Apple products, and some other electronics (we've done well with Bose headphones in the past).

Massive bottles of paracetamol and ibuprofen.

While there we eat a lot of ice cream and cheesecakes from the supermarkets! And Lays crisps. Chick Fil A for their chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. Stone crab at Pinchers (this is more a Florida thing).

We're off again at Easter, can't wait!

Great thread, I’m going in June, went to LA last year and my teenage dd bought a few of the kylie Jenner lip kits from ulta.

I love the massive bags of skittles and m&ms they do! 🤤
Second Cheetos!
I love all the different flavour of fizzy you get there too!
TARGETTTTTT 🎯 you have to go to target and Walmart!

The only American chocolates I like are Sees Candies which are fabulous. If you are going to the West Coast, they have shops where you can pick your own centres. They are hard to find on the East Coast, although stores like Hudson News sell a few boxes. This year I discovered Lilac Chocolates in the Grand Central Food Hall place - they were delicious!

Sephora is brilliant, full stop!! I can spend hours in there as the selection is huge. I particularly like their make-up brushes which come in every size and shape you can imagine!

Check out the cake mixes in the supermarket - Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker do an amazing range of flavours and effects together with frostings. All sorts of utensils and baking products which you don't see here.

Medicines-wise - yes to Melatonin, huge packs of ear plugs, the antibiotic ointment, naproxen, Advil and Aleve. They also do large tubs of original Nivea body creme which you don't seem to be able to get here.

Greetings cards for that 'different' factor - also wrapping paper and bags although more difficult to pack and bring home. If you are going before Easter, check out the Hallmark stores. I went at Easter a couple of years ago and really wanted to buy a hen which laid different coloured eggs!!! It was such fun, but I wasn't allowed to buy it!

I want to go again now!

Tylanol for me (or the CVS equivalents).

Yes to Naproxen!

Melatonin is easily available in the UK online.