What to buy in the U.S?

[noenergy]

Wandering what is cheaper out there. DH is going to Orlando and Miami with work and I want to give him a list of things to get me and the kids.

Not sure with the exchange rate if things will be cheaper.

Sleeping tablets , NyQuil and DayQuil, ibuprofen , Bath and body works stuff (it’s amazing!)
Yankee candles but tell him to put them in hand luggage as security think they’re bombs because of the wick ..

If you go to a premium outlet centre, go and register at their reception and they should give you an additional discount book. I did this at Woodbury Common (NYC) and got a Michael Kors purse, medium sized handbag and a wallet for about £100 with both the in-store plus additional discount. That was 2016 so the pound was already in the shit after the Brexit referendum and it was still a decent price!

Not necessarily cheaper, but get loads of lovely smelly stuff from Bath & Body works & all the seasonal reese's confectionary!

Michael’s is amazing for craft stuff.

Trader Joe’s is amazing.. like a cheap whole foods. I saw a lovely napa valley wine there for $24 that was selling on “special offer” at the duty free in airport for $36. I triple wrap a special bottle or two in giant ziplock bags (they have 2.5 gallon sizes in US) and put in with clothes in my checked in bag. Never had anything broken. They also have amazing coffee, all sorts of nuts/dried food and great beef jerky. Try their white cheddar popcorn, peanut butter filled pretzels and bring the kids back Birthday Cake Popcorn (tastes yummy and has little sprinkles on it). Husband might like to buy himself some chocolate covers espresso beans - helps when jet lag hits you in afternoon.

Tk maxx is TJ Maxx there and they have lots of good jackets/sweater on sale from Tommy H, Michel Kors, etc that were better prices than outlet stores. Crabtree and Evelyn products were a steal too ($4-6 for lotion that retails for £16 here).

Crocs outlet was great - prices were slightly less to here but they had huge amount of choices and buy 2 and get 1 pair free or buy 1 and get second at 1/2 off promo.

@PumpkinKitty82 I was thinking about sleeping aids as I read about them somewhere else. So the one u use work?

Read somewhere about melatonin as well about it being great but u can't get it here

I just raided Victoria's Secret and bought a few bras. They had 40% off, and they are already cheaper than VS here.
Then I went to GAP and bought a lot of stuff there, too. Again 40% off of everything that wasn't reduced already.

We've spent a lot of time in the States over that last 30 years and apart from end of season sales we've never found it as cheap as people say. OH buys stuff from the Gap outlets and we get the grandchildren fleeces etc from there. When we go in February our list from the family is headed by Goldfish biscuits and Heink barbecue sauce.

It's definitely not cheap there now due to the exchange rate. We've been twice in the last 18 months, to two different areas, and found bargains very hard to find.

Ask him to get you some nice things from Bath & Body Works - I'd want seasonal candles from there!

@noenergy yes they’re pretty good and you can buy as many as you like as they’re not over the counter . I’ve used just the Walmart own brand and they’re really good.
Haven’t tried melatonin but I think I might next year to starve off jet lag

The Old Navy outlet at Vineland was much better than the Old Navy shop.

American Girl dolls are very expensive, but gorgeous if your DC are old enough and into dolls.

Wax melts are as cheap as chips in Walmart and they smell better for longer than the Yankee candles and are easier to carry.

Melatonin is great and worth stocking up on and agree with the PP who said Secret deodorant. It is by far the best and I also don't use anything else.

Another vote for bath and body works, the candles are lovely and so strong you can smell them with the lid on!

The Disney outlets are great in Florida too, mostly last seasons stuff from the parks but at bargain prices.

I was there a couple of weeks ago. Didn't think things were much cheaper to be honest. Have a look at stuff online and compare the prices.

Outlet malls are good but a lot of crap! Got some good deals on converse if they're your bag

PHysicians formula butter bronzer. I wish they’d launch over here

TJ Maxx out there is much better than the ones here. I'm sure hubby could find you some great handbags in there. Coach is definitely much cheaper in the US, too.

There was a great store called Marshalls in California but not sure if they are in Florida. Great for bags, cosmetics, homewares etc.

I’m in US right now at not finding things that cheap which I think is primarily because of the exchange rate as well as comparable prices to the UK.

I’m going shopping here in Black Friday but I had a sort of pre-look and I’ll be getting some make up from Sephora, origins stuff and victoria secret. I don’t think US fashion is that good and would rather buy in my preferred UK shops like Reiss, Whistles, All Saints, LK- they have nothing like that here except in New York type places.

What I did notice was cheap designer gear like Calvin Klein or Michael Korda especially the shoes but you can get similar prices probably in UK

Yes to the Levi’s, I get my husband a pair every time I visit my son in New York. Half the price of UK , even in the outlet stores.

And whatever their version of night nurse is called. Hundred times more effectively than ours in UK.

I would be heading straight to Daiso to shop for cute useless items. Then I'd be looking for vegan junk food - there seems to be a huge variety there. I think food is now more expensive in the US than the UK so I probably wouldn't buy that much.

Peanut butter M&M's

Wow to the food comment
NameChanger22
Where can o get vegan junk food!

Melatonin is about the only thing I would bring back. The exchange rate is pretty terrible.

Sleeping aid - Zzquil is great. It’s just old fashioned (ie drowsy) antihistamines, makes you sleepy but not addictive and you won’t feel totally groggy when you wake up. It’s a godsend for long haul flights and jet lag.
DayQuil, NyQuil are great for cold and flu.
Disney toys, barbies, Star Wars, nerf guns are much cheaper. Walmart or Kmart have good selections of cheap outdoor toys as well.
This time of year - Girhardelli peppermint bark. 🎄
Anything Polo Ralph Lauren, especially kids clothes, are a fraction of U.K. prices.
Janie and Jack do fabulous children clothes, not cheap but they often have sales, maybe you can order online and have delivered to his hotel?

Serious - there's a chain of restaurants in the US called Veggie Grill which sell all vegan food - burgers, cheesecake, ice cream etc. I really wish we had that in the UK.

I follow the Fizz Family on YouTube who are a British vegan family currently living in California. They do shopping food hauls and are often buying amazing looking vegan food - some healthy, some not. Their vegan Halloween food looked really interesting.

levis

Jeans - Levi’s are so cheap. Watch out for tax free days/weekends too, and go to outlet centres (they are a lot cheaper than here). Sports clothes and trainers can be very good, as can ‘designer’ labels.