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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Living in America 2014

505 replies

rootypig · 29/07/2014 11:54

Shiny new thread. After an epic visa fuck up we are starting out (again!) in LA in a few weeks. I am English, DH is American (from southern California), DD is 21mo. I am going back to work after several unintentional years out and terrified. No clue what I want to do, which doesn't help.

Come chat about all things American!

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rootypig · 13/08/2014 22:58

oh god it's all so depressing . Bread, butter, yoghurt, cheese, milk, all horrid. Eggs too are curiously flavourless?

Does anyone do their own bread in a bread maker? thinking I'll have to start, or live on tortillas. And get some chickens. And a cow Grin

What is HEB? have remembered another store, not sure if it's Cali only - Sprouts? MIL likes to shop there and it is expensive, but better that most.

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goodbyeyellowbrickroad · 13/08/2014 23:11

HEB is a Texas only supermarket. I think it's pretty good and I know a lot of other expats that shop there. Our first supermarket experience was Krogers and I almost cried - awful place. HEB have a posher store called Central Market which is even nicer - good butchers and fish counter. Plus quite a few British bits and pieces like Heinz beans, jam and (the best bit in my cheese living opinion) loads of Neals Yard Dairy cheese.

I've heard of Sprouts but have never been. In this house Sprout is the tv channel my DS loves!

rootypig · 13/08/2014 23:13
Grin
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goodbyeyellowbrickroad · 14/08/2014 01:17

Sorry butterflies for my suggestions of West Elm and C&B - totally didn't see that you've already looked there! I blame the heat frying my brain.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 14/08/2014 03:39

Another one here who heads to Ikea as default now... Both Trader Joe's and Wholefoods don't use high fructose corn syrup, which is great, but loads of TJ's own brand yogurts have gelatine in - just why? Even Muller yogurts here have gelatine in... Bizarre. I don't think you can get baby yogurt without sugar. In Wholefoods you'll get lovely yogurt with organic milled sugar, but it's still bloody sugar. In baby yogurt. WTF??? Head to TJ's and buy a huge pot of their European style yogurt, then add your own fruit. Sadly 'tis the only way...

MrsCRabbit · 14/08/2014 03:51

Immediately googled Central Market but, predictably, there isn't one in Corpus! Got excited about Heinz beans for a moment!

Sarcastic, I just ordered some furniture from Wayfair.com. They seem to have a variety of prices and styles, might be worth a try? I ordered online from IKEA to begin with but they wanted to charge me $380 delivery for a $340 order! I called them and was basically told that that's what you get for living in the sticks!

Rootypig, I used a bread maker when we were in China and grew to love it. It was actually really convenient to put it on at night and then have the aroma of fresh bread wake me up in the morning. I think I might get one here as I think the bread is pretty terrible (have also been living off tortillas!). You can even use some bread makers to make yoghurt. Two birds with one appliance!

butterfliesinmytummy · 14/08/2014 07:30

Thanks, I'll look at wayfair too.

Central market is absolutely amazing, but Randall's stocks baked beans, salad cream etc too, heb near me has a British section and I've heard that fiesta (the Mexican supermarket) sells uk stuff too. There a British shop is rice village, which is a bit pricey but sells everything british, even mr kiplings cakes, walkers crisps, squash, Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries (if that's your thing). World market also does a great range of uk (and German, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Swiss, French etc) foods, def worth checking out, can buy online too if there's not one near you.

I buy bread at Panera bread, which tastes much less sweet than USA supermarket bread, plus they slice it for me. There's a lot of sourdough bread around but my kids don't eat that..... Yogurt is a real bugbear for me as there are so many brands with chemicals I've never heard of in them. Sugar is in all yogurt (same as uk), otherwise it's just plain yogurt, but it's easy to make, just add fruit purees, honey etc. My kids like the organic yogurt in tubes (they get frozen and chucked into lunchboxes to defrost), siggi's is a good brand, less sugar too. It's a bit of learning curve, even after a year Grin

Getting on a flight back to houston in half an hour, been in Europe for a month and the kids are keen to get home, which is good. Always feel that leaving a place makes you appreciate it more, looking forward to getting back to polite and mannered people and clean streets after 2 weeks in paris......

rootypig · 14/08/2014 10:13

You can even use some bread makers to make yoghurt.

Really?! Shock since we are going to be in the US forever and ever long term I better start working out some solutions. Yes to the TJ's European style yoghurt though it's still not the same. stamps foot

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rootypig · 14/08/2014 10:13

On the upside, Trader Joe's ginormous blocks of belgian chocolate are really quite palatable Grin

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eissac · 14/08/2014 16:00

Must give that a try. I have also found wine is not as expensive as I thought it would be, apart from in restaurants where it is usually ridiculous.

HerRoyalNotness · 14/08/2014 17:35

HEB normal stocks the heinz beans. I'll have to try central market, is it much more expensive? I 'm shocked at the price of meat from the meat counter here. I also bought some rotten salmon fillets the other day from HEB, one was okay, so we eked it out between 3 of us, I went without, the smell of the others was disgusting.

I find the chicken really odd in the US, very meaty, and kind of firm, not sure how to explain it, but I'm not keen on it. We're getting a Trader Joes in our area by the end of the year, I'm looking forward to giving that at go.

Bristolexpat · 14/08/2014 21:39

Wholefoods do sell a whole milk yoghurt sweetened more by fruit juice than sugar. Or at least, it's last on the ingredient list, rather than second. I have bought it for my two toddlers. It is in the adult section rather than children's. It's made by Traderspoint and is sold in individual glass jars or bottles.

I can't believe that my debut post on Mumsnet is about yoghurt! Especially on the overseas section, when I only just moved back to the UK from Chicago two weeks ago.

I was simply paranoid about food in American supermarkets when we first moved to the US, and read labels like crazy. Started cooking most of our meals from scratch - not my idea of fun - and now I'm back here, my standards have completely fallen by the wayside. Ridiculous.

Good luck to those of you just starting out on your US adventure!

OhIDoLikeToBeBeside · 15/08/2014 20:16

Hello. I am not sure if this is the right place, but I am considering a work exchange from the UK to the US. Just 3 months, but we have a five year old so would want him to be in school. How on earth would we so this? How would we find a school? apply? Would we have to pay?

Has anyone done this? Any ideas or info at all would be great.

AlpacaMyBags · 15/08/2014 20:31

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OhIDoLikeToBeBeside · 15/08/2014 21:19

Seattle.

Thanks Alpaca. DS has a full vaccination schedule (including BCG), and we would have no issue with any additional ones.

AlpacaMyBags · 15/08/2014 21:36

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OhIDoLikeToBeBeside · 15/08/2014 22:02

Yes and yes. Haven't actually investigated visa's yet. Thought that was going to be complicated.

OhIDoLikeToBeBeside · 15/08/2014 22:13

Though, having had a quick look, it looks like I would be on a J-1 exchange visa, and DH and DS and J-2 dependent visas.

Want2bSupermum · 16/08/2014 10:00

Hello everyone. Just read through the posts. For food we do a lot of shopping at costco. They have some excellent breads, meats, eggs, yoghurt and while the sizes are huge the fruit and veg is pretty good. Delivery in NJ is via fresh direct or peapod. All the supermarkets around here do a pick-up service. You email them your shopping list and they collect it all for you so all you do is pay the bill. Costco is where we do 80% of our shop though. They have yoghurt with no sugar in it but it is fat free which isn't great for young kids. TJ's or shoprite is where I get the stuff for the kids. Wholefoods is an expensive joke. Van's waffles were $3.99 a box on offer there and $2.25 for the same box at Shoprite. Not that I buy them but I was shocked that a box of frozen waffles could be more than $3!

For scandinavian furniture, we have found some great 2nd hand stuff on craigslist. We just found a lovely teak table with beautiful chairs that was only $300. Ikea is good for food but I avoid their furniture as it doesn't last beyond 2-3 years in our house. North Carolina still has a pretty strong furniture making industry and we found the prices very reasonable. They are able to customize to a certain degree so you get something closer to what you want.

Want2bSupermum · 16/08/2014 15:23

I asked DH about Scandi furniture and he said BoConcept is probably your best bet if buying within the US. They have quite a few locations here in the US. We found the prices were too high but used it as a guide when getting pieces made. The quality is light years ahead of Ikea.

He also said to check out manufactures in Denmark & Sweden and they probably have agents here in the US who can headache the importation and delivery.

rootypig · 22/08/2014 23:45

Hey all, hoping to pick your brains for anyone who's done green card. I just entered the US on my K visa, and want to get a social security number so I can get my bloody driver's licence! (I have already passed the test on a previous visit, and was given a temp licence that has now expired).

Anyway. Green card is in the post Hmm to arrive sometime in coming months. My question is, can I go to the social security people with my passport, the stamp that says admitted IR1 (immediate relative category) and get a SSN? I think I must be able to? because apparently you can apply for the SSN as part of the immigration process but I can't remember if I did this Confused

I just want to be able to drive my bloody car!

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rootypig · 22/08/2014 23:58

oh and if I do go to the office and apply for an SSN, how long will it take to come in your experience?

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AlpacaMyBags · 23/08/2014 01:08

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

rootypig · 23/08/2014 14:33

thanks Alpaca. I'll get on with it first thing Monday. fingers crossed if I did apply for it on the k visa forms, this won't cause a problem.....perhaps they can check and see if I'm already in their system.

sigh.

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butterfliesinmytummy · 24/08/2014 04:31

I'm not sure if it varies from state to state but I got sent home from the ss office as I didn't have my marriage certificate. It doesn't say on their website list of documents to take but as I'm a dependent of dh's visa, they needed this to process my application. Just take everything!

Thanks for the Bo concept tip super mum, there's a store in my city so will take a look. I've just discovered houzz too with lots of suggestions, spoiled for choice. We do have a kitchen table and chairs but I bought it on a whim and really don't like it one year on (it's from west elm). I promised dh that I would sell it first.....