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Living overseas

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Moving to USA - what to take what to leave behind

133 replies

acapulco · 14/07/2021 11:45

Hello lovelies!

So. Just that. I’m currently looking at blenders/nutribullets etc and lamps (around the house) but we won’t be bringing any big appliances. I’ve read slightly different things. Some say ditch all electricals and some say it’s could be worth shipping as they may work?

What would your advice be if you’ve done the move?

We won’t be bringing much furniture - tables and chairs and bits and pieces that should work.

I have the removal company coming to do a quote so want to have everything ready for next Tues.

Do you have any other tips for moving your stuff that you found useful particularly as travelling with a toddler (as well as teens)?

Thank you.

OP posts:
QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 19:44

@Preech

Another strange one, but one of the "bring from Britain" requests I get from American friends and family is jute grocery shopping bags. Depending on where you end up, you might find your shopping gets packed into a zillion old-school thin plastic grocery bags. If you'd rather use reusable shopping bags, it's usually fine, but the quality of the shopping bags is better over here. They're sturdier and hold more.

lord Yes 🎉

I brought all my Tesco BagsForLife.. and thank goodness.. ☺️

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 15/07/2021 19:58

Take biscuits. I used to smuggle in plain chocolate digestives.

In the bigger cities you can get pretty much any foodstuff if you're prepared to cough up the $$$ for Bovril and Toblerone, but we lived in the boonies so would get visiting friends to being teabags.

Bloody loved it, though. Have fun while you're there.

acapulco · 15/07/2021 20:07

Brilliant bits of info. I will pack my sturdy shopping bags.

I do love a dark choc digestive ….. marmite is the thing I normally miss the most. Heading to a big city but still good to know what people request or miss before we leave!

OP posts:
QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 20:08

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman

Take biscuits. I used to smuggle in plain chocolate digestives.

In the bigger cities you can get pretty much any foodstuff if you're prepared to cough up the $$$ for Bovril and Toblerone, but we lived in the boonies so would get visiting friends to being teabags.

Bloody loved it, though. Have fun while you're there.

they sell those in the British section in Publics 🎉

QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 20:10

we get our Irn Bru .. Salad Cream .. Tetley teabags.. British chocolate bars etc all in Publics .. failing that.. Amazon 😂

Good luck with your move OP 🌸

HerRoyalNotness · 15/07/2021 20:17

@Twizbe

A kettle with a plug adaptor.

Several friends have commented that you can't buy a kettle in the US!

You can buy kettles here no problem.
QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 20:26

Walmart is full of Kettles.. 🤣

QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 20:28

If you have Dyson Hairdryers etc .. they will not work here in the US.. even with adapters..

Contact Dyson, and they will allow you to exchange your Dyson Products ONCE.. for UK/USA wiring..

just incase OP 🌸

knitnerd90 · 15/07/2021 20:52

Some places now charge for shopping bags, but they don't seem to sell those nice thick Bags for Life here--you've got to go buy your own reusables. So if you already have a collection of Bags for Life those are a good bring.

noodlezoodle · 15/07/2021 21:56

Good tip about the bread - why does it all taste like cake? I only buy sourdough now.

You can definitely buy electric kettles here but they are expensive and take forever to boil. That's the fault of the 110v electricity though!

I get my Yorkshire tea from Amazon or Cost Plus World Market, which also does things like tins of beans and English biscuits.

Yes to the keyboard configuration and you'll also need to decide whether you want US or UK spellcheck on.

We have a California King bed and it is the BEST Grin

You can buy both duvets and duvet covers here but the terminology is often confusing. I once asked about duvets vs comforters and the difference in a work Slack channel at which point it emerged that Americans don't understand it either!

Depending on where you live you may need to put together an emergency kit or go-bag. There are a few areas of the country that don't need it but if you don't have earthquakes you might have tornadoes or hurricanes or... you get the idea.

mathanxiety · 15/07/2021 23:06

Kettles are as expensive as you want them to be - mine cost $14.99 in Walmart a few years ago. With tax added, probably about $16. You can get more expensive ones of course.
You can get electricals in Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and many other places. B,B&B sends big coupons in the mail that you can redeem in store or online.

Toblerone is everywhere, and cheap, Tetley 'British Blend' tea is in Walmart along with Twinings, many supermarkets carry Irish tea brands, also many varieties of Twinings, McVities choc digestives are in major city/well-off suburban supermarkets.
Bovril can be hard to find, but you can buy Marmite.

You can get the syringes for infants here too; they just don't come in the package. The pharmacist will give you one if you have a prescription.
Some formulations of Infants or Children's Tylenol or Motrin come with a little syringe in the packet. You tip the bottle up, insert the syringe in a hole in the top of the bottle, and fill accurately. Very handy. Some just come with the little marked plastic cup style dispenser.

I would stock up on codeine products (check expiration dates), especially if you do any form of strenuous exercise or have a bad back, etc.

For school supplies, you will get a list as long as your arm for private schools, and a not so long one for public. Get the items on the list. Don't wing it. Private schools may also ask for room supplies like paper towels, plastic bags, antibac wipes, boxes of tissues. Your DCs will go to school weighed down like pack animals on the first day Smile.

All school supplies are available in Walmart and Target, but after the end of August you pay more and some shops only carry a limited selection into the Autumn. Best to shop early. If you arrive in the Autumn, get supplies delivered via Amazon.
The T-I calculators can be bought on eBay and elsewhere online. We've only ever bought reconditioned and they've worked fine.

If your DCs are going to private schools they will most likely wear a uniform. Best to identify the supplier and order asap. You usually can't buy specific uniform items for private schools in shops, with the possible exception of non-logo trousers, polo shirts, socks of a specific colour. You may find that private schools have a uniform bank. If you're going to public school, don't go overboard buying top of the line clothes. American children wear very ordinary clothes and while fashion is important it isn't the huge preoccupation it tends to be in cultures where school uniform is worn.

You can get great bread in nicer supermarkets in the US, especially in larger cities. Best to avoid the sliced bread section.
Any Whole Foods Market will have nice bread, incl sourdough, and you can experiment with your local supermarket's bakery section.
You can also find decent breakfast cereals if you're prepared to read ingredients.

YY, if you're going to get American beds, leave your British linens behind. They won't fit. Bring your duvets though.

Wean your DCs off squash. You won't find it here.

QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 23:12

Wean your DCs off squash. You won't find it here.

you can get it in Publics 🌸

mathanxiety · 15/07/2021 23:18

Publix is overwhelmingly a southern US chain.

giroux · 15/07/2021 23:25

Amazon sell great amazon brand kettles, fast with automatic shut off (which is not standard as far as I've seen).

Yorkshire Tea, Digestives, baked beans and pretty much everything else can be got from Amazon or Stop n Shop/or similar.

I agree that Whole Foods do pretty good bread (not quite as sweet as most US bread but still not as patch on your average crusty loaf from Tesco!). If you don't have easy access to Whole Foods, get the bread maker a pp mentioned.
Whole Foods sells some pretty random British stuff (including Yorkshire tea!) so you might find some familiar things there.

Trader Joes also stock a lot of European foods, and do some pretty good shopping bags too.

Overall, you can honestly get most things from Amazon. After well over a decade, it is strange things that I can't find, like decent pencils (American pencils are the pits).

I have made my peace with crispy, streaky bacon.

Enjoy it. Mostly, if you ignore the politics, life is pretty good here and in some ways, much easier.

marthawashington · 15/07/2021 23:31

Any Electronics that you really don't want to part with (for me it was my sewing machine) get a power transformer 110 v to 220 v. Otherwise I've got everything I've ever wanted here! Including marmite (world market and Whole Foods have it. Oh yes, except knickers! I stock up at M&s on trips back to UK.

Moving to USA - what to take what to leave behind
pallisers · 15/07/2021 23:34

if you go to a decent supermarket (not just whole foods) they will have a bakery section that does good sourdough, ciabatta, baguettes, nicer not sweet sliced pans, rolls etc. I have authentic French, Danish and Italian bakeries within walking distance. No problem getting a kettle either - its just that most american kitchens/people don't bother with them but they are easily available.

I wouldn't bother with any of the small electronics (although we did bring some lamps that were wedding presents and got a lamp shop to convert them. If you are anywhere near Boston there are a few Irish shops that sell all the usual Irish/British groceries including rashers as opposed to streaky bacon (I now prefer american bacon - the only thing I completely converted to). I'm sure cities like NY or Chicago have similar.

Aquamarine1029 · 15/07/2021 23:41

@Egghead68

Ditch electricals. Hot water kettles are hard to find but you should be able to get one in Williams Sonoma.
This is totally not true. Every Wal-Mart sells them.
knitnerd90 · 16/07/2021 01:07

School supply lists vary dramatically! We were at one school where the PTA funded all elementary supplies and all the kids needed were some pencils; then we moved, and we had to buy, though the lists were reasonable. I have some friends who have had long lists at public. Some areas are underfunded and the kids get asked to bring all sorts of things including all the wipes and such. Oh, and the teachers are not kidding about only wanting Crayola crayons and Ticonderoga pencils.

At high school the teachers all have their own idea for all the classes, so it's gotten pricier. My oldest is also now in elective studio art classes and is always wanting more supplies too.

I'm outside DC and Wegmans has a bunch of imported things, but you'll pay for them. DH made himself get used to American Heinz Beans (totally different recipe) because he refused to pay that much for a tin of beans. Their instore bakery is decent. I think Whole Foods is overpriced TBH.

We use a stove-top kettle becuse neither of us drink coffee or tea (so it's just for guests). With newer, faster cooktops they're really not too bad, but you might want to try the electric one given that they're inexpensive (You really do not need to pay W-S prices for most things--unless you want a Magimix). I've heard the newest ones are not too slow, 110v or not.

Ruthietuthie · 16/07/2021 01:12

You really don't need to bring anything. Electric kettles, Yorkshire tea, sour bread, is all available here.
The only thing I order online are galaxy chocolate (love minstrels) and Walkers crisps (no great variety in the flavors here).
Your laptop will work fine here, just with a plug adaptor. Move only what you love.

knitnerd90 · 16/07/2021 02:38

@giroux the regular pencils are crap. The teachers insist on Ticonderogas because the off brands are awful, but they are not that good.

If you want good pencils you have to order them online. Musgrave is good. Blackwing if you want to go all out. I have learnt a lot about pencils thanks to my oldest!

Stillfunny · 16/07/2021 02:39

To maximize the precious tea bags, I was asked to bring a teapot and a tea cosy . Told that it was the best Xmas present that year.

paddlingon · 16/07/2021 03:31

Crisps are a struggle, the range of flavors here is poor.

There are no Percy pigs or Colin the caterpillar cakes.

I have just got a lovely floral kettle from Walmart though.

Facebook marketplace is brilliant where we are for furniture, the value of great furniture sinks like a stone. I wouldn't bother bringing much over.

If you need uniforms them M&S ship to the USA and Next.
(Boden do as well.)

humblebumble · 16/07/2021 03:41

One thing to remember at the moment that buying new furniture can be tricky since Covid because there can be a long lead time on delivery. I'm sure you can find some furniture so you wouldn't be without but maybe some things take longer to come that they would usually.

giroux · 16/07/2021 03:58

@knitnerd90Who knew that pencils could be so frustrating! Thanks so much for the tips, I'll try those.

Also, OP, what is also worth keeping in mind is that where you are going to live will make a difference to some of these things too...whether you are in a city, suburban area or a rural area will have an impact. Drilling down further, which city, state you are in etc all may impact the availability too.

I'm in rural land-grant college town, we have a surprising amount available for a rural area because of the international students BUT compared to a city, some things are limited (i.e. we don't have access to wonderful international bakeries that a pp mentioned). That said, we have amazing resources for a small town.

The good news is amazon and M&S etc probably deliver anywhere in the US, so Yorkshire tea, Walkers crisps are available anywhere :)

Shanster · 16/07/2021 04:02

Agree with the covid/furniture comment! I ordered a sofa in April and the current delivery date is October! Things are much improved for Brits in the US since I moved here 18 years ago. Kettles are easy to come by, Tetley British blend is available at all my local supermarkets and Publix has Heinz beans etc. M&S is the only underwear my 3 American kids will wear, postage is usually free over $100. If you are stuck on what to bring, go for things you live that remind you of home - I have a lovely big techno color picture of a stag, would be a bit naff in Glasgow but works here!