Bargains / must buys while in the USA

[earlyriser]

Go look at raise.com for US gift cards.
Camarillo has the best outlet mall and is about 75 minutes north of LAX. It is called Camarillo Premium Outlet Mall.
Get a Citibank debit card by going Citibank.com.au/plus
I love Costco, Macy's , Tiffany ,San Diego Wine Company , Ruth's Chris Steakhouse ,Scott's Seafood,Maggianos and In N Out .

Seconded on Camarillo outlets. Lived close to there for 18 months and visited often.

I have had trouble purchasing on Raise in the past using Paypal. Does it work with something like 28 degrees?

 

[legroom]

Go look at raise.com for US gift cards.
Camarillo has the best outlet mall and is about 75 minutes north of LAX. It is called Camarillo Premium Outlet Mall.
Get a Citibank debit card by going Citibank.com.au/plus
I love Costco, Macy's , Tiffany ,San Diego Wine Company , Ruth's Chris Steakhouse ,Scott's Seafood,Maggianos and In N Out .

Aussie Costco membership cards are accepted in the States.

 

[cove]

I think 28 degrees should work. You could skype them if it gets held up.
I use US credit cards so I am out of date on that question.
If you want to come home penniless go to South Coast Plaza then make your way to the shops nearby if you are not a fashion fiend. The shops nearby have excellent prices in Costa Mesa and it is close enough to Disney.
Costco is a brilliant retail store and don't miss that buying opportunity. Ross Dress For Less with a 14% off e-gift card will work a treat but you will have to ruffle thru the jumble a bit like at Nordstrom Rack.
Went to a business meeting in Salt Lake and there was a Kirkland container of home brand chocolate macadamias....like wow ...thank you Costco.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Check the ingredients eg, panadol may have a few different names in USA, but it is still paracetamol 500mgs you are looking for.

paracetamol is known as acetaminophen in the states.

While they are cheap there, Woollies now has generic ibuprofen and paracetamol - as low as 79c per 20. Starts to bring the price down to US levels with the exchange rate.

 

[Steady]

Go look at raise.com for US gift cards.
Camarillo has the best outlet mall and is about 75 minutes north of LAX. It is called Camarillo Premium Outlet Mall.
Get a Citibank debit card by going Citibank.com.au/plus
I love Costco, Macy's , Tiffany ,San Diego Wine Company , Ruth's Chris Steakhouse ,Scott's Seafood,Maggianos and In N Out .

I saw a blog entry or maybe it was a post of yours in the playground mentioning raise.com along with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Silver Oak Cab Sauv by the glass - my attentionhas been caught I like discounts, steak and wine - it is on my list to do.


There is some good info here - thankyou everyone for the posts thus far

 

[snabbu]

Aussie Costco membership cards are accepted in the States.

However not accepted at the attached Costco petrol stations (not in 2013 anyway).

 

[ellen10]

New Hampshire is tax free! Also there is a outlet mall in Maine that has some good outdoor clothing type stores if that is your thing. Enjoy!

Oooh thanks nmdcunha...tax free sounds good. I think there is a shopping outlet in North Conway.

Tiffanys in NY sounds delicious!
I would also like to buy makeup (Estee Lauder) and perfume. Any suggestions best stores for cosmetics

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Oooh thanks nmdcunha...tax free sounds good. I think there is a shopping outlet in North Conway.

Tiffanys in NY sounds delicious!
I would also like to buy makeup (Estee Lauder) and perfume. Any suggestions best stores for cosmetics

The USA classifies cosmetics a bit differently to Australia. Stuff like revlon the consider 'Low end' - you pick that up at the supermarket or drugstore. About 1/3-1/2 the price in Australia. It's worth visiting a couple of shops because usually one of the drugstore chains will have promotions at any one time... this can reduce the prices even further.

For the rest - anywhere like Macys (or equivalent). Again - 1/3-1/2 the price we pay in Australia. Clinique would be like the 'lowest' lead-in a department store would stock.

A potential thing to watch out for in the states is that the 'bonus packs' we often see in Australia (spend $100 and get a free 7-piece gift pack)... they sometimes have the same gift packs in the states... exacept you have to pay for them. They're sold as stand-alone items.

That being said, if you ask for samples most counters will freely give you 5ml sample bottles of a whole range of stuff. So worth asking!

 

[blackcat20]

The USA classifies cosmetics a bit differently to Australia. Stuff like revlon the consider 'Low end' - you pick that up at the supermarket or drugstore. About 1/3-1/2 the price in Australia. It's worth visiting a couple of shops because usually one of the drugstore chains will have promotions at any one time... this can reduce the prices even further.

For the rest - anywhere like Macys (or equivalent). Again - 1/3-1/2 the price we pay in Australia. Clinique would be like the 'lowest' lead-in a department store would stock.

A potential thing to watch out for in the states is that the 'bonus packs' we often see in Australia (spend $100 and get a free 7-piece gift pack)... they sometimes have the same gift packs in the states... exacept you have to pay for them. They're sold as stand-alone items.

That being said, if you ask for samples most counters will freely give you 5ml sample bottles of a whole range of stuff. So worth asking!

Sephora is also good for make-up and perfume.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Go look at raise.com for US gift cards.

You might life to check the reviews about raise.com Some fraudulent transactions have been reported. IE. People sell their egift cards and then keep the details and use them themselves before the new purchaser has a chance to use the newly acquired card.

I've used [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]cardpool.com before with no problems.[/FONT]

 

[get me outta here]

I think Oregon is also tax free.

 

[ellen10]

The USA classifies cosmetics a bit differently to Australia. Stuff like revlon the consider 'Low end' - you pick that up at the supermarket or drugstore. About 1/3-1/2 the price in Australia. It's worth visiting a couple of shops because usually one of the drugstore chains will have promotions at any one time... this can reduce the prices even further.

For the rest - anywhere like Macys (or equivalent). Again - 1/3-1/2 the price we pay in Australia. Clinique would be like the 'lowest' lead-in a department store would stock.

A potential thing to watch out for in the states is that the 'bonus packs' we often see in Australia (spend $100 and get a free 7-piece gift pack)... they sometimes have the same gift packs in the states... exacept you have to pay for them. They're sold as stand-alone items.

That being said, if you ask for samples most counters will freely give you 5ml sample bottles of a whole range of stuff. So worth asking!

Now getting excited, makeup is so expensive here. And I love free samples!
Blackcat I will look at Sephora as well.

 

[cove]

Macy's international passport 10% off.....you get that at their jewellery counter does not cover cosmetics.
Gift cards from giftcardgranny.com or raise.com should help.
We tend get cosmetics from Ulta,Sephora, Macy's, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom and try for gift with purchase.Look out for the gift with purchase signs and the special displays usually up at head height. Get all the free samples...they are tucked away in a drawer.
With Tiffany go to the sterling silver area in the shop to avoid wallet damage.
For jewellery look up Costco.com as cost plus about 15% can get you something very special at the right price. Costco is a huge diamond dealer and their stores have a limited range.

 

[earlyriser]

I think Oregon is also tax free.

It is. Some great shopping there.

 

[Fifa]

MAC makeup is so much cheaper in the US. Unfortunately the Macy's visitor discount cannot be used on makeup .

 

[Bindibuys]

Here you go - link to the premium outlets Premium Outlets: Locations in the United States

 

[RooFlyer]

Will say, 1st trip to NY = Tiffanys. And not to snoop like most other people, actually buy something.

My husband says, when I point out T stores in other countries, once you have been to 5th Avenue Tiffanys in NY, there is no reason to go to any other Tiffanys in the world...... which means no shopping for you, Denali!

Good grief, steady, I do hope your 4 x femmes haven't found this thread :shock: .

 

[Steady]

Good grief, steady, I do hope your 4 x femmes haven't found this thread :shock: .

I may be able to use the info to know where not to take them..... :shock:

 

[RooFlyer]

Will say, 1st trip to NY = Tiffanys. And not to snoop like most other people, actually buy something.

I'm no expert on these matters, but maybe between now and when you leave, a couple of times a day, you could use the words 'Wal-mart' and 'cosmetics' in the same sentence. Maybe the junior femmes at least might string it together and when you can get there, you can say "Sure, whatever you want, you get!!"

 

[jastel]

When I was in USA with the dollar at $1.10 the only thing I wanted to bring back was fast cars and gas....not real practical.
So bought a new camera instead.