Shopping in the USA
- Thread starter HunkyBill
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According to gasbuddy, prices in Bellingham are $3 USD/gallon or 0.79/litre.
In Blaine, gas prices vary quite a bit depending on location and are also higher than stations in Bellingham. USA Gasoline usually cheapest, Chevron on Peace Portal Dr the most expensive.
Dairy products much cheaper is stores like Costco, Fred Meyer and Winco in Bellingham and frequent sales as well.
Home improvement supplies are much cheaper in the USA at Lowes and Home Depot. You can compare prices online very easily. Example 1 gallon Behr Ultra Premium Paint is $50 CAD vs $32 USD. Cree LED bulb $15 CAD vs $8 USD.
In Blaine, gas prices vary quite a bit depending on location and are also higher than stations in Bellingham. USA Gasoline usually cheapest, Chevron on Peace Portal Dr the most expensive.
Dairy products much cheaper is stores like Costco, Fred Meyer and Winco in Bellingham and frequent sales as well.
Home improvement supplies are much cheaper in the USA at Lowes and Home Depot. You can compare prices online very easily. Example 1 gallon Behr Ultra Premium Paint is $50 CAD vs $32 USD. Cree LED bulb $15 CAD vs $8 USD.
Hey Badbadboy, thanks for the tip. It may be a while until I head south again but its always good to be informed.
Peace.
I hear this every now and them. Some people like to play people's heart strings and dish this kind of dialogue out. A similar argument is used not to buy products made in China. At the end of the day, it's all about money saved and the opportunity cost associated with any savings incurred. This loyalty and patriotism does nothing to promote competition or provide incentive to lower prices and to reduce our cost of living. Some very rich people are extremely cheap and for example, will piss off drivers and wait 20 minutes in line just to save a penny or two a litre at the pump. There will also be people like this. You can see this with people flying out of Bellingham on Allegiant Air. They'll risk their and their family's lives by flying an old plane and treated like cattle just to save a few dollars.
In any event, if you feel better about yourself by paying more for personal reasons or you drive a hybrid because you think you make a difference, all the power to you. Not everyone is financially able to do so. As always, sensibility and practicality comes into play. The preaching of this ancient irrelevant philosophy of loyalty to buying products from home (or where earned) is no longer viable, especially for those who are trying to make ends meet.
ROFMAO. I was expecting this response from you. I know that is the inverse but nobody uses it. You honestly think that's your method is common? by using a factor or.264172? How many people enter that on their calculator over 3.785? . You say it's is easier to use your number? Think again!! #smh
Now, here is where it gets really fun. Have you ever used your credit card to buy something in the USA or do you travel with a huge roll of $100 bills like Rob Ford? Paying by credit card adds around 2.5% surcharge to the exchange rate. Using the currency exchange rate (at the time of our initial post): 1.0766 x 1.025=1.1035. In other words, you have to pay $1.1035 Canadian to buy 1 USD. And now you can see how your exchange rate you incorrectly used of 0.9536 now becomes 0.906 CDN. Always use an offical CDN Bank's (RBC, TD) quoted buy and selling rate. Use the higher rate if you're unsure.
My lesson on currency exchange has ended.
Ciao baby!
It's not a few pennies; however, your mindset in regard to about it being only a few pennies is very typical. If people actually tallied up all their receipts and then compared it to how much they actually paid in Canadian funds they'd be shocked.
Having worked in the USA for seven years and constantly checking the Dollar conversion rates and holding bank accounts in both countries; I can safely say I do not need a lesson from you.
And yes, if you are comparing the Bank of Canada rate vs a Canadian Bank rate with respect to a tank of gas; you are in fact quibbling about pennies. Probably less than a couple of bucks at the end of the calculation. WOW.
ound:
Enjoy your evening and go count what is in you piggy bank for some real fun. Maybe you will have enough to leave an SP a $5 tip some day.
And yes, if you are comparing the Bank of Canada rate vs a Canadian Bank rate with respect to a tank of gas; you are in fact quibbling about pennies. Probably less than a couple of bucks at the end of the calculation. WOW.
ound:Enjoy your evening and go count what is in you piggy bank for some real fun. Maybe you will have enough to leave an SP a $5 tip some day.
Yes, frequently, and yes to Nexus (the line is often just a couple of minutes). I'm not a bog shopper but I still find that it's worth it. If I lived closer to the border, I'd probably cross even more often. There are some grocery items that it's just hard to find here. And the price on wine is just too ridiculous to pass up. When I have the time, I like to head into Bellingham for Trader Joe's but that's not often! I'm not a mall person, so Bellis Fair doesn't tempt me in the least, nor do the outlet stores.
I went down to Seattle in October and did some shopping, I don't really see what the big appeal is. I don't drive, so the cheap gas doesn't really apply to me
But I never ever had a problem with being hassled at the border, either by Canadian Customs or US customs here in BC.. Just a quick look at the passport and the usual where are you going and how long are you staying..
I only got pulled into secondary once, while flying back from New York in the Montreal airport.. Probably because I was really tired and filled out the claim form saying I bought 20000 worth of stuff :fear:, then scratched it out and put 200. lol!
But I never ever had a problem with being hassled at the border, either by Canadian Customs or US customs here in BC.. Just a quick look at the passport and the usual where are you going and how long are you staying..
I only got pulled into secondary once, while flying back from New York in the Montreal airport.. Probably because I was really tired and filled out the claim form saying I bought 20000 worth of stuff :fear:, then scratched it out and put 200. lol!
You must be talking about "Two Buck Chuck". Sorry, but it looks like they have renamed it. Truth in advertising.
Tirerack.com is hard to beat. They sell more than tires too. I've picked up shocks and coils from them way cheaper than other online shops. They do it on volume. I don't think I've purchased tires anywhere else for ages (got to stop all that threshold driving
) With the exchange rate rising, I've done less across-the-49th milk-runs, but for a lot of things, selection is the issue. Some items you just can't find here. I'm doing more local shopping lately though. Costco, Canadian Tire, etc. If I feel the need for a shopping run across the border, I stick to weekdays (fortunately, I have a flexible schedule).
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/
http://www.revzilla.com/
I simply don't go to local motorcycle shops for anything beyond oil and supplies. It's sad but the Canadian market is too small for any retailer to get any kind of volume discounts on his orders and the tariffs are ridiculous. Two local shop have closed down in the past month
http://www.revzilla.com/
I simply don't go to local motorcycle shops for anything beyond oil and supplies. It's sad but the Canadian market is too small for any retailer to get any kind of volume discounts on his orders and the tariffs are ridiculous. Two local shop have closed down in the past month
No, this Washington wine sells for $6.99 at Cost Cutters, just across the Truck Crossing in Blaine. It sells for $14.75/9 oz. glass here at Earl's ($40/bottle)!
Its the motorcycle insurance rates that is obscene in Canada. I pay 326.00 per year for a 2013 CBR500R full coverage. Heard stories of people paying 1,700 per year for the same coverage as me same age range and no tickets. Just how do you guys make ends meet up there??http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/
http://www.revzilla.com/
I simply don't go to local motorcycle shops for anything beyond oil and supplies. It's sad but the Canadian market is too small for any retailer to get any kind of volume discounts on his orders and the tariffs are ridiculous. Two local shop have closed down in the past month
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I concluded when I first came to Vancouver that owning any piece of transportation is a luxury. When I broke up with ICBC I figured I saved myself $500/month is Car related expenses. The problem is ICBC had a monopoly in BC and if you wanna drive you gotta pay. No ifs, ands or buts about it....
hahahahahha. clearly, you'll be needing lessons in life (including money and currency) up until the day you die. and even then, you're too stubborn to learn anything. you're the epitome of the ignorant cross border shopper.
ciao baby!
I dont usually head to downtown Bellingham but I hear they have amazing deals on wine at Trader Joes.
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