What to buy - shoes, glorious shoes

No brainer really, shoes are definitely worth buying from the US for the bargains, for the fashion and for the uniqueness. Pumps, sandals, flats, boots, athletic shoes......you name it they are worth buying off shore. Estimate approximately $30.00 AUD to ship a pair of average shoes to Australia, allowing for slightly more if buying boots.

Nine West Briella T-Strap Sandal

Compare these Nine West Briella T-Strap Sandal, cost on Amazon was $51.00 on sale, full price was $79.00 compared to the price in the Nine West retail shops here at $159.00.

Even allowing the $30.00 shipping you still save $78.00!!! What we don't understand is why the price discrepancy between Australia and the USA as the shoe is undoubtedly made in Asia or China, therefore stock would have to be shipped to the US or Australia regardless.

Where to buy?

Below is a few of our favourites but feel free to let us know if we have left any essential ones out:

• http://www.amazon.com
• http://www.zappos.com
• http://www.endless.com
• http://www.viaspiga.com
• www.nordstrom.com

Happy Shopping!

What to buy - summer gear



Roxy



Billabong





With summer upon us we thought it would be timely to compare prices for the purchase of swim wear, sunglasses, thongs and other summer essentials. The result is that these items are worth purchasing from the US and shipping back to Australia. Other than the brand name sites themselves our favourite website to get all your summer necessities is http://www.swimoutlet.com/ which stocks a huge range of brands including Roxy, Seafolly, Billabong, Speedo, Havaiana's etc. Whether you are looking for athletic swim gear or just to relax at the beach this site seemed to have everything and at great prices. Don't forget to change your location to the USA though when first logging on to the site. The question is can we cope without the traumatic experience of bather shopping in front of those horrid change room mirrors???

What to buy - underwear & pj's

For those of you that are considering buying underwear from the USA, our thoughts are don't bother unless you want something unique from the likes of Victoria's Secret. Prices are comparable to Australia, as is quality.

Pyjamas on the other hand are another matter, whether you going for luxury or the good old dependable flannels, you can get a wide range of pyjamas from the US at great prices.

Tommy Hilfiger USD $50.00

When you want to splash out we recommend checking out:

• Victoria's Secret www.victoriassecret.com
• Bare Necessities www.barenecessities.com

Target USD $24.99

But on those days when its just you, a DVD and a block of chocolate then you can go past the bargains at:

• Kmart www.kmart.com
• Target www.target.com

Sweet dreams!          The USA Shopping Affair Team

What to buy - toiletries & cosmetics...

In committing my family to our 'Global Sourcing" experiment, one of my aims was to determine whether there really was as much threat to all Australian retailers as the media hype made it appear or was the competitive threat particular to specific products and therefore specific retailers. For that reason I was particularly interested in the price comparison of everyday toiletries and whether it would save us money by sourcing our everyday needs such as sunscreen, deodorant, soap etc. It may seem obvious that the answer would be no, but I wanted to ensure that I had fully researched the prospect before coming to that conclusion. My research has however concluded a positive no, it's not worth buying your everyday toiletries including the cheaper skincare product ranges such as Olay etc from overseas as the shipping makes it cost prohibitive. In light of this, I have added an additional rule to my previous experiment parameters.

Rule 4: Where an item can be purchased from Australia for less than $15.00 then the item should be sourced from here. 

Urban Decay

The more expensive skincare ranges are another matter and are unequivocally worth buying from overseas, and I am fairly certain that most people know that cosmetics are definitely cheaper to source from overseas. The following cosmetic and skincare list has been compiled based on the most popular products purchased by our customers over the last 6 months:

• MAC
• Bobbi Brown
• Too Faced
• NARS
• Maybelline
• Ole Hendrikson
• Makeup Forever
• Clinique
• Benefit
• Dior
• Aveda
• Urban Decay

Winner - first blog giveaway

Congrats to our first blog giveaway winner - Anna!

Enjoy the Burberry gift pack.

What to buy - toys...

With Christmas nearly upon us I thought it would be a good chance to kick off my families global market experiment with an online shop for toys for Christmas. It is common knowledge that books, DVD's, CD's, and electronic games (Wii, Playstation, DS etc games) however I was surprised to find that for the vast majority of toys the prices weren't much cheaper once you factored in shipping. Not sure why I feel disappointed as it is goods news for us in Australia as it indicates that toy prices aren't significantly over priced like make up. I did find a couple of great buys including 400 pieces of loose Lego from eBay for only $28.00 which will cost approx $20.00 to ship, I couldn't even find this sort of 2nd hand Lego here in Australia. The Disney store have great sale items, as does the Discovery Channel shop. Fun Again Games have a fantastic range of board games and a great search function which allows you to be more specific in your hunt for the perfect gift. I also loved E-hobbies for unique and experimental type gifts. Overall I would not buys toys from the USA except for:

• Lego - new and 2nd hand
• books - electronic and paperback
• DVD's
• CD's
• games - electronic and board
• unique inc. scientific, experimental,
• remote control vehicles - cars, planes, boats
• sale items inc. Disney Store

Happy Shopping!

Charmaine

Online Shopping Budget Tips

1. The shopping list principle applies as much for online shopping as it does for in store shopping. Survey your wardrobe and work out what pieces you need for next season. A list will keep you focused and not caught up too much with impulse buying. We do however recommend an emergency fund for those must have finds.

2. If you wouldn't pay full price for an item, think carefully about whether you are buying the item because of the price or because you really like it. A bargain is not a bargain if you don't wear it.

3. Plan ahead for the upcoming season and monitor USA trends as they tend to be ahead of Australia's which means finding trend pieces before they hit our shores. Remember that the US is coming out of summer just as we are going into it, meaning plenty of end of season bargains.

4. Check that you are shopping from the US site and not the Australian site. Many retailers show higher AUD prices for the same item to enable them to factor in fluctuating exchange rates.

5. If you still feel nervous providing your credit card details to overseas retailers then we recommend having a second debit card with minimal credit available. Once you know how much you are planning on spending transfer money to cover your purchases but limits available cash to any would be credit card thieves (also makes you watch how much you are actually spending!)

Any other useful tips please let us know so that we can update our suggestion list.

Happy Shopping

The USA Shopping Affair Team

Our first giveaway

BURBERRY GIVEAWAY

Enter in our first blog giveaway to win Burberry beauty products.

Giveaway includes:

Burberry No.9 Socket Line Brush - is a long-bristled blending brush with a slight point. Made from ultrasoft goat hair, it is used to apply eyeshadow at the tip to create a deeper, but soft, socket line. Used by Burberry Beauty makeup artists to create an effortless smoky eye look.

Burberry No.11 Eye Shaper Brush - is a wide contour brush made from ultrasoft goat hair. It is used for the outer corners of the lid to add depth and enhance the eyes. Used by Burberry Beauty makeup artists to create a contoured eye shape.

No.2 Trench Sheer Eyeshadow - the innovative composition reconciles comfort with long-lasting wear. Light, yet creamy, this performing powder offers optimal adherence.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow our blog via GFC

2. Leave a comment and let us know what articles you would like to see on our blogGiveaway closes at 5.00pm AEST, 30 October 2011 Winner will be announced on our blog 2 November 2011.

Goodluck!

For the times when we just need to fly away

WEIRD & WONDERFUL

Would definately help with afternoon rush hour! Late for haircut, no problems put it into aircraft mode. 'The Transition' is a combined aircraft & motor vehicle, just fold the wings in at the end of the day and park this baby in your garage. At around $280,000 it's not exactly an everyday purchase. My only question is WHY???

http://www.terrafugia.com/index.html

This on the other hand I can totally understand. And at a mere $750,000 for the 2013 Porsche 918 Spyder, personally I think you are getting better value for money.

Happy shopping (and dreaming)!

Feeling Fit and Looking Fabulous

GET THE LOOK

With summer just around the corner we all go in to panic mode as the thought of displaying more skin occurs to us, tuck shop arms, muffin tops and saggy butt cheeks suddenly inspire us back into get fit mode. To encourage your new found motivation a new exercise outfit always works wonders, and we've found bargains that won't break the bank. Unfortunately it seems that we have run out of excuses!



1. Zumbawear Breakout Mesh Hoodie Vest
USA price $29.95 v's Aust price $44.95

2. Nike Women's Long Y-Back Airborne Singlet 
USA price $34.88 v's Aust price $50.00

3. Reebok Easy Tone Capri Pants
USA price $60.00 v's Aust price $85.00

4. Nike Lunar Glide +3 Women's Running Shoe
USA price $99.95 v's Aust price $199.95

Total Outfit cost:
 USA price $224.78 v's Aust price $379.90

Bargains still to be found despite drop in AUD

It's okay no need to panic that all the good US bargains will be gone now that the AUD is not as strong. I've just read Patrick Stafford's article titled "Retailers see little relief despite AUD falling to 97c" http://www.smartcompany.com.au/ and was particularly excited by the below example that he gave when comparing prices between USA and Australia. To see more product examples and read the article in full click on the above link. 



Handbag: Fossil Tote bag
Local: Fossil Australia store
Price: $279
Offshore: Fossil America Store
Price at $US1.09c: $156.24 (44%)
Price at $US0.97c: $173.04 (37%)

Happy Shopping!

Childrens shoes

For those parents out there, you'll understand the parent guilt concept. Is their lunch box contents healthy enough, to timeout or not to timeout, is TV the ultimate evil when it seems like such a life saviour and on and on and on. On that list of course is the shoeing of the said child, will my child be permanently damaged if I don't put the correct shoe on them. But have you seen the price of children's shoes!! There isn't even that much material to them, especially when you are talking about shoes for a 2 year old. Luckily online shopping helps me alleviate that guilt, I bought the below Timberland shoes for both of my kids from their sale (it's coming into winter over in the US so lots of good summer goodies) www.timberland.com.

Toddler & Junior Hypertrail Fisherman Shoe

These are great shoes for summer as they feature gaps for air flow and have a water resistant coating so hopefully they will keep in reasonable condition. Very sturdy and supportive with a cover to prevent stubbing of toes which inevitably leads to tears. Good flexibility which means I actually get to keep them on my 2 year old's feet as she has an aversion to shoes. I bought the toddler pair for USD $14.99 and the Junior pair for USD $24.99, a bargain in my book.

Got a recommendation of a children's shoe brand? Let us know and we'll see what we can uncover.

Happy Shopping!

Launch Giveaway

BURBERRY GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the launch of our new blog we thought we would run our first giveaway and what better than with Burberry beauty products.

Giveaway includes:

Burberry No.9 Socket Line Brush - is a long-bristled blending brush with a slight point. Made from ultrasoft goat hair, it is used to apply eyeshadow at the tip to create a deeper, but soft, socket line. Used by Burberry Beauty makeup artists to create an effortless smoky eye look.

Burberry No.11 Eye Shaper Brush - is a wide contour brush made from ultrasoft goat hair. It is used for the outer corners of the lid to add depth and enhance the eyes. Used by Burberry Beauty makeup artists to create a contoured eye shape.

No.2 Trench Sheer Eyeshadow - the innovative composition reconciles comfort with long-lasting wear. Light, yet creamy, this performing powder offers optimal adherence.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow our blog via GFC

2. Leave a comment and let us know what articles you would like to see on our blog
Giveaway closes at 5.00pm AEST, 30 October 2011 Winner will be announced on our blog 2 November 2011.

Goodluck!

For those of us that own a car

ORDINARY THINGS 

It is the little things that count, particularly in relation to counting the dollars. With all the media attention on the trend of online shopping, most of us are aware of the great bargain buys on clothing, shoes etc.

What we aim to do on this blog is regularly showcase the everyday, not so sexy things that people may not be aware can be bought cheaply online from the USA. Things such as a simple car polishing cloth. A simple car polishing cloth which is used to polish your car and give it a sparkling shine is this weeks ordinary showcase item.


Megiuar describes themselves as the leader in car care products since 1901, and based on our customer shopping orders it would appear that a number of our customers agree with them. Their Supreme Shine Microcloth is described as "producing an amazing mirror-like shine". To purchase a single cloth in Australia cost is AUD $13.95, compare to a pack of three from the USA for USD $7.60. That's a saving of 80%, definately worth buying online from the USA.

If you would like us to profile an everyday, ordinary item please drop us a line.

Happy Shopping!

What should I buy from the USA?



TIPS & TRICKS

The most common question we get asked is 'what should I buy from the USA?' Our response - anything as long as it is 30% cheaper than what you would pay for it here in Oz. If you can buy an item at a 30% discount then generally you will be ahead once you have included international shipping. Even better though is a saving of 40% - 50%, then you know you are definitely on to a good thing.

 

Couple of industry practices to be aware of. Firstly, standard freight industry pricing is based on actual weight v's dimensional weight, whichever is the greatest. This means that if you were to ship over a pillow for example, although a pillow is very light weight, the size of the pillow would result in high shipping costs. Secondly, check to ensure that the prices displayed include the fuel surcharge. Fuel surcharge can add up to an additional 15% cost on top of the quoted prices.

If you are in doubt about whether to buy from the US, the team here at USA Shopping Affair use a 30% savings benchmark to help us decide (exceptions are made however for those must have shoes and handbags).

Happy shopping!