What Expatriates Miss . . .

So, we're in America, about two-thirds of the way through our vacation.  The big events for this vacation are letting the cousins play, seeing relatives, Thanksgiving of course, and for the expats . . . lots and lots of shopping.

When we first moved to Australia, we had 14 suitcases and carryons.  I apologized to the Qantas desk person who was checking in all our bags, explaining, "We're immigrating, that's why we have all this stuff."  She replied, "I thought you were just Australians coming back from holiday in America.  Every Australian brings back extra bags."

I have two teenage nephews.  A while back, when their mom (my sister-in-law) came to America to visit, she bought the next three sizes of sneakers for each of the boys - that's six pairs of sneakers - to bring back with her.  At the time I thought it to be excessive.  Now I totally get it, and think she's the smartest woman ever.

Why the consumer excess?  Many, many things in Australia are at least double the cost they are in America.  For me, too, I don't always know where to find certain items, or items are simply not available.  The items expats miss are diverse, but usually simple.  Below is a sample of what we bought:



Items not available in Australia:

Come to mama!

1.  Cheerios.  My kids lived on Cheerios for breakfast in the US.  There are none in the stores.  There are Honey Cheerios, but they aren't the same.  Sometimes you can pick up a stale box at USA Foods in Moorabin, for about $11, but I'm not willing to pay that for stale food.  So a suitcase full of Cheerios it is.  Yup, 8 boxes.


2.  Trader Joe's sunflower seed butter.  I have gone to so many organic, specialty and standard grocery stores in Australia - no one has sunflower seed butter.   And of course the kids' school doesn't allow nut butters at all.  We bought four jars and padded them and put them in plastic.  Hoping they make it through the flight, and if not I will wipe bread on the bags of spilled sunflower seed butter to make sandwiches. 

3.  Personal items.  Deodorant is, of course, available in Australia, but it doesn't work.  I stocked up on Secret.  Eight of them for me, three for an American friend who asked me to bring her back some.
Q-tips.  Australia has "cotton buds" but they aren't the same as Q-tips.  A box of 500 for us, another box of 500 for the other American pathologist in Joel's practice.  And sanitary supplies.  I just like what I like, and I'll spare you the details.




Items that are too expensive in Australia:
1.  Shoes.  We bought 14 pairs.  We got Isaac the next two sizes of his school oxfords (AU$125 vs. US$50 per pair), sneakers for all (AU$90 vs. US$50 for kids, AU$150 vs. US$50 for grownups), and new sandals.

2.  Clothes for the kids.  Such good sales at Thanksgiving time!  I don't shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, but a lot of stores start their sales early to avoid the people-crushing throng at midnight.  It's Tuesday night and we are basically done.  Both kids needed a whole new winter wardrobe, because they've outgrown everything since we moved.  I'm having to predict sizes because we won't get "winter" weather until about May.

3.  Makeup.    Bless Sephora, that saved me $25 on each Clinique superpowder.  I got two.

4.  Medicines.  Cold tablets, vitamins, prescriptions that Joel can write here but not there (thanks Walmart). About one-third of the price in America.

Everything is awesome!

5.  Toys.  Legos are half the price here that they are in Australia, and with the Lego store in the Mall of America, we have a fantastic selection.  Got Chanukka presents for the kids and birthday presents for friends whose birthdays we know are coming up.

6.  Ipad.  Isaac needs one for school next year (which begins in January).  We saved $150 by buying it in America.  Until he loses it.

7.  Wild Rice.  Because Minnesota.  $4.99/lb.  Love it!  Love Trader Joe's!



Those of you who know me know I really, really don't like shopping.  All this feels excessive to me, and not that enjoyable, but I have to keep reminding myself that I haven't bought any other clothing items, other than school uniforms, while there and I don't plan on doing so in the near future, so really I'm just doing the typical spending, just all at once.    I'm going to add it all up once we get back, but I think we saved about 1.5 airline tickets by shopping in America.