What to buy from the US to bring to HK?

MotoHK · 31-08-2006, 12:14 AM

Just go to Sams Club, WalMart or Costco and stock up a few months of stuff with respect to toiletries (except paper) and you will be doing yourself a big favor. Other thing is if you intend to purchase any trade books best to get it through Amazon or even Borders and B&N and bring it with you. I went to Page One (like a Borders) the other day for a specific title and there is a 100% price difference versus Amazon.

Sino Defender · 31-08-2006, 04:21 AM

unlike everyone here, i find everything (except for cars and gas) much cheaper in hk than in the us...

is it just me who thinks this way???

z754103 · 31-08-2006, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Sino Defender:

unlike everyone here, i find everything (except for cars and gas) much cheaper in hk than in the us...

is it just me who thinks this way???

um... housing?

WeLuvDodgeball · 31-08-2006, 08:07 AM

Simply put
Pick up your bathroom items (value for money is better in the US), buy your books back home, Starbucks coffee, and the most important thing of all....... Tostito's Queso dip... You can't find queso here (I guess you can make it). We don't have children so no comments on these bits and bobs.

Everything else seems quite reasonable here and many things are cheaper here. Seems most of the cr*p we buy in the States is [Made in China] anyway. We just buy it here before it gets on the boat heading for Port Walmart.

tx75070 · 31-08-2006, 09:21 AM

Bring swim diapers for your baby. If you have a particular type of deodorant, shampoo, gel that you use bring extra with you. Regular tortilla chips are hard to find here, but it would be even harder for you to bring. Dr. Pepper much more expensive here ($1 USD a can). You are going to love this... Milk is $10-12 USD per gallon here. You are going to pay through the nose if you want to eat US beef here.

A possible helpful note: check the voltage for any electrical item you are bringing such as hair dryer, curling iron, etc. Check that it says 110-240V. You probably already know, but we are on 220V here. If it says that you can get cheap plug adapters and they work fine here. If not, don't bring. Although you can get voltage converters but they are rather cumbersome. My wife did not check and plugged in her $125USD hair straightener with just a plug adapter and burned it out.

PDLM · 31-08-2006, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Lammarite:

Hopefully one of the Brits will bring Wimpy and Mr Whippy with them.

It's not quite Mr Whippy, but there is a Mr Softee ice-cream van parked by the Outlying Islands Ferry Piers and playing its tune every weekend... (I'm surprised that a Lammarite hasn't noticed that!)

KnowItAll · 31-08-2006, 09:25 AM

>> I went to Page One (like a Borders) the other day for a specific title and
>> there is a 100% price difference versus Amazon.

Depending on the title, we can match most prices that Amazon has on www.shopinhk.com

MotoHK · 31-08-2006, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by KnowItAll:

>> I went to Page One (like a Borders) the other day for a specific title and
>> there is a 100% price difference versus Amazon.

Depending on the title, we can match most prices that Amazon has on www.shopinhk.com

Thanks checked your site and you dont carry it. Would you special order AND match?

Lammarite · 31-08-2006, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by PDLM:

It's not quite Mr Whippy, but there is a Mr Softee ice-cream van parked by the Outlying Islands Ferry Piers and playing its tune every weekend... (I'm surprised that a Lammarite hasn't noticed that!)

My helicopter leaves from Shun Tak so I avoid the ferry piers completely.

How come there is not a single other nationality on this forum asks what they need to bring with them and comes up with staples, hair gel and chips? Matresses and bed linen I agree, better to bring with you if there is a lot of saving to be made- but Dr Pepper!!

OC to HK · 31-08-2006, 03:06 PM

If your son has a particular snack or other food item he really likes, you should probably stock up on it. If he really likes a particular brand of something, I guarantee you won't find it here. And if they do carry it, it will be more expensive.

Also the only regularly priced salad dressings you can find here are thousand island and caesar. Anything else you'll have to pay premium prices. I bring over a lot of the dry package dressings like Hidden Valley Ranch. It's a lot cheaper.

I always stock up on over the counter drugs when I'm home too. You won't find stuff like Nyquil or most cold/flu/allergy/indigestion drugs that you are used to. Pepcid is insanely expensive comparatively.

The good news is you'll discover many new brands and different foods available here. There will just be a few items you'll really crave that you can't get here. (See all the posts above!)