Topic: Anyone going shopping in US for the long weekend?

[No H2O]

I hope the cross guards are collecting all the taxes from peoples purchases in the States.

I haven't paid anything yet. Mind you, I'm there for over 48 hours visiting friends in NY state.

[CSH]

I was in US shopping clothes last weekend took 30 mins to get into US and about an hour to get back.
Car..car parts..clothes its worth it. We saved 120$ on a winter jacket alone for my wife..

[pickles]

I am off to scout out a new Harley.  Gosh it's been over 1 1/2 years since I bought a big ticket item here in Canada.  It saddens me that I cannot justify spending my hard earned money here in Canada and US savings are too great to give those type of savings up.

[Snowman]

Yup, to pick up a Honda parts order.

I figure 2 hours of my time is worth $600 in savings.

What about the 5 hour wait at the border? My time is worth more than that.

I've never waited more than 10 minutes. Good try though.

Saved over $1200 since August. I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

  where do you cross? 10 minutes sounds like BS to me.

[safristi]

..BY speedboat from the Reservation required site near CornHOLE....   aka SMOKE O' TOKES

[No H2O]

where do you cross? 10 minutes sounds like BS to me.

Not anywhere near Niagara Falls or Buffalo.

My last three times over (including Labour Day) were no more than 10 minutes, if that. Same on the way back. How much time can 4 or 5 cars ahead of you take?

BTW, I don't BS or I'd be a CEO, manager or politician. 

[No H2O]

I am off to scout out a new Harley. Gosh it's been over 1 1/2 years since I bought a big ticket item here in Canada.  It saddens me that I cannot justify spending my hard earned money here in Canada and US savings are too great to give those type of savings up.

Thats exactly how I feel. What I find so amusing (not so much on this forum) are all the nay sayers; those that get so worked up when someone else shops in the US. It seems to be a real emotional issue for them.

Hasn't Harley Davidson in Canada been lowering their prices over the past two or so years? I've read what was $30K up here is now about $24K or less.

[safristi]

..That's Harley a great savings fer a Police(BUICK) BIKE...........

[BJB]

where do you cross? 10 minutes sounds like BS to me.

Not anywhere near Niagara Falls or Buffalo.

My last three times over (including Labour Day) were no more than 10 minutes, if that. Same on the way back. How much time can 4 or 5 cars ahead of you take?

BTW, I don't BS or I'd be a CEO, manager or politician. 

why so secretive? are you using a secret tunnel??

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I battled the border last weekend.  Buffalo saturday morning, just over an hour crossing into ny at the queenston/lewiston bridge, took just over an hour to cross, came back and made a u-turn at the border b/c the line was way too long and drove to the rainbow bridge, waited an hour and half.  Sunday went on a bus trip to the bills game, waited 2 hours crossing in at the fort erie bridge (whatever it's called), going home took 6 hours from the time the bus started, just horrible.

not worth going on a weekend, especially a long weekend.

People at work were saying that. They crossed back at Buffalo last Sunday morning at 2am and waited 3 hours. Cars were double parked waiting to be inspected, with a line-up of people outside the building waiting to go in.

Another said they went on a tour bus and they actually came on the bus to see what was bought one by one, giving them the spiel about how much they can bring back, etc.

If I lived in a rural area and could cross easily I probably would, but here it's a roll of the dice for how long you'll be stuck at the border.

[wing]

Ogdensburg crossing takes me 1 minute usually

[No H2O]

why so secretive? are you using a secret tunnel??

Because I don't want my wait times to increase. Besides, not that much happens there at 03:00 (just kidding). And don't you start on that tunnel. Its a secret!

[yhzdriver]

Just came back from a 3 day trip thru Houlton, Maine.  Crossed the border at 9pm and was the only car there.  Living in the Maritimes has it's advantages.  I used to live in London, and can remember waiting hours to cross at Port Huron when the dollar was only worth 80 cents!

[dave 2]

Was talking to someone in St Stephen today who confirmer the Calais border is not that busy during weekends.

[pickles]

I usually cross at Miltown or Vanceboro.  Everytime I cross at vanceboro I am the only car going through and I very seldom see a vehicle in either direction on the road until I hit I95.  It seems at vanceboro the border guard is stunned to see someone crossing.  Can be tricky on this route at night during the summer, lots of wildlife.

[pickles]

Was talking to someone in St Stephen today who confirmer the Calais border is not that busy during weekends.

Thats a crock! Calais is plugged Fridays - Sundays.  I always have to divert 10 minutes north to miltown.

[safristi]

Calais ta Doofus ...i'd  divert if'n I woz Pickled.............. ....trubble @ tha MILL TOWN...aye..the bluddy Canadians crossing..and not speakin Sheffield....

[Snowman]

Soon retailers, suppliers, and manufactures in Canada will start to lay off people because of the hysteria building to shop south of the border. Do not think for one minute that non commodity based jobs will not be impacted if this trend continues.

Even in the resource based industry income inflation is impacting economic evaluations. We pay in CDN dollars for our labour and consumables to sell refined commodities in USD. The margins are getting tighter and the investment capital could go off shore where ROI’s are starting to look attractive.

[ovr50]

 

The higher Cdn dollar vs the US has serious negative implications for Canada and could trigger a massive recession.

It's nice to go to the warm climes in the winter and pay less than we have been, but that priviledge will come at a seriously painful cost to the Cdn economy.

The bigger picture should be looked at here, not just how much you're going to save by buying your Christmas gifts in Buffalo instead of the GTA. 

[jcon]

I find it odd that the Bank of Canada has not made adjustments to the interest rates to bring the dollar back down. I'm more concerned about a slumping economy than inflation at the moment.