News.com.au's shopping list was so much cheaper in the US than in Australia, it covered flights to LA and a hotel room. Source: news.com.au
A shopping trip to the US could save you enough money to cover your flights and accomodation. Source: news.com.au
Cost of US trip can be covered by savings Soaring Aussie dollar a gift for travellers News.com.au show you how to do it
A DECADE ago if you headed to the US you were hammered by a dollar that at times plunged below 50 cents.
Today the soaring Aussie currency means a trip stateside can actually pay for itself – with this sample shopping list below brought to you by news.com.au.
Even with added customs duty taxes and GST, the gifts, clothing, and electronics that you buy for yourself and your loved ones can be so much cheaper in the US than at home that the savings can cover your flights and accommodation if you get the right deals.
Here’s how you can do it. (All prices are in Australian dollars, unless otherwise specified, with today’s rate of exchange at $1.07).
Your flights and accommodation
The cheapest deal from Expedia exits Sydney for $1882.89 flying China Airlines and staying four nights at the Hacienda Hotel in Los Angeles.
The dearest is from Perth at $2399.31 flying Emirates, also staying four nights at the Hacienda Hotel.
Your shopping list
Clothes are the first stop, obviously. Two pairs of Levi jeans from Urban Outfitters come to $107.88 ($239.90 from General Pants here), a French Connection dress is $63.39 ($129.95 in Australia), a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors are $41.85 (compared to $90 from Authentics at home) and two pairs of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses come to $258.54 with the Aussie conversion (a whopping $659.90 from Sunglasses Hut if bought here).
Next stop is electronics. Two iPods for the kids and a new camera for yourself. Apple is fairly standard with their pricing, but you still save when you buy two 64GB iPod Touches for $742.14 instead of $898 at home.
A Canon 5D Mark II DSLR with a 15mm fisheye lens is pricey at $US3218.99 – or $2993.66, but not as pricey as buying it at home for $4698 from Canon and Camera House.
The rules
Travellers aged 18 and over are allowed to bring up to $900 worth of goods into Australia duty free. Clothing you have bought for yourself is not counted. Once the worth of your items goes over that threshold, duty of 5 per cent and then GST of 10 per cent applies to the whole amount.
The camera and iPods attract charges of $579.05, bringing your grand total spend to $6669.25 if you fly out of Sydney on the deal above.
To buy the same goods at home it would cost you $6715.75 – or $46.50 more and no trip to LA.
Source: A day in the life of a wizard
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