But be careful as in this link, it is said that:

"
•Children are entitled to a personal exemption as long as the goods they are declaring are [B]for the child’s use."

http://www.crossbordershopping.ca/du...nal-exemptions

Fortunately, my kids are old enough to use a fridge

Don't worry so much.
We've been going shopping in the US on a regular basis for the last 2 years OH on a TWP, myself and 2 girls on visitor records and the youngest is Canadian. We've got UK, German and Canadian nationalities and went with UK visitors, German visitors and a UK friend on an IEC visa on different occasions.
We bought beds, matresses, food, and booze. We went camping in New York State, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachussets (out over 48h)and brought a case of beer back per adult each time tax free plus some wine which CBSA didn't want tax for .
The main thing is have your receipts and the total value (all values tax free or not in your car) ready when you get to the border.
Whatever tax free allowance you have per person it can't be shared i.e. one uses $400 and the other $1200. Then the one person with the $1200 value would legally have to pay tax on $400.
Declare everything, it's not worth it getting caught for the sake of saving $50
Sometimes it's worth to buy goods and pay tax and it'll still be loads cheaper than over here.
Look at the max amount of dairy, chicken etc. you are allowed per person.
We never ever had any problems. Neither getting into the US nor back into Canada. Now we are PR's and the CBSA likes you showing your PR card when getting back into Canada but legally you only need it when travelling on a commercial vehical e.g. plane, bus, boat. We don't have one yet and our friends forgot it last time and were fine.
The border guys are all very nice and I always wonder if one of them is FL
All, have a lovely shopping experience in the US lol

Nina....If I may ask, whereabouts at those locations would you recommend for camping? Also where are the best places for good shopping especially in New Hampshire? I know there is no state tax

I am sure even a baby qualifies for the $200/day allowance, with milk and all that

It's per person but you can't combine them. I.e. if you bought something that was $1,500, you can't claim an exemption by combining them.

Where do you buy appliances from? Do you go down to Great Falls? I met someone down there who had ordered a new TV at Wal-Mart but when you add on the price of gas, staying in a hotel and GST and duty at the border I can't see the point myself. (And I did wonder what condition an LCD TV would be in after a 500km trip in the back of an SUV).

I only go down there to get things you can't get in Canada.

It all depends how much wildlife you want to have and if you travel with a tent or trailer. New Hampshire has a nice motel http://www.northcolonymotel.com/ simple but very clean and cheap and close to Storyland, Mount Attitash and the North Conway outlet village.
In Maine we had a campsite near Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach. That was really cheap but very basic, lovely pool though. We camp in a tent and everytime I needed the bathroom in the night it was a hike through the woods past skunks and allsorts
But it was only one hour north of Boston and I loved Boston. So next time we'll try and get a campsite closer to Boston.
In New York State we camped at Lake Champlain, Cumberland Bay State Park , that was a great campsite if you weren't directly at the waterfront = very windy. We took the ferry over the lake to Burlington NY, which is a nice little town, with pubs, restaurants and a proper pedestrian shopping "street".
We also went to Cranberry Lake,Cranberry Lake campground, also in the Adirondacks, it was much more wildlife there and we had a bobcat jumping our guide ropes in the night
Over all the State campsites are basic, nothing fancy but if you like the nature it's great. You can find them all on here: http://www.reserveamerica.com/

If you have kids, depending on their age they'd love North Conway http://www.attitash.com/
http://www.storylandnh.com/
http://www.settlersgreen.com/

Milk is free anyways up to $20 per person. But yes even our baby has an allowance.
And I might be wrong on this (please tell me if I am)but I think you can combine the allowance if it is for the whole family i.e. a fridge which would be used by everyone and you couldn't really say who owns it. It's different with a bike or clothes.

We have people here who go over and bring back TVs and other electronics back with them. There are also place close to the border that will deliver your good to you if you are close to the border in this part of Ontario

The thing with small electronics is that you can pretend it was in your car when you left. Tyres, you can drive in mud for a bit, same goes for shoes, just walk about in them for a bit and pack them up with socks in them

Yes there is a place at Sweet Grass that does the same, but from Calgary it's still a pretty big drive.

Walmart will deliver to the store on US side closest to your border crossing and you can also get things delivered to a UPS office close to a border i.e. Ogdensburg, NY for everyone around Ottawa.

Thanks Gina...I sent you a PM

Gina

Nina is fine too

We never go just to shop. We go for a break and shopping is an added benefit. Recently in the Costco in Kalispell, we bought a Dyson animal for, IIRC, $300. They were $600 in our local Futureshop.

We went to Great Falls once. That was enough for all of us