nikkif99uk

So when I finally get my K1 visa (got initial approval and case been sitting at NVC since April due to Covid and Travel ban ugh) I will be shipping my stuff in boxes to Orlando via sea freight. Seems to be the cheapest option. Mainly books, bedding, collectables and was considering some foods. Now Pickfords have said you can send food. They said "You can send food but if you do they can be inspected by the FDA which they would charge for."

Has anyone have experience with this? What did you send? Any idea of the FDA charges? Was mainly thinking of crisps as these are a pain in my suitcase as they always get crushed lol, my fave Aldi noodles, marmite, biscuits and chocolate and some toiletries as this is also allowed in sea freight.
Yes I know people will say oh you can get all of the above in the US. But I won't be working until I get my green card or EAD which is now an additional cost of over $500 and with the current situation who knows how long the process will take. I can't expect my fiancee to buy it and would like some home comforts as special treats.

Many thanks for your input

Nikki

Rete

Curious why would you bring bedding with you to the US from the UK? You do know that the bed sizes are completely different from those in the UK and the bedding is useless.

Why wouldn't expect your fiancee, then HUSBAND, to pay for food and things when you are married and/or only living together until the wedding. US supermarkets do have a British/Irish section for popular foods, i.e. biscuits (cookies), pot noodles, salad dressing, and yes, chocolate.

SanDiegogirl

Crisps ..... !! US supermarkets have got multiple shelves of this product......

scrubbedexpat096

Rather than wasting money shipping these food items, take some dollars and get yourself to store over there.


You have been to the USA before right?

nikkif99uk

I am actually marrying a woman so would be my WIFE. I can't expect her to pay for everything until I get a job that's not fair and in my post I said the prices of the UK foods are astronomical $3 for a can of mushy peas that cost 21p. I just want a few home comforts so considered one box of food! I don't want have to spend the money i have saved on luxuries if I can buy some before I leave for a cheaper price.

nikkif99uk

yes and as I mentioned in my post I won't be working so wanted to save money and pay cheap UK prices not astronomical US prices and as I'm already shipping stuff over what harm is there in adding a box of UK food, some of which they don't sell over there like Aldi dark chocolate digestives (Cheaper and taste nicer than Mcvities) and Aldi version of super noodles and big 500g jars of marmite.

Pulaski

Did we ship foods? Yes, but on balance not a good idea. We shipped some bits and pieces - we shipped most of our house contents, so a couple of boxes of various foods from the kitchen didn't add any measurable cost. There is a risk that food can attract rodents or other animals, which is one reason why many shippers don't allow it, and some of our sealed packets had some sort of larvae/ grubs in them, so retrospectively shipping them was pointless.

Our stuff was not subject to an additional search. May be we were lucky, but I am sceptical that more than a small percentage of freight containers of household goods arriving in the US are subject to anything more than a review of the paperwork. There are many containers of household goods arriving every day, so the idea that they are regularly searched in detail just isn't realistic. Our shipment included 80 bottle of spirits, about half malt whisky and half a variety of other spirits and liquers, and even that didn't attract a search of our container, though it did lead to my wife being dubbed "the lady with the liquor" at the US shipping agent's office.

Honestly I think that US chips (Lays) are better than most British crisps, but generally I think if you're coming for the long haul, as presumably you are as you're coming on a K-1, that hanging on to a taste for "foods from home" is a recipe for spending stoopid amounts of money on things that aren't that special, and mostly serves to feed homesicknees, not cure it.

nikkif99uk

Yes and most of their flavours are gross and expensive. I only actually like BBQ and salt and pepper over there. Was thinking of Frazzles, Monster Munch, Thai Sweet Chilli Walkers, Walkers Mix Ups, basically some faves they don't sell in US to have as a treat. Thought if am shipping stuff over whats one box of food. Just wanted to know about potential FDA charges

stuwoolf

Good insight. Thank you.

We had considered shipping some Patak Tikka Masala sauce and maybe a slab of Irn Bru. Apart from that, I doubt we would take anything else.........no point shipping a steak pie made by our butcher😔

nikkif99uk

I literally was just thinking crisps, marmite and noodles, maybe some mushy peas lol Hopefully won't get bugs in those

nikkif99uk

What kind of food did you ship that had grubs/larvae in. I think I saw one of your posts previously mentioned the "lady with the liquor. I just thought packing a few bits in one box for shipping would save some room in my suitcase and save me some money on arrival. So I don't have to pay loads for some treats when I first arrive. Marmite is one thing I will always buy regardless of price lol. One food I love so much. The other stuff I just wanted to bring with good dates so I could have a treat every now and then. As I don't eat hardly any american snacks lol, prob a good thing lol. Other than fries and ice cream lol

BennyBall

I really love your enthusiasm for British foods and goods and I can appreciate that you have a budget and feel bound to stick to it.
My take ..... bring Tea Bags, Tea bags and more Tea bags, PG Tips, Yorkshire..... anything your heart desires.
on a budget you can find pretty much everything in a Dollar store ... cheap as chips.
You are about to experience a brand new life, wonderful adventures, sights that will make your jaw drop .... if you have to give up the mushy peas .... it’s a very small price to pay. .... good luck and safe travels.

nikkif99uk

I don't drink tea or coffee so that's not an issue. I'm just a picky eater so having a few packs of noodles and tins of mushy peas as a treat now and then and to remind me of all the family and friends i've left behind so be it.

Pulaski

Starches - flour and rice. Definitely things not worth making a point of bringing, but we had them, they were a miniscule fraction of what we were shipping, and brought them rather than throw them out. Of course in the end we had to throw them out anyway.
I have posted that before, but it's probably been a year or two, maybe longer.
Some British groceries are quite readily available at a non-entirely-insane price on Amazon - I was able to get 2x500g jars of Marmite a couple of years ago for $20 total. Now I am almost out but the Amazon price for Marmite still seems to be suffering from the covid-19 Marmite shortage back in the summer. A couple of weeks ago the best prices I could find were all about $33 for one 500g jar, unless I bought 6x500g jars, and even then it was about $25/jar. But there is light at the end of the tunnel - I saw someone offering 2x250g for $18 last weekend, and I can hang on for another week or two so hopefully the price will come back down closer to the $10/500g I paid previously.

We usually get two giant boxes of PG tips teabags on Amazon for a decent price, and we get Heinz beans for $2/can (if we buy a case of 24 cans) which is expensive, but not absurd, especially as US bakes beans taste more like baen jam - they are so sweet they're ghastly, even my wife agrees, and she's American born and bred.. The $3/can that our local supermarket charges for Heinz beans is absurd!
On the occasions I have ventured into any of the dollar store chains, the best they can usually do is to match Walmart proces, but we find that many things in dollar stores are no cheaper than a regular grocery, and often more expensive. Maybe dollar store shopping makes sense if you buy a lot of soda and chips - though soda and chips are one thing that Walmart, groceries, and membership clubs all seem to want to compete over.

Rete

I don't have a clue where in the US you will be living but if on the upper eastern coast of the US there are many Irish small grocery stores that are well stocked with all things British/Irish and you can get your pot noodles, candies, birds custard, bisto gravy, walkers crisps in weird flavors, i.e. shrimp, etc., biscuits, mushy peas, etc. all for a decent price. The larger supermarket such as Stop N Shop also has nearly a full aisle of the same products. You won't be home sick for food products.


P.S. My aplogies, I didn't know you were in a same sex relationship. Assume double crossed me