Living In USA

Americans do not usually bargain over prices, as people do in much of the world. What they do instead is shop around to find the store that offers the item and quality they want at the lowest price. Almost everything sold in the United States varies in price according to the store and often the time of year (just before Christmas is often highest; lowest is just after Christmas or during August, when many stores have sales). Sales accompany most national holidays, such as President's Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. The day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas are also significant sales days. Sale prices are often indicated by a sign over the merchandise rather than a change on the price tag of each item. Make sure that you are actually charged the sale price; inaccurate computers are not uncommon. The sale price may be a percentage off the regular price or listed as a dollar amount.

Sometimes the price varies according to state or local taxes. Many people cross state lines to buy liquor, cigarettes, or electronics, for example, because there are wide fluctuations in taxes on such items from state to state.

If it is important to you to save money, look for the discount stores in your city. They exist all across the country and are growing in popularity. Much of what they sell is comparable to goods sold elsewhere, but they can offer lower prices for any one or all of these reasons: there may be fewer salespeople (less service); often there is no delivery service except for heavy items like refrigerators; floor space is often so fully used that the store is congested; the decor is simple to save the cost of fancy carpeting or expensive interiors; or goods may be sold only in bulk, that is, in large containers or large quantities and stacked to the ceiling as in a warehouse. These discount stores may be electronics stores (e.g., Circuit City); clothing stores (e.g., Marshall's and Ross Dress for Less); huge hardware and home decorating and repair stores (e.g., Home Depot, Home Base, Lowes,); office supply stores (e.g., Office Max, Staples, Office Depot); and department stores that sell almost everything (e.g., Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target).

In some of these stores you pay a membership fee (e.g., Price Club, Costco, and Sam's Club). Because they are so colorful and have such a variety of goods, these discount stores are often of interest to newcomers who find that wandering through them helps in learning American names for unfamiliar items. There are also liquidation stores such as Building 19, Big Lots, Odd Lots, and Dollar Stores that sell high quality but discontinued household items for extremely low prices.

In most discount houses you will find clothing hanging on long racks. Shoes, socks, or underwear may be piled up in bins. It is advisable to look for those items that carry familiar brand names as much as possible, or ask a neighbor or friend to go with you. Although some of these goods are the very same that you would buy in other stores at higher prices, often they are made with inferior materials and poorly assembled.