C6 - Wednesday, September 7, 1983 - North Shore News ‘oce WASHINGTON STATE tax-li WASHINGTON STATE recently lifted the sales tax on groceries, making it again worthwhile to purchase certain items south of the border. If you've been out of the country for 48 hours, you may bring back $100 (Canadian funds) worth, once every calendar quarter. Once a year, if you have | been out of the country longer than seven full days you may import $300 worth. In addition, you may bring back $10 exclading liquor and tobacco duty free at any time. Unfortunately, none of these exemptions may be combined. Another an- noying regulation is that members of a family cannot combine their declarations to import any one item even though they may share the cost. You can carry your goods in the same suitcase but you cannot carry your liquor in the same bottle! That ruins the fun of im- porting a Texas mickey. For most of us, importing groceries is done on a one- day shopping trip so that everything beyond the first ten dollars worth is taxable. You will be amazed at the differences in duty on in- dividual items, from a high of 22.5% right down to duty free. - To assist you in deciding what items are worthwhile importing, Canada Customs has a six-page publication enfitled General Listing of Duties Applicable to Imported Groceries and they will mail you a copy free if you phone your nearest Canada Customs branch. Some foods may not be imported into Canada under any circumstances. These include cor on the cob (cooked or raw), fresh peaches, nectarines, applies, apricots, pears, quince, hawthorn and potatoes. Many people don't realize that these items are for- bidden and get quite a shock when they have them seized at the border. The other day when we were shopping at Mark-It Foods on Meridian St. in Bellingham noecctarines were selling for 39¢ a pound and I'd have bought a bushel of them if I could. A customer, busily stuffing bags with the fruit overheard me complaming to Brian about the ruling, sadly emptied all his sacks back in the bin. “Is there anything else I should know?” he asked. | told him what | could remember and half of his cart got unloaded. Other regulations include quantities: __THIS WINTER _ Let us make your hotel/condo reservations We offer o unique computerized search and king service For your added convenience, we have an office on Maui. CALL 682-5586 crystaline—_— travel- wise by Barbara McCreadie * Twenty pounds of meat per person. * One turkey per person only. *“ Two dozen eggs per person, infuriating when they are selling for 65¢. * Twenty dollars worth of dairy products. Since it is on these items that substantial savings can be made in the USA it does tend to keep us from doing all our shopping down south. The wise shopper consults his list of duty-free and low duty items. It doesn’t pay to import asparagus at 22.5% . be - duty and 23% ‘loss an the dollar. Howeyer, ‘bread is an excellent buy - duty free and much cheaper than Canada. The duty on coffee (ground) is only 2¢ a pound and powdered milk is only 3.5¢ a pound. For duty purposes the Customs officers usually ignore these sums. All the grocery super- markets have itemized receipts. It is helpful if the shopper groups his items, keeping those with similar duties together. There is often a long line of shoppers waiting to pay duties and the disorganized ones can easily overcharged by a harassed officer. Also Ive noticed that the officers tend to give the benefit of the doubt to people who assist them. It is important for the shopper to know the exact ‘price of any product in Canada if he wishes to make the most of a day in USA. It is foolish to suppose that all food items are automatically cheaper in the states. For example, fresh vegetables are often as expensive as in Canada without even considering the loss of the dollar and the _ duty. However many frozen vegetables are an excellent buy, for example frozen spinach. Here, it costs about 89¢ a package while in Bellingham it’s 39¢ and duty- free. Cheese is often.cheaper at regular price but there always seems to be a discounted brand such as two-pound blocks of School Pictures save great smiles! School pictures provide one of the nicest ways of saving the special smites of the children you love. Tillamook selling last week at $4.29. The duty on cheese is only 3.5¢ a pound. Turkeys, _ especially around holiday times often go on sale for as low as 65¢ a ‘pound. When we are charged $1.29 a pound here it’s a saving even at 12.5% duty. What are the best buys? Aside from items I've already mentioned, pork, bacon, liver, raw auts, peanut butter, some pet foods, fish (fresh or any other way but canned), oranges, many fruit juices especially citrus and pineapple. : It also pays to convert your dollars into American funds before you go down. The exchange rates can vary from 2-5% not in your favor. WAIKIKI *329 Alr only Dep. start Oct.30 WAIKIKI $479 8 Days, 7 Nights Air & Hotel LAS VEGAS *289 _ 5 Days, 4 Nights, Air & Hotel! RENO $255 5 Days, 4 Nights, Air & Hotel TORONTO Departures starting Sept. 9 MAPLE LEAF TRAVEL 736-3555 Reg. Agent 157-3 So, here a few tips from your Mountain West Studio Photographer. The focus is on the face, so keep everything else as simple as possible, including clothing colors, styles and patterns. Even hairstyle should be “everyday neat.” (freshly cut hair often has stray ends that stick out, and you never know how a new hair style is going to turn out!) We will be taking pictures in North Shore schools on these dates ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PHOTO DATE ELEMENTARY 6CHOOT S PHOTS DATE Thura Oct 13 Wed Nov 9 Wed., Sept 26 Thura , Oct 6 WMountain west studios itd | POM fep.ano: § iB TO72 ROVE) CHES MNT EVANCCRAAR AC vir tee $249 |: American supermarkets seem to feature more loss- leaders than ours. While our stores seem to concentrate on meat specials you'll see more tinned food specials down south. Soups are often priced at four or five tins for a dollar and mix and match 2. By Set tent —- anywhere 844 Park The “itty bitty” book light Brighten up your night life without dis- turbing your bed partner. Just clip the “itty bitty” book tight to the back of any hard or soft cover book. Plug into outlet or battery pack. Use it in bed, in acar. ona plane. ina -922-9650-—________: Royal North, West Van. t gives shoppers a break bins of canned vegetables at very low prices. Aside from buying groceries, don't forget to fill up your gas tank while in the States. The saving you make may cover the cost of the trip down, depending on your make of car. SI * foe $352 BE AN ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER IT’S FUN proudly presents SEASON 1983 - 1984 9 fascinating full-length travel films with their producers/narrators in person Nov.4-14 VIENNA hris Border BVP Choice of five complete series Queen Elizabeth Theatre 6:30 & 8:30 pm By popular demand there will be a new 2:00 pm matinee at the North Van. Centennial Theatre also at 6:00 & 8' Season (9 filma) $37 60 36 26 32 00 St 28 76 30 pm 9 Singiea 64 00 49 60 46 00 36 00 1 tim $6 00, 6 60. 6 00 Student $4 00 plus Advance Booking Fee TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SEASON TICKET BENEFITS * GUARANTEED SEATING * DISCOUNT PRICES * EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES * NO AOVANCE BOOKING FEE * GLOBETROTTERS TRAVEL CLUB * SPECIAL TOURS & CRUISES exclusive bargain for subacribera Tickets at all VTC/CBO outlets Eaton's, Woodwarda, info’a centers ph 687-1818 and charge them Eaton's chg. Viea, Mastercard,