ok....moving to st croix july 1st....what would you bring?

Bring more money - less of everything else.

Seriously, you'll find that you are always "looking for something" you can't seem to find on island when you need it and it's difficult to predict what you may need in the future so resign yourself to "doing without" or having the things you want shipped in on an as needed basis. You can't stockpile perishables, canned food products won't stored on your shelf for long periods of time (due to the heat), even inanimate objects deteriorate if they are not used n a reasonable amount of time and storage space is limited even in the larger homes. So don't waste your time, effort and money shipping stuff you may or may not use.

Go on a shopping spree and load up on summer clothes before you come. Unless you like shopping at Kmart . Not many clothing retailers ship here as Target does not. Many will not accept VI billing addresses either. You may want to leave a credit card billing address at a stateside address. Also many household items that you need will cost almost double at Kmart here. I packed my container full of household items when I moved. I also packed lots of nonperishable foods to get us through the first month until we got settled. The prices are also double in the grocery store. Expect to pay $5.49 for a bag of chips like I did yesterday. Canned vegetables are $2.00 a can. Stateside you can usually get 10 for $1.00 or 2.00. If you are bringing a container, that is my suggestion.

Pack lots of "small" items in different sized "lock & lock" plastic containers.
That way you will have lots of good airtight containers to use once you arrive.
If you want to keep food fresh, or metal items from rusting, etc. they are a great thing to have.
Much cheaper to buy in the States than here. I am so glad I packed lots of them when I came here!

I wouldn't worry about bringing things -- bring $$$$.

My standard advice: Bring lots of patience, flexibility, and a good sense of humor.

And two-to- three times as much money as you had planned!

Money!!!!
Flip flops, most of us never were real shoes and even then only if we have to for work.
summer clothes, but remember the internet does deliver.
1 weeks worth of winter clothes to go back and visit family, but not more then that because VI closet/storage is always small!
Bring your electronics, but not if you live close to the beach because they will be trash in 6 months.
Bring your hobbies, especially if it's a very specific one like quilting or scrap booking, but don't go overboard, the internet does deliver here!
You will most likely not use half the junk you bring with you, so keep trying to trim it down. And remember we have bad storage/closets here!

I wouldn't worry about bringing things -- bring $$$$.

Ditto what Linda says, plus some suntan lotion!!

Thanks for all the advice!!!

Hi Susan, and welcome. This questions comes up fairly often, so you could do a search, being sure to set the default out to "all dates" and find lots of answers.

My answer usually depends on my mood of the day and what I've been looking for lately....but in the long run, it's all here, or as Hiya say, the Internet does deliver.

Food is more expensive, but not so much as to ship canned food. Not sure why Sandy thinks household goods are double unless she/he is comparing Kmart to maybe a $1.00 store or perhaps IKEA. Everyone has their own idea of what is acceptable/necessary, but if you don't mind $1.29 spatula, it's here at Km. The same spatula that's $1.29 in the states. Now...Kmart does mark through some prices on the tags so they can charge more, but truly, it's not THAT much more and only some items.

My advice is if you're shipping a container or large boxes, and you have the room anyway for "stuff'", then ship it, but if it means adding more boxes, then stick to "specialty" items or things you just love or can't live without or replace.

My biggest complaint about prices and hard to find items is on fresh produce and "fresh" is very iffy.

LOL... bring your own man (or woman if thats your way)..... ... and what Edward said. Ha ha ha. 🙂

In response to the canned goods, my local grocery store always had buy one get one free specials as well as canned veges 10 for $1.00. That's why I stocked up. I pay $2.49 for a can of cream corn here. Also Kmart has one price listed on the labels but charges you different at the register. For example, my valentine's said 3.99 on the box but my receipt said 5.49. it adds up quick. just be aware that you need to check your receipts.

Sandy,
If the price tag says 3.99 and it rings ups at 5.49, you can ask for the tagged price, and you will get it. I know that's a pain in the ...., but they DO honor their "mess ups". (over and over and over..LOL)!

Adding...always a good idea to use the price scanner at Kmart in advance of getting in line. If the price scans differently than you expected, gives you the opportunity to re-check the price on the sign/shelf and go to the line with price tag in hand or just go straight to the service counter. Once you have checked out in the regular line and notice something isn't right....then you MUST to the service counter for a refund. The check out person can't do a thing for you.

Juanita

Very good shopping advice. I do what you just explained above. So, no mistakes happen and less troubles ahead that you have to deal with.

One has to be a smart shopper. Check prices before buying with price scanner, always watch while cashier is ringing up your order, if a mistake happens they can call a front end supervisor to fix the problem, but if you don't notice it until later, customer service line.

Remember it is not always the cashier's fault. The cashier is just scanning the items which are programmed into the system. It is the price programmer that usually makes the pricing errors.

What a pain to scan every item in your cart. If the packaging lists a price on the box not an adhesive price, then it should be correct. I don't have time to scan every item when you have small children with you. It sounds so easy and what a great idea. Get real. Kmart knows we are stuck paying what it scans or go stand in customer service for 30 min. Sometimes it's worth wasting the extra money to avoid the hassle. I just want newcomers to be aware of the problem. I do scan items that I am unsure of before reaching the cashier. I love when they refuse to honor the sale price posted on the shelf. I had an experience where when I questioned the price at the shelf the girl in that dept. told me to go scan it. I did and came back to see her removing the sale sticker. When I got to the register, the cashier got rude and said I didn't see it. Duh, I pointed it out to the employee before she removed it when she sent me to the scanner. Thus I spent 5 minutes disputing it with the manager before she conceded. Then I got more attitude from the cashier. I have no clue why the cashier cares what I pay for an item. She acted like I am another tourist trying to save a dollar. Whatever, I got the item at the price listed which took me 10 additional minutes at Kmart. I believe it depends on who you are what price you get. That's all I will say about that as I have witnessed many cashiers adjusting prices without a manager.

My husband and i move 3 months ago, anything you re missing walmart.com ships here for cheap if you need to purchase. Exciting getting new stuff anyway. I wouldn't stress too much about it. With prices on island being so high, most of my shopping is done on-line anyway. Cheers !

we brought our cat, my car, my crafting/quilting supplies, whatever non perishable food we had, clothes bedding personal items and maybe two pieces of furniture, books. you know, the stuff you cant live without.

I arrived here - sight unseen - long before ' forums' - with a suitcase and a garment bag - the dressier clothing in the garment bag may have gotten worn 3 times here - once for a costume party I remember.

Love that Exit Zero!! One of the reasons I am looking forward to moving there. No pretenses about clothes or makeup or hair. Just be yourself and live your life!

Bring linens and towels, including pillow cases. Was glad I did. Also would have brought a good set of cookware and dishes.

Speaking of towels, depending on where you live and how attached you are to your warm, fluffy towels... you might consider bringing camping towels. They are the only towels I use here because they dry quickly and don't get mildewy and stinky. I got some big ones from REI a few years ago, and I used to actually use them for camping and traveling, but now they're my regular bath towels. There's no window in my bathroom, so air flow is minimal, and regular towels would be constantly damp. (They also require less storage space because they're thin!)

Good point about the towels. I have never heard of "camping" towels, but assume they are like the zaam wow material?? I'll google it. I got into the habit of using cheap, thin towels years ago while living on a sailboat. Big, thick, fluffy, lush towels are fine (and preferable to many) for some places, but really, here....thin is good.

These are the ones REI is selling, under their own brand name and others. I have no connection to REI -- just think it's a great store! 🙂

what is RE

what is RE

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_Equipment_Incorporated :
"REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) is a privately held American retail corporation organized as a consumers' cooperative, selling outdoor recreation gear, sporting goods, and clothes via some 110 retail stores in about 30 states, catalogs, and the Internet."

Visit them at http://www.rei.com/