I was just over in the US buying milk, cheese, eggs (for our personal use) — dairy products, all which cost a hell of lot more here in Canada thanks to government interference known as supply management. Somebody asked me on Twitter if this was coded language: Canada cheese-smuggling ring busted… – sadly, no.
Besides the savings on gas, which alone was significant, we also saved about $2 on a gallon of milk (slightly smaller than our 4-liter jugs). I buy an 18-pk of eggs for considerably less than the cost of one dozen here. And cheese is practically a steal over the border compared to here. If only we were allowed to bring alcohol back (duty free) on day trips! Oh well… As long as prices remain what they are and our Canadian dollar stays high, I’ll continue to shop across the border.
Note: I’m not condoning criminal activity, but with no real free market pricing for dairy products here, smuggling doesn’t come as a surprise. (Think: communism that led to the creation of black markets.)
UPDATE: Many people just blindly assume that because some stuff is cheaper south of the border, then everything is. Nothing could be further from the truth. It pays to know your prices as well as the exchange rate. For example, produce isn’t any cheaper than my local market; in fact it’s usually more expensive. Before you buy in the US, check the prices here first — a savings of a few dollars on a larger ticket item may not be worth the additional costs involved.
UPDATE II:
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I hear ya. Every time I go to the US I stock up on parmessan, butter, and eggs. I’ll continue to do this until they get rid of the dairy board. What is the use of a dairy board if it doesn’t help Canadians? I’ll be a cross border shopper til the end.
Agreed. If the dollar here suddenly drops or supply management ends, then I’ll shop here but not until.
I will continue to pay more to purchase Canadian milk products because they do not contain BHT, Bovine Growth Hormone.
I see you bought the dairy board propaganda. Good for you. But did you know that American dairy products are imported into Canada — our outrageously expensive supply management restrictions have not prevented that. Are you sure about what you’re buying? Read:
Blame soviet styled supply management for the above market prices we pay on dairy, eggs, bread, pork etc.
In the case of Dairy, there is a double whammy of local supply control ( your local milk marketing cartel) and a fed excise tax on dairy produced outside PQ which is supposed to subsidize their dairy industry at the expense of the consumers in the rest of Canada. – Soviet supply rationing and market control on food – that’s what you have in Kanada. The wheat board was just the tip of the iceberg – and you can bet every crony parasite is on these supply control boards , dipping their beak at the public trough and taking perks from the big food/dairy processors who profit from fixed price single desk marketing.
Exactly – this is who supply management helps — not the little family-owned dairy farmer but the big corporate operations, and of course the trough feeders on the dairy board.
Oh yeah, almost forgot – hey Natasha, isn;t all that cheese, eggs, and booze bad for the diet?? Jus askin’
Now, c’mon — cheese maybe, but we eat it in small amounts. Booze — well, some claim moderate amounts won’t hurt the diet. I disagree (at least, in my case). I can’t drink even moderate amounts and still lose weight, so right now I’m having none. Although I did recently make homemade pasta sauce that requires a little red wine.
As for eggs, I eat them nearly every day – good source of Omega 3 and an inexpensive protein source. My diet wasn’t all that bad before; mainly I’m just eating smaller portions and not snacking on any junk like potato chips.
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