Buy and ship from US, or just send cash? Which is more economical?

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GinzaGringo

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I have heard that prices of everyday things have recently increased dramatically in the DR?food, clothing, staples of everyday life. My wife, who is a Domincan, recently sent a box full of these kinds of things from the US to the DR. She sent rice, oil, some toys, coffee, canned goods, soaps, some over the counter medications, etc. It cost her $50 to ship the box. The contents of the box cost her about $200.

I can believe that these kinds of manufactured, everyday consumer goods are generally more expensive in the DR. But my question is whether all of these things could be purchased in the DR for $250?

My contention to my wife was that the $50 shipping fee made the whole endeavor a waste of time and money. I told her it would be easier to send $250 to the DR, so that her family could spend the money there to buy an equivalent amount of goods.

Can an equivalent amount of good be purchased in the DR?

I know it will depend on what specific goods we are talking about but in general, what are your experiences/thoughts with this?
 
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Sohrab

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Did you mention “rice”?
Probably Thai Jasmine rice, otherwise I didn’t know of high price for rice here.
 
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Ken

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GinzaGringo said:
I have heard that prices of everyday things have recently increased dramatically in the DR?food, clothing, staples of everyday life. My wife, who is a Domincan, recently sent a box full of these kinds of things from the US to the DR. She sent rice, oil, some toys, coffee, canned goods, soaps, some over the counter medications, etc. It cost her $50 to ship the box. The contents of the box cost her about $200.

I can believe that these kinds of manufactured, everyday consumer goods are generally more expensive in the DR. But my question is whether all of these things could be purchased in the DR for $250?

My contention to my wife was that the $50 shipping fee made the whole endeavor a waste of time and money. I told her it would be easier to send $250 to the DR, so that her family could spend the money there to buy an equivalent amount of goods.

Can an equivalent amount of good be purchased in the DR?

I know it will depend on what specific goods we are talking about but in general, what are your experiences/thoughts with this?
Click to expand...

Over the counter medications likely cheaper where you are and toys you sent are no doubt better quality than what could be bought here for the same money, but coffee, oil and rice are available here. RE canned goods, imported stuff is more expensive here than there, but there are alternative Dominican products that might have been purchased here, depending on what was sent.

Your question is a good one. I guess my suggestion would be to send things like medications and toys if you want the cihildren to have good ones and send money to be used for purchased of basics.

I am assuming from your post that the recipients were of modest means.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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I find that i am having a box sent almost every month. Yes, it is that much cheaper there(costco) than here. She did good.

Hb














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Driftwood

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I can see absolutely no point in bringing in anything unless you have specific fancies you enjoy. Rice, Coffee, Soap, cheaper in DR. Toys of good quality are expensive but baring in mind that Dominican adults, children, male or female will break or give away anything of good or bad quality within a few days of having it, I can't even see the point in that.
Canned foods are expensive, but why do they need them if they do not normally buy them, I don't see a point in it. If however you or your wifes goal is to send a luxury/gift/treat then by all means that is a nice concept, but to be an ongoing arrangement would be a mistake at a cost to you.
In my opinion the answer to your question overall is I can't see much of a saving, but maybe they have adapted foreign tastes now, then maybe it would. Dominican tastes are povided for and don't need imports.
 
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PeterInBrat

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Choose your battles.

She's sending food and other essentials instead of $100 sneakers and other crap. While most of the goods can be gotten in the DR, I'm sure there is the impression that anything from the US must be better. You're also assuming that any cash would be spent on food, and not on rum, chicken fights and other luxuries.

Seems to me she knows what she's doing. Give her a budget and let her do what she pleases.
 
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GinzaGringo

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There is no grand spousal argument here. It's her money, she can spend it how she pleases, as far as I am concerned. This is really just a point of curiosity for me, sort of like the whole question of whether one gets better gas mileage driving with the pickup truck tailgate up, or down.
 
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GinzaGringo

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I can not remember the name of the shipping company, Bravo Shipping, or something like that. They are out of Providence, Rhode Island. The box is 18" X 18" X 28".
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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Driftwood

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If a Rhetorical question is considered a statement you already know the answer to then this OP qualifies, does it not?

Based on the OP knowing the prices of goods in both countries and asking which is cheaper.

or

Maybe I missed something!:confused:
 
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Criss Colon

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"Coffee" to the DR?
If she was from Saudi Arabia,would she send SAND????
MAYBE,if the USA sand was better than Saudi sand,but DR coffee is great,and MUCH cheaper!
I don't know what you are sending "HB",but it must be really cheap,and really GREAT STUFF!
CCC
 
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GinzaGringo

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If you buy a basket of things in the US for $200, will that same basket of things purchased in the DR, cost $250?

Driftwood said:
If a Rhetorical question is considered a statement you already know the answer to then this OP qualifies, does it not?

Based on the OP knowing the prices of goods in both countries and asking which is cheaper.

or

Maybe I missed something!:confused:
Click to expand...
 
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PeterInBrat

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The real question should be:

"If you send a Dominican US$250 to buy beans, rice, coffee, oil and other essentials(esp if they have more than a day's worth of food in the house), will they spend any of it on food and actual essentials, or will they take the family out for dinner at Hooters/Pizza Hut?"
 
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Driftwood

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GinzaGringo said:
If you buy a basket of things in the US for $200, will that same basket of things purchased in the DR, cost $250?
Click to expand...

I understand what you are asking, but your wife is Dominican, you are in America, she is sending these things to family or friends I presume, not just random addresses, so you are both in a better position to answer your own questions based on the fact we don't know what you are sending, and your family and you and your wife do? And if you heard that certain prices had risen then you know the specific items, brands and weights, none of which are mentioned on this thread.
Can I load a box with 250bucks worth of stuff? yes. Can you load a box of stuff costing 200buck in the USA? yes! Are our boxes likely to be the same stuff? no!
If you want specifics then you need to list specifics or nobodies opinion means much as we could be speaking of different brands, weights, etc.
IYGMP.
 
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GinzaGringo

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You know, it's a good question, and another aspect of the whole affair that I did not consider but do recognize as valid. Still, my original impetus for posting was the strictly economic inquiry regarding the cost of this fictional basket of goods.


PeterInBrat said:
The real question should be:

"If you send a Dominican US$250 to buy beans, rice, coffee, oil and other essentials(esp if they have more than a day's worth of food in the house), will they spend any of it on food and actual essentials, or will they take the family out for dinner at Hooters/Pizza Hut?"
Click to expand...
 
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RV429

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Your wife is Dominican and thus she knows that sending $250 ends up with Jeans, Blouses, Presidente and Brugal. She is smart sending needed items. As to your question of cost, yes you are spending more money by shipping staples such as rice, coffee but they are getting what she intends and not something else that is unintended.
 
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