“What do you ship to Honduras?” I get that question all the time. Yes, I ship a lot of shampoo & toothpaste! You may be asking why? I get that question a lot too.
Since moving to Honduras I have had to be very careful with money (not that I wasn’t before the move). You see, many of the basics here are sometimes twice the cost or more of what you would pay at a Wal-mart or Target in The USA. Example: Suave shampoo family size roughly runs about $1.50 at Wal-mart. In Honduras we can find this item (sometimes) but it would cost $5-6 each.
What is meant by the basics? In my experience the basics are: shampoo & conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and the list goes on. I am always concerned about having a big enough supply of shampoo; 3 daughters will do that.
I have also shipped food supplies. I mainly go to aldi’s (or sometimes people have donated) and get: ketchup, tuna, canned fruit & veggies, crackers and that list can go on too.
After carefully planning what may be needed, I buy the items that will get us through. I try to plan for at least 6 months. It is still expensive to buy all the items at one time so I do my best to make them last.
Then I pack everything carefully in a box that usually measures 24 x 24 x 24. The cost is about $140. It is a flat fee, not by weight. My boxes usually need 2 men or more to move. I pack them on the heavy side. Have to get all you can in just one box.
Once it is ready I get a hold of our contact that ships boxes in a container on a enormous boat. The boat usually leaves from New Jersey or Florida. The container will arrive in Puerto Cortes, right off the Carribbean Sea in about 2 weeks. After arrival it will take a few days for our supplies to arrive to our front door.
Not bad right?! It really is hard for some people to understand how I get this done, but it has been practice. I now can pack a box or my suitcase in ways you would never believe.
As we speak my box packing skills are in effect. It is time to supply up for the next 6 months. I am working on the supply list and pushing my “pennies” further this year.
The reality is we save our “pennies” to make sure the necessities are sent in a box, on a boat, and delivered to our house.
Have you shipped supplies to another country? What are some of the necessities you have sent?
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