With the dollar languishing at around 56p, the temptation to embark on a shopping spree in New York (or, for the hardy, Chicago) is strong - especially with 10Gb iPods selling for $299 compared with upwards of £249 in the UK.
Two pieces of advice: firstly, there is a £145 limit on the value of goods you can bring back from the States without paying duty; secondly, planning ahead will spare you much frustration. Those in a hurry might like to print out frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021021124.html, or save the file on to a mobile device. It lists the addresses of shops, chains, boutiques, bookstores and markets of all kinds. For Chicago, see frommers.com/destinations/chicago/, and the miniguides at fodors.com/miniguides.
Clothes
The New York Metro (newyorkmetro.com/shopping/) has an excellent guide, with everything from cheap beauty treatments and winter sales calendars to a guide to finding NY vintage T-shirts (newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/shopping/asknewyork/n_9076/). Nysale.com tracks sample sales and designer bargains, as does TheInsider.com/nyc/save/011sampl.htm. Citysearch (chicago.citysearch.com/section/shopping) recommends women's clothes stores in Chicago.
Electronics
Try ny.com/shopping/gadgets/ or use Amazon.com's Need It Today? service once you've arrived in NYC. Navigate to the item, type in a local zip code (use your hotel's) and the gadget will be held for you at a nearby store.
Eating
Many of the upscale online restaurant reviewers now charge, but you can still browse the Village Voice's top 100 cheap eats (villagevoice.com/issues/0117/cheapeats_display.php) and 100 best Latin restaurants (villagevoice.com/issues/0319/cheapeats03_display.php) for free. The New York Metro (newyorkmetro.com/restaurants/articles/cheap_eats/03) has compiled 100 meals for under $25.
Going out
By London standards, the cinema is a bargain, despite a recent hike in ticket prices to $10.25. For reviews of films not yet released here, the New Yorker (newyorker.com/goingson/movies/) is a good bet. City weblog Gothamist.com and Flavorpill (flavorpill.net/) always have plenty of entertainment tips, while NYC's tourist board (nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey =385) suggests bars and cafes with panoramic views. You can also check Time Out New York (timeoutny.com).
