Daily life

The everyday stuff: where to shop, how to furnish a place and a few small habits (like a gmail address only used for your time in the US) that make life here easier.

Groceries

• You don't need a car for a big grocery run.
• Instacart lets you order from stores like Costco without a membership. You can use my referral link for a discount: https://inst.cr/t/56eb422c4 (code: J7E1D64)
• Amazon Fresh is very convenient. You can order straight from the Amazon app and delivery is free for orders over $100.
• Other stores: Trader Joe's (part of the Aldi group), Safeway (expensive, but good deals if you select them in your account), Target (like Carrefour), Walgreens (like Kruidvat) and Walmart (Bay Area only, great for random stuff and camping gear, though the food is nothing special).
• Grocery stores are open every day.

Furniture

• Facebook Marketplace is amazing. Watch for scams.
• Ross: mainly a clothing store, but the furniture and kitchen section is worth a look. A bit like Action, so it depends what you find.
• IKEA: much more expensive than in Europe.
• Wayfair.

Renting a car

• Turo and Avis.

Email

• Make a new Gmail account for your time in the US. Unsubscribing from newsletters is harder than in Europe, so use this address when you make accounts at Walgreens, Target, Safeway. If you move back to Belgium later, it's easy to leave it behind.

Drinking

• Most bars close at 2am.
• To enter a bar or buy alcohol, always bring an ID (your Belgian ID or a US driver's license). Only a small number of stores insist on a passport. Most bars won't accept a photo of your ID.