Hello folks:

I am still confused over the cost of food stuffs there. We thought about cooking at our villa a few times and was wondering what we should bring. I do expect prices to be higher but are there "must bring" stuff? Steaks, spices etc?

Some pricing info would be helpful!

Thanks,
EzE

Don't be confused...STJ is an island everything is imported. Prices do run anywhere from 20% to 40%
higher. We just got back last month and I bought coffee, coffee filters,packets of sugar, crackers, popcorn and nuts. If you are renting a villa ask what you should bring. My agent said wait to see what spices some guests left behind. Good advise because I didn't need to buy any spices.
To give you some idea of prices, Wheat Thins were 4.95, butter 3.95 for a half pound. Orange juice was 3.00 for a quart.
The cheapest items are rum, water and cigarettes.
We ate out every night. Plenty of places to eat that won't break you. We did breakfast and happy hour at the villa.
We didn't deal with frozen food but you may want to bring some frozen meat if you aren't sure. Steaks
stay frozen well.

Enjoy your trip. STJ is beautiful. Good Luck

How are prices for wine and other alcoholic beverages? I read somewhere that alcohol was cheaper than the mainland because there wasn't any duty.

KathyM,

You are correct. Liquor and wine are cheaper than the states. The prices for gin and volka depending on brand was between $$10-14. Also depends on where you purchase the liquor. Cruzan rum (dark)
80 proof, I paid 4.95.
I only bought back the rum for my son-in-law so I didn't really shop prices for liquor or wine.
I was more interested in the jewerly and the prices are good. What I like about the jewerly I was able to buy some pieces that were different from what I could buy in the states.
I hope my reply helped.

So, is there a "good place" to purchase liquor & wine on St. John. (I'm personally more interested in wine!)

Liquor prices are much less than the States, wine, however, is more expensive....especially domestics. Australian wines tend to be the best buy of wines in the USVI. There used to be a place called Mixology that had a nice selection of wines and somebody recently posted the conversion of the Marina Market into a wine store with an excellent selection.

For the life of me I can't remember the name of that new wine place in the old Marina Market but my friend the wine buff went wild when he saw their extensive choices and very good prices. One of his favorites was selling for 30% less than the States and its Californian. Also in St. Thomas, the Cost-U-Less carries a more limited selection but also good prices. In short, there are reasonably priced options. As for cooking in your villa, we tend to cook a lot in ours. Most villas have grills so bringing frozen meats is a great idea because of the limitation in choices, quality and economical value. I find cooking breakfast and fixing picnic lunches very convenient and economical. Last trip, I think we only ate out 3 times in a week, but that's me and we go to St. John often. Someone spending just a week in a villa should not lug too much stuff. The prices are higher but why fret about saving that extra $100 when you are trying to make the most of a week in paradise?

I rent villas on a regular basis and pack these items: Packaged dried products such as rice, noodle side dishes, tea, chili powder. These items are lightweight to pack and are purchased cheaply at Walmart! I have found that chicken and ground meat are cheap on St John so I make meals that I can get leftover from - such as a big pot of chili, bar-b-q chicken, meatloaf, etc. I make up my mind what we may eat for the week and make out a grocery list for when I get there. If you're watching your weight or don't care for "packaged/processed" items - it's only for 1 week - it won't kill you. Besides, then you'll have extra cash to do something better with.