Ask Arthur

We love to shop while traveling abroad but are concerned about the need to pay heavy customs fees (duties) on our purchases when we return. Any suggestions? Unnoticed by most Americans, the dollar limit on how much you can bring back from your vacation was recently raised from $400 to $800 (although kept to a lesser $600 on trips to the Caribbean), so the problem has actually been lessened.

But you can avoid even that limit by mailing back to yourself items costing up to $200 and marked "for personal use." You can also send items marked as "unsolicited gifts" to friends, as long as each day's mailings are valued at $100 or less. Note that you'll save only if your postage costs are less than what the duty might otherwise be (mail light items only), and note, too, that these daily, mail-'em-to-yourself-or-a-friend privileges do not extend to tobacco, alcohol, ...