United States (US)
The United States is a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia spanning six time zones from the Atlantic to the Pacific, plus Alaska and Hawaii.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in United States.
🛒 Supermarkets
The largest retailer in the US — Supercenters combine groceries with everything from tyres to prescriptions to clothing. Lowest overall prices, huge private-label "Great Value" range. Presence in virtually every town. Grocery pickup and delivery via Walmart+ ($98/year).
German discount chain aggressively expanding in the US. 25–40% cheaper than mainstream supermarkets. Small stores, limited selection, mostly private label, quarter-deposit shopping carts, bring-your-own bags. Excellent produce and wine value.
Largest traditional supermarket chain — operates under many regional banners (Ralphs in Southern California, Fred Meyer in the Pacific Northwest, King Soopers in Colorado, Harris Teeter on East Coast, Fry's in Arizona). Full-service with pharmacy, bakery, deli, and fuel points.
Major national chain (same parent company). Full-service supermarkets with loyalty program and digital coupons. Just for U rewards. Good weekly sales on meat and produce. Delivery via DoorDash partnership.
Employee-owned Southeast US chain (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North/South Carolina, Virginia). Famous for "Publix subs" at the deli and "BOGO" (buy-one-get-one-free) weekly deals. Widely considered the best customer service in American grocery.
Texas-only chain with cult following. Excellent prepared meals, strong Mexican-food section, quality private label. Central Market is H-E-B's upscale banner. Ranked America's top grocery store in many consumer surveys.
Owned by Amazon since 2017 — higher-end organic and natural foods. Often called "whole paycheck" for the prices. Amazon Prime members get 10% off sales and free 2-hour delivery in many cities. Strong prepared foods, hot bar, and specialty cheese/wine.
Family-owned regional chain (Northeast US) consistently rated America's favourite grocery store. Massive stores with restaurant-quality prepared foods, huge international sections, in-store cafés, and exceptional produce. Cult-like customer loyalty. Opening in Washington D.C. and New York City metro.
Small-format, private-label-heavy chain with unique products and loyal following. Most items $2–$7. Famous for "Two-Buck Chuck" wine, frozen meals, snacks, and seasonal items. No loyalty program, no coupons — just consistently reasonable prices. Not a full-service supermarket — cash-and-carry only, narrow aisles.
Membership warehouse ($65/year Gold Star) — bulk sizes at low per-unit prices. Excellent quality private label (Kirkland Signature), rotisserie chickens at $4.99 (unchanged for 15+ years), cheap gas at members-only pumps. Worth it for families of 3+ or entertainers. Add-on Executive membership ($130) earns 2% cashback.
Opening Hours
Typical supermarkets open 7am–10pm or 6am–midnight; many 24-hour locations exist, especially Walmart Supercenters in suburban areas (though 24-hour operations have declined since COVID). Target: 8am–10pm. Costco: 10am–8:30pm. Most mid-range restaurants 11am–10pm; fast food often 24 hours at drive-thru. Banks: Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Saturday 9am–1pm, closed Sundays. Post offices: Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm, Saturday 8:30am–1pm. Malls: 10am–9pm Mon–Sat, noon–6pm Sunday. Pharmacies (CVS/Walgreens) often 24 hours or until midnight in cities.
Sunday Rules
No federal Sunday closing laws. Supermarkets, malls, restaurants, and most businesses are fully open on Sundays. Some vestigial "blue laws" remain at the state or county level: several states (Indiana, Mississippi, Minnesota among others) ban Sunday alcohol sales entirely or restrict hours; Massachusetts and Texas have specific rules for Sunday alcohol. Car dealerships are closed on Sundays in about 15 states. Chick-fil-A famously closes every Sunday nationwide for religious reasons.
Recycling
Recycling systems vary by city and county with no federal standard. Most municipalities provide curbside single-stream recycling (one bin for paper, plastic, glass, metal combined) collected weekly or bi-weekly. Ten states have container deposit laws ("bottle bills") — CA, OR, NY, MA, MI, CT, IA, VT, ME, HI — refund 5–15¢ per bottle/can. Composting curbside is available in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and NYC (rolled out 2024–2026). Apartment dwellers often share building recycling rooms; compliance is inconsistent. Check your city's sanitation department website for specific rules — contamination in recycling bins is a major issue.
Dining Out
Ubiquitous and varied. Sit-down restaurants serve large portions — sharing entrées or taking leftovers home (doggy bags) is completely normal. Tax is not included in menu prices (add 6–10% depending on state/city), and tips are on top. Water is free and served with ice unless you specify "no ice" or "room temperature". Free refills on soft drinks, coffee, and iced tea are standard. Reservations needed only at fine dining or popular spots — most restaurants take walk-ins. Fast-food drive-thrus are cultural institutions (In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, McDonald's). Ethnic food is excellent in large cities: Chinatowns, Koreatowns, Little Saigon, authentic Mexican taquerias, Ethiopian, Ukrainian, Indian.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity, gas, water, and sewer are separately billed by regional utilities. Electricity: $100–$300/month for an apartment (higher in summer with A/C, higher in Northeast for electric heating). Natural gas (heating/cooking): $30–$100/month seasonal. Water/sewer: $40–$100/month (often combined bill). Trash collection usually included in municipal tax or rent. Deposits of $100–$300 may be required for new service without US credit history. Most utilities let you pay online monthly by ACH or credit card. Set up auto-pay to avoid late fees.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Cheerful small talk with strangers (cashiers, baristas, Uber drivers, people in elevators) is expected and friendly. Silence can feel rude. "How are you?" is a greeting, not a question.
- → Personal space is larger than in Europe — stand 60–90 cm away in conversation, more in queues.
- → Tipping is universal and not negotiable — see "tipping" section. Restaurant servers rely on tips to live.
- → Credit cards (not debit) are used for most purchases, and paying cash for large items is unusual — Americans build credit scores through responsible credit card use.
- → Customer service is very friendly and return policies are generous — most retailers accept returns within 30–90 days with a receipt, many without. "The customer is always right" is embedded in retail training.
- → Ice water is automatically served at every restaurant. Asking for "still" water or "no ice" is fine but unusual.
- → Drive-thrus exist for almost everything: fast food, coffee (Starbucks, Dunkin'), banking (ATMs), pharmacies (CVS/Walgreens prescriptions), funeral homes (yes, really), and even some marriage chapels in Las Vegas.
- → Public transportation is stigmatised in much of the country — owning a car and driving is the default. In LA, Dallas, and Atlanta, not having a car can mark you as poor or an outsider.
- → Americans work long hours and take little vacation by European standards (2 weeks PTO is typical for new employees; 4 weeks is considered generous).
- → Health insurance is tied to employment for most working-age adults — leaving a job can mean losing insurance, making job flexibility risky.
Quiet Hours
The United States has no federal quiet-hours law. Noise regulation is handled at the city, county, and HOA (Homeowners Association) or apartment complex level. Most municipalities have noise ordinances prohibiting unreasonably loud noise during nighttime hours, typically enforced by local police or code enforcement officers. In apartment buildings, lease agreements and building rules set specific quiet hours that are legally enforceable through lease termination.
Most US cities and counties. Loud music, parties, and equipment during these hours can result in a police noise complaint (non-emergency line: 311 in most cities). Individual apartment leases often specify 10:00 pm or 11:00 pm.
Most city ordinances restrict construction noise. Contact the city's Code Enforcement office for violations.
Gated communities and apartment complexes often have stricter rules than municipal ordinances. Violations can result in lease termination or HOA fines.
- •Playing music loudly past 10 pm in an apartment building — one of the most common complaints to building management.
- •Hosting parties that run past midnight in residential areas — city police respond to 311 calls.
- •Not checking your specific city's noise ordinance — rules vary significantly between cities (NYC 10 pm; LA 11 pm; many suburbs 10 pm).
Police warning on first noise complaint. Repeat violations: citations and fines ($50–$500+ depending on city). Apartment lease violations: formal notice, potential eviction. HOA violations: fines per CC&Rs, which can be levied repeatedly for ongoing violations.
Postal Services
The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers mail and packages to every address in the country six days a week (Monday–Saturday; some Sundays for Amazon packages). Stamps for standard First-Class letters are $0.78 (January 2026 rate; proposed increase to $0.82 from July 2026, pending PRC approval). UPS and FedEx dominate package delivery alongside USPS Priority Mail. Amazon Logistics handles most of its own last-mile delivery. Check tracking on the usps.com app or sign up for Informed Delivery to receive a daily email with scans of incoming mail.
USPS does not have a major parcel-locker network like DHL Packstation in Germany. Amazon Locker (at Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, some apartment buildings) is the closest equivalent for Amazon purchases. UPS Access Points and FedEx Hold at Location allow pickup from corner-store partners. For apartment dwellers, most modern buildings have staff or parcel rooms; high-theft areas use combination lockers. "Porch piracy" (theft of packages left at doors) is a major issue in many suburbs — consider package lockers or held pickup.
Most mail is delivered without any ID verification. Certified Mail and Registered Mail require a signature at delivery. To pick up a held package at the post office, bring a government-issued photo ID and the pink slip left at your door. To rent a PO Box, bring two forms of ID, one with your current physical address.
Certified Mail with Return Receipt is the standard way to send legally important documents (leases, contract cancellations, IRS filings) — tracking + signature + mailed-back confirmation receipt. Costs about $8–12 per letter. Registered Mail is more secure (hand-to-hand tracking, insured up to $50,000) and used for valuables — $20+ per item. Priority Mail Express guarantees 1–2 day delivery with tracking.
Request mail forwarding at usps.com/move (or USPS Form 3575) — forwards First-Class mail and magazines for 12 months free; packages for 60 days. Essential when changing addresses. Update your address with banks, employer, IRS (Form 8822), voter registration, and driver's license separately — forwarding is a temporary bridge, not a permanent fix. Scam warning: only use the official USPS move site, not look-alike domains that charge $40+ for free service.
- →Order mail scans via Informed Delivery (free) — daily email with images of incoming mail.
- →Use USPS Priority Mail flat-rate boxes — same price regardless of weight, up to 70 lbs, 1–3 day delivery.
- →Return packages by printing a label online and dropping at any blue USPS mailbox (for Priority) or at UPS/FedEx counters. Many retailers (Amazon, Target) offer free drop-off returns at Kohl's, The UPS Store, or Whole Foods without packaging.
- →For international mail: USPS Global Express Guaranteed is the fastest option; First-Class International is cheapest but can take 2–6 weeks.
- →Get a PO Box ($30–$80 every 6 months) if you move frequently or have package theft concerns.
- →Set up USPS Hold Mail for free when travelling — request online, up to 30 days.