I cannot let my LA vacation pass without shopping at Ross and Marshalls! A trip to these discount department stores is worth it, especially if you’re looking for new items to purchase. The first ever item I bought in Marshalls is a Ralph Lauren button down shirt from two years ago (around $25) and I’ve been using it until now. From Ross, I still have my Ralph Lauren backpack which I bought in Guam last December.

My agenda in checking out these stores was to get some small stuff I need and items I can share with my friends after my trip to the US. Each item here is only less than $7 (before sales tax). Without further ado, here are my 5 purchases from Ross and Marshalls.

"I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan," sings Miley Cyrus. The song kept replaying inside my head during our 15-hour flight.

When it comes to traveling to the United States, if you’re a Filipino and you have relatives living in America, there’s a big fat chance you’ll be spending quite some time in California. In our case, it’s Los Angeles.

What makes this vacation different from when you visit other countries is that you don’t need to worry about itinerary - your relatives mostly do that for you. And if you surpassed the two-hour long queue at the immigration in LAX (and the interrogation of why you’re in the Land of the Free and if you’re bringing in chicharon or balut), congratulations – you’ve finally come to America.