Shopping
Supermarkets and grocery stores are usually open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. Some may even be open 24 hours a day. Most other stores open around 9:30 am and close around 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. Some may have evening hours as well. Shopping malls are open from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm every day except Sunday, when they are open from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Pittsburgh offers a variety of neighborhood shopping districts within a short walk or bus ride from campus where you may purchase clothing, furniture, appliances, household supplies, cosmetics, as well as general and ethnic groceries. Suburban shopping malls offering a larger selection of stores are accessible by bus or car. The State of Pennsylvania charges a 6% sales tax, with 1% additional in Allegheny County, on all purchases except unprepared food, clothing, and medicine. Other states and cities also charge sales tax on purchases, but there is no uniform nationwide sales tax.
Buying Used Items
You can save money by buying used items, such as clothing, furniture, and other household goods. Certain stores sell used items and people often have sales in their garage or yard where they sell things they no longer need or want. You can check the want-ads (classified advertisements) in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Tribune Review, the PennySaver (a free newspaper delivered to homes in local neighborhoods each week) or on craigslist. Carnegie Mellon also has a number of electronic bulletin boards where students and staff advertise items for sale. Most of them can be found under the name cmu.misc.market. You will need a Carnegie Mellon email account to access these bulletin boards.
Last Updated On: Feburary 25th, 2008
