5 Quirks of Living in Germany vs the USA and Our Tips to Survive! 🇩🇪

[@PassportTwo]

Hope that you enjoyed this video! 😊 If you have lived in another country, what were things you had to adjust to? 😃 Don't forget to use our link and voucher code to sign up for the Lingoda Sprint Challenge!!🏃‍♂️ Link: bit.ly/Sprint_PassportTwo Code: PASSPORT20 (20 euros discount on deposit before 25/8 OR on month 1 payment after 25/8)*

[@joshuayoung949]

Pommes

[@katjaschulz3022]

I dreamed you had decided you didn't want to live in Germany forever and returned to the US, and I was totally upset about you leaving. 😭

[@janpracht6662]

In some regions of Germany (especially if you move to Ruhrgebiet, in cities like Dortmund or Gelsenkirchen) you HAVE to be a soccer fan. Some Germans can be very soccer-fanatical: soccer is not only a game on saturday, their club is almost a religion or an attitude to life. If you are not interested in soccer, in these cities it will be difficult to make friends...

[@anthonylambert4523]

@@janpracht6662 Not true. Dortmund also has a great Rugby team...

[@andytaker999]

bag your groceries later but there is a little desk to do so

[@negativ-dekadent]

Probably the most German thing I ever wrote: I put my things on the check-out belt in the exact order I want to bag them and it makes me furious when the cashier messes up the order.

[@korfi2go748]

depends a bit on how much they mess it up, but there are times, when they simpley refuse to scan that one item,. that still needs to go to the bottom of the bag.

[@marcellvogtlander2861]

Maybe the most German thing I ever read.

[@tabeascorner1319]

That's exactly what i wanted to comment on!!! When you put them onto the belt you make sure the order is right :).

[@sasud.5419]

Yes, i do it in the same way. The egs are the last th(z;)ing.

[@KFrancisPower]

Effizient!!!!!!

[@stellastarlight615]

Little survival tip from a german cashier: When on the register station, place your fruit and vegetable in between your other groceries. In most shops (where you don't have to weigh the stuff yourself) the cashier has to lay it down on the scanner and has to wait until the scale is done. Buys you a couple of seconds to get everything in your cart.

[@marieslhok9536]

For winning against the cashier strategy is everything! First: Make sure you have enough bags that you bring with you, but max 3 per person. If you buy too much you will loose. Second: strategic packing onto the belt, heavy stuff first, then packed stuff like Jogurt etc. then vegetables and fruits. It slows the cashier at the end, so you have time to pick up. Third: get your card ready, you win some seconds to further pack when you put it in/ lay it on top till the process ends and the receipt is printed. Good luck with the game and practice is everything!

[@PassportTwo]

I love this 😂😂 Such a well thought out and good strategy! We may need to run some drills of this tactic before our next grocery trip 😉

[@pirogenpaddler660]

@@PassportTwo But wait - are you two shopping together? It's unfair (or a lower league game) to play this as two customers against one cashier! :-D

[@wtsalive8210]

@@PassportTwo How Marie told already, if you’ve the possibility buy less parts but more times in the week. So the meat and veggies are fresh and you are able to pack the stuff in the bag directly. The brilliant practical tips how to do it you got from Marie already. But if you haven’t the possibility to buy often(you live far away to a grocery, the German far, like me) put all stuff on the trolly and pack your bags at a quiet place

[@AL5520]

That´s exactly what I do. I'm not an actual German (I live in Spain) but I have inherited the German way from my grandfather (that's why I have German citizenship). I plan in advance, while shopping, I decide on the order, put it in that order when it's on the belt and put everything fast into my personal shopping cart (no car, live in the city and many people use one). I do have an advantage as Spanish cashiers are slower, unless I go to Lidl or Aldi.

[@swanpride]

Fourth: Use one of those bags you can attach to the card. This way you can basically throw the stuff directly in, while already sorting it roughly.

[@th60of]

I love my little "Who's faster?" competition with the cashier lady, even though she always wins. Kartoffelsalat is not a side dish, it's a meal! Well, that may be just me.

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, that’s a great idea to just turn it into a game as well 😂 See who wins rather than panicking you are going to slow 😅

[@kgspollux6998]

Everything will end, when self-service cashier terminals will be mounted everywhere. Then the hurry is over - you will slow down to your individual pace . . .

[@TheDoctorIWho]

The cashier never wins and I bag right at the the belt. You only have to plan ahead how you will pack when you put your groceries on the belt an in which order. This is the easy way. ;)

[@HalfEye79]

I mostly win, because I throw the things (the later ones) in the cart right after they get scanned. So I have to wait sometimes. The real packing can be done later.

[@HalfEye79]

@@kgspollux6998 In my home town, there are carts, where you can scan your item immediately while shopping. The cashier just looks over it and you pay. No check-out-race.

[@fricki1997]

7:47 as a German, I'm used to laying out the items at checkout by a system, resilient first (such as metal cans, glass bottles, milk or juice boxes) and fragile and soft later. At the start I'll try to keep up with the cashier while packing my bag, but once it piles up I simply drop it into the shopping cart. Seems like the best compromise to me.

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

same

[@Hessi]

We have a saying in our family: "Giesela! Giesela! You're hanging up the laundry wrong!". My aunt's mother-in-law once shouted this to her... It was years ago, but it was so absurd that it stuck in our minds and we still joke about it today: "Michael! Michael! You boil the water wrong!".

[@marie9814]

A few years ago the clerks at aldi didn't have a scanner for the codes. They had to memorize the numbers of each item and then enter it at the cash register. And tell you what - they used to be faster then you, even back then

[@Kolenya90]

Oh yes, there was no faster cashier than the ones from aldi

[@CheesyElla]

About the grocery bagging (as a person born & raised in Germany) - the put everything in the cart again and bag later is honestly the strategy I've seen the most because it's the best. Especially (as you mentioned) when you buy a lot of things. I've also always had a system when I put everything on the band (heavier things first, couple fruits etc. to slow the cashier down in the middle and the rest in the end), so that helps when sorting too. Anyways, I do miss living in the US grocery shopping experience - like at Trader Joe's for example doing some small talk while they bag my groceries. I also just miss Trader Joe's.

[@PassportTwo]

Ahhh yes...Trader Joe's was great! It is funny since it is owned by Aldi that it isn't a thing in Germany...I wonder why that is 🤔

[@amirsh4781]

Interesting trick 😂👍

[@CheesyElla]

@@PassportTwo Yeah I can get a lot of Trader Joe's stuff at Aldi (Nord), but it's not the stuff I want / the whole experience either. And I just googled and apparently Aldi Nord/the guy who owns Aldi Nord bought TJ in 1979! I also found out that all the Aldi stores in the US are owned by Aldi Süd.

[@ThePixel1983]

Usually there's a shelf / window sill after the register. You can park there, bag your items and then just load the bags into your car. That's especially convenient when it rains.

[@Jojoleeen]

I grew up in Germany. And I love boxes instead of bags. For a big shopping trip I take 2 baskets/boxes and put them into the cart, shop my stuff and put it out onto the conveyor belt in order that I will pack them into the box/basket. When the speed checkout begins I just simple organize my stuff into the boxes like I prepared. All sorted and easy to put into my car.

[@caciliawhy5195]

What happens if you don't have a car?

[@timb8564]

A definite tip is to stay off of the bike lane when walking! I have had many visitors from the US who have just wandered around the sidewalk and crossed over the Fahrradweg and get yelled at pretty quickly :) Maybe not so important in the very rural areas, but in the cities, this is important knowledge. I'm totally with you on putting groceries back in the card and bagging them separately. So much easier than panicking while people stand behind you waiting for you to bag in line.

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

I find it very elegant to simply accept your tip unsolicited advice. This is a good way to avoid situations with a potential for conflict.

[@caciliawhy5195]

I agree with you that people should be polite and fit into the country they are in. The problem with this is that when Germans go to America, or anywhere else for that matter, they make comments about everything the Americans do wrong also.

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

@@caciliawhy5195 You mustn't think about anything, Germans do that among each other too. It's partly because, that's my personal theory, that Germans take honesty far more than politeness, and when they see something and think they know better, it needs to be put out and commented on. Regardless of whether you asked or not. I'm not talking about Germans who are used to international dealings and are a little more cautious. Every society thinks for itself that other societies tick at least a little like their own society. Especially if you think you know the other society and it doesn't look completely different.

[@nette4307]

Excellent video! Kartoffelsalat, when done well, is far superior to pommes ;)

[@Hessi]

Kartoffeln schälen, in Würfe schneiden und dann kochen ist für mich der Trick. Speck und Zwiebeln anbraten, das ganze mit einer selbst gemachten Remoulade anmachen. Ich mag es nicht, wenn der Kartoffelsalat so klebrig ist. Scheisse, jetzt habe ich Hunger. Dabei hatte ich gerade Spaghetti gemacht. 🙁

[@dorfdulli71]

Hello, I am from Germany. Ich mag kein Kartoffelsalat. Aber ich mag Kartoffelbrei mit Erbsen.

[@jandar2827]

But pommes, when done well, is far superior to Kartoffelsalat ;-). But the probability of getting good pommes is lower than of good Kartoffelsalat in my experience.

[@LexusLFA554]

As an actual German I approve this video and all that has been said 😂 I usually pack the stuff at the checkout back into the shopping cart. A good strategy is to lay heavier goods at the front of the conveyor so they end up at the bottom of the shopping cart. I usually pack them at a free side of the building or on the parking/bike lot

[@myselfalex]

Out of all the nervous moments in my periods spent in Germany, the most nervous I got wasn't not being able to really understand German and someone trying to talk to me, not trying to figure out the straßenbahn tickets, not trying to figure out driving signs. No, it was the LIGHT SPEED at which the checker was throwing my groceries and me absolutely not being ready to bag that fast. lol

[@BlueFlash215]

As Germans, most of us never get really comfortable with this either. Especially at Aldi they are crazy fast

[@myselfalex]

@@BlueFlash215 LOL that's exactly where my first experience with this was!

[@Turbo-ic8lw]

Congratulations. To Germany - for having you here for two years now.

[@proanimali]

Bagging groceries: I try to organize the order of goods while putting them on the checkout line. It doesn't always work, so you should have a plan B :-)

[@PassportTwo]

That’s a great tip and something we try and do as well! Having a plan B is critical 😅

[@marie9814]

Man, I really laughed hard. The grocery store checkout experience - you nailed it

[@PassportTwo]

😂 Glad you enjoyed! 😊

[@Aelsenaer]

To win the cashier contest, I use the following strategy. 1. Sort the purchases when you put them on the conveyor belt. Usual heavy and square things up front and light things last (usually bread). 2. Do not use bags. I use 2 crates that fit exactly in the shopping cart. This way I am usually faster than the cashier. And now my tip for foreigners in Germany. Use your mirrors excessively on the highway. Cars can be faster than you expect.

[@chf528]

Grocery bagging: Use IKEA-bags - big opening, everything goes in very fast. My System is 3 IKEA-bags for a family of 6. And as everybody already commented: Put Your items on the belt in the order, in which You want them in the bag - bottles and tins first, bananas and eggs at last

[@8Zatto8]

A trick for you grocery buying experience at the check out: Put the items on the belt in the order you want to put them in the bags. So you literally just have to put them in the bag as the cashier throws them at you, without to have to think first.

[@johanneshalberstadt3663]

The animation of the speed-check-out had me rolling on the floor!😆🤣 So accurate, even though it's a caricature😀

[@sthenzel]

The key to a successful checkout - be as efficient as the cashier! Bagging things at the checkout is your enemy! I only bag the frozen items, the rest goes back into the cart, that´s then unloaded at the car into a foldable box. Arrange your items on the conveyor in this succession: Cold/frozen goods, then heavy or ´hard´ items, then soft but strong stuff, then the delicate things. If there´s still someone before you, take the time to fold open your insulated bag to make it ready to receive items (in some stores you got to show that it´s empty anyway). And then, hold one handle of the bag, throw in the cold things with the other. After that, use both hands to handle the rest. Often enough I´m as fast as the cashier. If you got a Pfand receipt: Hand it over first, it has to be scanned and then put somewhere, gives you a few seconds more to position your cart perfectly (backwards). (I guess I just confirmed quirk #5...)

[@vievesa]

My strategy at the checkout: get a special shopping cart bag that rolls up small, but unfolds to clip on to the sides of the basket and fill the basket, and ideally put the heavy items on the belt first so that stuff that won'nt suffer from crushing automatically lands at the bottom of the bag.

[@johnkitchen4699]

Love those quirky tips. Bag later, definitely.

[@BlazingDrag00n]

Hello there. Just a tiny little addition about the bons/vouchers you get at paid restrooms. More often than not they belong to a chain, so you can often use the coupons at different places.

[@MiciFee97]

Grocery shopping: For big weekly shopping trips i also bag later at the car or om the side in the supermarket. But for smaller trips i will lay the grocerys in the order that i want to bag them (heavy and unbreakable, heavy but breakable, normal weight, light and unbreakable, light and breakable then eggs) so that i can just put them in the bag

[@jlpack62]

Fries are the superior side dish. LOL The Aldi and Lidl stores in the USA have a long counter to use to bag your groceries after you pay. The cashiers at Aldi put the items directly into your shopping cart after scanning, and you just roll the cart to the bagging counter. It's a really nice system that allows you to bag your groceries indoors without slowing down the cashiers. It's different at Lidl. There the cashier sends your items down a bagging counter where the customer has to either choose to bag immediately, or put them back into the cart to take to the bagging counter. Also, Lidl has self check-out like a lot of American grocers, while Aldi does not.

[@PassportTwo]

Oh interesting! I think we went to an Aldi once in the US when they were a new thing and we didn’t ever have a Lidl in our area (that I recall 🤔). So we never got to experience this system! Thanks for sharing 😃

[@jlpack62]

@@PassportTwo You're welcome. I think that the two German stores have done a nice job of marrying the two grocery shopping cultures into one. Another difference between them in the USA is that Aldi requires a quarter deposit for the cart while Lidl doesn't. Lidl also has the small two-tier carts while I've yet to see those at Aldi. Trader Joe's (affiliated with Aldi) still bags your groceries for you like a typical American store.

[@wmf831]

Grocery store check out strategy: before I put everything on the conveyer belt, it is already sorted like this: cans and glasses, bottles, boxed items, refrigerated items and then perishables (like fruits and vegetables) and then miscellaneous. I will have a bag for each of those categories. And since I already put it on the belt like this I can just stow it away in the respective bag. It's very quick and effective. Also makes it easier at home to sort out what goes where. What's also good, if you go shopping together. So one will put it on the belt and also pay, while the other one will already start packing. -- I am partial to Pommes --

[@blubberdignubber]

8:50 This is the trick: Just think about the order you put your items on the belt in advance and estimate the amount that fits in a single bag. Put the items in the order from heavy like cans and / or stable to lght and / or less protected like fruits on the belt and put them right away in the way they got checked out in the bag. You can also put cooled items for a insulated bag the same way. Being prepared is very german, make everything very fast and effective ;). A great way to become germanized. I often try to challenge the cashier by being faster than them.

[@ingogromann1852]

Germany and Austria shaped! So viel Zeit muss sein! 😀 🇦🇹

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, du hast recht! 😂 Both of them refused Google street view 😅

[@floberlin5]

Und Bosnien-Herzegowina.

[@dorfdulli71]

Es heißt: „So viel Zeit muss sein!“ und nicht „Soviel Zeit muss sein!“

[@ingogromann1852]

@@dorfdulli71 😮 Ich schäme mich!

[@Remixt]

As someone who moved to Germany recently I can say that the hardest thing for me is the lack of space. It’s harder to park and get services quickly, and everything costs more. I do like how safe it is and how there are multiple forms of transportation to any place you want to go.

[@kair.5538]

The bagging strategy starts when you put your things on the belt. If you put the hard items on first and everything soft last, you can put the thins in the bags in that order and get away with a cart full of readily packed goods.

[@stevenschaeding2336]

Do you guys sometimes speak in German to each each other just for fun? Have you adopted German idioms after 2 years? Ever thought of doing a video in German together?

[@PassportTwo]

Yes, Not really, and yes 😊

[@ramazandogan2355]

@@PassportTwo Ehhm you kept your answer really short -> so you your second answer is wrong :-)

[@Gsrvoesns]

It might sound stupid, but sometimes I like to set up the scanning process for the cashiers like a computer game. First there are the simple / packaged things that only need to flee past the scanner (e.g. a pack of sugar). Then come the things that have to be held on the scanner in a certain way (e.g. a sack of potatoes). Things that are sold per piece but without a barcode (e.g. cucumbers) then come as a challenge. As the end-of-level boss, things come last that not only have no barcode, but also have to be weighed at the checkout (vegetables, etc.).

[@Calyses]

I've to disappoint you: A cucumber is nobodies challenge. First of all: We've 3-4 digit numbers for most auf the vegetables. And cucumber is literally the vegetable you know by heart the first. Any experienced cashier prefers to use the numbers when possible and knows a lot of them at least in their muscle memory. The real enemy is the touchscreen-pc used in modern check out systems. It slows you down noticeable in opposition to a normal keyboard.

[@tubekrake]

Now I wonder why nobody build a Aldi Checkout Simulator Game yet.

[@Andyw1228]

The grocery situation wasn’t like this 10 or 20 years ago. Back then they had a large landing zone with a seperator and when your stuff was checked the cashier flipped the separator for the next customer. Now you had enough time to bag your stuff. The next step was that they removed these separators for an unknown reason and installed packing tables next to the exit, so that you didn’t need to bag your stuff out in the rain or hot sun. That was kind of ok at least. But most stores even removed those tables now and I don’t get why. I don’t think it’s a time or real estate issue, because normally have both. If there is a long cue they would open another counter. This system is strange.

[@Herzschreiber]

I suspect they removed all this because the have lowered the number of their workers over the years. Less workers doing more work in the same ammount of time..... Like so often it is simply a matter of "saving wages".

[@helloweener2007]

Sanifair Vouchers are usable on all places that have Sanifair. You don't need to use it at the same place. And you can collect them and use more of them. After the BGB they are small securities to the bearer.

[@chrisk5651]

I'm from suburban New York & generally have always had to bag myself. The cashier also will help after they are done ringing up the order (they will do it by themselves after ringing up the shopping cart if the customer doesn't bag themselves). Sometimes if it is very busy, the store will have employees from other department to help bag to help get the lines down in length as it will speed up the process.

[@chrisk5651]

Also unless one is elderly or disable I think everyone should bag or help bag.

[@Deeteear]

My strategy when I buy a lot of stuff is split into two parts: I put heavy stuff to the front of the checkout-belt so it wont damage the other stuff while moving it back into the cart. I also pack the groceries sorted back into the cart (fridge and cooled stuff to the one side, the rest to the other side) since I pack them into different bags in my car that makes unloading the cart at my car easier (and transporting fridge stuff next to other cooled stuff helps keeping it cool in the summer). When I just buy just a few things I usually pay in cash and have the correct amount already in my hand before the cashier even starts scanning my things (I use it as a small mind challenge to calculate the amount in my head while shopping).

[@LarsEllerhorst]

At the grocery store all it takes to keep up with the cashier is a good training and strategy: Play Tetris and you learn to stack your goods fast and properly with a good reaction time. It starts with putting the right goods onto the conveyor belt in proper order: Put the things first which are heavy and should be at the bottom of the bag: Bottles, Tetra-Packs, cans etc. Put the small and lightweight stuff last on the belt, you can put this at the top and into free spaces in your bags. Have two bags open at the same time, so you can put something into the other bag instead of shifting things in the first one. Have the money or credit card ready when the last parts are coming, opening the register, printing the receipt and getting the exchange gives you some seconds to finish packing.

[@holger_p]

On small shopping, you bag immediatly, on huge shoppings you get the shopping cart to your car, you do not bag at all. You move it from the shopping cart into boxes in your car. You know, many have these folding plastic boxes for their shopping.

[@jeremyhelquist]

Here in the Western US, we have a grocer named WINCO. They have never had baggers so there is a belt before the cashier then two belts after. The cashier simply sends items down one belt first, then the second belt. So, customer #1 is bagging while customer #2 is cashing out, then #2 bags while customer #3 cashes (now using the first belt/lane) and it just switched back and forth. Even so, I still sort heavy first then lighter last. 😊

[@SiqueScarface]

Not a German story, but a story featuring two Germans in Brazil: There, rice and black beans is a staple to every meal. Whatever you order, you get a bowl of rice and a bowl of black beans. Once, we ordered grilled fish with fries, and what did we get? Really, really good fishes (several species), grilled to the point, and garnered with single sticks of fries all around. And a bowl of rice and a bowl of black beans. If we ordered fish and Kartoffelsalat, we probably would have gotten small spots of potato-mayonnaise looking nice between the tasty grilled fish and a bowl of rice and a bowl of black beans.

[@stanley_george]

At supermarket, place items on the belt in order you wish to go in the bag. So the sturdy products I keep at start of belt followed by the delicate ones like loose tomatoes. Usually there is always someone before you which gives you the time to do this sorting

[@zborkz]

Put your grocery on the conveyor in order you want to bag them up front. This makes it easier to bag in a hurry

[@robfriedrich2822]

When I grew up (1970's East Berli), the grocery store had baskets and no belts, the cashier put all the goods from one to another basket. You carried this to a place, where you could put it into your bags. Ath this time, in most cases we had separate stores as bakery, butcher, fruit and vegetables and soda drinks and beer, sometimes the drinks only, also milk related food and we get in the 1970's grocery stores with all stuff for daily use. The radio and TV store was like a living room, offering record players, tape recorders, radio receivers. Sometimes book stores also sold records, I never saw a radio store or a store for music instruments selling records, but am aware, that this also existed. In West Germany there were records sold in grocery stores, almost inexpensive ones containing older recordings or cover versions. So you could get a compilation album for the same price as you paid for a single.

[@yippie6862]

Most of the time pomme frites make the best side dish. They also make a good stand alone snack. Can't really say that about kartoffelsalat.

[@AileenTro]

A good Tipp is to already order the grocery on the Conveyor belt

[@2004EP]

The rush at the cashier is normaly only at the discount stores like aldi or lidl. At Edeka or Famila it's more relaxed. I put my heavy items first and at last eggs and Chips.

[@tramper42]

8:40 „bag later“ … sure, or BEFORE you put things on the belt, think… first things on the belt should be cans, bottles, etc that can not be crushed, as they go first down in your bag.

[@Pewtah]

10:12 The part in the style of an old silent movie is great! I laughed a lot. It is both on point and witty.

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks! 😃 So glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@Freddie_06]

At the Supermarkt, just put the items on the belt in reverse order

[@hinekde]

If you have a car, bring a Klappkiste (foldable box) instead of bags. Putting your groceries into the box is as fast, as putting them into the cart. You can then just carry the box into the car and later home.

[@gerdpapenburg7050]

I prefer 'Kartoffelsalat' in the Bavarian/Swabian style (spices, onions, gherkins, broth, oil and vinegar) over 'Pommes'. I don't like the northern German style of 'Kartoffelsalat' with mayonaise. I have a foldable plastic box which is almost the size of the shopping cart. I take it folded into the shop; once I have placed all my items on the check-out conveyor I unfold the box and I am able to put all bought items into the box directly at the cashier.

[@marcellvogtlander2861]

There’s usually a number of counters behind the cashier or in a corner past the checkout, where you can comfortably bag your purchase and also dispose of some of the bulkier outer packages, properly separated of course, thus reducing the amount of garbage at home. Many if not most supermarkets will also display a bulletin board there (or Schwarzes Brett - despite the common name usually not black), where one can find guitar lessons, language courses, dog sitters, used furniture or offers to help with the groceries shopping.

[@fabimy20]

Hey, just a quick tip for you (ah yes solving problems!) or ... no, dont worry :) For me as a german doing grocerie shopping since i can remember i found my "ultimate" strategy is to already plan ahead which things i put back in my bag / cart first. So e.g. Heavy bottles or big packages like potatoes go first to the checkout. I then have time just putting them away and not think or sort them when the cashier has checked them out. But sometimes they are still faster... damn you quick cashier ladies! Then i just take my time and pay first and finish the rest afterwards into my cart. i also like to put a shopping box into my cart so all i need to do is grab the box out of the cart into my car and put it bag to the ?cart...trolley...parking lane thingy? Hope you enjoyed my answer good luck for further videos :) Really like to watch those

[@PassportTwo]

Hey, Fabian! These are all great tips for sure! We also do the heavy first on the belt strategy with things like bread last, but now it’s primarily just when we set our items back in the basket we aren’t crushing the soft thing and we still bag our groceries in our car. Still working out if it’s the best strategy 😅

[@vbvideo1669]

Nice tips! :)

[@martinohnenamen6147]

Bagging away from the lane afterwards is the way to go. That's why almost all grocery stores have area or space behind the check out. Bagging at the car is my way to go if it doesn't rain.

[@frankmitchell3594]

Looking at streetview. There is one street, in Frankfurt I think, where there is streetview and one building is blanked out, as they do there. But a helpful person has photoed that building and posted a picture of it on the map.

[@PassportTwo]

In my research I found that was one of the frustrations for Google. They would drive down German roads and then people found out their home was on the internet and asked to have blurred out so you ended up with street views of entire streets just blurred out 😂 So finally it became useless to do the service! That’s hilarious in the case you’re talking about, somebody just went ahead and uploaded a picture of the blurred building 😂

[@martinohnenamen6147]

And if the owner whats to i'm pretty sure he can have that photo deleted ;)

[@SchwarzerWerwolf]

Kartoffelsalat and Pommes are both good, depending on what you eat it with. Also, i instantly bag my stuff into the bag that is hanging in the cart. I am mostly quick enough.

[@PassportTwo]

Maybe if you are raised in the system you have built the speed to keep up with it 😂 And I have to say I agree with you decision on the final question! 😊

[@S16E1]

I bag at the car or take my bags to the shop depending on the weather. For Kartoffelsalat or Pommes: I vary due to what comes with the potatoes.

[@vlam12]

When you are at the grocery queue place down first the heavy items then smaller ones or the ones that are easily damaged, that way you can keep em fresh and undamaged. And you just have to keep up.

[@LetumFalcis]

You made many people happy to ask about their grocery store cashier battles xD And my little quirky advise: If you take the bus you're supposed to show your ticket to the bus driver - so don't be one of those people who search for their ticket AFTER they got on the bus. You will hear annoyed sighs behind you or someone who will push you away to get into the bus. Be efficient and take the ticket out beforehand. Same goes for the times when someone comes to check your ticket in trains etc. Especially in the morning people are tired and just focused on getting a nice seat to doze off again. It may sound hilarious but it saves your own nerves and you will not panic because everyone has to wait for you ;D

[@xwormwood]

I loved the bicycle clip. So funny! :D

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@anastasialiebster9244]

Ah yes....all that advice....how to hang my laundry, not to bring my shoes inside my apartment, how to lock my apartment even when the door seemed to already be locked, NEVER leaving even a drop of coffee in a carafe, making sure my Parkuhr was lined up exactly on the drivers' side, and always using cash even store offered credit card service. Still smiling!

[@PassportTwo]

😂😂 Can relate to nearly all of these!

[@peterkesseler9898]

What a funny video. I have to smile while looking it :-)). Good luck for the next grocery-shopping-competition!!!

[@uwelohr7958]

regarding the grocery check out: we do one weekly grocery shopping for 5 people. it is just a matter of organisation..we always go together ( my wife and me ), and usually we are even faster than the cashier...having the band fully packed with groceries

[@AdZS848]

New tip: if you have kids, school days go from 7:50 am to 12:00, 12:45, or 13:15 depending on your kid's age, even in grade school.

[@reinerjung1613]

Potato salad, of course. However, there are different types of potato salad. Mayo based potato salad is an atrocity. Better are the versions from Berlin. However, the best one are the schwäbische/Swabian potato salad which is based on stock and is slightly warm. There is also Bavarian potato salad, but it is only a ripoff the Swabian one usually with extra meat pieces in it and not enough pickles and radish.

[@markrussell4682]

I immediately bag my groceries, and I don't pay until I'm finished bagging. I take my time to bag my groceries so that I am satisfied that it is done correctly. When someone inevitably complains that I am slowing things down, I say, "so sorry. Me no speaky the lingo."

[@dirkschwartz1689]

Kartoffelsalat natürlich! Also: Bag later, and I hate when grocery stores get rid of the bagging desks all of them used to have right behind the cashiers. Mostly because I ride my bike to the store as I don't own a car, so I have to rearrange my groceries in the cart.

[@afhdfh]

At a supermarket, I sort the things on the conveyor belt in a way that makes them easiest to bag. So I put the heavy things to the front and the linght things in the back. That way I can keep up with the cashiers. ;)

[@wncjan]

Street view has some interesting "flaws" USA as well. I have some friends in North Carolina, who live on a rural road. If I want to look at the road in Street View it is only half of the road that is available. It stops suddenly at a county line. It has nothing to do with the county, as every other road in the county is available. Whether potato salat or fries are best depends on what it's served with.

[@maxw1567]

The best way to collect you’re groceries is preparation. If you sort them as you put them on - the time of the people in front of you gives you mostly enough time to prepare those items in a useful way to collect them than efficiently.

[@arneplischewski2901]

One more thing, the parking lot of grocery stores are free ( at least 30-60 minutes) but you should watch out for little signs showing the „rules“ for parking your vehicle. Always have this little blue parking disc in your car and don’t forget to set your check in time . Special warning for breaking parking rules on public places, fines from 10€(sometimes the fine is cheaper than the regular parking fee) to get your car towed away. AND YOU DONT WANT THAT. regular price to get your car back round about 250-350€ in Hamburg. In detail, calling the police, get to know the place your car was towed to, mostly at the outer edge of the city (calculate 1hr by public transport to get there), and be prepared to pay cash. Using spaces reserved for disabled people or blocking for example a fire brigade access will increase the fine dramatically. At least the probability getting shot by police tends towards 0%.

[@worldhello1234]

@9:11 I just put them into the cart and separate those meant for the thermobag from the rest of the items.

[@KelbenArunsun]

for the groceries, a tip from a german. Organize your groceries on the conveier belt alrdy. Heavy stuff first, then the lighter stuff and so on. You can either pack your bags directly or you can put it into the cart in that order and throw it into the bags, in front of your car efficiently.

[@Hessi]

I like to go shopping with a laundry basket. It's almost as big as the shopping cart. Just a tip: You are not obliged to load your goods into the cart in record time. The cashier has a head at the checkout with which she can pause the process if the customer is too slow. You can thank the controllers at supermarket headquarters for this, who have never had to sit at the checkout and for whom Mom probably goes shopping.

[@MyriamSchweingruber]

Bag later, definitely. Some grocery stores have tables after the checkout where you can bag your stuff, together with wastebaskets for the wrappings. This is even more so in Switzerland where wrappings are not separated in yellow bags but go in the general waste and you have to pay for it, so if you ever go to a Swiss grocery store don't be surprised to see people unpack everything before bagging :-) Kartoffelsalat is great for cold dishes, but I like pommes with a steak!

[@u.z.9383]

The “Gretchenfrage“ is not „Pommes“ vs. „Kartoffelsalat“, because „Pommes“ always win over „Kartoffelsalat“. It’s Kartoffelsalat made with Oil and vinegar vs Mayonnaise. It’s one of the secret items still marking the „German North-South Divide“. (Other items would be the religion (north=Protestant), the currency in the 19th century (south: Gulden, north: Taler, adapted by the US btw.) and of course the Weißwurst (eaten only in the South. The Main River, the borderline, is also known as „Weißwurst-Äquator“). SIDENOTE : Ironically, most Germans agree, that the the most „YUMMY“ Kartoffelsalat is the one sold in huge buckets, despite all the stabilizing chemicals. DONNIE: What happened to your plans, to explore German music? There is actually some interest internationally in German music, namely in Rap and the Scorpions (from the 70s).

[@stephan6998]

Great video! But most important for me is, that you finally regard to select your favourite Bundesliga team as No. 3 of important things to do 😀 maybe, it's even more important than knowing everything about health insurance 😀

[@EbayDK2K]

I was a german street view driver, the images were taken already (in my area for "cities" of 50,000 population and up) but just never released due to the public backlash. But they exist in the google datacenters....

[@Ursusvandraco]

The only thing I despise about these Sanifair-Tickets is: most of the shops you can use them are (by contract) forced to accept them and also are forced to give that discount without getting anything in return. sure, they have a little profit from the saled goods, but that is sometimes less than the 50 cent they have to discount. that is why I prefer the free restrooms on the smaller loots, IF I travel via Autobahn As for the bagging: I put my groceries inn that order on the line, that I plan to bag them during the scan . so canned goods are scanned first, the bread and others are last

[@kallejodelbauer2955]

Thats depends, on the Space of your Car or Trunk.We do that mostly with Beer or other Drinking Stuff.If you sort all your Cart, at the Trunk, People see what you have buyed. This is like Tetris,we all are good in that.In Us, you see every Day People at Ikea, that didnt have a Clue how much Space his Car had and try to stuff all inside even when all other People only shake his Head. It give a Method, to prevent a jam at the Cashiers.You must put it in the Cart in the right Sequence or Space.Then you get it in the right sequence on the Check desk.The heavy Tin before Bread,Chips or Eggs.That helps you to put it right in the Bag. My Neighbor had a plastic laundy basket.He put all bottles inside for receycling. At the Chashiers Desk, he put all Stuff in the Basket and get the Basket in the Car. But he live alone and dont buy for a Familiy.Because its Covid-Time they let you only in, with a Shopping Cart to prevent too much People on the Spot. So if you do shopping with your Wife,you allready had 2 Carts. You can put it in the Baskets and you Woman can Pay, thats save Time and pervent a jam.

[@ginafromcologne9281]

I think Kartoffelsalat is the better dish or main meal, because it's more versatile and you can make it just like you love it, e.g. mixing vegetables in it, like brocoli or peas and carrots. There are so many regional variations of it too, some even eat it warm, bääääh! I like mine with green beans and tofu sausages or fish sticks.

[@joeaverage3444]

Street View works in a lot of downtown areas of major cities in Germany. But not in suburbs or residential areas, for the reasons you said.

[@CathyTalksMiami]

My first supermarket checkout experience in Germany was stressful for sure! The cashier was very serious and I felt like everyone was looking at me because I wasn’t fast enough 😂 And it was only later that I realized that was actually kind of normal behavior…. In any case, I love Germany and look forward to visiting soon, once again! Btw, as always, great video!!!

[@MartinMundorf]

Tip #5 ...damn..you exposed us 😂

[@IgorRockt]

Grocery shopping in Germany 101: Sort your groceries already when putting them on the band - read: first the frozen stuff for your insulated bag, then the heavy stuff, then the stuff which is more delicate - so you can put it on the top of the bag(s). That's how you can get everything into your bags in no time while still at the cashier. WARNING: This normally doesn't work at Aldi, though - the cashiers are just way too fast there normally! ;-)

[@marylacken4016]

You should use baskets instead of bags. Organise your stuff on the belt from heavy to delicate and than just drop them into the open basket. You'll beat the cashier!

[@holleholl3057]

I did not have to use my fan this summer - though I really was keen to use it as I got a real nice japanese model for my birthday this year. Well, the summer was quite a "non fanner" this season, didn´t feel to waste my money for the expensive energy costs to use my fan for one single day.... In grocery stores I put the heavier and sturdier things on the band first (bottles, cans etc) and move along to the less stable things like vegetables, fruits, eggs etc. You don´t have to keep up with the speed the clerk scans your items, they do it for you so that they do not possibly steal your time in you waiting for them.... The last few times I was even able to "win" hence waiting for the clerk to get all items scanned, even at Aldi where they are (normally) cashing in the speed of light...

[@Never_again_against_anyone]

Usually I am faster than the cashier ( Get cash/ card ready before it is your turn and follow the system others have already described; heavy things, that are not easy to damage first, breakable things and fruits last). However my chances are dramatically reduced, if I do not go shopping alone: One person paying, one person packing works, but usually the paying person wants to "help" and gets in the others way so much, that you actually are slower together. The bag thing is on point; packing directly in bags is slower. If you mind slowing others down do not do this if you buy more than a few goods ( Think: A few are so few that you can comfortably get them home without a car.) btw. : The cashiers were even faster some years ago before the shops switched to the system of scanning codes at the checkout (There were almost only fulltime employees doing that job then, who had to know all the codes for everything the respective shop sold by heart. And they usually did. They typed those codes, like there was no tomorrow.)

[@dr.s.]

Pommes or Kartoffelsalat is a good question. As some people already said, it depends what else you wanna eat. A Currywurst goes best with Pommes, while a Wiener goes better with Kartoffelsalat. If you are not sure what to take, take Bratkartoffeln.

[@thomasbenck9525]

Actually the way us natives correctly eat a Weisswurst is called "Zuzln" and consists of cutting the thing in half dipping it in sweet mustard and sucking it out of the skin. You have a few of those some Brez'n and a Weissbier at 11 am and call that "Weisswurschtfrühstück". Nice try though, Aubrey! ;-)

[@robertzander9723]

Wonderful tips, the bagging your stuff at groceries is definitely an important one. Something i try to explain to people that are new in the German speaking countries, because in Austria it's quite the same. A potato salad together with sausages or meatballs is for my opinion a main course that a really like in the summertime. 😎

[@PassportTwo]

Wonder what it is about the German language that makes people move so fast in the checkout line then 🤔😂

[@robertzander9723]

@@PassportTwo if the cashier is not quick enough and somebody things that to many people waiting, he/she is calling out for a second. Driving our car's and in the line waiting for something, Germans changing from Bruce Banner to Hulk.✌️🤭

[@magmalin]

@@PassportTwo Probably it's because people just want to buy the necessary groceries then get out of the supermarket as fast as possible. Usually there are more interesting things to do than spending time on shopping at a supermarket. At least I try to get it over with as fast as possible to have more time for more enjoyable activities.

[@Olessa]

This may be next level grocery shopping… At a small or mid-size shopping trips, I try to put the items in a good order, so I can put them in the bags right away. (Heavy good at front, soft goods at the end.) If you are a real pro, you can also put good, that the cashier have to type in at the very end, so you gain some time. ;-) Kartoffelsalat and Pommes are both great.

[@calise8783]

I immediately bag. I have bags with solidish sides that stay open and I place things on the belt in the order I will bag them. Also I take my card out and slide it in my front pocket while waiting in line so I can just tap it to the machine while I finish up the last few items. Honestly, it takes me longer when my kids/husband “help”. I always say, go stand over there and wait! lol with two teenage boys (and friends), I always buy quite a bit.

[@aaronhobbins3893]

Was hoping you'd back around to the "which Bundesliga team you will pledge allegiance to" question - curious if you guys have settled on one.

[@michaelgrabner8977]

When you want to pack your items at the cashier´s desk then you have to put your items in the right order you have to pack it already on the conveyor belt = the heavy things always first, the light and breakable things last...that´s the only way you might get a chance to beat the speed of the cashier´s scanning while then packing. And by the way the only - traditional - way to eat a Weisswurst is to cut of an ending like a cigar and then to suck it out of the peel...and that is called "zuzeln" And Kartoffelsalat is always the way to go...I would even say it is no side dish but an equivalent main dish

[@PassportTwo]

But even then I’m sure there is a cashier who can out scan me 😂 Great tip!

[@michaelgrabner8977]

@@PassportTwo that´s why I wrote "might get a chance"...the odds a definitively increased

[@martinjahnert1527]

Always a good Kartoffelsalat, without Mayo!!

[@GregMcGregsen]

And here i am... a german... binge watching videos of two americans giving me tips on how to live in germany :D