Moving to UK : My last shopping from wallmart

That's the idea!

If you're going to bring stuff over, bring stuff that you can't get here! 

also consider shelf life dates on things.

what about favorite creams, lotions makeups?... I'd do/have done that over food. (except a year's worth of Mexican of course  )

What you can do with 50k in UK ?
So do you think these kinds of money will buy a house in UK?

50k seems a very generous salary to me...I'll take it if you don't want it! 

Seriously though, I wouldn't bother with things like diet Coke.  (This coming from the world's biggest diet Coke addict!)  I think you'll find that storage could be a problem.  I tend to bring over maybe one bottle of shampoo/conditioner, one tube of deodorant, one toothbrush, etc.  Just enough so that I don't have to run right out to the shops right away.  For the most part, I've always been able to find an acceptable substitute in the UK for the things I like from the US.  I would bring some nice, large towels and perhaps bed linens, if you know what size bed you'll be using in the UK.

And constantly comparing prices between the US and the UK is guaranteed to make you crazy, not to mention (in my opinion) it will make it harder for you to settle happily in the UK.  Unless you're being paid in US$, it's really not relevant.

i also made sure to stock up on my favorite spices (not basics like basil, oregano, etc.) like cajun and mexican.  i actually made a whole list of foods that i wanted to bring with me like cake mix, frosting, koolaid, etc...but i ended up waiting until the last minute and i didn't have time to buy and pack all of it.  but now that i'm here, most of the stuff that was on my list i have found in the stores here....except for koolaid. 

The shop right next to where I work sells kool aid. Only about 3 different kinds.  Sometimes they either carry Hershey's or Nestle's chocolate chips too.  Fluff seems to be something they always keep on hand. Apparently it's one of their big sellers.  But I have seen Fluff at the bigger Tesco stores.

I stocked up on lots of things before I moved here. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to find my fave brand of shampoo, deodorant, etc. But it was really silly. I could find most brands pretty easily, and when I couldn't, I found UK substitutes that I find I like just as much.

Also, I think it's kind of fun to move to a different country and try different things. If you're only going to eat familiar "American style" foods, then aren't you sort of missing out on the whole foreign experience??

I would buy the things that you really would miss over here.  I'll be heading home this summer and know I'll be buying a few things...such as my fav hair products.  But I won't 'stock up'...I'll just buy the one product and that's it.  After a while, you stop thinking £ versus $...and you just buy what you can afford.  If you think about the exchange rate too much, you'll never buy a thing over here without a heart attack.   As for buying a property - I'd wait at least 2 years to see if this is a place where you want to stay for a few years.  It wouldn't be worth buying it and then wanting to move 1-2 years later...plus having to put down a huge percentage & not get a good rate would stink!

Oh I didn't realise that's how much you'll be getting. Oh yeah, forget shipping it, just buy it, apart from the things you can't get here.   You won't even notice the £1.20 for a bottle of coke when your take home pay will be about £2000 a month.   Bring 6 months worth of Mexican food instead. 

I agree, lots of Mexican! 

Seriously, for me anyway MOST of what I have really wanted I can get here. Some of it does taste a bit different but you do get used to it. I find that Sainsburys classic cola or whatever it is called tasted the closest to US version of Coke. Otherwise the coke here (if you drink it ) does taste different, but its not something thats hard to get used to..dunno if I could ever like pepsi here, it seems even more sickly sweet...blech.

If you like dill pickles Id recommend bringing them, Ive not found them anywhere

The only thing I can think of that I absolutely can not get here are cheese puffs from a little obscure company that they are even hard to find where I lived. Only about 3 stores within an hours drive had them...Id looove to have some now, they are sooo yummy, and I want to show DF what a cheese puff SHOULD taste like (he likes wotsits...I cant stand them ). Theyre made from puffed popcorn, so theres no hull, and they are light and airy and soo good!  Wishing I had some now

I did bring over 3 things of deodorant, because I use a specific brand, its the only one Ive found to work for me, and its not available here.

Theyve gotten 4 blade razors now, which is another thing I MUST have


Honestly, chances are there will be just a few core things you will miss, and those Id stock up on,because most likely what you'll find is you can get a pretty good equivalent if not the same things here, or you will find new things here you couldnt do without.

When I go back to the US, I plan on getting taco bell restaurant sauce, and their refried beans...I like those better than the other brands. I also need to bring over dill pickles for my son. And of course my puffcorn


And on the price comparing..it took me a couple of weeks to stop doing that, but now Ive quit and it makes shopping much easier on me Just look at it as, this is how much I have to spend, this is how much x costs...otherwise you really WILL drive yourself nuts

Best part about clothes, for those that are parents, or planning to become parents, theres no VAT on childrens items, which is really nice, clothes seem sooo cheap here, and thats not to mean they are cheaply made! Ive never been able to walk into a nice dept store in the US and pay $3.50 for a pair of childrens jeans

If I could go shopping and not worry about shipping I would buy the following:

Cake mix and frosting
Big boxes of Bisquik
Chocolate chips and Butterscotch chips
Big Bottle of imitation Vanilla
Hershey's syrup
Hot Fudge Sauce
Maple Syrup
Spices(including poultrey seasoning and those onion things)
Rice-a-roni type boxes of stuff just for fun
and Campbell's soup(Chicken and Stars, Chicken and Noodle, Vegetable)

Non food items:
band-aids
ibuprofen
tylenol
hydrogen peroxide
hair dye
shampoo and conditioner
Coast soap

If I could go shopping and not worry about shipping I would buy the following:

Cake mix and frosting
Big boxes of Bisquik
Chocolate chips and Butterscotch chips
Big Bottle of imitation Vanilla
Hershey's syrup
Hot Fudge Sauce
Maple Syrup
Spices(including poultrey seasoning and those onion things)
Rice-a-roni type boxes of stuff just for fun
and Campbell's soup(Chicken and Stars, Chicken and Noodle, Vegetable)

Non food items:
band-aids
ibuprofen
tylenol
hydrogen peroxide
hair dye
shampoo and conditioner
Coast soap

I bring all what you ask for ..Will you pay in pounds inside of dollar    ?
I will buy the soap for $2 you will pay 2 GBP ..

Anybody want to make a shopping list, I will take care of shopping and shipping...?

Anybody want to make a shopping list, I will take care of shopping and shipping...?

Um, no thanks. I've lived without it for 17 years.  I reckon I can continue to do so. 

I second the Tollhouse morsels and add Aleve, and any other over-the-counter meds you are used to. I brought 5 bottles of Mylanta chewables over, but forgot the Aleve.

I'd skip the shampoo and deodorant unless there's a really specific brand you must use.  Most common brands are available here - Pantene, head & shoulders, John Frieda, Aussie etc.   I personally had to switch deodorant brands when I moved (I used Degree in the US) but I found the first type I tried works just great for me (Mitchum).

The food things I wish I'd brought are more jello pudding, cream of wheat, and fluff.   Made my own mexican seasoning mix from a recipe off the food network website and that's got me covered for tacos and chili. 

If you tend to take a lot of ibuprofen, then buy one of those honking big $10 bottles of Advil before you go.