Where can I find bargains in the UK?

Have you tried Home Bargains, it's one of my favorites for household stuff, and crisps, Pop, Tea bags toothpaste lots of things really.

TK Maxx, Primark, TJ Hughes, Wilkinsons

Car boot sales have been good for me.  Its like a traveling garage sale
You can google them in your area- "car boot uk" or
www.yourbooty.co.uk/
This one looks curious although I have never been:
http://www.giantcarboot.co.uk/

I've only recently started buying clothes on ebay, but so far the things I've found have been no more than what I would have been willing to pay in a charity shop, but with less hunting.  I've been really frustrated with clothing in the UK--partly because it seems nothing is my style, partly because I'm plus-sized and it's hard to even find anything in the first place, and partly because it all just seems so expensive.  I really wish there was a Ross here--TK Maxx is still too expensive for my tastes!  I guess I've been more spoiled by cheap American goods than I thought I was.  Normally, I just make do with the clothes I have as much as I possibly can and save money for when I visit the US.

I'm glad it's not just me having trouble, though.  I've been wondering if all inexpensive manufactured goods are becoming lower and lower quality, or if it just something about the suppliers that UK retailers use.  Maybe I've just always had good luck in the US, but things that I would expect to last a while, like TVs, toasters, and so on seem to be really poor quality, and not just the cheapest "value" ranges.  I've lived here for almost 6 years and so far I'm on my third TV, third microwave, fourth kettle, second toaster, and fifth coffee pot.  Most of these things have come from Argos, M&S, Curry's, etc--normal stores, not ultra-cheap places or second hand.  My equivalent appliances at home, from Wal-Mart or similar, lasted for at least that long before I gave them away and as far as I know they all still work.  Maybe I've just been buying the wrong brands?

At any rate, I second Home Bargains and Wilkinson's.  Of the cheap places they seem to have the best quality for the price.  Asian grocers can be good for some stuff, not just Asian foods but also things like large jugs of plain white vinegar or boxes of baking soda for a decent price, useful for cleaning, for a decent price.  You might also want to check out the Money Saving Expert forums http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/; there are a lot of ideas there about good deals and cheaper ways to do stuff.

I think the cheap price=cheap goods syndrome has hit the US as well. The quality of fabrics is not what it was a few years back; now everything seems thin and tacky. "Manmade" shoes are selling for as much as leather. And other items seem to have built-in obsolesence.
But I think the sales here are better than in the UK -- mainly because it seems that as soon as a store has finished one sale they start a new one. Plus you often get coupons if you have their credit card. (Hint: the original prices are obviously inflated to make the sale price look even better.) I have the impression that the big stores in the UK have maybe only 2 sales a year.
Give me the charity shops any day.

What is the name of the upscale grocery store chain in the UK? I don't think it was Sainsbury. I think it began with 'M'  I've read something on here in the past.

Waitrose.

Good. Now I can go shopping there, on line. Thanks.

Waitrose isn't really known for bargain shopping though! 

Definitely not!  But they do price match on some of their things with Tesco and Sainsbury (Ocado is their online grocery store, Peacemaker).

I still prefer Sainsbury/Asda for online grocery shopping, but I find Asda gives you stuff very close to the use-by date if you aren't careful.  Sainsbury less so.

I hate to go there but I did try and do some comparison UK/US price checking. I know this has been run into the ground on here. We finally agree not to compare the US to UK prices.

For those who maybe still interested---I found bread to be cheaper in the UK. Milk is complicated because of the size of a bottle but having said that I think milk is more expensive in the UK. Walmart sells 1 gallon for $1.62. All fat levels. I don't think they sell gallon containers in the UK?

A good loaf of freshly baked bread is about $3.60 a loaf=£2.50
A package of sliced wheat bread is about $2.50 a loaf=£1.73

I buy a loaf of freshly baked bread for £1.  It's delicious. I can get it at the local bakery or Tesco for about the same.
That said, I think bargains can be found, but it's more likely to be at a sale or on a discontinued item than a place where you consistently find better prices. Does that make sense?
I've actually been quite pleased with M&S clothes, not quite as cheap as Target, but okay.

That said, I think bargains can be found, but it's more likely to be at a sale or on a discontinued item than a place where you consistently find better prices. Does that make sense?

Yes.

Just to add onto this, is there anything like a free clothing/furnature/book swap in the UK?

I found this website:
http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/features/2890/Free_swaps_and_services_in_London.html

I also found this website for books:
http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/
I haven't used it, but I am planning to try it soon!

I used to get a TON of stuff in Philly for free by going on Craigslist, but CL & gumtree only ever have things for sale in the greater London area. Also I find charity shops and boot sales to be usually a little overpriced for some of the goods. Is it a cultural difference or something? My FIL was throwing away some kitchen appliances, and when his neighbor inquired about them, he sold it to him for £50, even though he was planning on throwing them away. I probably only thought this was weird because Bulk trash night was my favorite furniture/picture frames/lamp shopping in the states!

What about joining Freecycle?  I haven't used it personally but have friends and relatives who have done and they love it.