What do you regret not bringing with you?

For a lot of things which are not squishable, I use elastic bands. (which come in abundance from Whole Foods around plastic containers of berries, etc.) So, if I open a bag of frozen veg and only use say half, I'll roll up the bag carefully and then slip an elastic around it. I also have a drawer full of the twisties, which I think my mother used to liberate from Stop and Shop.

I never thought of buying them either. Our house is also in the tie the trash bag group so they are always around and can just take what I need.  They do last forever though and I suppose if i ran out I might have searched harder.

Elastic bands are another one of those weird things you seem to just collect over time then with a big move you don't have and never think about buying

Reading the last few responses has got me realizing that sometimes it's the little things that make a new, foerign place feel like home.. Case in point twist ties LOL

I've been reading some expat websites and, in general, the advice is don't take a lot with you but make sure you have whatever will make you feel at home. Even to bringing it on the plane with you (not in a shipping container) so you'll have it right away.

I slightly regret not bringing a mirror or two because I shipped with Rainier and could potentially have done it.  Mirrors are really hard to find and expensive here.  I think we'll end up getting them at IKEA.

Sad to leave my plants, but I guess I couldn't have brought them....

Left behind a very nice large (12") omelette pan.  For some reason all the pans we were given for our wedding are tiny and I miss my big nonstick pan.

Otherwise, I'm happy with what I donated and left, I think.

I have a plug-in electric Braun toothbrush here and intend to get something similar when I get there. In the meantime I travel with a battery operated one.
I happened to think: it might be a good idea to stock up on the replacement heads from Target or somewhere. I imagine they must be more expensive in the UK and they *should* be interchangeable. Anyone have experience with this?

Toothbrush heads used to be eye-wateringly expensive in the UK. But my latest model (bought when I first arrived in the UK) no longer has magnets in the brush head, and presumably that was what made them so expensive. Last I bought them, they were just brushes and relatively cheap.

It's a Philips Sonicare, recommended by my dentoid in the States.

I have a plug-in electric Braun toothbrush here and intend to get something similar when I get there. In the meantime I travel with a battery operated one.
I happened to think: it might be a good idea to stock up on the replacement heads from Target or somewhere. I imagine they must be more expensive in the UK and they *should* be interchangeable. Anyone have experience with this?

We generally stock up on trips back home. I can't remember why we started doing that, but I think it was because the places I looked here, they were more expensive. I just had a peek at ASDA's site, and what I am seeing there are more expensive than what we pay at Walmart.

I slightly regret not bringing a mirror or two because I shipped with Rainier and could potentially have done it.  Mirrors are really hard to find and expensive here.  I think we'll end up getting them at IKEA.

Find a car boot sale! I've bought about a dozen gorgeous beveled-edged 1930s mirrors for anywhere from £2 to £6 each. My long-term plan is to make a full wall of them (maybe in a bathroom), but that still hasn't happened.

Find a car boot sale! I've bought about a dozen gorgeous beveled-edged 1930s mirrors for anywhere from £2 to £6 each. My long-term plan is to make a full wall of them (maybe in a bathroom), but that still hasn't happened.

That sounds like a cool plan!

I have a Braun rechargeable toothbrush and honestly bought DH and the 2 kids the same.  They were the $20 ones and I just use an adapter to charge them which is like 1x every 2 weeks.  Yes I buy out walmart in the heads b/c they are so much cheaper.

This is a great thread! I agree about the twist ties. I hate those plastic thingies. So inefficient.

Just a note about the Kitchen aid- I've heard that things with rotating motors (that plug in) won't work properly in the UK because of the timing (for lack of a better word) that gets messed up with the different current. Also blenders and record players don't work (so I've heard.)

I regret not bringing my Harley VROD motorcycle...   

Also blenders and record players don't work (so I've heard.)

I believe our record players (yes, plural  ) are from the US, but theyre the ones proper DJs use (Technics model from the late 70s to mid 80s) and have had no issues with timings or whatever. It could be that as theyre a high end model, they just work (if still made would cost about £600 each)??

Edit: we bought ours used and we're at least the 3rd owner, so paid no where the £600 retail price for the two of ours

I've been missing my kitchen stuff and a lot of my shoes.  I did manage to get a lot over in the past 8 months or so, but its never enough.  I have a lot of free time as I'm not working and I've been cooking, a lot.  I keep thinking - if I only had that pan, or my pastry brush!  Seems silly to continually re-buy things here when I have perfectly good versions of them in my parents basement!

Also, I love shoes.  I have a lot of shoes.  I only have about 8 pairs here.  I did get almost all of my clothes over here though.