In the UK people usually buy all food from the supermarket- particularly students, and normally only shop at a different shop for very high quality food! Supermarkets in UK are large and have high quality and expensive foods as well as cheaper foods. Some supermarkets are more expensive than others, and if you live here for a while you will notice the difference every week. Check Google Maps for your closest supermarket from this list, going from cheapest to most expensive: Iceland, Lidl, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Safeway, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer.

In the UK there are two kinds of supermarket. A supermarket called ‘metro’ or ‘local’ is smaller but you can find them everywhere, which usually makes it very easy to take food home. They may be a little more expensive and they are a lot smaller than the main stores (sometimes called superstores). These are usually further away but offer a much larger choice. It is still possible in the UK to buy food from specific shops (such as a butcher, baker, etc..) but this is more expensive than buying from the supermarket.

All the stationery you need can be bought from newsagents and convenience stores (WH Smith) and supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s). Stationery only stores such as Ryman and Staples do exist but are harder to find. Cheapest option: supermarkets.

Your school will need you to buy a particular book – usually you can get it from the school. If they don’t have any or you want to study before your course, the cheapest place is to buy online from www.amazon.co.uk or by a price compare on www.bookbrain.co.uk. If you can’t wait, you can find large bookstores in most high streets, such as Waterstones. Foyles and Blackwells are two other large bookstores.

For travel to and from school bus and train tickets can be bought from bus and train stations. You can buy single and return tickets in addition to lower priced tickets for a week or a month. For trips to other cities it is best to buy online for the cheapest price at www.nationalrail.co.uk, www.megabus.com/uk and www.nationalexpress.co.uk.

You can buy a mobile phone from almost anywhere in the UK- supermarkets, mobile phone stores, and the Internet. If you would like to buy a cheap phone for the time you are here, or just a SIM card for your own phone the easiest way is to visit one of the shops from Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Three, O2 and Virgin Mobile. These shops are found everywhere- both on the high street and in shopping malls. The chains of shops, Phones4u and The Carphone Warehouse, are the best however, as they sell phones from everyone else (Orange, Vodafone, etc…) so you can find the best phone and price!

You can withdraw money in the UK in three ways 1) by going into a bank, 2) by using an ATM, 3) by asking for ‘cashback’ whenever buying something at a supermarket.

In the UK the credit or debit card is king, and there is no need to carry around much cash. In fact, unlike many other countries where cash is normal, having a large amount could attract attention from thieves. However, while you can pay almost anywhere with a card, if your bank is based in your home country the bank may charge you a fee for each purchase and the exchange rate may not be very good. Please check what your bank charges you for withdrawing money from an ATM and paying for things with credit and debit cards, and choose whichever is cheapest. The only place you can’t pay with a card is in convenience stores and pubs when spending less than £5-10.

These everyday items can be bought in a convenience store, off licence, newsagents, supermarket, chemist or cosmetics shop. The cheapest option: supermarket. For the widest choice go to a large supermarket or you can find chemists (including Boots and Superdrug) on the high street.

Cheap film cameras can be bought from Boots, the chemists, or large supermarkets. If you want to buy a digital camera, Currys Digital has a wide range and prices that are as cheap as the Internet. You can find them on the high street. PC World, which is owned by the same company has a larger choice of cameras, but their shops are usually further away from the centre of town.

The cheapest and best place to buy make-up is the chemists, Boots and Superdrug on the high street. For a wide selection you can try department stores such as John Lewis, Debenhams and House of Fraser.

Newspapers and magazines are great for learning English as they are available every day and you can compare the English version with the news in your own language on the Internet. Many newspapers in the UK are FREE! Yes you can buy newspapers in newsagents (WH Smith), convenience stores, off licenses, and supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys), but in most towns in the UK you can get them for free outside metro and train stations.