Moving to UK, where do I start? Please help!

biv

I really recommend Ikea for kitting out a home. Sure, it's flat packs, but it has pretty much everything and it'll do you until you are in a position to upgrade. I believe you have them at your side of the pond, so you may find it a familiar experience.

For groceries, elle_gee's ladder of stores on page 1 is good guide, although I'd recommend ASDA as the minimum rung unless you are struggling. Absolutely nothing wrong with Aldi / Lidl etc. but I find it frustrating that I can't find the brands or items I need in there - could never do a weeks shopping. If you have plenty of time though, you might prefer to visit 2 or 3 places in the week.

There's all sorts of loyalty schemes over here to sign up to. Tesco Clubcard is good, as you can gain points from what you spend on electricity, shopping, recycling, etc. which can swapped for air miles, restaurant vouchers, etc. If you shop online quite a bit, make sure you sign up to Quidco, as you can get cashback for pretty much everything, even essential stuff like opening bank accounts and insurance.

Good luck with your move. I have to be honest and say that I wonder how people find it when moving to the UK, with so many accents, cultures, and rivalries. It's not perfect, but definitely interesting and hope you enjoy it. Make sure you get around the country, some shabby areas but also lots of hidden gems.

never_enough

Not related to Ilford, but to your trip over here. I have several friends who have left the UK permanently recently (all to Canada funnily enough) so you're bucking that trend. Anyway they have managed to get extra free luggage allowance on the flight, one of them arranged it in advance, but the others did it by showing their emigration papers & smiling very sweetly at the desk. Might be of use to you.

B2B-2008

You can get the tube from Redbridge (Central Line). That will take you into London. If you search for Transport for London all the maps and ticket prices are shown on their website.

aless02

Another tip: visit UK-Yankee, a message board full of American & Canadian expats who have moved to the UK . This thread is full of useful info, but advice over there is specifically from people who have made the move!

BitterAndTwisted

The last time I visited Ilford there was a big TKMaxx on the main street/High Street. One of the many positive things about the Ilford area is that there is a vary large Asian population, so you'll be well-served for very cheap take-aways and cafeteria-style restaurants, both veg and non-veg. Also the Asian supermarkets are stuffed full of inexpensive staples and spices. Walthamstow and its weekend market is just a bus-ride away, on the 123, I think.

As said, you can check out all travel routes in and out of Ilford and Redbridge on the tfl.gov.uk website. The best thing to do once here is to get yourself an Oyster pre-pay card which costs £3 and charge it up with whatever your budget allows and just scan the card each on overground train, tube and bus journey. The bus is the cheapest at 0.90p per journey and it used to be cheaper to travel after 9.30 in the morning, so avoiding the rush-hour penalty.

Utility bills are very high here and most homes are less well-insulated than you will be used to in Canada, so don't forget to bring your thermals with you. I think you'll be surprised at how much higher your weekly shopping bill will be than at home, too. The cost of living all round is rather high here and wages don't always reflect that either.

WARNING: POUTINE IS UNKNOWN HERE but the smoked bacon is very similar