So OS that it's sad? 4 August 2011 at 7:09AM edited 9 August 2011 at 2:09PM in Old Style MoneySaving 75 replies 18.1K views

GraciesGran

While on holiday in the UK we've bought back paint, curtains and a new back door. I've raided charity shops for a new winter wardrobe and fabric for 3 patchwork quilts. Potting compost for the garden and a bargain water butt. 4 sacks of dried dog food. OH now as bad as I am when it comes to bargain hunting - its not sad its sensible.

Bennifred

JayJay14 wrote: »

We went to Florida in 2005 for our silver wedding taking just one suitcase between us. We bought another in Walmart while we were there and it came home full of groceries, cereals - fruit loops and lucky charms, choc bars, reese's cups, marshmallow fluff, you name it we shipped it.

Our 3 (adult!!) children had sent us with a shopping list:rotfl:

This is like us, lol! I also bring back loads of packs of ziplock bags in various sizes...................:o

euronorris

I'm always surprised by what I can and can't get here, and the same in the UK.

Also surprised by prices. Things I expect to be cheap, are often expensive and vice versa.

I've fallen in love with the local cheap shop (think poundland style) as it seems to sell everything (!) except food. Latest bargain buys were 4 mini tennis balls for my sisters dog (it's tiny!) for €1 and a nice sewing kit, with a pair of scissors, selection of cotton reels, selection of needles and pins and a pin cushion, tape measure etc for €2!

Icey77

DH and I are off on our honeymoon in 5 weeks to Seattle and San Francisco. During the time away we're spending 3 days with one of my best friends in a small town an hour away from Seattle and I will be having a good mooch through the supermarket and shops there

Gotta love american supermarkets for bargains and also for the food stuffs which you never ever imagined before :rotfl:

purpleweasel

Went to Thailand and came back with some kitchen knives (very good quality & fraction of the price here), lots of spice mixes & chilli flakes; from Turkey, pistachio nuts; Germany, apple tea; France, cassis sirop; New Zealand, an EasyYo yoghurt maker (about 5 years before you could get them here and still going strong now!) and about 6 months' worth of yog mix, though had to rely on friend over there to send more when i ran out. I don't travel just to eat i promise!

By the way, what does OS mean?

JayJay14

OS = Old style

aloiseb

With memories of an embarrassing incident involving a big piece of cheese coming back with my parents from France, I looked up customs on everybody's behalf (sorry to be so sad)

Apparently you are in the clear if you are bringing food things in from the EU but quite restricted if not.

Here's the URL:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_PROD_010856

DigForVictory

As I was coming back from a caving trip in Spain, I saw litre bottles of Brasso. (It's manufactured locally - I shouldn't have been so surprised!)
My club were stunned to see me lug three bottles back, but my husband was more pleased than if I'd bought three bottles of duty free top end cognac.
I stopped caving when I started the family but the Brasso ran out last year & Himself keeps looking like a gloomy spaniel every time he wants to get something clean & there just isn't the Brasso...

rosie383

When we go on holiday to see the in-laws in Algeria I have a list of stuff that I always buy.
Harissa (big tins for pennies and we use a lot...freeze in ice cube trays)
Locally made apricot jam in tins.....the most amazing jam ever and not very sweet.
Yeast.....I buy a vacuum packed bag about the same size as a bag of ground coffee for maybe 20p....does me for a year.
Bin bags. Decent ones that never leak.
Cleaning cloths.
Dried beans.
Dried traditional pasta-type thing that you can't get here. About 4 different types for different dishes.
Spices like coriander seeds (bought a spice grinder there too for about £4 which is fab).
Any serving dishes/ side dishes etc.
Probably other stuff that i forget right now.

We go out with the cases full of car boot and charity shop bargains for the family and come home with 'useful' stuff!

Tala

When we go to Cyprus I always bring back Lentils, so cheap over there.