Hayley

People can reach grand old ages without ever knowing what they're talking about. Age is not always impressive.
Was just amazed by his descriptive and well thought out arguments- it's certainly made me think twice about moving back to the UK
.

macmike41

Hi fishfinger - still waiting for the answwer to Iank's question as I too would be interested in what the items were that produced such a cost comparison ie £30 vis $200 - can't imagine what they were.

fishfinger

Just a basic shop of yogurts, bread, meat, cereals nothing flashy, I certainly didn't pay £8.99 for 12 yogurts in England like I just had to pay $8.99 for 12 in Canada. I just paid $5.99 for a small block of cheese too and I wouldn't pay that in the UK. There is no doubt that where I live in BC the majority of food is more expensive. As a percentage of our income, the food that we buy in Canada is a larger figure.

Not sure why you are so interested in knowing my shopping bill?! The original poster was asking for reasons why I was returning to the UK and I listed cost of living as one of my reasons and I stand by that 100%. Quality sucks too, have you tasted the rubber ham they serve here - yuk!

In England I never had to worry about the cost of a food bill but here I have to keep it under $400 otherwise DH goes nuts.

Enjoy your lunch!

macmike41

Just wondered what it was you were buying that gave such a price difference as our weekly shopping bill in Toronto for the wife and I is around $120 - in the UK it was around £80 but as the pension is worth double $ to £ we are much better off - gotta admit I do miss a nice slice of gammon though, just not the same here. But I do like a the drive through coffee and doughnut here through, especially on these chilly winter mornings - pretty good.

Good luck in your move back to the UK, hope all goes well.

macadian

Hey, lighten up peeps!
My friend expressed an opinion, a passing remark in an e.mail to me. You don't agree...that's just peachy.

You all remind me of the Kings/Queens of old that had the messenger executed if the news was either bad or disagreeable...to him/her

May you all find what you are looking for...wherever.

dingbat

Average monthly food bill for us is around $1800. Two adults and five kids, no booze included BC food shopping costs are the pits.

Fairy Tales

I agree with the Blair & Brown bit. Brits - always ready to fall for the "Third way" hogwash and then pay for their error for decades; Waiting for another Mrs T. to claim them back from the mouth of the red monster!

ann m

Jeepers !!!! Holy wotsits !!!

subdude

Oh come on you make it sound like there's only one ham available in the entire country. I know you don't like it here but we have amazing food and restaurants - go to Granville Island once before you leave, I think they have 2 different hams available!

Mizz Teapot

Agree, even the ham in South Africa was million time better than the ham here in Onatrio

Gezza

So,....what do you say to that...Pigs?!

fishfinger

Just 2 different hams? Thanks but I've been to Granville Island loads of times and I still don't rate the ham!

dingbat

There is a butchers by the manky cinema off Lougheed, the cinema past the Coquitlam Centre, next door to Tom Lee music on the right hand side with the big McDonalds, as you head to Port Moody (near Johnson or something?) ....anyway it's in a tiny strip mall and they sell Brit food. He does a reasonably decent ham, still full of water compared to decent ham off the bone, but better than the average. My lot tell me it tastes better than the processed garbage they shred up and pass off as proper ham on the deli's here. Granville Island is a basic market - nothing more and what they sell there is packaged up and sold everywhere else. The tourist shops sell the same rubbish you can get anywhere else. Art galleries excepted, there is nothing of interest there once you have been a few times. The amount of people who think Granville Island is something special really confuses me....

R2D2

Ditto that Ann..............good grief. We are a family of 4 and spend around $800 -$900 per month on groceries, and we think we eat well.
We could probably cut back on that too, but we likes our scram !!!!!

fishfinger

Thanks, you mean Millingtons, I buy my gravy from there, nice chaps. Still can't beat my mums ham!