By Maxie Heppell
Today we get to what is actually on the tip of your tongue from the very beginning of this series: how much does it cost to live in England?
We budget for weekly shopping rather than for a month. The initial reason was that we did not really know the prices here. It’s still weird to walk between food shelves and see that virtually everything costs less than £5.00.
Furthermore, we also later realised that the houses here are simply not big enough for a whole month’s groceries. Do you realise how much space toilet paper takes up?
We prefer to do our shopping at TESCO (like Pick n Pay) and ASDA (like Checkers Hyper), but some German stores (ALDI and LIDL) have now firmly established themselves in England with their low prices. However, this is not a place for someone with a slight degree of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Besides, TESCO’s money-back coupon system is by far the best and most cost-effective.
Below is a list of common groceries and what you can expect to pay for them in TESCO. (If you want to make a comparison: The exchange rate on the FNB app this morning is R20,37 against the £.
| White bread | 1 | £0.90 |
| Brown bread | 1 | £0.90 |
| Hot dog rolls | 6 | £0.75 |
| Hamburger rolls (large) | 4 | £0.75 |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 2 ℓ | £1.10 |
| Mild cheddar cheese | 400 g | £1.79 |
| Margarine | 500 g | £1.25 |
| Eggs (medium) | Dozen | £1.69 |
| Sugar | 1 kg | £0.65 |
| Tea | 240 bags | £3.48 |
| Coffee | 200 g | £3.00 |
| Cooking oil | 1 ℓ | £1.10 |
| Tomato sauce | 890 g | £1.00 |
| Vinegar | 568 mℓ | £0.40 |
| Mayonnaise | 415 g | £1.99 |
| Marmite | 250 g | £2.49 |
| Mrs Balls | 470 g | £2.25 |
| Peanut butter (smooth) | 700 g | £2.35 |
| Rice (long grain) | 1 kg | £1.20 |
| Potatoes | 2,5 kg | £1.15 |
| Onions | 3 pack | £0.95 |
| Frozen pizza | TESCO’s own | £1.40 |
| Frozen green beans | 850 g | £0.90 |
| Frozen mixed vegetables | 1 kg | £0.69 |
| Frozen shepherd’s pie | 400 g | £1.20 |
| Cold meat (Chorizo) | 80 g | £1.00 |
| Dishwashing liquid | 450 mℓ | £0.80 |
| Dishwasher tablets (Finish) | 75 | £9.00 |
| Laundry soap bags (Ariel) | 25 | £5.00 |
| Facial soap (Dove) | 6 | £2.49 |
| Shampoo (Pantene Classic) | 500 mℓ | £2.75 |
| Toothpaste (Colgate Total) | 125 mℓ | £2.50 |
| Toilet paper (TESCO double layer) | 24 | £7.50 |
| Coke | 1,5 ℓ | £1.59 |
| Coke Zero | 2 ℓ | £1.59 |
| Sprite | 500 mℓ | £1.40 |
| Pink lemonade (TESCO dry lemon) | 2 ℓ | £0.50 |
| Water (TESCO – still) | 2 ℓ | £0.17 |
| Soft drink concentrate | 1,5 ℓ | £1.00 |
| Chips (Walkers) | Big | £1.50 |
| Chips (Walkers) | 6 small | £1.50 |
| Cadbury milk chocolate | 200 g | £1.80 |
| Kit Kat | 4-bar | £0.60 |
To make your own list, have a look at https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/
There are also many bargain shops with interesting merchandise ranges from all over Europe in England. There you can find excellent bargains, and when you still have to keep the exchange rate (South African rand) in mind, it can make a big difference:
https://www.homebargains.co.uk/
https://www.poundstretcher.co.uk/
And don’t underestimate Amazon. I regularly buy body lotion, facial cream, makeup, printer ink and other household items from them. During the lockdown, they even delivered mayonnaise to the Heppells! Their prices are sometimes much lower than those in our nearest stores, and their comfortable Prime delivery option is definitely a bonus.
For a higher class of products, or the perception of it, have a look at:
https://www.marksandspencer.com/
Of course, London and other big cities also have their own unique stores for specific big-name brands, so one is by no means limited to specific products, especially not since you can virtually purchase everything online.
Next time we’ll talk more about the cost of living in England – rent versus purchase, the normal monthly fees for municipal and other services, and the average income for specific jobs.
Until then, greetings from Newbury!
Maxie
Also read: Life in England: Part 2
Feel free to visit Maxie’s blog Genade is ’n dag lank
