london supermarkets

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i'm going to london for a week in a few days,

my neighbour says that london is that expensive that already bread and water is unpayable...
since she is rich and i'm rather poor, i'm a little scared (although i don't mind loosing a kilo or two )
does anyone know where to buy food not too expensive?

and also secondhand bookshops?
and if there is an interesting public library?

thanks in advance !

Unfortunately a lot of stuff in London is quite expensive.

Much as I dislike them, I think Tescos is going to be your best bet, they have outlets dotted all over central and greater London so you're bound to find one fairly near to where you are staying. Places like Sainsburys also have similar branches, but tend to be a little more expensive.

There are good public libraries all over the place, but you have the British Library on Euston Road (between St Pancras and Euston railway stations) which should keep you going, it's pretty much on a par with the Cambridge University library as the best in the country.

I'm not sure of the precise location of any secondhand bookshops, but you won't find much in the centre of London because of the high rents. You're more likely to find them in the surrounding suburbs, such as Whitechapel, Notting Hill, St Johns Wood, Southwark etc, although the suburbs of London aren't always too nice.

You may find you'd enjoy a good old fashioned London market, of which there are many. Have a look at this website.

Tescos is definitely your best bet. Food up and down the country now is at stupid high prices (over a quid for a loaf of Kingsmill?! You're having a laugh).

The price of bread, milk is relatively cheap in supermarkets in that small shops can't buy it cheaper from wholesalers. Even book shop owners where filling shopping trolleys full harry potter books from asda because they undercut everyone. But don’t think they are good value either, they find lots of way to rip you off. People don’t know they can get cheap fruit and veg. In Tooting I can get ginger the size of my arm, bunches of coriander, fruits and vegetable you have never even heard of for very cheaply. It is not that manky, tiny portions, you get wrapped in plastic in supermarkets to give the impression that it is rarer than it is. They use way too much packaging, it is a pointless waste. It is only to get it off the shelf, there is very little other use for it in most cases.

lemon i like yer avatar

Maybe try places like Lidl if you're worried about high prices. Though Chavsda sometimes have good deals on offer too. You just have to watch out for them.

ok, thanks for all the tips and the website of the markets is a great idea !

no one knows any secondhand bookshops ?

Try charity shops and local libraries. Where I live they have a 'removed from circulation' stack where the books are 10p each.

A scout on Google found me a website with a list of small bookshops in London. I shall link you to the page for shops in Central London here.

If you want to look at options for other districts of London, then you'll find a list on the left hand side. The 'West' option should offer up a few good ones.

thanks Mr_Winston ! that's a great link !

I shop in asda, which is related to walmart of course.
But most of the main supermarkets like Sainsburies, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons etc, have their own range of cheap basics. In Asda you can get a loaf of bread for 23 pence.

I would just go to a supermarket in London (not Waitrose too expensive) Tesco's or Morrison's they are cheap don't go to any corner shops as they are TOO expensive. I know I live just outside London.

"Lost In The Supermarket" by The Clash

[Chorus]
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer
A guaranteed personality

I wasn't born so much as I fell out
Nobody seemed to notice me
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs
Over which I never could see

I heard the people who lived on the ceiling
Scream and fight most scarily
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling
That's how it's been all around me

[Chorus]

I'm all tuned in, I see all the programmes
I save coupons from packets of tea
I've got my giant hit discoteque album
I empty a bottle and I feel a bit free

The kids in the halls and the pipes in the walls
Make me noises for company
Long distance callers make long distance calls
And the silence makes me lonely

[Chorus]

And it's not hear
It disappear
I'm all lost

in london now,
seems like supermarkets are reasonable,
haven't found a guaranteed personality(yet?)

thanks for all the tips and the song (i've had the guns of brixton in my head yesterday)

Ah, I love the Clash....

hope they were firing blanks

So, how did your trip go, Lemon, did you find nice places to eat? Did you see lots of lovely art? What do you think of the UK (and the infamous British weather)

The Co-op is a chain of grocery stores all over Europe...


During my trip to Europe in grade 11 me and my friend shopped there rather than eating in restaurants because it was much cheaper. I got these yummy, YUMMMY pastries... but then they were stolen out of my room by a maid!