Chapter 11 Excerpt

Shop till you Drop

British stores are called "shops" whether they're quaint candy stores or giant supermarkets.   Shopping is about the only thing the Brits do as big as Americans, and most major cities now boast a hypermarket or other enormous shopping center within a few miles.   The facilities are generally excellent; you'll be pleasantly surprised. Additionally, as an American shopper in the UK, you could be entitled to tax rebates when you make purchases. This chapter includes an overview of the exorbitant sales tax (Value Added Tax, or VAT), and how to avoid it, as well as a description of the joys and idiosyncrasies of shopping in the UK.

"A great tradition on a Sunday morning is the local car-boot sale.   Usually held in a field or church/rugby club parking lot, people literally load up their car trunks (boots) with the junk they no longer want, and sell it at the car boot sale.   Nowadays it's becoming a little more up market and the wares are set out on folding tables.   Yard sales as seen in the U.S. are not really held, although schools and churches often have similar "jumble sales" to raise funds."