I have most of the big details sorted, but because I am going to be new in the country aside from a few family visits and one business trip, I have far from expert knowledge on living in the UK. I try to research as much as I can, but there are limits.
These questions are going to probably be subjective, and some may be dependent on where we’re going to live in Britain long-term, something I can’t tell you until I get a job, but I trust people on Lemmy more than some random Google search to tell me what they actually think.
So, here are my 20 questions- although some are really multipart questions- and I will probably end up asking more based on what I find out. I felt like 20 was an exhausting enough number. They are not in any particular order, I had about 8 and then I kept thinking of others and stopped trying to organize them. Please feel free to answer as many or as few as you like. Assume we won’t be getting rich off of my salary, but also won’t be living in a council flat.
- Which mobile phone company would you recommend and why? Getting a UK phone number for both me and my daughter is going to be one of the very first things on my itinerary.
- Obviously, I will need a place to put my money. I would rather go with a building society than a bank. Which would you recommend?
- Which supermarket(s) would you recommend? Which should we avoid and why? Believe it or not, my daughter is happy to eat the cheap supermarket sushi they have in supermarkets here. Is that available there?
- What should I think about when getting us a GP? I have health issues and need to get a National Insurance number as quickly as possible, but should I wait until we have a more permanent place to live? What are my options there?
- My daughter is a 14-year-old neurodivergent lesbian who has no problem letting people know exactly what she thinks and also likes to go on long tangents about esoteric subjects that interest her, which makes it difficult enough for her to find friends in the U.S., but I have no idea how she’s going to find friends in the UK. She will hopefully make some in school (it’s sure as hell been hard for her here, and it’s going to be hard on her there being foreign), but I’d love other suggestions on ways she might make friends in the UK that might not be a way in the U.S. She is super into Japanese stuff, but slightly off Japanese stuff, like obscure anime and electronica bands from the 1970s and 1980s, although she also loves punk rock and Hello Kitty 🤷. She also is a very talented artist and spends all day sketching in sketchbooks and on her iPad.
- This is going to sound really stupid… do I just carry around my passport or how do I show ID if someone needs it? I’m not going to have a driving license.
- What difficulties do you think I might encounter trying to rent a flat or house? I really don’t know how the process works in Britain. In the U.S. they often do a credit check and you provide first and last month’s rent, plus a security deposit. Utilities are not always included.
- Once we get settled, is Ikea the best place to go to get furniture (I don’t find what they have to be all that comfortable), or are the similar affordable options?
- How about house wares? We care much more about utility over aesthetics, especially when getting established. I’d rather have cheap, durable plates and bowls and pots and pans than pretty, expensive ones.
- And how about clothing? I do not care at all about fashion, I just want decent clothing that will look appropriate at a job. Obviously, I have plenty of that already, but it will need to be replaced eventually. Where do I go for cheap and durable over expensive and fashionable?
- Are ISPs as dependent on where you live as they are here? We have very few options available and they are entirely geographically dependent. ISP recommendations would be great. I would especially love an ISP that didn’t have data caps.
- If I watch everything on a monitor via my computer, do I still need to pay a TV license fee or do I only need to play it if I want to use iPlayer? How does that all work? I definitely will not have an actual TV for a while.
- My daughter’s absolute favourite breakfast treat is going to a diner and getting corned beef hash. Is that a thing over there? Is there an okay breakfast place to take her to so she can have it once in a while?
- I’m guessing this is a no, but if anyone knows of anywhere in the UK that serves decent Mexican food, even if it is just somewhere I can take her to as a weekend treat, please tell me. That is her absolute favourite kind of food in general. By “Mexican food,” I mean “the shit they call Mexican food in America which isn’t really Mexican food” (you might notice I’m not a fan), so you would have to be familiar with both in order to answer this.
- I have been looking for a long time and I just haven’t found anything good- does anyone know a video or series of videos I can show to my kid as a basic “life in the UK in the 2020s as a teen” primer? I try to tell her all that I can, but it’s not like I can tell her what it’s like to be a teen in the UK in 2025. I was last there as an adult in the 2000s, before she was even born, and Britain was already a noticeably different place from the last time I was there in the 1990s. I mean I know she’s going to make a lot of cultural faux pas, but it would be nice to find a way to minimize them beyond me telling her things like what “pants” means in the UK and that “cunt” is not thought of in the UK as the horrific word it’s considered to be in the U.S.
- This is just something I’ve been wondering from job ads: when they say “casual dress,” what do they mean? In the U.S. that means you can show up in a T-shirt and sweats. I don’t want to make my own faux pas there.
- If we end up having to move to Wales- I am interviewing for a job in Swansea this week- it’s my understanding that my daughter will have to study Welsh in school. Does anyone have any experience moving to Wales with a teenager who is suddenly put into a (what I assume would be very remedial) Welsh language class? Any advice there?
- I basically never carry cash on me in the U.S. at this point. What might I need to carry it for there or is it also unnecessary?
- Do UK institutions care about your US credit rating?
- I hate Marmite. Is that still a capital offence?
- Supermarket wise, yes cheap sushi is available in the UK, at Tesco and pretty much any others.
As for supermarkets, there 2 sorts of variables, location and price.
Much of your shopping will likely be done in your “corner shop”, which is going to be the smallish store that is walking distance from where you live. For big shops, I recommend you kind of try them all out and see where you prefer, they all kind of work similarly but differ slightly in price and offering, check out Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Waitrose, Iceland etc.
It all depends on what is around the area you ultimately end up in, but price wise the supermarkets can vary quite a lot. On the cheaper end is Aldi and Lidl, whereas Waitrose and M&S can be pricey if you’re buying anything outside of their essentials/every day type ranges. The others, it’s really down to your preference.
Iceland and Farmfoods are frozen food specialists so while they do have other bits they won’t have as good a range of chilled or ambient groceries as the big supermarkets do.
- There are coverage maps by different networks, so check them for where you’re going to live. O2, EE, and 3 are probably the main decent networks—a lot of other networks piggyback on their transmitters and may be a good price too, but make sure you’ll get good enough signal where you’ll be. You will get good enough signal in most places with any of those, but they do have some bad areas and you don’t want that to be your home or work!
- I like Nationwide, which is a building society (largely due to ethical reasons but they also have a better high street presence than most banks).
- Supermarkets do have sushi. There is a hierarchy of quality/cost. M&S is very expensive and sells all own brands. Waitrose is fancy and can be expensive but their veg does last better and the food is higher quality, plus they do have their more basic range so it doesn’t have to be ridiculously costly. Both Tesco and Saintsbury’s are decent, usually are either huge or little local stores, and like most have a basic range. Morrison’s are similar to Tesco and Saintsbury’s. Iceland focuses on cheap and frozen goods. Aldi and Lidl are pretty good, a bit of a random selection at times but cheap for what you get.
- It’s fairly easy to move GP, so long as you find one that has space. I don’t see a downside to getting one ASAP.
- That’s a rough age to be different, and it honestly depends on the location as to how easy that’ll be. I’m afraid I don’t have any ssuggestions other than look into clubs and activities outside of school to give her a wider net.
- There are CitizenCards that can be used, which is safer than potentially losing your passport. In the past people have got provisional driving licences for the purpose of an ID, which could work too.
- Utilities are often not included and you should only need a deposit (around 1 months rent). Protections are better here but you can still get screwed. Make sure the deposit is in a deposit protection scheme, and make sure the state of the place is properly documented (they should do this as part of an inventory but make sure it’s accurate). Look up your rights to avoid being swindled.
- IKEA is good. Second hand is more of a gamble but cheaper. I know many use FB marketplace, but eBay and Gumtree are both options too.
- IKEA is one of the better options for basic but decent housewares. Supermarkets often do some stuff too.
- M&S do some basic but decent work stuff that is more affordable. I believe the quality has gone down a bit but they are still better than most that I’ve found.
- They are a bit for fibre but not for regular broadband, though that is changing. Some rented places don’t like you to change utilities, so it may be easiest to stick with what’s already there.
- I believe it is for iPlayer but you’ll find good articles online for this.
- Corned beef means a different thing here—I believe what you call corned beef is what we call salt beef. Getting breakfast out is less of a thing here but there are decent “greasy spoons” (cafés that do good fried breakfasts) in most places.
- Taco Bell has started to exist in the UK but it’s not exactly good. There are some but you’ll have better luck in bigger metropolitan areas. We have different cuisines here due to the difference in historical immigration, so hopefully you’ll find some stuff you like there too.
- No idea, sorry.
- It depends. Start off with smart trousers a shirt and you can always dress down from there. Hopefully you’ll get a sense from interviews. It might even be a good question to ask during an interview, as it shows you care and are willing to fit in.
- No, sorry.
- Some public toilets require a few coins, a pound is used for unlocking trollies (shopping carts) at some supermarkets, but most places don’t need cash. Some places do prefer it though, so I like to carry a bit (£10-20 plus coins) with me just in case.
- It is less of a thing here but I suspect it’ll be relevant for loans, mortgages etc.
- Oh fuck, I guess I regret typing all of this now, you heathen (honestly, it’s polarising here and I like it occasionally but don’t love it).
I didn’t mean to go through all the questions but I got carried away, so hope thay helps!
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It depends on where you end up as the signal strength in the areas you frequent will dictate this to a degree. If you’re in a city or large town then generally it’s down to what you decide to go with, but if you’re more rural there may only be some providers that offer a decent signal. Best to ask the locals what they use.
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Nationwide is one of the larger building societies and one of the more mainstream banks over here too, so always a safe bet. A lot of banks and BS don’t have that many local branches now though, and more are closing every month - that’s not necessarily an issue, as the online services and apps for them here are far better than in the US from what I gather.
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I already answered this one in a reply to someone else.
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Most GPs have catchment areas so see who the local ones are to where you end up living.
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I think schools are a lot more receptive here than in the US to this sort of thing, but someone else may be able to provide a more detailed answer to this.
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A lot of places won’t ask to see it unless you’re buying booze or other certain age restricted things like knives etc. There’s a scheme over here called “Challenge 25”, so if you look obviously older than that you should’t get asked in supermarkets and the like. I’d certainly look at getting a driving licence though, even if only a provisional one so that you can leave the passport at home.
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More or less the same situation here - they may ask for references but when you explain your situation they should be understanding enough, albeit you may need to put down more of a deposit. Any deposit should be placed aside by the letting agent or landlord into a tenancy deposit scheme, be wary if they don’t mention this as it’s a legal requirement afaik. Utilities and council tax (property taxes) will not be included unless otherwise noted and you will be expected to get accounts set up after moving in. Take photos of the meters when you do so you can provide the readings to the companies.
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IKEA is a good starting point, but you can often find cheaper through second hand means (charity shops, Facebook marketplace etc). Bear in mind that your closest IKEA store may be a fair distance away - 20 miles here is not like 20 miles in the US due to our less car-centric road and town layouts and close quarters in urban areas.
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Any of the big four supermarkets offer a range of home wares (Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons). Morrisons range isn’t as good as the others though. Also dependant on the size of store.
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Charity shops are a start, Matalan is a good dedicated shop. Again the big four supermarkets have options, with Morrisons yet again trailing behind the others in terms of size of range offered. Primark is good and cheap enough too but can be limited size wise. A lot will depend on what size you are. There’s a lot of online retailers here that will have it posted to a collection point for you.
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Most ISPs will offer something everywhere, but what speeds you can get will depend where you are. Some lSPs are fibre only, which will need them to already have lines in the area (Virgin Media is one of these) or for special equipment to be installed at the house (which most if not all housing stock built in the last few years should have unless the area doesn’t permit).
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Strictly speaking if you’re watching anything live (I.e. if it’s being broadcast as you’re watching it) then the BBC would like you to have one - a lot of people don’t though and will ignore the letters that come through the door. If you get easily stressed at official looking letters then probably best to pay for it, but I’m not going to tell you one way or the other here.
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Not as big a thing over here, though I’m sure there’s places that do it.
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Taco Bell is starting to make inroads here but is only really in the big cities at the moment - otherwise it’s very much down to if anyone has opened up a place that does Mexican food near to you. Chiqitos is another brand to look for, at least near me.
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Someone else may have to link this.
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Business casual is always a good shout - nice dress or trousers/blouse for women, trousers and polo shirt or just a shirt and jumper/sweater for men, no need for a tie and such nor a full suit. Best to play it by ear and see what your work colleagues dress like.
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This will happen, but by experience it isn’t really a bother if your daughter doesn’t pick it up well. Almost everyone in Wales speaks English and with you having an accent they’ll be more considerate of you.
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Once you have an account open you can just carry a card or use Apple Pay/Android’s equivalent. We’re very much moving towards a cashless society here, although having some on you can be handy for situations or places where they are unable to accept cards.
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I doubt it, you will be a blank slate here I’d imagine, but you should be able to get a basic credit card if you wish to have one. We’re a lot more debit card based over here though, most banks current accounts will provide a debit card.
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Personally I’m not a fan of it so no problems here! You may get some light ribbing though, all in jest.
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I wouldn’t recommend any I’m afraid but I would avoid Three. Their coverage is rubbish.
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They’re all pretty similar. Aldi and Lidl are cheap and cheerful. Tesco and Asda (Walmart) are middle of the road. Sainsbury’s and Mark’s and Spencers are more upmarket. Waitrose is so posh there’s none in my city or the next two nearest cities. Farmfoods and Iceland are almost entirely frozen food and Co-Op, Spar, Costcutter, and Premier are slightly more expensive but located in convenient easy to walk places. Try to buy as much as you can from the bigger supermarkets and then just top up things like bread or milk from your local Spar when necessary.
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Just register with your most local GP. You can easily change GP if you move. Welcome to the true land of the free! (Unless you move to England, but I believe their prescriptions are still capped)
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The local skatepark might have similar people. Some music venues have under 18 licences (with a guardian) so you could maybe catch some punk gigs together and let her socialise there while you enjoy a beer at the bar and keep half an eye on her to make sure she’s alright.
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There’s no mandatory ID. Unless you’re buying booze or fags and look young enough you might get ID’d (the rule being if you look under 25 you’re supposed to be ID’d for 18+ products) then I wouldn’t bother carrying a passport. Too much risk of losing it for no gain.
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I can only speak for Scotland but it’s normal to provide about 2 months rent as a deposit. This legally must be put into a third party deposit scheme so the landlord can’t try and screw you when you leave. If you rent via a reputable agency they’ll provide you with all the necessary info but I believe the Scottish government website has renters rights easily listed somewhere too
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Furniture all depends on taste and budget really. John Lewis are pricey but have really good quality stuff with long guarantees. They’re kinda worker owned too. There’s also always charity shops.
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Find the largest supermarket in your city. A Tesco Extra or a large ASDA. They’ll have plenty of homeware to choose from. Nickel and Dime, B&M, Dunelm, or The Range will also work.
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Charity shops. Your local shopping mall will have a mix of the usual big name brands of course but if you want real bargains, charity shops are the way to go.
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I’ve never used them but Zen Internet are the nerds choice of ISP. ISP depends on who owns the copper/fibre around you and which ISPs they’ve made deals with. BT Opeanreach own most of the country meaning you can sign up to almost any ISP. Some areas are restricted to the likes of City Fibre but even they have plenty of ISP options.
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You will get incredibly threatening scary official letters in the post if you don’t have a TV licence. They will threaten to imprison you or fine you thousands. Scary letters are about as far as their powers go though. Do with that information as you will.
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We’ve got Taco Bell now so if she likes diarrhoea then have at it!
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I think that would be very company dependent. I don’t think you could go wrong with a plain t-shirt and dark jeans at first, and then you can see what others wear to determine how casual you can really go.
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It can be handy for toilets that require a 20p or 50p coin but generally you’ll be fine cash free. Even beggers and buskers have card machines now! Supermarket trolleys are often locked and you have to put a £1 coin in to release it and get it back once you lock the trolley up again but you can also get fake £1 sized tokens for your keyring if you want.
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Try the Marmite crisps, they’ll change your view and spare you the executioner’s blade.
Edit: Lemmy is trying to be too clever and has messed up the numbering. It’s correct when I edit but goes into a list when I post. I’m sure you can figure out which is which haha
Unless you move to England, but I believe their prescriptions are still capped
Good point. England has a Pre Payment Certificate which means you don’t pay any more and a good pharmacy will point this out when you are exceeding the value of it (which doesn’t take much) and they can be backdated to cover your previous trip but it is worth keeping an eye on what you are getting in case they don’t flag it up.
1: It depends, I use giffgaff and get very bad connections outside of cities, but they have free EU roaming which is better than other companies
3: If you want cheap than Aldi is the best place, the food isn’t bad and Aldis have a middle isle full of name brand products if your daughter prefers them over Aldi’s products
5: It depends on where you end up living, she will probably find friends but it could be more difficult in certain areas of the UK (people in the South like talking a lot less than in the North)
6: You rarely need an ID. I would recommend carrying your daughter’s ID if you go somewhere like the cinema, I don’t know if it is the same in the US but kids will have their ID checked if they do not look old enough to watch a film
11: kind of, most areas in the UK with full fibre are connected by city fibre so if you need good internet I would look for a city that uses them so you have a lot of choices for ISPs. I am using zen internet right now and it has no data caps, caps on home internet isn’t really a thing in the UK
12: You need a TV license to watch most things in the UK, this is because the BBC’s content is on other platforms like Netflix, not just iPlayer.
14: Your best bet is looking for a local business. There is a Taco Bell in my town but I don’t know how common they are in the rest of the UK and I don’t know if that is what you are really looking for.
18: Most businesses take card now, the only time you need to carry cash is if you are going to a market.
20: fuck you
