JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:16 am Cheers I'll definitely have a look into that. Can't wait to leave blighty.

Haven't been back to blighty in 8 years. Is it so bad now? In what ways?

Gazzy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 6:26 am

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:16 am Cheers I'll definitely have a look into that. Can't wait to leave blighty.

Haven't been back to blighty in 8 years. Is it so bad now? In what ways?

Everything costs an arm and a leg for a finger and a toe.

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:30 pm

Gazzy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 6:26 am

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:16 am Cheers I'll definitely have a look into that. Can't wait to leave blighty.

Haven't been back to blighty in 8 years. Is it so bad now? In what ways?

Everything costs an arm and a leg for a finger and a toe.

And they act like they are doing you a favour when they are robbing you blind.

I have been back recently and I can see how people are realising how bad things are and this is after coming out of a boom. With interest rate rises from 0.25% to 5.25% people are getting lifestyle-changing mortgage payment increases, and these have yet to fully bite because of fixed rate deals. However, these cheap deals are expiring every month and will do so for a few years to come; this is just the beginning. This is causing falling property prices as affordability is now dictating prices. Add in food price increases which are out of control and the general feeling that things are falling apart, which they are.

Shoplifting is out of control (beacuse the police wont attend for thefts of less than £200) and shops are now putting security tabs on to £5 blocks of cheese!

And whatever you do, don't get sick at the weekends because the NHS is positively dangerous at those times. The UK has serious structural problems that seem baked in.

I'm so glad I got out.

https://www.businessinsider.com/aldi-st ... -uk-2022-7

Doc67 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:30 pm https://www.businessinsider.com/aldi-st ... -uk-2022-7

The cheese was priced at £3.99 ($4.76) for a 900 gram (32 ounce) block.

But I agree with your sentiment.

£12 for two pints, £4 for a portion of plain rice in an Indian resto, £7 for a paratha...

£13.50 for a plate of pho



that's 400,000vnd.

This bo kho with plenty of beef 40k in Saigon



But I did enjoy the UK supermarkets, especially Sainsbury's.

Best deal for Cheddar now in Phnom Penh is Wyke Farms Vintage Reserve $4 for 200g at Thai Huot.

The former Kiwi store is trying to push cheap UK COOP hard cheeses at $40 /kilo - I hope this isn't the start of Big C driving down quality.

Was over there in March! Much preferred Hoi Anh than both Da Nang and Nha Trang! These two places just seemed fairly big cities with large faceless hotels on a nice beach, while Hoi Anh had the historic preserved atmosphere! The night time light display on the river is excellent! Perfect place for a couple!
If you have time do a few days in each and move on if it gets monotonous! Vung Tau a short trip from Saigon is worth a few days.
Fly up to Hanoi, discover the old town, take trips to Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba island and not to be missed Ha long Bay!

Stravaiger wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 4:44 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:30 pm https://www.businessinsider.com/aldi-st ... -uk-2022-7

The cheese was priced at £3.99 ($4.76) for a 900 gram (32 ounce) block.

But I agree with your sentiment.

£12 for two pints, £4 for a portion of plain rice in an Indian resto, £7 for a paratha...

£13.50 for a plate of pho



that's 400,000vnd.

This bo kho with plenty of beef 40k in Saigon



But I did enjoy the UK supermarkets, especially Sainsbury's.

Best deal for Cheddar now in Phnom Penh is Wyke Farms Vintage Reserve $4 for 200g at Thai Huot.

The former Kiwi store is trying to push cheap UK COOP hard cheeses at $40 /kilo - I hope this isn't the start of Big C driving down quality.

I hate to be a pedant but.... "uk-2022-7" is the date of the article.
https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-ev ... 8600022444

It's £5 now!

That's ~25% inflation year-on-year, and that is a rate on a number of basic foodstuffs in the UK - usually the ones that are already priced to the bone. Once they go up the retailers have no choice but to pass it on or lose money. This is why the poorest are seeing the biggest % increases because they are the buyers.

I agree the price of restaurant food is a joke, but that's the overhead costs of running a small food outlet business in the UK - rent, rates, energy, wages, pensions, VAT, insurance, maintenance, marketing, waste disposal...the list is endless. The price of raw goods is much cheaper than Cambodia, but the prices are 3 times higher.

picture hosting sites

But I did enjoy the UK supermarkets, especially Sainsbury's.

Best deal for Cheddar now in Phnom Penh is Wyke Farms Vintage Reserve $4 for 200g at Thai Huot.

The former Kiwi store is trying to push cheap UK COOP hard cheeses at $40 /kilo - I hope this isn't the start of Big C driving down quality.
[/quote]

my top tip on cheese (yes, I know the thread is about relocating to Vietnam but, hey...) President British Cheddar is made in the same factory in Scotland as Seriously Strong, can't tell the difference other than normally a dollar cheaper!

Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 8:04 pm
I hate to be a pedant but.... "uk-2022-7" is the date of the article.
https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-ev ... 8600022444

It's £5 now!

That's ~25% inflation year-on-year, and that is a rate on a number of basic foodstuffs in the UK - usually the ones that are already priced to the bone. Once they go up the retailers have no choice but to pass it on or lose money. This is why the poorest are seeing the biggest % increases because they are the buyers.

I agree the price of restaurant food is a joke, but that's the overhead costs of running a small food outlet business in the UK - rent, rates, energy, wages, pensions, VAT, insurance, maintenance, marketing, waste disposal...the list is endless. The price of raw goods is much cheaper than Cambodia, but the prices are 3 times higher.

picture hosting sites

I stand corrected. That is quite a jump when you are buying the basics to feed a young family.

I had some excellent Cheddar from M&S and naturally it seemed absurdly cheap compared to Cambodia.

Agreed that overheads and regulations are killing F&B in the UK. Not so in Vietnam. $2-3 will still feed you, although there's serious inflation there too as everywhere I suppose.

Bluenose wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 9:47 am my top tip on cheese (yes, I know the thread is about relocating to Vietnam but, hey...) President British Cheddar is made in the same factory in Scotland as Seriously Strong, can't tell the difference other than normally a dollar cheaper!

Back on topic but if imported cheese is overpriced here it's a lot worse in Vietnam. And don't even think about wine.

In Saigon Mekong Gourmet Market has a fairly good range upstairs.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/MEKON ... =en&rclk=1

The wonders of conversation, this thread is now about cheese and supermarket costs haha.

Cheese (cheers) everyone for your inputs.