I miss USPS International Ground Shipping

It seems a shame that you can’t ship boxes cheaply any more (and it wasn’t exactly dirt cheap anyway).

Good luck!

I’ve only just found your blog as I am making the move to the UK here in the next few months (to be with my sweetie), yet I can completely sympathize! Being 30 years old, I have accumulated many kitchen goods (non-electric, of course) that I would love to bring over to the UK with me along with various other items, but it isn’t feasible to ship them. The advice I got might be a little US-centric to help, but for anyone in my position — Springtime = garage sales! I sold practically everything this last weekend and made a nice little profit. Now I look forward to visiting charity shops once I move to restock. It might be the perfect time to purchace that nifty little oxo can opener I’ve always wanted!

Hi Iota – it IS a shame. I wonder if high petrol prices made it no longer feasible. Bring international ground back USPS. Thanks for the good wishes.

Hi Rachel – When you get here, you should ask Mr. Sweet Tooth to take you to a car boot sale. They are a bit like garage sales. I wish we had a car boot to sell our stuff from! Glad you did so well at your garage sale.

There are some handy kitchen gadgets you can look forward to here. Are you planning to stay for some time? It took me along time to buy anything that I would later begrudge having to move because my first year here I considered myself temporary.

The charity shops here are pretty great – you might be able to find some good bargains to replace some of your favorites!

You sound like me where you arrived with 2 suitcases in this country and then one day you wake up and have a whole flat full of stuff. How? Why? When?
I love that the charity shops here in the UK leave bags in your postbox so that you can to fill them up with anything you don’t need– and then they come collect them for you. Its fantastic!

Hey ladies! I would love to hear any tips on kitchen gadgets and where to find them. (I must say, I’ve been mystified about the legendary “descaling of the teapot” conversation.) To answer your question, I’m moving for at least 3 years if not longer. I probably won’t have a huge hesitancy to stock up because my sister lives in Scotland and if I leave England, I can send her some leftovers if I leave. So the short answer is: I’m heading into this as a possible permanent move — or at least 5 years.

I’ve appreciated your thoughts on making friends in the UK, as well, ladies. I’ve decided that as soon as I can get my kitchen set-up, I might try to win people’s hearts with baked goods like some cookies and cupcakes. I hear they are a rarity.

Hi Rachel.
A post about de scaling a crusty tea kettle will be coming shortly due to high volumes of demand from our readers who too are mystified by the procedure. Its a very sacred ritual that must be done with great care hence the post devoted to it. Us 3 American ladies have very different opinions on the situation which will give you some angles to choose from upon your move to the UK. Look out for it soon!

As for kitchen gadgets and where to find them, I think you will have a harder time deciding which shop to choose from as there will be so many options. You can choose from everything from the Harvey Nicks route to the Asda aisles — lots of choices for lot of budgets.

Yes, you will win lots of hearts with your home baking darling, great idea for meeting friends.

I’m a US attorney moving to the UK soon (marriage). I will continue to shuttle back and forth to the US for work. If you have any Qs about US immigration (my field of practice), let me know. Thanks, and I am enjoying your blog which is part of my preparation to move over.

hello Tenacious–
I am sure our readers will be mighty chuffed to see your offer on an immigration perspective, you’re a sweetheart! You must keep us updated on your move and how you are finding the UK on your visits here as an American woman– we are always loving a good story…

yes, i have finally landed in the UK. on easter sunday to be precise. that said, i fly back to Chicago in less than a month — lawyers life — and thats how its going to be until i successfully sit for the UK bar.

Having left the UK in the fall with my British husband and our baby to return to my home in the US I can tell you that the moving is the worst part. The Green Card? Piece of cake compared to the moving.

When I moved to the UK I did the same as you, I sent stuff over FedEx and the rest came in suitcases over time. Returning to the US we had a 2 bedroom apartment, so used a mover to ship stuff by boat and it was ridiculously expensive.

Have you tried upakweship? I have heard good things about them.

Good luck!

Hi Tenacious – hope your UK visit is going well. It must be difficult going back and forth all the time. Good luck on the UK Bar!

Hi Andrea922 – thanks for the tip. So far I have managed to sneak many things into the cases of family who are coming over for our wedding in a couple of weeks. I’ll keep your suggestion in mind just in case.

I can’t imagine trying to make this move with a baby!! You are brave and I admire you for it.

Here is this president Mr Obama who claims that he is against out sourcing and claims to be protective and such policies by USPS only prove that US is not a cheap place for business. With earlier USPS ground, US products were really competitive due to the small shipping costs. Now with elimination of this, cost are 10 to 5o times more. Imagine you order a simple product in the US. The shipping cost of the products is 10 times the product cost itself.

If USA wants to be a world export hun, USPS ground service is the ONLY solution. Or else the USA forget being competitive.