Shopping Once the initial shock of the poor rate of exchange wears off, shopping becomes increasingly enticing. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and when in Brum, dress as the Brummies do... fancy! On a whole, England is a more stylish (and expensive) nation. Soon enough, you too will be ready to drop Ł75 on a designer top at Selfridges in the Bullring (maybe not). While the Bullring and City Centre offer the latest and greatest in shopping, there are places to go where a t-shirt does not cost an arm, a leg, and your firstborn.

Designer Shopping:

Bullring (Selfridges, H & M, Debenhams, HMV, Borders)

Mailbox

Throughout city centre

Groceries:

Sainsbury's (several easily accessible on Bristol Road)

Aldi (warehouse style discount store)

Tesco/Tesco Express (Petrol station with many cheap groceries)

Bare Necessities:

Sainsbury's (many general items available here as well)

Woolworths (the original department store)

Northfield, south of Manor House and City Centre, is nowhere near as upscale or expensive. If you want cheap goods and convenience, Northfield is the place to be.

Thrift:

Oxfam, Scope, British Heart Foundation, Save the Children, etc. are just a few of the many charity shops (akin to Goodwill or Salvation Army) the U.K. has to offer. Branches in Birmingham can be found in Northfield, Harborne, and city centre to name a few.

The Rag Market (extremely large indoor market with endless items)

Outdoor Markets (meats, produce, real Brummie accents, action, adventure, flying fish, who could ask for anything more?)