International Bargain Shopping

From Here To Uncertainty from FromHereToUncertainty on Vimeo.

I know some brave and wonderful people who quit their job, sold their stuff, got rid of their house and took their kids and their lives on a trip to Europe. They are chronicling their adventures on a site called From Here to Uncertainty.

After reading one of their blog entries about a joke their kids played on Brenna (the mom) while shopping, I got to wondering how to find bargains in other countries ... especially w. So, I wrote to Brenna.

Turns out that Craigslist is international. The family has used it to find rentals during their trip.

Brenna also told me that Charity Shoppes (think Goodwill) are big. She says there are three or more in every town.

Because it is important to be able to find a good second hand shop wherever you go, I found a link to help you, if you happen to be in the UK. This Charity Shop Locator is run by the Association of Charity Shops and will help you locate second-hand (charity) stores in the UK.


Apparently the place to shop is Tesco. It's a cross between Costco and Wal-mart. I went online to check it out. I could tell I was looking at a European site because they had a bag of "Lots of Lollies" on sale. The prices are in Euros, so I can't tell if it is a bargain or not.

For those of you who are heading to countries where haggling is part of the shopping experience, here are some useful articles:
How to Bargain in a Market in Israel
How to Bargain at Mexican Markets

In Lille, France, bargain hunting is an annual event called La Braderie de Lille (The Fair of Lille.) The world's largest flea market takes place in the first week of September each year. A not to be missed event for an international bargain hunter.

I'd love to hear from any of my readers who went to La Braderie in Lille this past year. Sounds like a great time for a bargainista.