Most people won’t have a gift from Wayne of £10,000 in their pocket to spend like Colleen, but HM Customs and Excise insists that any goods worth over £145 must be declared by going through the Red Channel at the airport. Duty varies depending on each item, for example it’s 12% for a pair of jeans or 7% for a pair of leather shoes – all plus VAT.

“Anyone thinking of doing their Christmas shopping in New York over the next couple of months should be mindful of the legal limit on imported goods. People going away for a long weekend often forget travel insurance, but if you’re spending all your hard earned cash on bargains in Bloomingdales, you need to make sure you’re covered if your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged on the way home. It’s also important to check the value of personal belongings your policy covers you for,” said Gev Lynott, director of financial services at ASDA.

When travelling from a non-EU country, you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:

• 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
• 2 litres of still table wine
• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other liqueurs.
• 60cc of perfume
• 250cc of eau de toilette
• £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs

• ASDA’s home, motor and travel insurance policies are available online at www.asda.com. Alternatively customers can call: 0845 300 5775 for travel insurance; 0845 300 5772 for home insurance; 0845 300 5772 for motor insurance; 0845 303 0880 for health cash plans. Lines are open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.
• ASDA Pet insurance is available by calling 0845 300 5777. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm Mon-Fri and Sat 9am – 1pm.
• Information on ASDA’s life insurance is also available at www.asda.com and cover is available by calling 0845 600 2732. Lines are open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.
• ASDA Health Cash Plans are available by calling. Lines are open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.
• Information on ASDA’s financial services products is also available in all its 267 stores.