Wait for sales. The Levi jeans I wear are ~£80 a pair, but often come around at £40. Incidentally I believe Levi jeans in the US are made in Mexico, whereas the ones on the market in the UK are all made in Bangladesh. Some denimheads are convinced the Mexican ones are of poorer workmanship. Different washes (colours) are also priced differently and the cotton may vary between them even if they have the same cut (number). Like anything these days you need to do your research. I've never paid higher than £60 for a pair of jeans and only ever own 2 to 4 pairs at a time. They last a long while.
On a related note. I just got back from a month in the States and was surprised at how comparable prices were to the UK these days. Eating out, clothing, groceries, electronics. All fairly expensive. I'm not sure where rhino369 is shopping.
As I've never bought them in the UK, I don't watch UK prices. I've bought most of mine from JC Penney in the Boulevard mall in Las Vegas, and they often have deals, or will do deals (20% off). I remember getting five black 501 shirts for under $150, though that was a few years ago now ;-)
I usually stock up because (a) you can't rely on companies to keep the style identical -- not even Levi's; and (b) the price is only going to go up. They do last, so I still have several shirts I've never worn.
