which is double the normal price

I don't believe the US dollar has dropped to being worth 25p just yet. ;-) If it's $22 in the US and £12.50 in the UK, you're not doing badly. More commonly, they're $5 in the UK and £6-8 in the UK. If you don't mind bulk-ordering a dozen at once, it's often cheaper to import them from Elderly Instruments or somewhere in the States.

For "ringing on", you might try the Martin coated strings.

Graham.