Homeiswheretheheartis

Just been reading a thread on the US forum regarding going back to the UK on holiday and its very negative Comments on how expensive the UK is, how the weathers rubbish, not wanting to spend that much time with family etc etc.

How different we all see the experience on being an expat, which I do see as a good thing I just find it strange how different we all see it. I'm the opposite and think the US is expensive, the weather is different but not better, miss family loads

I guess thats why I read this section more as I feel Im with like minded people

gillyd65

We were definitely better off in the UK even though OH is earning more here. We can't afford for our two children to do all the activities that they did in the UK, they are way too expensive here (Canada). Just for them both to swim in a team its $5000+ then on top of that is all your expenses of getting them to and from swim meets, flying out to national events and being charged for each comp they compete in. So a quick recky on the total comes in at about $8,000 to $10,000 per year. The UK was 500 pounds for them both for the year including all transportation, swim meets, training etc etc (any international comps only cost us 100 pounds extra as they got funding from lottery sports fund, local council etc). So they now have to just pick one activity. Leaving behind tennis, rugby, golf, dance, guitar lessons, flute lessons, ensembles, band..... these were all provided for at school in the UK or cost us very little in comparison with here. Better quality of life for them here? more opportunities? think not (unless you are earning mega mega bucks and working 24/7).

Homeiswheretheheartis

Yes I have found sports to be the same here in the US, far to expensive! I think the biggest one to explain to people is the cost of fuel. Its very cheap here in the US, but I need to travel by car everywhere and cars here use loads of fuel so I end up spending just as much as at home on fuel

The only way I can sum up the US, is that it would be a good place to be if you have money, forget it if you don't because it survival of the fittest here

In the UK we used to have charity clothes/food drives for third world countries, here its for the school on the next block. I was reading about the local schools here and one of them 85 % of children are homeless I am aware that there are bad schools areas in the UK and we do have homeless, but not 85% of a school and it isn't headline news here.

gillyd65

Same here with the fuel. My OH spends $250 per week on fuel to do his job. In the UK (did travel quite widely) average spend was no more than 200 pounds per month (1.9 diesel). He tried to get the most economical vehicle for his job here but its still costing us an absolute fortune. Same here with the food banks although I don't think the percentages are as high as the US.

dunroving

Can't you buy economical cars in the US? You don't have to buy a Dodge Ram truck or a Ford Excursion, you know.

Homeiswheretheheartis

Yes I can buy a car that is economical on fuel, but there is nothing I can do about the distances you need to travel in the US and don't get me started on second hand car prices or car insurance

Brigette

I just read the thread. Look at it this way. People are not monolithic, therefore there will be differences of opinion on people's preferences of living in the UK vs living in America. I always find it enlightening to read the varying opinions. Some I agree with, others I don't. Always interesting though

Orangepants

I dont think the US thread is about preference of living in the UK v. the US or the cost of things in either country. It is about visiting family there and how you are treated when you get there and people's expectations.
My friends expect me to travel the length of the UK in my week long visits so it becomes a chore to manage to fit everyone in with their schedules. Two years ago, I arrived back to see Mum and she was running out the door off to the airport - "popping to Rome for a few days make yourself at home!" and my UK trip had been planned for 3 months!
And as for the US being cheaper - no way!
Merry Christmas

jemima55

I find it expensive in the USA.I have to grit my teeth when buying necessary items like clothes washing liquid because I find it really dear compared to what I`m used to paying in the UK.
We have bad weather in the UK but it doesnt usually lead to a 48 hour or more power outage, and we live near the centre of a major city!

dunroving

Unless you live in Scotland, of course:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16122285

Also, in the past week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-16176432

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-16207035

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16222724

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-16276748

- mind you, at least we have the commen sense to put most of our local power lines underground, not strung from flimsy pieces of timber!

Bluegrass Lass

Weather seems to be, generally, more extreme in the US than the UK. When you get 2inches of ice dumped on power lines/trees/roads/etc, you can expect power outages. When you get tornadoes, you can expect power outages, etc. I don't discount though that infrastructure in the US is aged in some areas.

Granted I only lived in the UK about 3months total, but I found things extremely expensive there compared to here. But then, I'm from the US midwest, not a major urban city. When comparing what I'm used to paying here, versus outside Glasgow, I was also gritting my teeth and couldn't believe the prices I was seeing. Perhaps if I was from a larger city (like Chicago or NYC), it wouldn't have been as surprising. The price of our car insurance was also extreme compared to what we were paying here in the US, but I think that has more to do with it not being a global insurance market, therefore your rating in your home country means nothing in the new country.

I found it deceptive when I calculated out that our 'economical' car in the UK which got about 55mpg, wasn't actually anymore economical than our US car. This is because UK gallons and US gallons are 2 completely different measurements. My husband and I were spending about £225/mo on diesel, compared to about $200/mo here (and he's traveling farther here). We were spending 60% more in the UK given the exchange rate.

I won't even compare the size of the flat we had in the UK compared to the size of our US apartment, for the same amount of money.

But it's very true, we all bring different perspectives to being an expat. We all give different things different levels of importance. I think being an expat definitely makes you put things in perspective and makes you realize what is most important to you.

jemima55

Dunroving,
Thank you for going to the trouble! I knew the storms in Scotland could be cited, but a closer look talks about power cuts in "remote areas", and Edinburgh seems to have been hit for a couple of hours, and have back up generators.
I`m living a few miles from the heart of the nation`s capital, USA, and last winter our power was off for 48 hours. No heat, light or cooking for two days in freezing temperatures. I`m not made for those kind of conditions!

Homeiswheretheheartis

As I said in my original post, I see our different out looks on being expats a good thing not a bad thing. I find it interesting how we feel about a country colours every area, e.g cost of living, weather and the people around you.

I bet if we actually sat and worked out the real cost of living in each country we would be surprised. All I know is its expensive everywhere now

The biggest lesson I have learn being in the US is, home is what you make it and it is the small things in life that make you happy. I am very lucky in that I will return to the UK in 2013, and I get to really enjoy the small things like a bru with my family, the lovely Lake District, sausages and the English sense of humour

In my head I knew this already but there is nothing like really experiencing it, to fully sink in To steal a quote from many threads I'm a square peg in a round hole here, and I can't wait to fit back in the UK

gillyd65

Couldn't agree more

Lothianlad

That is because the USA has a climate. The UK simply has weather, nothing more, nothing less. This time last year was completely different to what it is right now here in the UK in terms of weather conditions. Last year very much colder than the normal...this year a whole lot milder than the norm. One thing is certain weather related deaths are a whole lot more likely in the USA than they are here in the UK be it down to severe cold, severe heat, ice and snow events, ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes - even forest fires and all that kind of caper.

Here in the UK it's all quite tame, more mundane, in comparison and we Brits do tend to think that everything in America, no matter what, is on a much grander scale than than they are over here, and climatic conditions are certainly no exception.