Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Feb 24th 2005, 12:04 am
#16
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,006
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by Perfumdiva1
Jackpet
Within the last 4months we have had the opportunity to return to Aberdeen twice
I am from there but my husband is from down south. I have been back to Abz 4 times in the last 12 months.
We are also, based in Houston, and have been in the US for nearly 8 years. Whenever I have the yearning to go back, which by the way, is not often, I go in to the city centre, and look and listen. This is not a place I want my children to be brought up. We also went to private schools in Aberdeen, and my kids have places there if we need them, if and when, we return.
The crime if awful, and getting worse, and I have to say, I feel safer in Houston than in Aberdeeen, and Cornwall is even worse.
It is a purely personal choice, but with the house prices, fuel prices etc, and the UK dentists are crap, even if you can get an appointment, for now, this is the best place for us.
Who knows what next year will bring, but I will be kicking and screaming if I have to return, even though my family are there and many good good friends.
Again, a personal choice
PS Try the Indian next to Filthy McNasty's, ( I presume it is still called that), yum yum
Good luck
PD
Within the last 4months we have had the opportunity to return to Aberdeen twice
I am from there but my husband is from down south. I have been back to Abz 4 times in the last 12 months.
We are also, based in Houston, and have been in the US for nearly 8 years. Whenever I have the yearning to go back, which by the way, is not often, I go in to the city centre, and look and listen. This is not a place I want my children to be brought up. We also went to private schools in Aberdeen, and my kids have places there if we need them, if and when, we return.
The crime if awful, and getting worse, and I have to say, I feel safer in Houston than in Aberdeeen, and Cornwall is even worse.
It is a purely personal choice, but with the house prices, fuel prices etc, and the UK dentists are crap, even if you can get an appointment, for now, this is the best place for us.
Who knows what next year will bring, but I will be kicking and screaming if I have to return, even though my family are there and many good good friends.
Again, a personal choice
PS Try the Indian next to Filthy McNasty's, ( I presume it is still called that), yum yum
Good luck
PD
Any scoop on Dundee? Please PM me if you want to keep it off this thread. Thanks!
Feb 24th 2005, 12:32 am
#17
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 629
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by dunroving
Don't want to hijack this thread, but do you know much about Dundee (know it's not Aberdeen, but it's not TOO far)? Have seen a couple of job opportunities there. I looked at the City Council Web site and it seems to be a nice place - but then what else would I expect to see from their Web site?
Any scoop on Dundee? Please PM me if you want to keep it off this thread. Thanks!
Any scoop on Dundee? Please PM me if you want to keep it off this thread. Thanks!
Feb 24th 2005, 9:53 am
#18
Who?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Stepford
Posts: 3,098
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by ags
PLease think even longer and harder! We are leaving the UK after 10 years, so we came back when you left. I am sorry to say that the place really is going to the dogs, and unless you have a vast amount of money, it really can be tough. We are tired, struggling uphill all the time. If it is not the healthcare,( I had to wait 3 yrs for a major operation), then the schooling is a battle too. You may not get your children into the school of your choice, you now have to provide up to 6 choices when you apply, and of course all the better schools are over subscribed, so children just get put wherever there is a place. Private schooling is unaffordable, unless again money is no object, Private healthcare is expensive, but if your company pays then that is fine.
You cannot work legally now if you do not have a valid National insurance number, so your husband will have to sort that out. The inland revenue will contact you at some point to let you know how much national insurance you have short paid, and give you the option to pay it in, but that is no guarantee you would receive the full pension, about £130 a week for couples.
I don't know if you would be able to get a mortgage straight away, as you are supposed to be on the electoral role so thay can do credit checks and the like. Without a credit history it sucks! We had to pay cash for everything for 3 years until we had voted!!
There are good things, plenty of history, free museums, lovely countryside, but for us it doesn't work. A day out for a family of 4 will set you back £100, nothing fancy, so you can see a lot of planning goes into everything!
Sorry to be so negative but these are the realities of Britain today. Take care and hope you decide what is best for all of you.
You cannot work legally now if you do not have a valid National insurance number, so your husband will have to sort that out. The inland revenue will contact you at some point to let you know how much national insurance you have short paid, and give you the option to pay it in, but that is no guarantee you would receive the full pension, about £130 a week for couples.
I don't know if you would be able to get a mortgage straight away, as you are supposed to be on the electoral role so thay can do credit checks and the like. Without a credit history it sucks! We had to pay cash for everything for 3 years until we had voted!!
There are good things, plenty of history, free museums, lovely countryside, but for us it doesn't work. A day out for a family of 4 will set you back £100, nothing fancy, so you can see a lot of planning goes into everything!
Sorry to be so negative but these are the realities of Britain today. Take care and hope you decide what is best for all of you.
I live in a beautiful part of North West England, 5 mins from the sea. Apart from the educational problems we have had, we have been ok with health care and dentists because we have been here for 16 years. However newcommers to this area cannot get on a dentists lists or a local doctors. We are finding it immpossible to get a doctors appointment when we need it which thankfully isn't often. Our main problem is cost of living
Everything costs a fortune yet my husband hasn't had a pay rise for three years. His skills are not valued here yet in the states they are. I am selfemployed and new government regs make my life a nightmare.A day out or dinner out are rare treats (a few times a year) because for a family of 5 it is impossible to afford it. Clothes are expensive and I feel awful that my teenagers cannot have some of the things they would like.We don't want to give them everything but we struggle to give them even small things. During the day my small town is safe and we have a good little train to Liverpool. At night however we don't go out because of all the drunken yobs who make the town unsafe and the train is a no go area. We are mainly leaving because we cannot afford to stay. We don't have any family left and so we don't have those extra ties.
Everywhere has bad things and good things it is a case of striking a balance and for us that will not be here but it might be for you. It is a hard descision(sp?) and I sometimes really panic and think it would be easier to stay but we have done a lot of research, talked to a lot of people and feel we have made the right choice and at the end of the day that is all you can do.
So good luck again
Feb 24th 2005, 12:46 pm
#19
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Hi
Thanks for that - I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. I am sorry to be all doom and gloom to about the US as that is where you are heading! Just thought you might be interested to see how we have fared recently.
My husband has been unemployed for 3 months and there isnt a job in sight for him here in Boston - he is a DB2 guy and is really good at his job. He has been laid off once and is a now a contractor - last time his contract expired it took him 8 months to find work - and thank god I was working so we still did have health insurance. All the local work here has been offshored or the comapnies have bee taken over and the jobs eliminated ...
As for me I have had 2% pay rises for the the last 4 years and have survived 3 rounds of layoffs in those years. So things economy wise arent that much better here! I hit lucky with my job as i have pretty specialist IT skills not easy to replace.
The local schools are awful where I live and thats why we have them in private school which we need to pay for and now Hubby is unemployed we are struggling to afford that too - if we stayed we would have to pull them out. If we stayed longer then there is no way we could afford to put them through university here ($30,000 per year for each of them for four years at current prices!!)
Yes we have a nice house and all the trimming that go along with it - but how long we can hold on to these given the current economy here is questionable. In addition the exchange rate is very low and bringing back dollars is a nightmare so we have to leave them here and hope that things get better.
We pay dearly for our health insurance - currently we pay $60 per month dental insurance and $250 health insurance and $10 per month for eyecare insurance - we pay $15 every time we see a doctor (with 2 little kids this adds up!) and this week i spent $45 on prescription medicine that wasnt covered by my health insurance. Its $50 if you go to the ER.
The last time I went to the dentist ( i cant afford to go right now - even with helath insurance) - a filling cost me $190 and a root canal - $800 - this is with health insurance which just covers a % of your dentist bills! We also pay social security tax on top of that which is about 5% and then state tax about 5% and then federal tax about 25-30% and then on top of that we pay sales tax off 5% here in MA on everything except food. When you add it up - its not that much better than in the UK!
Crime is a big probem here - I call up the parents before my kids go for a play date and ask them if they have any guns in the house - if they say yes then I respectfully decline and offer to have the kids come over here to play. I grew up in Liverpool 8 during the 70's and 80's - I'd take my chances there rather than venture onto the trains here at night anywhwere outside of the city centre.
The cost of heating in the winter is outrageous due to the cold weather - last month my heating gas bill was $250 and we are stingy with heat compared to others! People with oil fired heating are paying twice that - we put in the highest efficiency gas furnace before christmas and its paying off now.
Without two incomes - most people I know are in the same position as myself - struggling ; those with two incomes who got on the housing ladder before the boom are doing OK.
I really hope things work out for you and that you are happy in the US - but things here in New England arent all that rosy either - maybe better where you are going - I hope so.
Good Luck
Claire
Thanks for that - I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. I am sorry to be all doom and gloom to about the US as that is where you are heading! Just thought you might be interested to see how we have fared recently.
My husband has been unemployed for 3 months and there isnt a job in sight for him here in Boston - he is a DB2 guy and is really good at his job. He has been laid off once and is a now a contractor - last time his contract expired it took him 8 months to find work - and thank god I was working so we still did have health insurance. All the local work here has been offshored or the comapnies have bee taken over and the jobs eliminated ...
As for me I have had 2% pay rises for the the last 4 years and have survived 3 rounds of layoffs in those years. So things economy wise arent that much better here! I hit lucky with my job as i have pretty specialist IT skills not easy to replace.
The local schools are awful where I live and thats why we have them in private school which we need to pay for and now Hubby is unemployed we are struggling to afford that too - if we stayed we would have to pull them out. If we stayed longer then there is no way we could afford to put them through university here ($30,000 per year for each of them for four years at current prices!!)
Yes we have a nice house and all the trimming that go along with it - but how long we can hold on to these given the current economy here is questionable. In addition the exchange rate is very low and bringing back dollars is a nightmare so we have to leave them here and hope that things get better.
We pay dearly for our health insurance - currently we pay $60 per month dental insurance and $250 health insurance and $10 per month for eyecare insurance - we pay $15 every time we see a doctor (with 2 little kids this adds up!) and this week i spent $45 on prescription medicine that wasnt covered by my health insurance. Its $50 if you go to the ER.
The last time I went to the dentist ( i cant afford to go right now - even with helath insurance) - a filling cost me $190 and a root canal - $800 - this is with health insurance which just covers a % of your dentist bills! We also pay social security tax on top of that which is about 5% and then state tax about 5% and then federal tax about 25-30% and then on top of that we pay sales tax off 5% here in MA on everything except food. When you add it up - its not that much better than in the UK!
Crime is a big probem here - I call up the parents before my kids go for a play date and ask them if they have any guns in the house - if they say yes then I respectfully decline and offer to have the kids come over here to play. I grew up in Liverpool 8 during the 70's and 80's - I'd take my chances there rather than venture onto the trains here at night anywhwere outside of the city centre.
The cost of heating in the winter is outrageous due to the cold weather - last month my heating gas bill was $250 and we are stingy with heat compared to others! People with oil fired heating are paying twice that - we put in the highest efficiency gas furnace before christmas and its paying off now.
Without two incomes - most people I know are in the same position as myself - struggling ; those with two incomes who got on the housing ladder before the boom are doing OK.
I really hope things work out for you and that you are happy in the US - but things here in New England arent all that rosy either - maybe better where you are going - I hope so.
Good Luck
Claire
Feb 24th 2005, 2:03 pm
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by dunroving
Don't want to hijack this thread, but do you know much about Dundee (know it's not Aberdeen, but it's not TOO far)? Have seen a couple of job opportunities there. I looked at the City Council Web site and it seems to be a nice place - but then what else would I expect to see from their Web site?
Any scoop on Dundee? Please PM me if you want to keep it off this thread. Thanks!
Any scoop on Dundee? Please PM me if you want to keep it off this thread. Thanks!
Morning
Well, what can I say about Dundee, not too much actually, apart from what I know, being only 1 1/2hrs drive from Aberdeen.
Dundee for years has had the reputation for being a dirty, depressing dump, with no shops you would want to go to.
BUT, over the last couple of years, Dundee has improved tremendously, looks cleaner, tidier, better shopping etc
Would I want to live there, NO
Sorry, for not being more positive
PD
Feb 24th 2005, 2:21 pm
#21
Who?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Stepford
Posts: 3,098
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by usedtoberoche
Hi
Thanks for that - I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. I am sorry to be all doom and gloom to about the US as that is where you are heading! Just thought you might be interested to see how we have fared recently.
My husband has been unemployed for 3 months and there isnt a job in sight for him here in Boston - he is a DB2 guy and is really good at his job. He has been laid off once and is a now a contractor - last time his contract expired it took him 8 months to find work - and thank god I was working so we still did have health insurance. All the local work here has been offshored or the comapnies have bee taken over and the jobs eliminated ...
As for me I have had 2% pay rises for the the last 4 years and have survived 3 rounds of layoffs in those years. So things economy wise arent that much better here! I hit lucky with my job as i have pretty specialist IT skills not easy to replace.
The local schools are awful where I live and thats why we have them in private school which we need to pay for and now Hubby is unemployed we are struggling to afford that too - if we stayed we would have to pull them out. If we stayed longer then there is no way we could afford to put them through university here ($30,000 per year for each of them for four years at current prices!!)
Yes we have a nice house and all the trimming that go along with it - but how long we can hold on to these given the current economy here is questionable. In addition the exchange rate is very low and bringing back dollars is a nightmare so we have to leave them here and hope that things get better.
We pay dearly for our health insurance - currently we pay $60 per month dental insurance and $250 health insurance and $10 per month for eyecare insurance - we pay $15 every time we see a doctor (with 2 little kids this adds up!) and this week i spent $45 on prescription medicine that wasnt covered by my health insurance. Its $50 if you go to the ER.
The last time I went to the dentist ( i cant afford to go right now - even with helath insurance) - a filling cost me $190 and a root canal - $800 - this is with health insurance which just covers a % of your dentist bills! We also pay social security tax on top of that which is about 5% and then state tax about 5% and then federal tax about 25-30% and then on top of that we pay sales tax off 5% here in MA on everything except food. When you add it up - its not that much better than in the UK!
Crime is a big probem here - I call up the parents before my kids go for a play date and ask them if they have any guns in the house - if they say yes then I respectfully decline and offer to have the kids come over here to play. I grew up in Liverpool 8 during the 70's and 80's - I'd take my chances there rather than venture onto the trains here at night anywhwere outside of the city centre.
The cost of heating in the winter is outrageous due to the cold weather - last month my heating gas bill was $250 and we are stingy with heat compared to others! People with oil fired heating are paying twice that - we put in the highest efficiency gas furnace before christmas and its paying off now.
Without two incomes - most people I know are in the same position as myself - struggling ; those with two incomes who got on the housing ladder before the boom are doing OK.
I really hope things work out for you and that you are happy in the US - but things here in New England arent all that rosy either - maybe better where you are going - I hope so.
Good Luck
Claire
Thanks for that - I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. I am sorry to be all doom and gloom to about the US as that is where you are heading! Just thought you might be interested to see how we have fared recently.
My husband has been unemployed for 3 months and there isnt a job in sight for him here in Boston - he is a DB2 guy and is really good at his job. He has been laid off once and is a now a contractor - last time his contract expired it took him 8 months to find work - and thank god I was working so we still did have health insurance. All the local work here has been offshored or the comapnies have bee taken over and the jobs eliminated ...
As for me I have had 2% pay rises for the the last 4 years and have survived 3 rounds of layoffs in those years. So things economy wise arent that much better here! I hit lucky with my job as i have pretty specialist IT skills not easy to replace.
The local schools are awful where I live and thats why we have them in private school which we need to pay for and now Hubby is unemployed we are struggling to afford that too - if we stayed we would have to pull them out. If we stayed longer then there is no way we could afford to put them through university here ($30,000 per year for each of them for four years at current prices!!)
Yes we have a nice house and all the trimming that go along with it - but how long we can hold on to these given the current economy here is questionable. In addition the exchange rate is very low and bringing back dollars is a nightmare so we have to leave them here and hope that things get better.
We pay dearly for our health insurance - currently we pay $60 per month dental insurance and $250 health insurance and $10 per month for eyecare insurance - we pay $15 every time we see a doctor (with 2 little kids this adds up!) and this week i spent $45 on prescription medicine that wasnt covered by my health insurance. Its $50 if you go to the ER.
The last time I went to the dentist ( i cant afford to go right now - even with helath insurance) - a filling cost me $190 and a root canal - $800 - this is with health insurance which just covers a % of your dentist bills! We also pay social security tax on top of that which is about 5% and then state tax about 5% and then federal tax about 25-30% and then on top of that we pay sales tax off 5% here in MA on everything except food. When you add it up - its not that much better than in the UK!
Crime is a big probem here - I call up the parents before my kids go for a play date and ask them if they have any guns in the house - if they say yes then I respectfully decline and offer to have the kids come over here to play. I grew up in Liverpool 8 during the 70's and 80's - I'd take my chances there rather than venture onto the trains here at night anywhwere outside of the city centre.
The cost of heating in the winter is outrageous due to the cold weather - last month my heating gas bill was $250 and we are stingy with heat compared to others! People with oil fired heating are paying twice that - we put in the highest efficiency gas furnace before christmas and its paying off now.
Without two incomes - most people I know are in the same position as myself - struggling ; those with two incomes who got on the housing ladder before the boom are doing OK.
I really hope things work out for you and that you are happy in the US - but things here in New England arent all that rosy either - maybe better where you are going - I hope so.
Good Luck
Claire
Liverpool is a great city and it is one of the things I will really miss but I wouldn't go on a train there at night. There have been 3 shooting incidents on our local train into the city in the last few months and my neighbours son is one of many people we know who has been beaten up so badly on the train at night that he has been hospitalised twice.
However there are things that concern me greatly about starting a new life in the states as we are not young anymore. I worry that my older children won't settle, I worry that my husbands much bigger than here salary won't be enough . Health care is a big concern etc etc.
This is starting to sound a bit like that Derek and Clive sketch so I'm going to go away now
Feb 24th 2005, 3:32 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 37
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Just read your last.
I'm sure you have thought about all the options regarding employment in the U.S. but have you researched San Anonio, or Austin.
Being in the oil industry we were based in Houston, but would love to have lived in either of those two cities. We used to visit and it had a very different feel to Houston. Both San Antonio and Austin have a well established and as far as I know, still growing software industry.
Rgds,
Peter
I'm sure you have thought about all the options regarding employment in the U.S. but have you researched San Anonio, or Austin.
Being in the oil industry we were based in Houston, but would love to have lived in either of those two cities. We used to visit and it had a very different feel to Houston. Both San Antonio and Austin have a well established and as far as I know, still growing software industry.
Rgds,
Peter
Feb 24th 2005, 4:03 pm
#23
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Actually
My Inlaws live in Dallas and we did consider Austin - they too were in the oil business and have retired there. But frankly its too far from the Ocean (and oo close to the inlwas - but dont tell them that!) .. doesnt it sound silly - but its true.
We lived in Jacksonville Florida for two years and couldnt stand the bible belt and also the hypocrisy of what to me is still a city caught up in an unifficial apartheid. I think at heart we are too British to stay here and maybe time will show that we are too american to be happy in the UK! Maybe we have become as someone else said "Citizens of the world" destined to drift around lookinf for the perfect place to live that no longer exists!
this has been a fascinating discussion for me - it seems that we are not the only ones struggling with this - and at the end of the day it really comes down to what compromises you can live with!
Thanks
Claire
My Inlaws live in Dallas and we did consider Austin - they too were in the oil business and have retired there. But frankly its too far from the Ocean (and oo close to the inlwas - but dont tell them that!) .. doesnt it sound silly - but its true.
We lived in Jacksonville Florida for two years and couldnt stand the bible belt and also the hypocrisy of what to me is still a city caught up in an unifficial apartheid. I think at heart we are too British to stay here and maybe time will show that we are too american to be happy in the UK! Maybe we have become as someone else said "Citizens of the world" destined to drift around lookinf for the perfect place to live that no longer exists!
this has been a fascinating discussion for me - it seems that we are not the only ones struggling with this - and at the end of the day it really comes down to what compromises you can live with!
Thanks
Claire
Feb 24th 2005, 4:05 pm
#24
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Mid West >> UK
Posts: 1,239
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
I think half the problem with the UK is the media. Because its so negative its making everyone feel so down. There are issues for every country but the big difference in the US is that the average American feels very lucky to be an American. Its a shame the UK media doesnt allow its citizens to have the same pride.
I live in a typical US suburb and feel very safe, however that is mainly because no one walks, so the streets are bare of life, and lets face it most people lock themselves into their car and then drive straight into their garage and lock the front door after them. My area is relatively free of crime however I stay away from the city. In the UK good people and not good people tend to live in the same communities as the country is so small. I wouldn say the US is safer, its just if you can afford it you live in areas that bad people cant get too.
Everyone says you can have a better way of life here but what they mean is the pound goes a long way in the exchange process. If you come here with nothing it will still take you as long to aquire nice things.
I live in a typical US suburb and feel very safe, however that is mainly because no one walks, so the streets are bare of life, and lets face it most people lock themselves into their car and then drive straight into their garage and lock the front door after them. My area is relatively free of crime however I stay away from the city. In the UK good people and not good people tend to live in the same communities as the country is so small. I wouldn say the US is safer, its just if you can afford it you live in areas that bad people cant get too.
Everyone says you can have a better way of life here but what they mean is the pound goes a long way in the exchange process. If you come here with nothing it will still take you as long to aquire nice things.
Feb 24th 2005, 6:39 pm
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 79
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by ladylisa
I think half the problem with the UK is the media. Because its so negative its making everyone feel so down. There are issues for every country but the big difference in the US is that the average American feels very lucky to be an American. Its a shame the UK media doesnt allow its citizens to have the same pride.
I live in a typical US suburb and feel very safe, however that is mainly because no one walks, so the streets are bare of life, and lets face it most people lock themselves into their car and then drive straight into their garage and lock the front door after them. My area is relatively free of crime however I stay away from the city. In the UK good people and not good people tend to live in the same communities as the country is so small. I wouldn say the US is safer, its just if you can afford it you live in areas that bad people cant get too.
Everyone says you can have a better way of life here but what they mean is the pound goes a long way in the exchange process. If you come here with nothing it will still take you as long to aquire nice things.
I live in a typical US suburb and feel very safe, however that is mainly because no one walks, so the streets are bare of life, and lets face it most people lock themselves into their car and then drive straight into their garage and lock the front door after them. My area is relatively free of crime however I stay away from the city. In the UK good people and not good people tend to live in the same communities as the country is so small. I wouldn say the US is safer, its just if you can afford it you live in areas that bad people cant get too.
Everyone says you can have a better way of life here but what they mean is the pound goes a long way in the exchange process. If you come here with nothing it will still take you as long to aquire nice things.
I live in the real world, come into contact with the yobs on a daily basis, see the old peole who are now afraid to go outside their own houses after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I could go on. I am making what to me is the only decision I can and leave. I cannot at the moment and not in the forseeable future see any way that I can effect the changes to enable me to start earning a fortune to let me move up the ladder where the well to do live in their own little bubbles without a clue here in the UK.
Feb 24th 2005, 8:00 pm
#26
Home at last
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Beautiful UK
Posts: 866
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by ags
Sorry to disagree with you Lady, but I don't need the media to tell me how bad it is here in the UK. In fact they are trying to do just the opposite! They keep telling us that crime is down overall, but gun crime is up, violent assualt is up, burglary is up, so the only crimes going down must be really petty stuff!
I live in the real world, come into contact with the yobs on a daily basis, see the old peole who are now afraid to go outside their own houses after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I could go on. I am making what to me is the only decision I can and leave. I cannot at the moment and not in the forseeable future see any way that I can effect the changes to enable me to start earning a fortune to let me move up the ladder where the well to do live in their own little bubbles without a clue here in the UK.
I live in the real world, come into contact with the yobs on a daily basis, see the old peole who are now afraid to go outside their own houses after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I could go on. I am making what to me is the only decision I can and leave. I cannot at the moment and not in the forseeable future see any way that I can effect the changes to enable me to start earning a fortune to let me move up the ladder where the well to do live in their own little bubbles without a clue here in the UK.
And yet when I speak to my elderly aunts and uncles they are all quite happy and take daily walks without being afraid. Guess like anywhare else on this planet it really depends on the specific area you live.
I know in my neighbourhood here in sunny Florida there are gangs of blacks with a chip on their shoulder and gangs of whites with their pants hanging off their butts thinking they're cool that have nothing better to do than vandalise things and bother people an dont anger them cause half of them probably are carrying a gun.
Since its everywhere, it really comes down to whats important in your life and what kind of lifestyle you want.
Feb 25th 2005, 12:31 am
#27
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,006
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by Perfumdiva1
Morning
Well, what can I say about Dundee, not too much actually, apart from what I know, being only 1 1/2hrs drive from Aberdeen.
Dundee for years has had the reputation for being a dirty, depressing dump, with no shops you would want to go to.
BUT, over the last couple of years, Dundee has improved tremendously, looks cleaner, tidier, better shopping etc
Would I want to live there, NO
Sorry, for not being more positive
PD
Well, what can I say about Dundee, not too much actually, apart from what I know, being only 1 1/2hrs drive from Aberdeen.
Dundee for years has had the reputation for being a dirty, depressing dump, with no shops you would want to go to.
BUT, over the last couple of years, Dundee has improved tremendously, looks cleaner, tidier, better shopping etc
Would I want to live there, NO
Sorry, for not being more positive
PD
Feb 26th 2005, 11:59 pm
#28
Banned
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 114
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by usedtoberoche
.. we have been in the US for over 10 years now. I have citizenship two american born kids (4 and 5) a good job and a lovely house pool boat etc. We are givng it all up to return to the UK to live in a 3 bed semi (probably!) in cheshire as I have a job there to go to.
I am terrified that we are going to regret this - is England the same country we left? We cant stand the US any longer as George Bush is a disgrace for a president - I think deep down we are socialists and cant come to terms with the profligate way of life and the waste that we see every day.
We didnt come to the US intending to stay this long - we just came for a year to work - we just sort of never went back!
The education system is bad here and to get our kids in catholic school we have to pay.
I am terrified of all the paperwork we need to do to get back in the system in the uk. Do we need to pay back taxes for the house we rented out? Shall we pay the 10 years of NI contributions we have missed? My husband has complications with his NI number that we need to resolve. Will we be able to get a mrotgage straight away or will we need to rent?
All in all I am terrified.
On the other hand I am excited that my girls (and maybe even me!) will play netball, my husband will be back playing rugby, we will be able to call up relatives and ask them to babysit whilst we have an evening out at the pub, we will be able to sit outside in the summer withour bug spray and worrying about equine encephillitis (we live in New England) - we can shop in M&S whenever we want - we can visit a real Butchers, buy decent beer and visit the doctor without worrying about health insurance.
Will people think we have failed? Will they be smug ? We ont feel like we have failed - we gave it our best shot - we waited until my citizenship was thru so now we can some back if we want and we have chosen to leave the US for what we consider a better life, but will other people see it that way - and do we even care!
Anyway I suppose I just need reassurance that we other people have done this move and not regretted it and that we are not crazy!!!
Thanks
Claire
Hopefully moving back by June 1st 2005 - (assuming house here sells!)
I am terrified that we are going to regret this - is England the same country we left? We cant stand the US any longer as George Bush is a disgrace for a president - I think deep down we are socialists and cant come to terms with the profligate way of life and the waste that we see every day.
We didnt come to the US intending to stay this long - we just came for a year to work - we just sort of never went back!
The education system is bad here and to get our kids in catholic school we have to pay.
I am terrified of all the paperwork we need to do to get back in the system in the uk. Do we need to pay back taxes for the house we rented out? Shall we pay the 10 years of NI contributions we have missed? My husband has complications with his NI number that we need to resolve. Will we be able to get a mrotgage straight away or will we need to rent?
All in all I am terrified.
On the other hand I am excited that my girls (and maybe even me!) will play netball, my husband will be back playing rugby, we will be able to call up relatives and ask them to babysit whilst we have an evening out at the pub, we will be able to sit outside in the summer withour bug spray and worrying about equine encephillitis (we live in New England) - we can shop in M&S whenever we want - we can visit a real Butchers, buy decent beer and visit the doctor without worrying about health insurance.
Will people think we have failed? Will they be smug ? We ont feel like we have failed - we gave it our best shot - we waited until my citizenship was thru so now we can some back if we want and we have chosen to leave the US for what we consider a better life, but will other people see it that way - and do we even care!
Anyway I suppose I just need reassurance that we other people have done this move and not regretted it and that we are not crazy!!!
Thanks
Claire
Hopefully moving back by June 1st 2005 - (assuming house here sells!)
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I from Leeds but I now live in Vermont near the Canadian Border. Why on earth would you want to give up the good life to move back to the UK for a higher cost of living, a crap healthcare system and a crap education system. If you want to get good education in England you are going to have to pay for it anyway. If you are not happy with Bush, he'll be gone in 4 years without question...........I remember the nightmare of never knowing when we could get rid of Thatcher! I do miss my family and friends, a decent pub and curry and of course Leeds United but I will NEVER live in the UK again. I think you ought to do more research on everything that plays a part in your life from the cost of housing through the cost of a gallon of gas(oh, I mean petrol) and compare. I hope you come to a decison that is right for you and your family
Feb 27th 2005, 12:10 pm
#29
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 959
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Being boring and practical, rental income on your house is payable (don't know the situation with you in the States but if we emigrate our agent would have to register our rental income with FICO and then deduct tax) by Self Assessment.
This may be a new to you but it is your responsibility to declare it in your tax form - it is also up to you to ask the Inland Revenue for the Self Assessment form plus the extra Land and Property pages. If you are a higher rate taxpayer, then you also have to do Self Assessment. (Gov way of shifting work onto the individual)
Happily, the Inland Revenue's website is actually fairly friendly and has lots of info.
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/cnr/nr_landlords.htm
This may be a new to you but it is your responsibility to declare it in your tax form - it is also up to you to ask the Inland Revenue for the Self Assessment form plus the extra Land and Property pages. If you are a higher rate taxpayer, then you also have to do Self Assessment. (Gov way of shifting work onto the individual)
Happily, the Inland Revenue's website is actually fairly friendly and has lots of info.
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/cnr/nr_landlords.htm
Feb 27th 2005, 9:09 pm
#30
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 192
Re: Please tell me we are doing the right thing...
Originally Posted by usedtoberoche
.. we have been in the US for over 10 years now. I have citizenship two american born kids (4 and 5) a good job and a lovely house pool boat etc. We are givng it all up to return to the UK to live in a 3 bed semi (probably!) in cheshire as I have a job there to go to.
I am terrified that we are going to regret this - is England the same country we left? We cant stand the US any longer as George Bush is a disgrace for a president - I think deep down we are socialists and cant come to terms with the profligate way of life and the waste that we see every day.
We didnt come to the US intending to stay this long - we just came for a year to work - we just sort of never went back!
The education system is bad here and to get our kids in catholic school we have to pay.
I am terrified of all the paperwork we need to do to get back in the system in the uk. Do we need to pay back taxes for the house we rented out? Shall we pay the 10 years of NI contributions we have missed? My husband has complications with his NI number that we need to resolve. Will we be able to get a mrotgage straight away or will we need to rent?
All in all I am terrified.
On the other hand I am excited that my girls (and maybe even me!) will play netball, my husband will be back playing rugby, we will be able to call up relatives and ask them to babysit whilst we have an evening out at the pub, we will be able to sit outside in the summer withour bug spray and worrying about equine encephillitis (we live in New England) - we can shop in M&S whenever we want - we can visit a real Butchers, buy decent beer and visit the doctor without worrying about health insurance.
Will people think we have failed? Will they be smug ? We ont feel like we have failed - we gave it our best shot - we waited until my citizenship was thru so now we can some back if we want and we have chosen to leave the US for what we consider a better life, but will other people see it that way - and do we even care!
Anyway I suppose I just need reassurance that we other people have done this move and not regretted it and that we are not crazy!!!
Thanks
Claire
Hopefully moving back by June 1st 2005 - (assuming house here sells!)
I am terrified that we are going to regret this - is England the same country we left? We cant stand the US any longer as George Bush is a disgrace for a president - I think deep down we are socialists and cant come to terms with the profligate way of life and the waste that we see every day.
We didnt come to the US intending to stay this long - we just came for a year to work - we just sort of never went back!
The education system is bad here and to get our kids in catholic school we have to pay.
I am terrified of all the paperwork we need to do to get back in the system in the uk. Do we need to pay back taxes for the house we rented out? Shall we pay the 10 years of NI contributions we have missed? My husband has complications with his NI number that we need to resolve. Will we be able to get a mrotgage straight away or will we need to rent?
All in all I am terrified.
On the other hand I am excited that my girls (and maybe even me!) will play netball, my husband will be back playing rugby, we will be able to call up relatives and ask them to babysit whilst we have an evening out at the pub, we will be able to sit outside in the summer withour bug spray and worrying about equine encephillitis (we live in New England) - we can shop in M&S whenever we want - we can visit a real Butchers, buy decent beer and visit the doctor without worrying about health insurance.
Will people think we have failed? Will they be smug ? We ont feel like we have failed - we gave it our best shot - we waited until my citizenship was thru so now we can some back if we want and we have chosen to leave the US for what we consider a better life, but will other people see it that way - and do we even care!
Anyway I suppose I just need reassurance that we other people have done this move and not regretted it and that we are not crazy!!!
Thanks
Claire
Hopefully moving back by June 1st 2005 - (assuming house here sells!)
Again as a previous contributor said "With the greatest respect..." 10 years down the line England can never be the same as the day you left.Can you manage a holiday in the UK just to see the differences before you leap back over for good.I have recently left the UK and am now in Aus so i am not the best to advise.One thing i would say is decent folk will embrace you back for what you are people with a load of guts and certainly not failures
Kind regards Oldgit
