Derrygal

I was in Stirling a few years ago - I honestly didn't think the roads weren't too bad!!! I guess they're so bad here, they looked good there!!

Jerseygirl

Don't forget VAT...now at 20%.

On the whole I think sallysimmons is correct...when it's evened out taxes are about the same for both countries.

dunroving

Yes, it's funny how here in the UK it feels like we don't have purchase tax, but of course it (VAT) is just included in the ticket price, instead of being added at checkout. I just got a door lock replaced, for £240 + VAT. When you see it like that (as you usually do with VAT added to services) it makes you wince - my £240 door lock replacement actually cost £288!!

cheers

Here is the health insurance premiums in the UK.

http://www.petrolprices.com/price-of-petrol.html

Mummy in the foothills

Ain't that the truth.

Mummy in the foothills

nice, but at least with petrol you have a choice, you can mail order, have groceries delivered, catch the bus or the train or choose to walk.
But I see your point, we moan about the health care costs Brits moan about the petrol prices.
Dh spends $80 a week on gas here at the moment, and he only works 4 days a week. In UK I don't think he'd commute as far, he says he'd catch the bus

jasper123

Hello Barb,
OK I havent got that magical feeling that some get ---- you know suddenly one day they just feel as though everything is right and they belong here, maybe in time I will feel like one of the locals, this is only my first 39 days in the country, I have to keep reminding myself of that, but having my bedroom set up with all my special figurines and things and my favorite pictures around the wall that I brought in my suitcases from Las Vegas makes me feel at home, and now I have invested in a nice lap top, and I have a bank account here now, got a small UK pension being payed into it each month, ----- joined the library, registered with the council so my name is added to my Mums house, (when she was living alone all these years she got a reduction of 25% in her council property tax) thats how they do it here, so now the tax will be the full amount, of course I will pay the extra amount,
(I got a free senior bus pass now) my Daughter Maggie bought me a nice mobile phone, it came with a free top up of £10, and she told me the phone only cost her £13.50 so what a deal Huh, its T-mobile UK, you can buy them anywhere, and when you need more minutes you can top it up in any supermarket or newsagents,
My internet provider --- I decided to go with BT cause thats who my Mum has her phone service with, and as I added (MY) broadband to (her) account we got the free phone calls anytime minutes added, cause we now have a package you see, no extra charge for that, before MUM was paying for each minute on local city calls up until 7pm, after that it was free, and weekends were free all day, but now we can call anytime 24/7 for free within the city just like USA ---- but guess what its a lot better deal over here cause when you get free anytime minutes on your landline over here that means (NATIONWIDE) when I phoned BT to get the broadband connected there were many packages to choose from, I sisigned 18 month contract for the broadband --- so they offered me the 24/7 free phone calls, and they told me that it is free calls 24/7 all over UK ---England/Wales/Scotland and Northern Ireland, the monthly line charge is still the same for my Mum £13.63
and my broadband costs me £15.99 per month, the download speed is amazing, 10 gigs, warp speed just like startreck, they go up to 16 megs over here,
So well (NO) I havent got that magical feeling of belonging here yet ---- but I do have my foot in the door so to speak, and I really am getting used to the way of life here, and I do like it, on the most part so far I really have not seen too much negatives over here,
Its truly a delight to visit the Doctor over here, now I dont know if there all the same these days all over the UK, but in Portsmouth all the Doctors work in big what we would call clinics, here they call them Surgeries, there are 4 big clinics in Portsmouth, around 15 doctors in each one, all with there own large patient room where they work out of every day, you see a few years ago all Doctors in Portsmouth anyway joined together and agreed to work from big clinics all together, I suppose the NHS organized it that way, but its great and the system works very well, your allowed to make an appointment with any Doctor that you want, so far I have seen two Doctors, the first one I dont think was helping me too much, so now I am seeing a woman Doctor, I have always had better luck in US with a woman Doc, my Doc in Vegas for 14 years was a woman,
and so --- you walk into the clinic a little before your appointment time and you can either check in with the receptionist at the desk or ----- on the wall is a built in computer monitor, just press the start button and you just enter your birth date and it says are you Rodney ------- and you click yes and it says you have an appointment with Doctor ---- at time ---- press finish and you done, all touch screen, quite fun actually ---- takes only 10 seconds to check in, then you sit down in the waiting area and within 5 or 10 minutes the Doctors intercom calls your name and it says please go to room 8 or whatever, and when you see the Doc and she gives you your prescriptions you just go back into the clinic and right inside by the door is the pharmacy, big one too at least 5 or 6 pharmisists, so you hand in your prescription and they say would you like to wait and you say yes and sit down and honastly 5 or 10 minutes your name is called and they explain how to take the drugs/dosage and you walk out with a carrier bag fool of drugs, ---- and (EVERYTHING IS FREE) the Doctor free of course to everyone --- but if your over 60 the prescriptions are free too,
No one ever asks for your health card or what is the name of your insurance company, never a co--pay for anything, and all drugs are covered by NHS, no one ever asks for your I.D. and when you pick up your prescription they just ask you verbally your address and you just say the street name and number --- thats it, everyone is cheerful and happy and polite and professional and without all the BS and burocrosy, just plain and simple medical heath care --- no frills ---- just like I like it,
Well thats it for now folks,
I do have a few things that piss me off a little, not too many but I will tell you about them the next time,
Hope everyones dreams will quickly come true,

(ED) wont be long I hope and you and Hubby will be together again and doggies,

(Jackie) you are the next one to leave the nest, just a few weeks, have you done all you chucking and donating and sorting and packing yet? if not you better get a move on Miss, dont forget to tell your bank that you are going back to UK, thats if you intend to keep an account open over there, if you dont tell them you will have problems drawing any money out of the ATM, they just put a block on your account after the first time you use it in the UK, you will be fine when your home, leave all your worries behind you, and the secret is try not to compare things in UK to same things in US -----of course its different here, its a different country, --- its our country but when you are back with your family Mum & Dad you will feel soooo good, you will love it here, I had to wait weeks until i saw my first drop of rain but im pleased to say I have seen plenty of rain since, so you will not be disappointed Im sure, us desert rats need the rain and plenty of it

(Barb) are you living in Queensland where the floods are? I think you said you were there, your time to come home is not too far away is it,
Take care everyone,
Rodney.

Mummy in the foothills

Nice update Rodney. Sounds like most of it is really going well.

Derrygal

That's an expensive door lock! Where do you live - Fort Knox?

Fish n Chips 56

Well said DerryGirl, Thats the Truth!

And still I feel Insurance poor, my business rates doubled overnight three years ago, and never a claim in 12 years, Go figure.

jasper123

Hi windsong,
(NOPE NOT A DARN THING) I am so glad and happy to be here ----- and so happy that I aint over there anymore
Take care,
Rodney.

Fish n Chips 56

Im guessing you will never lose your car or home because you cant afford Petrol.

jasper123

Hi trotty,
No real surprises, great living with Mum, Sister phoned the other day, she was having a bad day so couldn't talk for long, some days are OK and some days are really bad for her,
Rest of family good, --- seen everyone over Christmas,
Just love it here, never going back to US, this was my last move, hey free bus pass and all
Take care,
Rodney,

trottytrue

Rodney...Things are going well for you when I was home a few years ago my brothers Dr's office was set up the same way. I had to laugh it had this big flashing screen above the reception area that gave your name and time.

I am sitting waiting for a phone call to tell us that the people are coming to view the house. They are flying in from somewhere. It snowed last night so I had to clean off the driveway didnt want to put them of seeing the snow. I always feel as if I've done a 10hour workout when people come to look at the house. I nearly always forget to go around and clean the storm doors and windows were Gabby sits and drools.(Gabby being my Scottie).
Must go and see if I can find any dirty marks on the walls. Fingerprints from my Grandsons and my OH.

I wasnt being mean by having a new Thread opened I just feel Healthcare is a really big issue I think we can learn alot but discussions can get complicated and take up vast amouts of space and when you are trying to look back and find information that is helpful to all it gets tedious and others might feel the same way wading through pages of heathcare to look for a post that someone had written on buying or giving booksmarks to information was just taking forever.

Fish n Chips 56

I love your stories Rodney, every detail, down to earth, you tell it like it is, that was a nice update, now Im curious what annoys you, I will wait patiently.