Originally Posted by Backhomeatlast (Post 5977094)

Oz when you take into account the poor wages is much more expensive than the UK, I had to work 6 days a week in Perth just to have enough to live:eek:

Originally Posted by islandmom (Post 5977124)

but the UK is still expensive ;) still a reality that prices and cost of living is high.

Oz I cant comment on as I've never been.

This year we're going to the UK to do the family thing and then later in the year flying to the US and doing all our clothes / christmas / supplies shopping there. Even with flights, hotels and cars this will save us money plus we get a vaca out of it.

I just get pissed off with knowing that I can get the identical things for at least 50% less in the US, and that bugs me. Specially as sometimes its even made in the UK!!

Originally Posted by Backhomeatlast (Post 5977144)

Australia is much more expensive, I have own home a new car and a dig 750cc bike, plenty of money left over after all the bills:thumbup:I dont find it as expensive as many Coutries I have visited.

Originally Posted by rugbymatt (Post 5977246)

How about the fuel?

Originally Posted by Backhomeatlast (Post 5977271)

I earn plenty:thumbup:so that is not an issue.

Originally Posted by islandmom (Post 5976873)

you dont find cars expensive, the fact that you pay more than almost any other country for them?

you dont find petrol costs expensive??

you dont find house prices expensive??

you dont find clothing/electronics/sports equip expensive (bearing in mind that Brits flock to places like the states PURELY to go shopping for these things??)

FACT - UK is expensive, its not an opinion, its a fact of world economics, whether you like it or not

we get paid in pounds sterling too .... sorry to burst that little bubble of yours about the 3rd world currency.

Originally Posted by islandmom (Post 5976873)

FACT - UK is expensive, its not an opinion, its a fact of world economics, whether you like it or not

Originally Posted by rugbymatt (Post 5976879)

Diesel has just reached £1.20 a litre in Chi!!!!

Originally Posted by Backhomeatlast (Post 5977271)

I earn plenty:thumbup:so that is not an issue.

Originally Posted by genegenie (Post 5978205)

Its an issue for a lot of people.

Originally Posted by rugbymatt (Post 5977275)

What a bizarre statement!

Originally Posted by Tableland (Post 5977100)

One can only generalise of course, but I would say that as a homogenous and still mainly monocultural society (despite relentless campaigns to make us believe otherwise), Britain is a very different kettle of fish from all the other new world nations. So Australia, Canada, NZ and the US have much more in common than they have with Britain. Having said that I would argue that Brits and Canadians are quite similar in their way of thinking, as are the Americans and Australians in their thinking.

While Britain shares some of the same problems as these other nations, I would make the case that it also has some fairly unique problems (at least relative to the other new world nations), and also many virtues of course, such as relative cultural and linguistic homogeneity, many job opportunities all within commuting distance of one another, and proximity to Europe.

The bad news is that Britain is chronically overpopulated, and this is leading to many serious problems such as seriously over-priced housing ( I am aware of Australian house prices), desperate gridlock on most roads every day, crumbling transport infrastructure, lack of personal space in shops and on streets and parks, long queues everywhere and a general malaise when it comes to social interaction with one another.

Another thing, in my personal view, which is causing difficulties is a general lack of direction that is obvious for the British people to follow, thereby robbing them of a lot of inspiration about the future. For one thing, most Brits understand that Britain is no longer a proper democracy (by old definitions at least) and neither is it a proper sovereign nation, and in my opinion this has made many Brits feel like they are powerless to shape their country's future. This is slowly turning the whole nation into what a few decades ago was only found in really run-down areas of low-employment, which is to say people giving up and not caring about their country. While I have encountered this attitude in certain poor parts of Canada, generally my experience of Americans and Australians is that they have a great deal of optimism about their nations' futures (where misplaced or not!)

Also the weather is pretty uninspiring, although if you grew up with it you should be able to handle it. 40+ weeks of cloud and rain every year isn't a lot of fun. Damp is really unpleasant, and so much more pervasive and depressing than extreme heat or cold. People from as far apart as Finland and Greece have asked me how we live in such damp all the time.

But despite the above, I don't think there is a huge difference of quality of life between these nations, and I don't think Britain is a poor choice to live in at all; it depends on what you want out of life. THe one thing I would add though is that I feel Britain (or any cold country for that matter) is probably not a great place to grow old in, and I feel this is supported by the large number of Brits shifting to Spain and Provence every year to retire.

Just a thought.

Originally Posted by elfman (Post 5977859)

just one thing I would mention - we found food and baby supplies to be better value in the UK than in the USA on our last trip back over Christmas.