crusheduk

Hi,

I am self employed and make about $7,000 per month. Take taxes away...leaves me with $5,000 per month.

Now in the UK.....I get by. My mortgage swallows $1,800 per month. then the rest of the bills. Not muh left. But living is ok.

So if I went to some areas in the U.S.A. I could me mortgage free. $5,000 per month would that give me a better lifestyle than in the UK? Is it enough to have a very comfortable life? (wife 2 kids..wife works) Forget about the legal aspects of getting into the U.S.A. for now.

Thx

BritishGuy36

You aren't clear on how you are getting these figures.

Are you simply converting your income in GBP into $, by multiplying it by the exchange rate? Because that doesn't work.

Cost of living varies wildly (within the USA) depending on where you live - much more so than in the UK.

But if you would be mortgage/rent free, that does go a long way.

As an example, where I live in small town Ohio, I could live on $2k a month easily (with no rent/mortgage), and very well on $3k. But in NCY or in California, $5k may not be enough.

crusheduk

It's US based. but I am not going into this thx. That's for my eyes.

I realaize the cost of living varies massivley.....i was kind of thinking in a small town what kind of standard of living would it give me?

You have answered it. Thx

rebeccajo

So you are talking 5000 US, right?

Is that just YOUR income as the self-employed half of your marriage or does that count what your wife makes in a wage-earning job? Are you going to have to re-establish your business over here?

You say your wife works - is she planning on still working in the US? If so depending on her skill set and the area of the country you move to, she may be many, many months finding work. There are many parts of the US where it is cheaper to live than others. The flip side of this coin is that usually in those same areas there are fewer employment opportunities.

If you plan on remaining self employed and your wife cannot find a job where health insurance is one of her benefits, prepare to spend what you were spending on your mortgage in the UK to buy monthly health cover for your family. And no - I am not exaggerating.

crusheduk

gee is it that much? $1,600+ That's CRAZY!!!!!

I was thinking about $800 per month max!

crusheduk

No work is on Net....so it moves around with me :-)

Wife does work in the UK. Doctor.

$5,000 is my wage after tax.....not wifes. I guess tyat would be bumped upto $8,000+ combined ? (we keep seperate accounts...)

Jerseygirl

Why forget the legal aspects of you coming to the US...this is the most important hurdle to climb?

BTW what happened to Canada...it's far easier to live there than it is to live here?

Jerseygirl

You've said previously your wife is a nurse.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...06&postcount=3

augigi

Maybe she became a doc in the last 2 years!?

To answer the question, in certain places that would be fine. I live in Pittsburgh, where you can buy a cheap house for around $65-75K and a super expensive one for $300K. I know LOTS of people who earn less than $60Kpa and do fine.

Jerseygirl

If so why didn't he include her income? He is self employed...trades the financial markets...so he won't be eligible for a visa through his job. Unless one of them is a USC he is wasting time.

scrubbedexpat091

5,000/month will be sufficient almost anywhere, may not be able to buy in some areas, but you wont suffer with that income.

I think sometimes people forget how much money 5,000 is, that was 3 1/2 months pay for me at my last job. But maybe cause I would never make that much so I think differently...

Curious to why you say Canada is an easier place to live. I live here and lived in California and I dont find it any easier, about the same really, only big difference is just about everything costs more in Canada.

I've been here 5 years and the only difference really is the lack of payments for medical insurance, well lower payments depends on province, we have monthly premiums in several provinces.

Rete

Probably because either as a nurse or a doctor she first has to clear the testing in order to be able to work as such in the US. Might take a while to do so and why count on an income you don't or won't have for a while.

Also think he under estimates US taxes if he thinks he will only have to pay $2,000 a month in taxes. Must include federal, state, perhaps city and/or county, property, social security contribution, medicare contribution, etc.

MsElui

he needs to forget about wife working (at least straight away) - she cannot just walk into a doctors job over here- she may need to cross train to more or less of a degree - others will know far more - but its not just interchangable.

Jerseygirl

I didn't mean live as in day to day life...I meant it is easier to get a visa to live in Canada than the US.

I wondering why he hasn't mentioned his wife's job...because unless one of them is a USC...her job may be the only path to obtain a visa and that isn't going to be any time soon or easy.

crusheduk

ok thx...

I do not fancy Canada any longer. Much higher taxes...US much better cultture.

Whether I could ever get a visa for the U.S.A. is highly doubtful..so I guess I am stuck in the UK..