anotherlimey

Sundays ...... and special occasions.

dragonfly

We have a better standard of living in the USA as to what we had in the UK we have medical insurance through employment so we do not have to pay high premiums. The prospect of sending our daughters to college is daunting but then you have to pay in the UK now maybe not as much as the USA. But on the whole our standard of living is much higher than in the UK and we have more spending power here, but salaries are higher in the NorthEastern States than in the South.

Lynne

The most expensive things I find here are utilities and regular phone. Just the standing charge for our regular phone runs about $65.00 a month. Our cheapest utilities are this time of year at about $90.00 (excluding water) due to neither heat nor air being on.

When we left the UK the property tax on our house was 450 pound per year, the house was under 1,000 sq feet on a total lot size of 17 feet by 90 feet. This curent year's property tax is $491.00 on a 3,000 sq foot home on 1.2 acres. Our water charges went from being unmetered at 120 pound per year in the UK to currently metered with an average bill of $10.50.

Our car insurance is a higher but now we have two vehicles and not one.

Food prices do vary greatly between store to store and town to town. We currently have food wars going on between Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger and what remain of Winn -Dixie, some stores will even discount if you show aother store's advert.

I think it is all swings and roundabouts and is very much dependant on your trade and where you decide to settle, just as it is in the UK.

NC Penguin

As well as mentioning which state(s) or cities you are considering moving to, does your family include children? If so, what age(s)?

Members with children can then chip in their comments about the cost of schooling in the US which can be quite an eye-opener for Brits.



NC Penguin

ImHere

Wow aint you lucky....ours is $9000 on a 2200 sq ft house on 1/4 acre.

Bob

but she's also out in the sticks of alabama...so it really does go to show how much it depends on where you live...

Elvira

What amazes me is the number of people who seem to equate 'standard of living' with how much things cost, or how much they can get for their bucks...

Elvira

Bob

well being able to afford decent food, able to afford being able to go out now and again certainly go towards standard of living....but your right, shite holiday time and being over worked so you can't enjoy the "gains" does take away from any large home....

Lynne

I wish I was in the sticks, I am just outside the City Limit of Aerospace country - if I were in the sticks my property tax would be half what it is now. lolol

Ray

But you have to see the bigger picture ...the states with lower property taxes have state income tax ...I bet lynnes does..... They just get it from you a different way.. her standing charge on her telephone is far too high ..she has been slapped with all the fancy extra .... You could pay the same in Florida if you want all the junk ...I pay less than $20 a month including calls... but I don't have 50 way calling or any extras ..

Bob

part of the state i'm living in, there's no choice, verizon are the only landlines, and the cheapest no thrills package is $30 a month....

ImHere

Yep this is very true. My phone is 20 bucks a month - even tho thats not due to the local Telco - and the lack of state income tax is very nice indeed...They'll get it off you some how or another and at least we have the option of having a cheaper house and hence lower property tax.

ImHere

one word (well acronym): VoIP

Bob

Aye, but the cable broadband is a bit to shite to rely on just using Voip...

candy wy.

sorrry not always the case.. we have low property tax and no state income tax.
although there are other disadvantages to living out in the sticks the cost of living is not one of them.