To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
#17
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2017
Location: Miami
Posts: 462
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
I live in Miami, so this is purely based on my own experience over the last 18 mths
pros: climate, lifestyle, my teenage kids' lifestyle (healthier, more time outdoors), my weekends feel like being on vacation (beach/pool/boats), diversity of people and food choice, lack of boredom, not having to deal with freezing my arse off any more, and I love that people generally seem much more supportive of other peoples successes compared to UK
cons: horrendous rude drivers, horrendous health care system ($$$), awful florida 'no fault laws' (which I learnt about after messy expensive car crash that was totally not my fault), expensive groceries, insect bites in the humid months, flooded roads when it rains (which isn't anywhere near as often as I was told it would be thankfully), ridiculously expensive (and lack of) Indian food
I would 100% deal with the cons tho as the pros are amazing
pros: climate, lifestyle, my teenage kids' lifestyle (healthier, more time outdoors), my weekends feel like being on vacation (beach/pool/boats), diversity of people and food choice, lack of boredom, not having to deal with freezing my arse off any more, and I love that people generally seem much more supportive of other peoples successes compared to UK
cons: horrendous rude drivers, horrendous health care system ($$$), awful florida 'no fault laws' (which I learnt about after messy expensive car crash that was totally not my fault), expensive groceries, insect bites in the humid months, flooded roads when it rains (which isn't anywhere near as often as I was told it would be thankfully), ridiculously expensive (and lack of) Indian food
I would 100% deal with the cons tho as the pros are amazing
#18
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
We moved to north Texas back in 2017.
Pros: Great weather rare wet miserable days, friendly people, wide open spaces, wide roads, cheap petrol, always something to do, Texmex food, low crime rate.
Cons: Dangerous thunderstorms with tornados thrown in, no safety net as there is in the U.K, no NHS healthcare costs $$$, high property taxes, no decent curries.
However the pros outweigh the cons we are loving it here and have no desire to move as yet.
Pros: Great weather rare wet miserable days, friendly people, wide open spaces, wide roads, cheap petrol, always something to do, Texmex food, low crime rate.
Cons: Dangerous thunderstorms with tornados thrown in, no safety net as there is in the U.K, no NHS healthcare costs $$$, high property taxes, no decent curries.
However the pros outweigh the cons we are loving it here and have no desire to move as yet.
#19
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
Pros:
- S p a c e .
- Empty roads, cheap gas, and badass vehicles.
- Endless sunshine.
- No damp, mould, mildew, or rust.
- Cheap low-tax booze and free beer in casinos.
- Wonderful good-natured people.
- Much more likely to be maimed or killed in an auto accident.
- Much more likely to be mown down on a pedestrian crossing by a hit-and-run driver.
- Huge bills from the skin cancer center for melanoma treatment.
- Dry skin, endless static electricity shocks, and fleeces covered in masses of unremoveable cat hair.
- Uncontrollable alcoholic shakes while feeding more money into the slot machine.
- People who think that fixable situations are resolved by saying "Prayers".
#20
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Location: TX
Posts: 346
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
Thought I'd pop in to this:
Pros:
- Sun/heat
- Huge house (£300k here but would be £600k at home)
- Larger cars
- Lower cost of living
- Cheap fuel
- More money (I earn about £55k as a cop basic salary compared to mid 20's at home)
- Larger food portions
Cons:
- Cold/rain
- Allergies
- Healthcare cost
- Idiots with guns
- Drugs/alcohol
- BS/extra work you have to go through to get normal things because you are 'not from here'
- Establishing credit
- Not as much to do in a typical city compared to a million museums/sites in Scotland/England
- Food is as expensive/more expensive (Larger portions, lower quality)
- Phone bills extremely expensive
Pros:
- Sun/heat
- Huge house (£300k here but would be £600k at home)
- Larger cars
- Lower cost of living
- Cheap fuel
- More money (I earn about £55k as a cop basic salary compared to mid 20's at home)
- Larger food portions
Cons:
- Cold/rain
- Allergies
- Healthcare cost
- Idiots with guns
- Drugs/alcohol
- BS/extra work you have to go through to get normal things because you are 'not from here'
- Establishing credit
- Not as much to do in a typical city compared to a million museums/sites in Scotland/England
- Food is as expensive/more expensive (Larger portions, lower quality)
- Phone bills extremely expensive
#21
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
After a while it doesn't matter. Life takes over and crap happens. Some is good and some is bad because that is life. You might think you are better off because you have a bigger house or bigger cars but you still have the same bills coming in to live in that bigger house and to put gas in that car!
You'll have the honeymoon period to start with but after a while it is all the same.
You'll have the honeymoon period to start with but after a while it is all the same.
#23
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,558
Re: To those who've made the move -- what are the biggest pros and cons?
cons.
The weather is almost unbearable. Spring, summer, fall, it rains and rains and rains. Then, more rain. Winter, it’s intensely cold and the air is horrendously dry. Summer, it’s horribly hot & humid and beset by mosquitoes & deer flies. Give me English weather, with occasional light rain and mild winters with virtually no biting insects.
Nearest decent super market is 130 miles away.
(Northern New York State.)
The weather is almost unbearable. Spring, summer, fall, it rains and rains and rains. Then, more rain. Winter, it’s intensely cold and the air is horrendously dry. Summer, it’s horribly hot & humid and beset by mosquitoes & deer flies. Give me English weather, with occasional light rain and mild winters with virtually no biting insects.
Nearest decent super market is 130 miles away.
(Northern New York State.)