sallysimmons

I think you'll find the cost of living quite a bit higher in California. Property taxes and utilities will be a lot more expensive than they are in the UK and your health care costs will be high and will increase by 20% every year. Currently we pay $1,400 a month for 2 people. 7 years ago, we paid $600 And every time we need drugs or a doctor's visit, we have to pay again.

I'm not sure if you're setting up your new business with your husband, but if you are, you will be dinged on self-employment taxes. (A married couple working together really get hosed on this). Add those to Federal tax, state tax and sales tax, and your tax burden will be higher here. (Not the case for people who are not married and self-employed by the way).

I hope things work out for you - lots of people love it here as you can tell!

As for my story, I came to the US 13 years ago with my job and loved it at first. Now I'm done and ready to leave. There are lots of positives but for me the extreme right-wing culture is just too much. Don't like guns, don't believe in God and don't think 'safety net' is a dirty word.

HumphreyC

Speaking of which, here is a great 'Broken Britain' quote from the comments section of the Torygraph. It starts off fairly sensible but goes rapidly downhill by the end of the second paragraph.

"England, Europe and America are already bankrupt whilst continuing to print/borrow more money.

We have a declining worker demographic and an ever growing elderly generation to support. We also have to fund a growing welfare claim for indigenous chavs and imported foreigners who have no intention of working.

Economically, we are more or less finished. If there is a glimmer of hope, it is that things always get better in the end. Not this time. IF the economy recovered over the next decade, we can then look forward to civil unrest; possibly even religious civil war"

I'd better start stockpiling weapons then!

SultanOfSwing

I doubt they'd notice back home - civil unrest in Northern Ireland? Unlikely

Infowarrior

Thanks for replying. My wife is astonished by your healthcare costs. She used to be in the insurance game, or 'racket' I'd call it. She's wondering if you've moved healthcare providers a bunch of times or had some medical issues. Is that really a realistic monthly fee for healthcare?

Why is California healthcare more expensive than other states?

Infowarrior

Well that's one thing I am truly not going to miss when I leave here

SultanOfSwing

One thing that is true the world over, there'll always be a bunch of dickheads to annoy you. If it's not chavs it'll be something else

I was suprised to find so many rednecks this far north . . .

N1cky

California healthcare costs are reportedly the most expensive in the country, if you go to the doctor with a headache they will send you for a head scan before testing your eyes, as everyone sues. Apparantly more tests are run in CA than anywhere else because they are so scared of litigation, hence the premiums are so high.

Infowarrior

I agree with you on the first point, but I was really surprised that everyone in CA that I came across just behaved themselves, even the kids. Mind you I didn't go near any deprived areas so I accept this probably isn't the norm.

I was out tending my garden the other day and some hooligan kid saw me and shouted abuse at me as he rode past on his bike! The nerve of some people!

SultanOfSwing

You should have thrown a rock at the little scrote. If no-one teached these oiks a lesson that is what happens . . .

Infowarrior

Haha, I would but it was only as he shot off around the corner that he decided he was brave enough to shout an expletive at me! Bless him...

SultanOfSwing

Oh, when you put it like that it seems rather harmless, I thought it was delivered direct to your face. Now it seems more akin to when we used to draw knobs in the fog on the windows of the school bus when I was a lad

I remember the odd driver behind us would gesture with the Jasper Carrott 'dickhead' hand movement or flick a V-sign. Ahhh, great days

Infowarrior

Sounds like you've been away from Blighty too long.... He was just your regular common or garden chav, would piss his pants if he had to deliver his carefully crafted insult ("twa*") to my face.

And yes I've delivered that particular shuffling hand movement to a driver once or twice. I must remember these things do not translate over there! My wife has only recently taken to flicking V signs at me, usually accompanied with a chuckle at how silly she feels doing that gesture!

SultanOfSwing

I just misread your post - you made it seem like it was worse. We had better manners than that in NI - nobody gets called a twat unless they actually deserve it.

And that was the drivers gesturing at us , bit of back and forth banter between school bus and car in the afternoon traffic. No harm intended nor given.

Sally Redux

A word to the wise, they have guns over here.

Cape Blue

Rule of thumb when I am employing people is to use $1,000 - $1,200 for the insurance costs for an employee who is married (company then pays 70%, leaving the individual with 30% of the $1,200).

I think deprived areas in the US go way beyond the UK - partly down to the lack of a social safety net. Oakland, Richmond, Compton etc - make Moss Side look like Putney.