But there are only a handful of countries, mostly in northern (non-Mediterranean) Europe that are, in any objectively quantifiable manner, "better" than the US, and most of those criteria are matters of opinion as to how important they really are. For example, the NHS is more effective at delivering healthcare to low income people in the UK than the healthcare "system" in the US, so if that is important to you that is a plus point for the UK, however if you have adequate health insurance in the US you might not rate that as a plus factor for the UK.

That's a bit of a hazy example because I do have perfectly adequate heath coverage here in the US on my wife's insurance and her premiums are reasonable. On the other hand, I'm a tight-arse and free at the point of service wins for me every time (as with PAYE in the UK, I never really noticed the tax coming out as it was already gone by the time I got paid).

This whole issue explodes with subjectivity anyway, to the point where if you were to actually look into it, I bet the split between happy in the US and not happy in the US is near enough 50-50.

The US isn't "better" than the UK and the UK isn't "better" than the US - one may just offer a slightly better fit for an individual over another and even that is time sensitive

"Did you find everything you wanted?"

No, I just filled my trolley with a bunch of random shit because I didn't want it to be a waste of gas

I think you might want to ask your wife about the proper location for a sanitary napkin. Or is it that you haven't been using the hemorrhoid cream and now find it necessary to staunch the bleeding?

Regards, JEff

You read wayyyyy too much into that one!

Regards, JEff

Having to import Heinz baked beans through Amazon is a definite down side.

Ah, but you're in Chicago so it might not be an issue for you. I know I have seen them in Jewel-Osco stores, if they still have a British section. Meijer also has a British section but I haven't been in there for a while so I don't know if they have beans there.

Also, my wife picked me up a tin of US branded Heinz beans that were in tomato sauce. Think she got them at Wally World. Anyway, they weren't exactly like British Heinz beans but they did the job.

Safeway often has them.

We don't have Safeway here in Illiniois, though.

In the US, it is possible to have great health insurance, and then lose it.

If you become too ill to work, your employer coverage is going to evaporate with the job that you no longer have. There's the irony -- when you are in greatest need of the insurance, it goes away.

cobra

COBRA provides a maximum of 18 months of coverage, and monthly premiums have to be paid. Particularly for someone who is too ill to work, those premiums may be unaffordable.

I know someone in that exact situation right now.