Advantages and disadvantages of living in the USA?

[RoxieHart]

I love London uk. End of. Lol. Unless I became a billionaire and could move to New York with no problem .. Otherwise ill be staying put in the uk and saving us for holidays! Really interesting thread though

 

[RoxieHart]

Oh wait .. Fashion Is better here in the UK sorry .. Had to put that in here ..

 

[L.A Mommy]

I live in Los Angeles and LOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!!

 

[RoxieHart]

I live in Los Angeles and LOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!!

I'd love to go there ! X

 

[Noelle610]

Wow, I have lived in the United States my entire life. I was born and raised in Virginia and now live near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

I think I'd love to live in Canada now after reading all of this, lol. If only the ketchup didn't taste so darn weird...like sugar. LOL

American ketchup is so gross! All that high fructose corn syrup makes it taste weird. My grandparents go to the states a lot and bring home a lot of groceries and we were having dinner there last summer, had one bite of the hamburger and was like "this is American ketchup isn't it?"

Come to Canada, we have better ketchup and chocolate!

hahah I read that too and I was like "waaaa? Amnerican ketchup always tastes too sweet to me" Generally I find the same fast food places give much bigger servings in the US. I'm in the US often enough (2-3 times a year) to notice. Even our good Ole' Tim Horton's changed their cup size since they grew in the US (now a small is what a medium used to be, weird)

Reading this thread makes me realize that I'm def happy to live in Canada (if I were to pick between US, Canada and the UK). Though I've heard New Zealand is also nice. That's the only other place I would consider living besides Canada.

Yah I was appalled at the American sized timmies ( seriously, no one needs an xl large THAT big lol) and then we adopt their sizing

Don't mess with Americans and our huge coffees

Had no idea about the ketchup!

 

[summer rain]

Oh wait .. Fashion Is better here in the UK sorry .. Had to put that in here ..

In the US though they have several different sizing systems and cater a lot better for those that have unusual, very large or very small body shapes. They even have something called 'junior' sizing aimed at teenagers but unlike teenage sizes in the UK the clothes aren't any shorter or more petite so they are good for adults with a boyish or athletic figure too, or apple shaped ladies. They even have juniors plus in some ranges and the 17 size jeans fit me like a glove when no other jeans from anywhere fit me at all. Definitely stocking up next time I visit the US xx

 

[bubbles123]

Oh wait .. Fashion Is better here in the UK sorry .. Had to put that in here ..

In the US though they have several different sizing systems and cater a lot better for those that have unusual, very large or very small body shapes. They even have something called 'junior' sizing aimed at teenagers but unlike teenage sizes in the UK the clothes aren't any shorter or more petite so they are good for adults with a boyish or athletic figure too, or apple shaped ladies. They even have juniors plus in some ranges and the 17 size jeans fit me like a glove when no other jeans from anywhere fit me at all. Definitely stocking up next time I visit the US xx

Yes I agree about jeans. Size 9 jeans fit me really well but that size doesn't exsist in the UK, you can only get 12 (slightly tight) or 14 (too big). A US size 9 is a UK 13.
The USA is also the home of the size 00 - tiny!

 

[aliss]

We need to cross the border to buy OH's XXL sweaters from Walmart! God bless America On a side note, I absolutely love the USA. I love the diversity (although I am partial to the pacific northwest having grown up nearby in British Columbia), I love the attitude/pride, I love the availability of every food known to man, and I like the extremes of everything. It's not all great, but nowhere is, but I just admire it for what it is I've never been treated with anything less than respect there.

 

[RoxieHart]

I guess your right about sizing, but I ment design xx

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I find it interesting to Noelle, our insurance is also free for our whole family - paid by my husbands employer.

We do have a lot of programs that help people out as well, Medicaid/Medicare, unemployment payments, programs that help people's rent/ utilities. Women who make under a certain income here get all their prenatal, birth and postnatal care free- plus weekly $ for food for themselves and any children they have

My son was born premature at 28 weeks, because of his small size - he automatically was covered by the government . His bills are totaling over 1 million right now and we don't have to pay a dime... So I guess I find it a bit offbase to say how 'unhelpful' our government is

All very true. Our system is far, far from perfect but it's not as terrible as it's made out to be. It's really apples to oranges when you're comparing US healthcare to that of the UK or Canada, based on the sheer volume and diversity of our population.

My friend had to pay $2,000 for the birth of her baby in Indiana she's Canadian and in the US on work visa (hubby is American, they work for the same company). I told her to have her baby here

Oh wait .. Fashion Is better here in the UK sorry .. Had to put that in here ..

So true! I love how ppl in London dress especially I would blend in much more there hehe

We need to cross the border to buy OH's XXL sweaters from Walmart! God bless America On a side note, I absolutely love the USA. I love the diversity (although I am partial to the pacific northwest having grown up nearby in British Columbia), I love the attitude/pride, I love the availability of every food known to man, and I like the extremes of everything. It's not all great, but nowhere is, but I just admire it for what it is I've never been treated with anything less than respect there.

That's true! I love travelling in the US (and of course shopping there, with their minimal or no sale tax). Did you know there's a new motion to charge Canadians going across for shoping some kinda fee? It better not pass or I'll be maaaaad

Ppl have always been very nice to us south of border. Not to start a whole other debate but we had heard we might get looks as a mixed race couple when we visited a friend in Tennessee but I didn't really notice anything (or I may have been blind to it lol)

 

[summer rain]

I guess your right about sizing, but I ment design xx

I prefer a lot of the American clothes and their styles but each to their own. My OH is a big guy and regular shops and supermarkets cater for him over there whereas here they don't xx

 

[Menelly]

how much would the average person pay a month for healthcare insureance? just curious

I was gunna ask the same! And what do you do if you can't afford health insurance and you get sick?

You die. :/ It's the sad truth in America. And if you can't get a job that offers health insurance and have a preexisting condition, you're not getting private health insurance at all.

(Sorry, I'm bitter on the health care debate. My husband loves his job but it doesn't offer benefits at all. Job you love or health care for your family is a shitty choice.)

 

[Menelly]

I'd just like to add that I like that if I chose not to, I don't have to pay for insurance. I know quite a few people who find it cheaper to put the $XX per month that they'd have to pay to an insurance company into the bank and that way they can negotiate a cheaper price from the doctor and pay cash as needed and it ends up being a lot less expensive. Not a good option if you have a health condition, but for those of us who have a physical once a year and the occasional sickness needing a prescription, it's a better deal and eventually you have a very large medical 'fund' in the bank.

Until you have a heart attack or cancer, and can't get a policy anymore.

 

[Menelly]

Wow, I have lived in the United States my entire life. I was born and raised in Virginia and now live near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

I think I'd love to live in Canada now after reading all of this, lol. If only the ketchup didn't taste so darn weird...like sugar. LOL

American ketchup is so gross! All that high fructose corn syrup makes it taste weird. My grandparents go to the states a lot and bring home a lot of groceries and we were having dinner there last summer, had one bite of the hamburger and was like "this is American ketchup isn't it?"

Come to Canada, we have better ketchup and chocolate!

You know, I'd love to move to Canada, but your "come to Canada" site doesn't make it seem very easy at all. :/ We have no "ties" to Canada so they all say no.

 

[angieloo]

I've lived all over the US and the most family oriented seems to be the middles- Utah, Kansas, Iowa.
But the snow? Yuck- for weather and scenery I'd pick CA though I'm from the northwest

 

[Stelly]

how much would the average person pay a month for healthcare insureance? just curious

I was gunna ask the same! And what do you do if you can't afford health insurance and you get sick?

You die. :/ It's the sad truth in America. And if you can't get a job that offers health insurance and have a preexisting condition, you're not getting private health insurance at all.

(Sorry, I'm bitter on the health care debate. My husband loves his job but it doesn't offer benefits at all. Job you love or health care for your family is a shitty choice.)

Just for the record, you aren't just left to die.... you can walk into any emergency room in the USA and get cared for, regardless of ability to pay. It's posted in every ER. I know many young adults who have battled cancer without the ability to pay (or insurance) and they weren't refused care. It's illegal to withhold life saving medical care.

I'm not saying are system is perfect by any means.. but come on...

And i say this as someone who's had 2 major surgeries with no insurance. its not impossible, and in general, hospitals will work with you.

 

[Menelly]

how much would the average person pay a month for healthcare insureance? just curious

I was gunna ask the same! And what do you do if you can't afford health insurance and you get sick?

You die. :/ It's the sad truth in America. And if you can't get a job that offers health insurance and have a preexisting condition, you're not getting private health insurance at all.

(Sorry, I'm bitter on the health care debate. My husband loves his job but it doesn't offer benefits at all. Job you love or health care for your family is a shitty choice.)

Just for the record, you aren't just left to die.... you can walk into any emergency room in the USA and get cared for, regardless of ability to pay. It's posted in every ER. I know many young adults who have battled cancer without the ability to pay (or insurance) and they weren't refused care. It's illegal to withhold life saving medical care.

I'm not saying are system is perfect by any means.. but come on...

And i say this as someone who's had 2 major surgeries with no insurance. its not impossible, and in general, hospitals will work with you.

They will work to stabilize you. And then, if you aren't inpatient or need meds, you're hosed. They are obligated to fix an emergency. You will not get your chemotherapy covered. (Unless you're already dying from it, and you're inpatient at that point.)

And if you do manage to get them to work on you, prepare to be in debt for the rest of your natural life or forced into bankruptcy.

 

[TriChick]

Completely agree, past "acute" care in the ER, you are sent packing. It's tragic.


Unrelated note, the South is definitely not all that it's cracked up to be. We can't wait to get out of here, I miss the West Coast.

 

[Noelle610]

The thing I find interesting about the US health insurance debacle is that many are against universal care because of the cost. In reality, the cost of emergency care for those who have no access to preventative care is astronomical. Who knows what kind of money would be saved if we all had access to primary care doctors. I imagine most would be less likely to get to the point of being gravely ill.

In college I broke a rib when I had pnemonia. I had to go to the ER. You would not even believe the reasons that some of the patients were there - one guy's "finger hurt". Another guy had a cold. It was nuts. These people should have been going to general practitioners! It was very frustrating and of course I was truly injured and had to wait my turn.

 

[Stelly]

That debate is frustrating... Most primary care doctors don't break the bank, people just use ERs here as a clinic (as you said).

Also- I had two major operations on my shoulder without insurance, once at 17 and at 19. I lived on my own, had an average paying job, and I paid both off on my own because the hospital and my surgeon worked out a payment plan with me. I paid both debts off myself, and I'm not " in debt for the rest of my life or forced in bankruptcy"

So again- our system isn't perfect but it's not as fatalistic a situation as some are saying.