Advantages and disadvantages of living in the USA?

[aliss]

I love the US but I think living in Canada is better in regards to overall health care (now, some Americans would strongly disagree with this for good reasons from their perspective but it depends on how you view it), better economy, and cost of living (it is cheaper to live in many parts of the US but then you are also dealing with the ramifications of, for example, poorer school systems and social support).

In the US (from the view of someone who doesn't live there but goes very often, I grew up on the border of Washington state and spent a lot of time there), your advantages are lower cost of living in general (unless you choose a more expensive state), excellent weather ("choice" of weather, if you'd prefer Alaska or Arizona LOL), access to a huge variety of food, restaurants, entertainment. Even things like books and movie rentals are much cheaper. And the people are very friendly!!! I'm not sure how that myth got spread around? I've never met an asshole from there.

But the US is so big and diverse, life in Alaska is a different country from Hawaii to Georgia to Iowa!

 

[Jaylynne]

We pay about $500 per month for healthcare. And then we have a huge deductible -$8125. Which we totally hit last year. So that's $6,000 just for the plan. Ugh.

 

[aliss]

Wow, that's a huge deductible, I'm guessing that's why it's $500 for the family? My cousin is single and lives in Delray Beach FL and pays $500 a month just for herself!

 

[AllyTiel]

Wow, that's a huge deductible, I'm guessing that's why it's $500 for the family? My cousin is single and lives in Delray Beach FL and pays $500 a month just for herself!

This is interesting! I suppose it could be based on where you live then and cost of living? To be $100 for one person in Alabama and $500 for one person in Florida? Thats a huge difference!

 

[aliss]

Wow, that's a huge deductible, I'm guessing that's why it's $500 for the family? My cousin is single and lives in Delray Beach FL and pays $500 a month just for herself!

This is interesting! I suppose it could be based on where you live then and cost of living? To be $100 for one person in Alabama and $500 for one person in Florida? Thats a huge difference!

Well, south FL is where the elderly go to run out the clock..............

 

[Katy Bug]

It is what you make it. Our taxes just increased and we have many issues within the government, but I like where I live in the deep south. I agree that America seems to have a weight problem tho. And many farms are literally slaughterhouses for mistreated animals.

 

[AllyTiel]

Wow, that's a huge deductible, I'm guessing that's why it's $500 for the family? My cousin is single and lives in Delray Beach FL and pays $500 a month just for herself!

This is interesting! I suppose it could be based on where you live then and cost of living? To be $100 for one person in Alabama and $500 for one person in Florida? Thats a huge difference!

Well, south FL is where the elderly go to run out the clock..............

You know, thats a good point. A lot of people do retire there.

 

[Leids]

I don't mind the US. Really it all depends on where you live, as others have said. I used to live in Detroit (Michigan) and can honestly say that I was miserable there. I now live in Delaware, and I love it because I'm close to everything and I can get to multiple major cities easily - Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and NYC isn't far away either. I think the state I live in is pretty and I still have access to anything and everything I may need. My state also has tax free shopping, which is always nice.

The public transportation system in my city compared to others is decent. I doubt many areas would have public transportation that would compare to the UK though, since most people here drive. There isn't much walking either because everything is so spread out.

Health care can be awful, right now our insurance isn't bad though. There are SO MANY different insurance providers, and plans can really vary. I have an HMO and it's $100 copay for emergency room visits, $25 copay for general sick visits, $40 copay for specialty and no copay for 'well' visits and we don't have a deductible. It's $368/month total for the 3 of us. When I was single I actually had better insurance, no copays 100% coverage with no deductible and I was paying $256/month.

I'm disappointed in our education system for the most part. It really needs to be revised. That said though, there are a lot of private schools that we have access to but they can be obscenely overpriced (I'm talking $20,000+ a year!)

Housing can be expensive depending on where you live. There are a lot of 'shady' areas too that you would definitely want to avoid. We've been looking at realty recently, and we run into these amazing looking houses that are completely remodeled and are very cheap, then we notice the location and realize why. There are areas around me where drive by shootings, shootings in the street, general violence/muggings are very prevalent and common place, so you just have to be careful.

 

[Samiam03]

Wow seeing all you guys talking about what you pay for health insurance makes me feel bad for ever complaining about ours. It went up recently and I was complaining. Now I am thankful I have the one I do and that my dh's company pays so much.

 

[jd83]

It is what you make it. Our taxes just increased and we have many issues within the government, but I like where I live in the deep south. I agree that America seems to have a weight problem tho. And many farms are literally slaughterhouses for mistreated animals.

Being the wife of a farmer, this statement definitely bothers me. All of the animals on my husband's family farm are well taken care of, and never mistreated. It is the same for all the farmers we know, and we know plenty, as where my husband farms is a big farm area. Yes, you might consider them "slaughterhouses" as most of the animals are raised for the purpose of being meat. But then, how else do you expect this country would be provided with the meat we consume? Or any country? Eventually, that is just the reality of how we get our meat on our plates. I think so many people get such a bad view of farmers mistreating animals based on the few farms who DO mistreat animals, and are obviously the ones exploited in the media, when the reality is that most farmers take very good care of their animals. Its in their best interest to keep them healthy and happy, as that is obviously going to affect their livelihood.

Sorry to go off subject and rant a bit, but that statement really hit a nerve.

 

[mellyboo]

When I hear things about the USA it makes me feel very lucky to live in Canada out health care is free it's not the best but it's free and to whoever said you couldn't choose your doctor is wrong you can switch your family dr atleast where I live eastern Canada ... We have a free year paid maternity leave the schools where I live are good the ocean is 20 mins away boating in the summer time, snow boarding and ski in the winter its beautiful ...

 

[AllyTiel]

Hey side question I was wondering, I have heard Canada's government is very socialist but don't really know for myself. In what ways is it/is it not? I assume there is emphasis on welfare and higher taxes?

 

[SuperAwesome]

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

I'm self-employed and I pay $332 per month for my LO and myself.

 

[Seity]

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.

 

[aliss]

Hey side question I was wondering, I have heard Canada's government is very socialist but don't really know for myself. In what ways is it/is it not? I assume there is emphasis on welfare and higher taxes?

We pay 24% income tax
https://www.revenuquebec.ca/en/citoyen/impots/rens_comp/taux.aspx

^These taxes also pay for subsidized daycare. It's $7/day for ALL children, regardless if mom is high finance or SAHM.

So, it's a lot. But the rewards are there.

 

[greats]

I was born & raised in the Chicago area & I do not like it at all. Cost of living is so high especially when you don't make a lot of money. Health care is so expensive & our government has their heads up their a$$es. Daycare is expensive as well, more than my month's rent every month! If I had my way I could honestly see myself moving out of the country lol

 

[greats]

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

I'm self-employed and I pay $332 per month for my LO and myself.

Yeah between my husband, me, & LO we pay $450/month & it doesn't even cover everything, you still have co-pays for each dr or hospital visit.

 

[babybaker2011]

When I hear things about the USA it makes me feel very lucky to live in Canada out health care is free it's not the best but it's free and to whoever said you couldn't choose your doctor is wrong you can switch your family dr atleast where I live eastern Canada ... We have a free year paid maternity leave the schools where I live are good the ocean is 20 mins away boating in the summer time, snow boarding and ski in the winter its beautiful ...

I feel very lucky to live in the good ol' USA. We're not perfect and as far as I know, there's no such thing as a perfect country. If it was that bad, I'm sure we wouldn't have thousands of immigrants coming here every year. Makes you think...hmmm...

 

[greats]

I think this thread is very lightening & eye opening. It's interesting to see how different things are in every state & as well as compared to Canada & the UK!

 

[lomelly]

$7/day for child care?? Amazing! We are at 13% sales tax here, unsure of how much tax I pay on my wages but its a fair chunk. I do like the year off that's paid, and I know the UK has something similar.
Question about Canada being a socialist country--it depends who you ask. I do think we are a bit more socialist in comparison to the US, because there is a lot of emphasis on social equality. Strangely, it's usually the immigrants that get the better end of the deal rather than Canadians. But ontario's govt tries to encourage you to not be on welfare, and will even help pay for you to go back to school to retrain for a new career if you're unemployed (under certain circumstances).