Advantages and disadvantages of living in the USA?

[CarliCareBear]

Positives
- the weather, you can find all four seasons or hot to cold, sunny or rainy- we have it all.
- you can go from the mountains to the beach, you could live on flat farmland or an urban landscape.
-although health insurance can be expensive it gives you very easy access to thousands of the top doctors in the entire world right at your fingertips.
- there is a lot more space here- everything is bigger (from the ovens to the backyards). You have a lot more privacy and room in the housing market.
- great food and restaurants all around
- cheaper cost of living (in general compared to the UK),
- diversity. depending on where you live there is all kinds of diversity here. It is a wonderful melting pot of people from all walks of life and from all over the world.

Negatives
- tons of advertising and consumerist ideology- a lot of focus on "stuff" and "status". More than half of the population is in debt and people live beyond their means. 36 billion dollars were spent in overdraft fee's alone last year.
- the 70 hour work week/ two household income/ constantly working mentality. Business wise work, time and money hold importance over family time.
- there is TONS of genetically modified/ highly addictive/ corn starch/ sugary/ high fructose corn syrup/ fatty/ pesticide and preservative full food everywhere. This kind of food gets the most advertising and is the most prominitent in grocery stores. There are too many food "choices" yet all are made from corn products.
- school's target children with this food, feeding them tons of junk with vending machines in their schools.
- we get little to no maternity leave.
- people are fatter and less active overall here.
- people are private to a fault. In many housing developments people prefer to have privacy and not be bothered by one another. Sometimes there is little sense of community and neighborhoods are disconnected.
- poor public transportation. seemingly everyone has to own and drive a car.
- people sue each other over everything and everyone is so afraid of being liable that often they put fears of liability over the best thing for the public.
- some Americans feel since they have freedom in America they are right in doing anything they want (be it pollution, destroying the Eco system, modified food, corrupt capitalism, littering).
- our government is the equivalent of a child's puppet show. most of our government has interest's in private companies and is, in my opinion, corrupt.
- there are some major mental health issues in our country (resulting in many mass shootings).
- many corporations are able to thrive and become disgustingly rich despite corrupt policies. many companies knowingly wrong clients simply because the lawsuit costs are cheaper than fixing the wrong doing.

 

[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.

Gosh you guys are lucky!! I want to work or go back to school so bad but daycare is insane! For my two kids to go to a halfway decent daycare full time it costs 400 a week! That's more than my earning potential. We are putting my son in a part time preschool two days a week this year for 3 hours each day and that costs 100...cheapest deal we could find.

This is due to the French culture dying out. We have very strict laws here protecting the French language and part of that is trying to reverse the declining birth rate. By providing nearly-free childcare (minimum wage is about $10/hour, so $3 more than the DAILY rate), women are encouraged to have more than the 1.2 children that became common in the past. It seems to work, I don't know any woman here with less than two children or intends to have less than 2-3.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

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.

Gosh you guys are lucky!! I want to work or go back to school so bad but daycare is insane! For my two kids to go to a halfway decent daycare full time it costs 400 a week! That's more than my earning potential. We are putting my son in a part time preschool two days a week this year for 3 hours each day and that costs 100...cheapest deal we could find.

This is due to the French culture dying out. We have very strict laws here protecting the French language and part of that is trying to reverse the declining birth rate. By providing nearly-free childcare (minimum wage is about $10/hour, so $3 more than the DAILY rate), women are encouraged to have more than the 1.2 children that became common in the past. It seems to work, I don't know any woman here with less than two children or intends to have less than 2-3.

This is so interesting I actually didn't know it. Your posts are always so informative

 

[corgankidd]

Wow I can't believe how much some of you pay for healthcare!! I live in California and work for a small company that covers me, my husband and son 100%. I don't pay a cent except my copayment which I don't have to pay for any regular visits. So free healthcare IS possible is the US, you just have to get the right job I guess.

My pregnancy was covered 100%, didn't pay for a thing but I had to pay a $2000 deductible for the birth which was an emergency c section with a 5 day hospital stay, all meals provided for me and husband and EXCELLENT care!

So... where do you work & how can I get a job there?

No kidding! OH has a great job and makes a decent wage but the health insurance benefits SUCK!

I actually work for my family's company which does corporate security systems but we only have 4 employees so offering 100% healthcare isn't as hard on us as it would be on larger companies. So maybe working for micro companies is the key to good healthcare? Or maybe my family is just crazy for offering that!

 

[babybrums]

I actually work for my family's company which does corporate security systems but we only have 4 employees so offering 100% healthcare isn't as hard on us as it would be on larger companies. So maybe working for micro companies is the key to good healthcare? Or maybe my family is just crazy for offering that!

Maybe a little bit of both lol OH works for a car dealership. I used to. Of the four I've worked for, only one paid our insurance 100% (smaller dealer with only 15 employees) and one charged $50/mo (part of a dealer group that owned a few smaller dealerships). The last dealer I worked for charged $400 for individual coverage and $1200 for family coverage (part of a group of 20+ dealerships). OH's dealer pays for individual coverage but charges $1200 for family coverage (three very large dealerships in group - about 200 employees total). Seems the bigger the company the more they charge. Go figure. I'm sure it's a write off come tax time. The smaller dealer probably doesn't make as much $ so they get a greater write off where the big guys make so much money they don't get as much of a write off and thus it cuts into their bottom line.

 

[mara16jade]

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

I pay about $80/month - not bad at all! But that's just my portion (my employer pays the rest).

And if you are low income/can't pay if you get sick, there are government funded programs that help you.

 

[LeoLeah77]

I live in texas, much prefer the south in America It's hot, but you go swimming and cool off, winters are not harsh. Plus we have some kick ass Tex-mex. I HATE our healthcare, and our government period. They have their priorities mixed and lost up their asses.
The CARE we get in hospitals is top notch, but we pay ALOT for that. Too much in my opinion. There is no need to charge 20,000 for a normal vaginal birth.

Say WHAT???!!! My c-section was free!!!

 

[amygwen]

I love living in the United States. My family emigrated here when I was 3 years old so I know no different, but my parents have both agreed that their lives and our lives have become better than ever and our opportunities are endless.

I grew up in Pennsylvania and absolutely LOVED living there. We lived in a REALLY small town so the only way to get to the grocery store was you had to drive 30 minutes, it was awful. I loved Pennsylvania though because it genuinely had four different seasons, it was beautiful during the Fall. Horrid to drive in the Winter though.

I live in Texas now and it's fine. It's usually hot all year round except for a few months in the Wintertime (right now). Cost of living is not too high but not too low, I live in a big city so there's some transportation to the inner-city, but overall - you have to drive wherever you need/want to go.

People don't walk here like in other countries. People are used to driving or taking some sort of public transport. I've become so lazy because I literally drive two blocks to pick up milk from the gas station near my house only because no one ever walks here if they don't have to (and they aren't trying to lose weight either!) Fast food is absolutely atrocious here. Especially where I live. There's a McDonald's every 3 or 4 miles.

The government pisses me off sometimes. It makes me mad (and sorry if this offends anyone) that someone who doesn't work can get a lot of benefits but someone like me who works and after bills doesn't have much money leftover can't get any sort of benefits. That really irritates me. I understand it's there to help people and I'm glad it's there to begin with, but I find it somewhat unfair.

I'm not a fan of the healthcare situation either. I thankfully have a great job with excellent benefits. I don't have to pay any monthly fee, I only have to pay for my co-pays which is fantastic.

My university is great and the financial aid you are eligible for (especially if you have children) is great! I was pretty surprised to find out that I got so much of my school paid for because I had a dependent.

Overall, it's a great place to live. You get your good areas and your bad areas. You get people who love it and people who hate it. But if they hated it as much as they say they do, they'd leave - so obviously it's a great place to live!

 

[babybrums]

I agree with you amygwen. People who work hard don't get any kind of help even though a lot of the time they can really use it. Don't feel like working? Don't worry, we'll take care of you. I get that some people fall on hard times - been there, done that - but a lot of people work the system.

 

[Dk1234]

I think people work the system whereever you go, not just in America. There will always be lazy people who live off the hard working ones. I wish I knew a way to lesson that.

 

[jazzylady]

I came here from Germany,I still need to adjust though.I am not saying that there are not nice places to live and all that but here where I am is just ugly.Europe is so so much different and nicer,cleaner.... My husband is american and I had to fallow him.you can have a nice live here but only if you have money and more money.the prenatal care sucks,compare to Germany.Anyway I know I don't have nothing nice to say right now about US and I apologize for that,how I said I still need to adjust.

 

[Leids]

I came here from Germany,I still need to adjust though.I am not saying that there are not nice places to live and all that but here where I am is just ugly.Europe is so so much different and nicer,cleaner.... My husband is american and I had to fallow him.you can have a nice live here but only if you have money and more money.the prenatal care sucks,compare to Germany.Anyway I know I don't have nothing nice to say right now about US and I apologize for that,how I said I still need to adjust.

You would think Washington DC would be nicer with it being the nation's capital and all, but it's awful. I'm sorry that you had to move from Germany to DC. Do you live in the city or outside of it? I hope you're able to move to a nicer area around there soon at least!

 

[jazzylady]

I came here from Germany,I still need to adjust though.I am not saying that there are not nice places to live and all that but here where I am is just ugly.Europe is so so much different and nicer,cleaner.... My husband is american and I had to fallow him.you can have a nice live here but only if you have money and more money.the prenatal care sucks,compare to Germany.Anyway I know I don't have nothing nice to say right now about US and I apologize for that,how I said I still need to adjust.

You would think Washington DC would be nicer with it being the nation's capital and all, but it's awful. I'm sorry that you had to move from Germany to DC. Do you live in the city or outside of it? I hope you're able to move to a nicer area around there soon at least!

Well I don't want to give a name now,but I live 30 min drive away from DC.there are all kind of counties and cities.some are poor some are good.I live in the suburbs, is a nice neighborhood here,but if I drive 10 min out I get into not so nice neighborhood, lots of immigrants and very industrial areas.DC itself is very pretty but who can afford to live there?and the traffic is terrible

 

[pinklightbulb]

Really cool thread I always wondered what life would be like in the States!

 

[Saphira]

I came here from Germany,I still need to adjust though.I am not saying that there are not nice places to live and all that but here where I am is just ugly.Europe is so so much different and nicer,cleaner.... My husband is american and I had to fallow him.you can have a nice live here but only if you have money and more money.the prenatal care sucks,compare to Germany.Anyway I know I don't have nothing nice to say right now about US and I apologize for that,how I said I still need to adjust.

Sorry to hear. I'm the opposite - American married to a German living in Germany. For the most part, I have only positives to say about Germany. The U.S. - like you said, it's nice WITH money and lots of it.. otherwise, a lot more worries that would be unnecessary to have here.

 

[Lady_Bee]

I came here from Germany,I still need to adjust though.I am not saying that there are not nice places to live and all that but here where I am is just ugly.Europe is so so much different and nicer,cleaner.... My husband is american and I had to fallow him.you can have a nice live here but only if you have money and more money.the prenatal care sucks,compare to Germany.Anyway I know I don't have nothing nice to say right now about US and I apologize for that,how I said I still need to adjust.

You know, I am the same, still adjusting (trying!) and still finding more negatives than positives here most days. I know a lot of that is because of the area i live in now, which is also very ugly to be honest! It's just basically sprawl.

I think I would be quite a lot happier in an area with sidewalks, (though that sounds like such a simple thing to make me happy) and a variety of shops within walking distance - I seriously miss walking everywhere SO MUCH!!! There are other things I miss terribly though that I will never find here because they just don't exist here. Period.

I hope to feel more settled eventually. It's early days still. I hope you will too! It's just SO different, you're right, and I get frustrated sometimes that I feel so much like a fish out of water.

 

[The Alchemist]

Each US state had their own laws. Some has a few strange laws, your don't even want to know.

Food is great. Plenty of it, but you'll only find that in larger cities.

One thing I wanted to say is that we're so big on advertisements. And then there's Las Vegas, or Sin City. Your eyes can feast on that. Now I have never been outside of the States but I must say, we're big on fast food and eating out at restaurants a lot. However, that's because of the economy. Mist of the days are spent working. So who's really doing the "parenting"? As much as I'd love to be a SAHM just to spend quality time and, if I had it my way, home school.

Yes. Health insurance really eats your wallet. Luckily, OH and I have great benefits, we don't pay anything except $5 co-pay for any visit, even emergency visits. My birth was all paid for by OH's employer - but that's also because his employer is a hospital.

Everything is all about money here. We over work, for the most part. Sometimes, I don't even get to see my OH much.

I've always wondered how life is in Hawaii...

 

[Leids]

I'm sorry that you ladies are having a tough time adjusting. I'm sure there are places that offer nice sidewalks with local shops that are within walking distance. I really like New England, and many places in Pennsylvania have that feel to it as well. We're moving to a nice little town in PA in the next few years that will offer all of that.

I understand though. I have no desire to walk around, or to do much of anything. Nothing is within walking distance, there really are no sidewalks, and the shops are all overpriced chains that aren't enjoyable to look around.

 

[alaskagrown]

You should move to Alaska.

 

[Pink Sunshine]

I'm American, but have't lived there in a while. What I love about America is that WHATEVER you want you can find it in America. All kinds of snacks, foods, decor, anything. It's great. And there is Taco Bell. Oh boy, do I really want to eat Taco Bell.