Advantages and disadvantages of living in the USA?

[summer rain]

There is a US government run visa lottery but either you or your OH have to have been born outside the mainland UK (so even if born in Northern Ireland you can apply) despite so many people applying for it we know quite a few people who got visas that way. As OH was born abroad we can and do apply every year-it is quite pricey to get the official photos and apply though. A lot of OH's family live in the US and its ok and has its advantages but the health and dental insurance is a killer and the areas in which they live if you don't have a car or can't afford the fuel etc costs for the car you're stuffed xx

 

[LauraLu]

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

 

[Casey3]

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!

 

[bubbles123]

I lived in the States for 2 years.
Pros: Weather. Even when I lived in NY State and was up to my knees in snow at least you would know you would get a summer. Unlike the UK. Friendly people. Excellent scenery without leaving the country.
Cons: Private health care, guns, the death penalty, the Tea Party, very short maternity leave, no employees rights (but then I worked for Disney!), Having to drive everywhere unless you live in a big city, the bread tastes weird, no squash, Lays will never be the same as Walkers crisps.....
I do love the USA but I would never want to live their permanently.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

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.

 

[marron]

I lived in the States for 2 years.
Pros: Weather. Even when I lived in NY State and was up to my knees in snow at least you would know you would get a summer. Unlike the UK. Friendly people. Excellent scenery without leaving the country.
Cons: Private health care, guns, the death penalty, the Tea Party, very short maternity leave, no employees rights (but then I worked for Disney!), Having to drive everywhere unless you live in a big city, the bread tastes weird, no squash, Lays will never be the same as Walkers crisps.....
I do love the USA but I would never want to live their permanently.

What's wrong with Disney's employee rights?

 

[jazzylady]

There must be a reason why so many people want to come and live here!

 

[mummy3]

I love living in the states!

We moved from the UK almost 4 years ago, I'm british but hubby is dual UK/US citizen and grew up in San Diego where we now live. For us the moving process was pretty easy because he's a citizen and had a job lined up.

The pros, beautiful weather year round, so much more to do, we're in a fantastic school district (as an eg my son is autistic, they have just set up a kindergarten class in our local school with 13 autistic students and each child gets their own aid!! All therapies are provided in school), top notch healthcare, so much career potential if you're ambitious and often you can go round alot of experience or qualification requirements, very high salary potential very fast, very multicultural, can pretty much find anything you fancy

Cons, said healthcare be expensive (17k this year to have baby and specialist appointments for the kids, hitting deductable and max out of pockets and thats with insurance), chocolate isnt as good Gun culture to a degree more depending where you are cant say seen much where we live. Housing can be expensive, average rent in my neighbourhood is $2-2.5k and its a regular neighbourhood. Got to pick where you live carefully if you dont drive, but it is doable.

Overall I absolutely love it here, can 100% say its the right place for our family and have no intention of moving away

 

[Peggy O]

Here's a funny book on the subject (I love Bill Bryson)

https://www.amazon.com/Im-Stranger-Here-Myself-Returning/dp/076790382X


"After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens--as he later put it, "it was clear my people needed me"). They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes, twenty-four-hour dental-floss hotlines, and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item.

Delivering the brilliant comic musings that are a Bryson hallmark, I'm a Stranger Here Myself recounts his sometimes disconcerting reunion with the land of his birth. The result is a book filled with hysterical scenes of one man's attempt to reacquaint himself with his own country, but it is also an extended if at times bemused love letter to the homeland he has returned to after twenty years away."

 

[topsy]

Hey, This thread is fab, i never want to live anywhere other than I do now-In England, but have read the whole threads, and its great to get other people perspective. I have never been to America, but would love a holiday there one day, and Canda too xxxx

 

[bubbles123]

I also don't like the fact that in the USA when I was there it was legal to pay servers, bar tenders etc as little as $2 an hour or so and expect them to make the rest up with tips, meaning on quiet shifts you make very little. In the UK, everyone gets minimum wage regardless so you don't feel you have to tip if you are a bit short of money.

 

[aliss]

Most US states are "at will" employment (you can fire someone for no reason at any time), and it's a lot easier to be unemployed in the UK or Canada. "We" (meaning Canada, but the UK too) tend to provide a bit more state-funded help in those circumstances, a lot of Americans are absolutely screwed when they lose their jobs.

 

[bubbles123]

Most US states are "at will" employment (you can fire someone for no reason at any time), and it's a lot easier to be unemployed in the UK or Canada. "We" (meaning Canada, but the UK too) tend to provide a bit more state-funded help in those circumstances, a lot of Americans are absolutely screwed when they lose their jobs.

Yes, my contract said I could be fired at any time, for any reason, with or without cause. Very different to the UK.

 

[aliss]

Canada is the best place to be a server, it's minimum wage ($8-10) AND tips required (well, never required, but be prepared to seriously offend).

 

[mrsbeano]

I love living in the states!

We moved from the UK almost 4 years ago, I'm british but hubby is dual UK/US citizen and grew up in San Diego where we now live. For us the moving process was pretty easy because he's a citizen and had a job lined up.

The pros, beautiful weather year round, so much more to do, we're in a fantastic school district (as an eg my son is autistic, they have just set up a kindergarten class in our local school with 13 autistic students and each child gets their own aid!! All therapies are provided in school), top notch healthcare, so much career potential if you're ambitious and often you can go round alot of experience or qualification requirements, very high salary potential very fast, very multicultural, can pretty much find anything you fancy

Cons, said healthcare be expensive (17k this year to have baby and specialist appointments for the kids, hitting deductable and max out of pockets and thats with insurance), chocolate isnt as good Gun culture to a degree more depending where you are cant say seen much where we live. Housing can be expensive, average rent in my neighbourhood is $2-2.5k and its a regular neighbourhood. Got to pick where you live carefully if you dont drive, but it is doable.

Overall I absolutely love it here, can 100% say its the right place for our family and have no intention of moving away

California is the only place that I've been on holiday to that I've thought 'I could live here' The climate/food/people/beaches were great

 

[Noelle610]

It's interesting to read about how much insurance costs some folks in the US - my husband and I both have free health insurance through our employers and pay a small fee for our daughter. I think my entire birth cost me $200.00.

 

[Stelly]

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

 

[Noelle610]

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.

 

[mrsbeano]

The NHS is amazing. Its stretched and not ideal but we should be so grateful for it because its rare. Its abused and underappreciated in the UK IMO.

On Thursday we called the out of hours service and went the hospital. We were seen immediately and home half an hour later. The doctor was wonderful and this was all at 8pm. You couldn't ask for anymore.

 

[Casey3]

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