Do you find that you are struggling financially more in the UK or the US?

Money, money, money.  Such issues.

So money is deffo an issue for me.  I lost my job, which was paid very well, and due to the economy etc I took the first decent job that offered itself.  This job pays less than half what I was making.  So little in fact that I have no idea how I am supposed to live and support myself.  This job you would think would pay ok but it doesnt.  

Anyways struggling with this, my fiance wants to try the K1 visa to the USA first (before I move there), and well I dont make enough to sponsor him, but we are planning to ask my father to co sponsor.  If he declines then I will be moving to the UK.

So my question is - where were/are you struggling the most financially?  Now Ive always been told the UK is WAY expensive, but my fiance says food is pretty cheap and things are affordable (cell phones, cable, etc).  

I am wondering if I am wondering how the hell I am going to support myself here, will I have this same issue in the UK?

There are so many factors you have to consider when answering this question.  I moved from a relatively expensive place in the US to a very expensive place in the UK, to a slightly less city in the UK, to another expensive place in the US.

That being said, I didn't struggle in either country, but I was not saving at all in the UK and I save a fair amount now.  I have more disposable income in the US.  BUT, I also travelled a lot in the UK to be able to take advantage of the opportunities of living there. 

So it really depends.

My husband had a professional job, I had just graduated from grad school had been working 2 part time jobs that ended when I graduated. 

So for us the answer was easy.  It wasn't the UK that made my quality of living increase, it is the fact that my husband had a professional, stable job.  Simple as that. 

As Geeta said, you need to look at your situation.  Some things are more expensive, others are not, but if your spouse has a steady job he likes then that is something to consider.

Yup, my DH had better opportunities here in the UK as well as a start-up that needs some nurturing before it gets sold or moved anywhere.  I had a stable job, and I wasn't struggling, but life is better here partially because now we split everything!
I was also living in an area that has been hit really, really, really hard in the property crash, which has made things like teachers feel the pinch (I was a teacher) so I am actually glad I moved when I did.

For most of my adult life in the US, I lived in NY (upstate) and California, both very expensive places, and didn't make much money either place.  Now I live in an expensive part of the UK and still don't make much money, but because DH also has a job and makes slightly more than I do, together we are OK.  So for me, things are much easier financially in the UK.  That said, if I were to lose my job before I get ILR, we'd be in serious trouble. 

Anyways struggling with this, my fiance wants to try the K1 visa to the USA first (before I move there), and well I dont make enough to sponsor him, but we are planning to ask my father to co sponsor.  If he declines then I will be moving to the UK.

If you really think your father won't co-sponsor you, make sure he actually understands what it means to be a sponsor. My understanding is that a sponsor is basically saying that if worse came to worst, they are saying they will help enough to keep your DF from claiming benefits (i.e. unemployment). But given he wouldn't qualify for them anyway, it's a bit silly. I might be wrong. I only researched this briefly as my husband ended up coming over on a J1 visa which doesn't require financial sponsorship.

As for struggling, it also depends upon your field (work). I had a good job in the UK in academia but can't find one in the US right now. My husband had a great opportunity here in the US (also academia) and is likely to continue to do so, whereas the UK isn't looking so good for him anymore.

Agreed it's all down to your circumstances.  DH had a long-time well established professional job here (he's been there for 10 years now which is almost unheard of these days!) & I had an easy come-easy go kinda job in the US.  I struggled much more financially in the US, when I was on my own.  Here, thanks to DH and his family - all of whom have been very supportive - we have a nice life together and are homeowners - yay!  Something I never was able to do in the US on my own.

Also there is the factor that two (or more) can live more cheaply than one alone. I think because we were young enough when we got together, the issue more would be finding the country we are not living in to be the one that is financially inaccessible, IYKWIM.

So where we have established ourselves (i.e. the UK) seems to be the one that offers us the better opportunities. Though historically, the UK is better for my field, but for Mr MLG, Canada has excellent prospects, but here is no probs, either. But we have now established ourselves here: friends, house, good life - work balance. I think if we had stayed in Vancouver, we would have all those things and we would find the UK financially inaccessible to move to.

The two things I notice are UK: more education opportunities and BC: seriously out of control housing prices - makes London seem OK! (damn Olympics) 

I would be struggling more in the US because of health care costs. I would most likely be paying out of pocket for birth control, and my recent two-week hospitalisation (which included an MRI, several x-rays and a couple of endoscopies) and the subsequent very expensive medications and weekly blood tests would potentially have bankrupted me, even with decent insurance.

I wouldn't use the term "struggling".

However, as I posted in another thread, I earned much more in the US than I have in the UK.

In the US, the majority of my pay would go into my savings account and sit there. I would only use a fraction of it for expenses.

Here in the UK, I don't really have the opportunity to save, what with lower salaries and higher cost of living. And I've had to dig into my savings from time to time.

But I don't have any debt, so in that sense I'm not doing so badly compared to some.

I was struggling more in the US than in the UK...I had major surgery and even with insurance I still ended up with thousands of dollars of debt...plus other debt.  Now in London, I'm paying off that debt but have none that I accumulated in the UK (other than the good debt of a mortgaged). 

I wouldn't use the term "struggling".

However, as I posted in another thread, I earned much more in the US than I have in the UK.

In the US, the majority of my pay would go into my savings account and sit there. I would only use a fraction of it for expenses.

Here in the UK, I don't really have the opportunity to save, what with lower salaries and higher cost of living. And I've had to dig into my savings from time to time.

But I don't have any debt, so in that sense I'm not doing so badly compared to some.

Me and my wife are in a similar situation, She actually earns more over here than she did in the U.S, whereas I am on a lot less. I was on around $40k in MA which for someone in their early 20s was considered fairly average for Mass (Administrative position), higher cost of living and all but over here I'm on closer to the equivalent of $25k-$30k and everything *seems* more expensive here.

We don't have a car or any loan payments, but everytime we start to get some healthy saving going, something happens, the electric bill for winter (A Electric heated flat is expensive!), council tax etc. We're trying to move back to the states but want to do so with a healthy savings and its not proving easy.

Right now struggling more in the UK than the US.

My profession makes about $20K less here in the UK.

But being happy is what matters. 

Things will be looking up financially soon.