Cost of living

It also does not seem that people are paid peanuts in comparison to the same job here in the states.

That depends on the job. My husband and I moved back to the US, and one of the reasons was because he could do the exact same job and make a lot more money with better work conditions. That isn't the case for everyone - but it is for some. There are going to be exceptions to everything said about the cost of living in England - some parts of the US are crazy expensive as well. But as a whole, when you smoosh it all down, I think what most people here are saying is that on average cost of living is much higher in the UK. We certainly found that to be the case in regards to salary and housing.

Just a thought, but I think  the trick is to have the best of both worlds, when you move to the U.K try to factor in one or more trips to the USA per annum to take advantage of stocking up on things like clothes which are most definately cheaper here.

I have just moved here and to CT, so not a lower cost State by any means and some things are shockingly more expensive than the UK (some cable/phone/internet packages for example) but here, there is such competition, there always seem to be deals and rentals- I have been really shocked to see what your money can buy you or you can rent for- a lot more space, security, options.

I think someone said if you think in terms of $1-1 pound (had to write pound, no clue where the pound symbols are on the US keyboards  , but actually I find thinking that way, incorrectly makes the US seem more expensive.  I am finding the dollar going further than I thought (but not as far as I would like

I also think it's helpful to define "cost of living"- that seems to mean different things to different people.  For me, as an example, cable TV, broadband etc isn't really a cost-of-living expense, as it's not a necessity (such as your utilities) and there are always ways to cut down on those bills if you need to.  I think perhaps, you might find it more helpful to look at the quality of life, rather than the cost of it.

I will also be happy  to P.M you with stuff Liza, feel free. (Brit just moved here).

PS) ha ha ha ha , did I really say Broadband isn't a necessity, please! We *all* know it is

I think someone said if you think in terms of $1-1 pound (had to write pound, no clue where the pound symbols are on the US keyboards 

press the "Alt" key and then press "0163" on the number pad...and you get "£".

or alt/option 3 on a mac £££££

I think my life is not so dissimilar to that which I had in the States (Boston was the city I moved from).  My salary goes about the same distance...though my choices of what I do and don't do are different.  In the US my money went more to clothing and going out to eat meals...now it's more toward sports clubs (I play field hockey & cricket & it's expensive to play) and I buy more food to cook.  If I wanted the same lifestyle as I had in the States, I'd be close.

This is terribly subjective.  I mean, everytime some magazine or newspaper has some "how to save money" article, it talks about cutting out things I already don't spend money on!  Dry cleaning, "designer" coffees, eating out every lunch instead of taking lunch...weekly - or even monthly! - movies/nights out.

We don't have sky or any other sort of "premium" tv service.  We have Broadband, but only because my husband's type of work requires it.  Our mobiles are PAYG and if I spend £5 over 2 months, that's a lot for me.

We just bought a house.  And that is something we could have never managed in the US on the salary I made and the salary my husband could have made in the area I was living in.

As I don't value my life based on a "cost of living" aspect, I can only judge my quality of life - and it's tonnes better here in the UK.

But maybe that has to do with where I am in my life as well. 

Inflation is rising as well.

Thank you so much for the offers to PM - but I'm still about three years out from moving so it would be a bit premature.  But I think just knowing that we can do it is a huge comfort, and will make the planning to move a bit easier.  Now, after reading another thread, I'm considering talking to Simon about staying here till we are married for four years so I will have my ILR.  Not really sure how he will take that.

Anyway - yes, I agree that this is very subjective.  It's also very interesting though to see what different people feel makes their quality of life----quality.  And quality of living is so much more important to me than standard of living, I totally agree with that as well.  If I'm happy and comfortable, it doesn't matter much what I have or don't have.  I've had the way big house in the country with two fat incomes - and I was miserable.  Now it's just me (and will soon be Simon too) in my little bungalow on the fringe of Detroit, and I've never ever been happier.

~Liza

I think it's very subjective, and very difficult to make any sort of generalizations.  So much depends upon where you live in the U.S., where you live (or intend to live) in the U.K., what sort of lifestyle you follow, etc.   

Years ago I read one of those "How to Live and Work in America" books.  When I think back to some of the advice it contained, it bears hardly any resemblance to my experience of living in the United States at all.    Maybe the author didn't think that anyone from England would end up in the rural Mid-West, or maybe he had no experience beyond New York and California.   Now if the books you may have read about living in Britain are as inaccurate or as narrow-focused as that book was, you're not going to have a true picture of the country.   

As for £100,000 salaries, or even $100,000 salaries, that's practically a millionaires income to most people here.  Around this area £30,000 would put you in the well-to-do bracket, but then we don't have the ridiculous London real-estate prices to match the London salaries.

Oh, and on a PC using the default character map you should be able to get £ with Alt-156 as well. 

As for £100,000 salaries, or even $100,000 salaries, that's practically a millionaires income to most people here.  Around this area £30,000 would put you in the well-to-do bracket, but then we don't have the ridiculous London real-estate prices to match the London salaries.

Thanks Paul - just this small bit of information tells me tons, when I otherwise have NO frame of reference at all.  Yes - Simon lives there, but he has all his life.  And he's still renting with friends in some very special circumstances, so doesn't have a true feel of what it would take to maintain a household.  So, if you are all wondering why I just don't ask him, that's why.  And those who have lived in both countries will have a better idea of what I'm trying to equate.

BTW - what area are you in, Paul?

Thanks!  This really is very helpful and enlightening!! 

~Liza

And he's still renting with friends in some very special circumstances, so doesn't have a true feel of what it would take to maintain a household. So, if you are all wondering why I just don't ask him, that's why. And those who have lived in both countries will have a better idea of what I'm trying to equate.
~Liza

trust me honey, even if they HAVE lived on their own sometimes they have no idea how much it costs to run a household.

my husband had no idea what the words budget and savings meant until he met me!   

trust me honey, even if they HAVE lived on their own sometimes they have no idea how much it costs to run a household.

my husband had no idea what the words budget and savings meant until he met me!   

You know though - the funny thing is, he's so much better with his money than I am!!!  I'm horrible at saving, and spend it when I get it.  I hate that I do it, it's like an addiction or something, and he's always getting on me about it.  But you are SOOOO right about not having a clue of what it takes to run a house.  He lives on potato waffles and sausage, and his Internet connection and phone are included in his rent (the building he lives in has offices on the ground floor).  So it will be a good experience for both of us.  He can whip me into shape with a budget, and I can tell him he's crazy when he thinks we can pay the house off in a few years.   

~Liza

It also does not seem that people are paid peanuts in comparison to the same job here in the states. 

I get paid peanuts (in UK) in comparison to my comparable job in the US -- approx £6,240 less (or approx $11,218 less -- depending on how you want to view it and at current exchange rates).  To me - that's A LOT less -- maybe to others it wouldn't be.  Fortunately, my husband has a good job -- so in that sense my household income changed for the better, in moving.

Also, I know it's not good to always be thinking in dollars when you're over here...  But when I'm clothes shopping for instance & I see that I will pay the same number in monetary units (pounds) as I would pay in dollars for the same item -- that really bugs me.  I try to put off such purchases if at all possible until I'm visiting in the States.

I totally agree with you CarolynB!! When I was visiting back home recently, staying with my hubby's brother and his wife, I was trying to explain to him the money exchange rates. For instance, he might send a hundred dollar check for our son, but with the exchange rates and all, and the cost of banking the check, we might only get 50 pounds or so, maybe even less!! I was trying to tell him, that the pound agains't the dollar was different, his argument was.....get this, currency is worth it's value anywhere....it's not more here than there! I shut him up by saying.....'yes, but I can get a lot more for a hundred dollars in America, than I can for fifty pounds or so in London!!' Come on, we all know that if we take pounds to America, we get more dollars....and more great deals.....whereas if we take dollars here.....we get taken loads away in the exchange.......why is that so hard to understand? If a pound is worth more than a dollar, and I just checked, a pound is worth $1.78 ......WTF? I mean, this guy, my bro-in-law is an intellegent guy......why doesn't he get this?? Am I wrong here??

Am I wrong here??

Nope.