Not sure if I should put this in P&N or OT..... But dont you feel that the more you get to know the more you realise....

[vi edit]

The current exchange rate is $1.80. That makes England VERY expensive.

When I was there it was ~$1.26. I lost a dollar for every $5 I spent.

Besides that though...the prices were through the roof. My wife and I couldn't go out to eat for under $50 (after conversion) and that was only with a drink a piece at not exactly high scale establishments. Groceries were through the roof in prices. Gasoline at $3.00 a gallon.

Not to mention the 13%-21% Vat tax on top of an already highly taxed salary.

 

[vi edit]

Bigsmooth was just over in England recently and one of his main complaints were about prices as well.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: freegeeks

Originally posted by: vi_edit Hahahahahahahahahah. If you think the US is an expensive place to spend money in....you OBVIOUSLY haven't been to Europe.

funny I think the same thing every time I'm visiting the USA my brother is just back from Florida and the first thing he said is that everything was so expensive

I'm sorry, but Ireland and England were EXPENSIVE. Housing was expensive. Food was expensive. Alcohol was expensive. Gasoline was expensive. Not to mention that you guys have considerable more of a tax burden put on you as well from what we have. What you get over here is far more than what you get over there for your $$$$.

Huh? I've lived in both England and the US, and its pretty 50/50 - different things are more expensive in each. Housing was expensive in the US, Petrol is more expensive in the UK, alcohol is more expensive in the US (real alcohol, none of that cold piss you call beer [except for the beer i had in wisconsin - that definitely rates up there).
Tech stuff is generally more expensive in the UK, with the exception of phones, where the US always seemed to be two years behind. and tax is generally higher in the UK, but at least you know how much you will be charged, and don't have to remember a whole arcane tax rating system, that changes when you cross states or counties.

And what the hell is up with the price of bread in the US?

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
I realized that a long time ago, and I'm only 17. I'm considering moving to Canada or something later in life :disgust:

It's good that at 17 you are willing to move to a country that restricts your rights more than the US. It shows the proper progression toward Utopia that a bright individual like yourself normally makes.

 

[vi edit]

Huh? I've lived in both England and the US, and its pretty 50/50 - different things are more expensive in each. Housing was expensive in the US, Petrol is more expensive in the UK, alcohol is more expensive in the US (real alcohol, none of that cold piss you call beer [except for the beer i had in wisconsin - that definitely rates up there).
Tech stuff is generally more expensive in the UK, with the exception of phones, where the US always seemed to be two years behind. and tax is generally higher in the UK, but at least you know how much you will be charged, and don't have to remember a whole arcane tax rating system, that changes when you cross states or counties.

It's sad when I can get a pint of Guinness for half the price here in the states than what I was paying for it 3 blocks from the damn brewery in Dublin.

 

[freegeeks]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

The current exchange rate is $1.80. That makes England VERY expensive.

When I was there it was ~$1.26. I lost a dollar for every $5 I spent.

Besides that though...the prices were through the roof. My wife and I couldn't go out to eat for under $50 (after conversion) and that was only with a drink a piece at not exactly high scale establishments. Groceries were through the roof in prices. Gasoline at $3.00 a gallon.

Not to mention the 13%-21% Vat tax on top of an already highly taxed salary.

I agree with you on the tax but that includes in most European countries medical insurance and other social security stuff. There are some threads floating around in OT about medical insurance and some of these prices are just insane.

IMO Europe and the US are pretty much the same when you look at the cost of living

the percreption of something being expensive has more to do with the exchange rate then anything else

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
It's sad when I can get a pint of Guinness for half the price here in the states than what I was paying for it 3 blocks from the damn brewery in Dublin.

Yeah, but thats like comparing your cheapest local pub with the price of a beer in Disneyland - you aren't going to get a cheap pint in any of the tourist traps in Dublin - they rely on American tourists not being able to work out any money thats not green, and massively overpaying

 

[vi edit]

IMO Europe and the US are pretty much the same when you look at the cost of living and calculate everything in

Not turn this into a thread into a materialistic brag thread, but I'm pretty sure that an average income family here in the states can own a much larger home and accumulate more material possessions of convenience than most people in other countries can.

Yes, you can buy a home in both countries for the same XXX,XXX purchase price or a car for the same purchase price, or whatever for the same price, but I would safely venture to guess that the US resident gets "more" for their money than someone from Europe. Baring insanely priced markets like southern California and parts of the east coast.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: dpm

Originally posted by: vi_edit
It's sad when I can get a pint of Guinness for half the price here in the states than what I was paying for it 3 blocks from the damn brewery in Dublin.

Yeah, but thats like comparing your cheapest local pub with the price of a beer in Disneyland - you aren't going to get a cheap pint in any of the tourist traps in Dublin - they rely on American tourists not being able to work out any money thats not green, and massively overpaying

It didn't matter what pub I went to...a pint was still $5-$8 after the conversion. Whether that be in Dublin, in Bray, In Gallway, or in little towns along Galway Bay.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

IMO Europe and the US are pretty much the same when you look at the cost of living and calculate everything in

Not turn this into a thread into a materialistic brag thread, but I'm pretty sure that an average income family here in the states can own a much larger home and accumulate more material possessions of convenience than most people in other countries can. Yes, you can buy a home in both countries for the same XXX,XXX purchase price or a car for the same purchase price, or whatever for the same price, but I would safely venture to guess that the US resident gets "more" for their money than someone from Europe. Baring insanely priced markets like southern California and parts of the east coast.

A house in the UK will certainly cost you more than the average price in the US, but thats because the UK is much more land poor than the US - we are a bit crowded here. On the other hand, that makes a house a very good investment indeed. I'd guess you'd say that the housing market in most of Britain is a bit like the parts of the east coast you mentioned.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: dpm

Originally posted by: vi_edit It's sad when I can get a pint of Guinness for half the price here in the states than what I was paying for it 3 blocks from the damn brewery in Dublin.

Yeah, but thats like comparing your cheapest local pub with the price of a beer in Disneyland - you aren't going to get a cheap pint in any of the tourist traps in Dublin - they rely on American tourists not being able to work out any money thats not green, and massively overpaying

It didn't matter what pub I went to...a pint was still $5-$8 after the conversion. Whether that be in Dublin, in Bray, In Gallway, or in little towns along Galway Bay.

That I'd expect, but you are very much still on the tourist trail. Whyd'you think the Irish like Americans so much?

Whereas I found a pint was more expensive in DC, than when I was staying with my family outside Navan.

 

[vi edit]

That I'd expect, but you are very much still on the tourist trail. Whyd'you think the Irish like Americans so much?

Whereas I found a pint was more expensive in DC, than when I was staying with my family outside Navan.

Well, even in grocery stores alcohol was priced high. You can't really say that was aimed at tourists. Just about any beer or wine there was priced 20%-30% more than what you you pay at a grocery store here.

 

[Amorphus]

This rant was horrible. You're complaining that America has no freedoms? And then you attack private corporations for restricting your freedom. Of course, that's because the government obviously made them do it, right?

Oh, oh, so you're going to move to Africa. Alright then. I'm glad to get rid of you.

Do you realize that America has some of the most individual freedoms in the world? You're complaining about how America sucks because it is trying to
1) Prevent piracy
2) Prevent fraud
3) Protect the freedoms of people living in it.

People like you have no understanding of how the legal system works. You have no understanding of how good you have it. You have no understanding of anything you have, because you have been handed everything. Everything you have was earned by the blood, sweat, and tears of generations before you, and you are what we have to show for it.

People like you disgust me.

 

[Zepper]

Oh, yeah... "I'm only 17 and gonna run off to Canada when" (if) I ever become able to locate my backside with both hands (unlikely). Canada - what a great example. A country about to collapse under the weight of its dalliance with socialism.
. Won't be long before they're begging us to annex them as the 51-5Xth states. Great Britain surely doesn't have the wherewithal to save them from their own stupidity as they, too, are suffering gravely from the socialist rot.
.bh.

And BTW, this drivel does belong in P&A which was created specifically to get it out of this section.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Freedom is anarchy. What we have in America are rights. You are not free. You can't come into my house without my permission. You can't build a house on public land. You can't walk around nude. You DO have the right to bear arms. You DO have the right to own property. You DO have the right to a fair trial...etc.

 

[steveeast112]

Move to the EU and/or Russia. Remember that they can take over the world...

 

[Vic]

It's not the corporations' fault, it's the government.

As for this greed you complain about, what is it?
Are you bitching about Bill Gates while buying/using MS products?
Do you bitch about Starbucks over your grande mocha?
Are you upset about the RIAA and the MPAA while you listen to their music and watch their movies?
Do you think greed is being forced to actually pay for the works and acheivements of others? 'Cause that's what it appears like and, if so, you can you fsck the hell right off.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
I realized that a long time ago, and I'm only 17. I'm considering moving to Canada or something later in life :disgust:

Go for it...

I've thought the same thing several times but for different reasons...

The last freedom the government will take away is freedom of movement so you're welcome to leave when you feel fit

 

[dawks]