potential move to USA, because can't afford to live UK

[AdoraBell]

Is DH fucking deluded, or will be able to live on $50,000 per year? Two adults and either 2 teens or put them in boarding school here coz, ya know, that's free

disclaimer -I might be contemplating strangling the idiot overreacting slightly.

I agree Canada provides a good middle class life. Especially if you have an excellent extended health plan through work. Ours is good too, I never got my acupuncture paid for in the UK I think my main beef with the cost of living here is for those less fortunate. If you don't have an extended health plan and need a lot of prescriptions or care it can be a huge struggle. I've been doing work with marginalised women and quite frankly the life that Canada provides for poor people is the pits (The health care plan aspect is also the main reason I think the OP would be nuts to consider the states!)

I'm in Fort McMurray, AB so I'm going to sit on my hands now.

There are many nice and cheaper parts of the UK

As a Canadian our perspective is that Americans earn less so while they may pay lower taxes it evens out in the wash. Though of course they get nowhere near the services we do.

Certainly you can find ridiculously cheap property in Canada and the US (was just googling the Berkshires in America last night and Nova Scotia in Canada and had my bags half-packed). But in America there's the mad political culture and also healthcare.

In Canada we essentially just pay for dental and prescriptions. And prescriptions tend to be pretty cheap if you're low income (depending on the medicine).

I live in BC which is now (imo) unaffordable for an average income earner to move to (the coast anyway) if they want to buy. Rent is also very expensive. Yes we do pay health care premiums (our province only - wtf is with that?!), but low income pay nothing and children aren't charged and it looks like it'll be phased out in 2018.

It's gorgeous here, clean and pretty. But if I didn't already have a house I wouldn't live here as it's too expensive and if I was young I'd leave and live in a different part of Canada.

It may be catastrophising, but I'd worry about gun violence in the US. We may have a fentanyl crisis (we do), but we don't have a violent society.

well dont ill!
my db has employer health insurance but it is co pay. he has had skin cancer twice. the last one advanced. he currently pays $900 a month (his employer pays more) and had to find $20000 over 3 years towards his co pay. he is fortunately single and has no dependents.

Bue point absolutely taken that there is a massive marginalized society in canada bit from an outsider perspective it's some kind of utopia (my FIL believes so and I even pulled him up on it!)

I guess the reality is in any country if you have a secure job and health benefits kids is good but not everyone has that.
Bue if you would like to pm me id be interested in what I could do here to help

Neville I have an American phone that can't cope with naice!

We have been looking at towns good for commuting in Essex and Bergen county here in NJ. A few of the towns have had reassessments and the new numbers coming in are eye watering. Don't worry we found something with much lower property taxes. Regardless in this area $50k a year is poverty for a family. As a couple you could survive but it would be more of an existence.

It sounds like it's a non-starter from a visa perspective anyway but no way would we have moved to California on $50k/year even as a young couple used to living like students in a less developed country, especially with no employer paid medical insurance to help out. Immigrant families living off one salary of ±$49k in coastal California do not have a great time and that's typically with young children (pre-school) and one spouse staying home to look after them. And just an additional point that US vet care is quite pricey, I'm not sure how UK prices compare (a quick google suggests UK vets are much cheaper) but even with a much higher income pet insurance is a good idea.

Expat that's very thoughtful of you! Unfortunately I really have no idea :( I have been working with a group of midwives here and have just seen how they are plugging a lot of gaps in social care - providing women with free leftover medicines (totally illegal but compassionate!), bus tickets, food, etc. The system is so patchwork.

want2be We're actually looking at downsizing to Bergen County. We could be neighbours!

Haha!!! Fingers crossed we are staying in Hoboken. The reassessments put us off and DH would have a heck of a time getting to the airport.

On a more serious note I'd wait for this election and see who the next governor is. I think the 2% cap on property tax increases is going to be removed along with the cap on education salaries. If that happens I expect property tax increases to go back to their traditional 5% annual increases for a few years in towns reliant on homeowners for their income. Also watch out for hidden extras. A lot of towns now have upcharges for trash removal etc. it's so annoying that these services are not covered by taxes.

Just for general comparison, we are trying to recruit for a job in California.

Admittedly it is a very expensive part of the state, but even so, a job that pays about £40k tops here, people are fully expecting salaries of $170k there (plus healthcare etc). More than their future line manager gets!

Not sure $50k would touch the sides!

Other parts of the States are doable. Where I live has an amazing public school (public here meaning state so free) in which ds will have a class size of 5-6, we have a four bedroom house with 6 acres next to the beach. No way I could even afford a flat in the UK if we sold this house.

What part of the UK are you currently living in? Could you relocate to a cheaper area?

I've lived in America. I much prefer living in the UK.

If I were you I would save yourselves the struggle of getting visas, insurance, paying the ££££ cost of relocating; and of finding suitable housing, work, schools, childcare, social life. Relocating to another country with children is a massive undertaking.

shots It's like that here in NYC too. £40k in the U.K. is about $120+ for the burbs and $160-180k for NYC. It's very difficult to live on less, especially when you are a family relocating. We have been here 10+ years so have built equity in our home and have figured out retirement. Walking into this area and buying is a challenge when prices are so high.

I know of someone currently trying to raise over $19K to pay for cancer treatment - no job, so no health insurance - but the visa issue alone may kill your DH's idea stone dead tbh what a shame, never mind

Agree with everyone else here - get him to look at visa's, my guess is he hasn't got a prayer of getting one

We live in Northern California and my OH earns more than 3 times what you are suggesting, and if I didn't work as well we couldn't go out when we wanted, fly back to UK, holidays, etc - and there are 2 of us, no pets

It is extremely expensive, so definitely not a state you should look at

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