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You read the title.
I guess it isn't much for discussion, though, is it...
Also, then, uh, what do you think about how expensive England seems to be to me.
I think things are expensive. Pounds are used like dollars, making everything about 1 and 3/4 times the price of everything I buy. Is it hard to make a living there?
Or would it be wise to start a business there, make a fair amount of money, and then change it to dollars in America, thus nearly doubling my net worth?
I recently went to Hong Kong island which used to be a British Colony and things seemed pretty cheap...
Minimum wage in England is 5.05 pounds an hour...I think
English people don't use real monies anyway.
You should see house prices compared to those in America. It's made me seriously think about moving to the US when I want to buy a place of my own. I also find it amusing, well, I say amusing but I mean infuriating, that we have to wait for months more for games (come on, just give us the US version. Sod the French. They should just give up on their stupid language) and consoles and they end up costing much more, if they even get released here at all.
It's not all bad, though! We have free healthcare, football, fish 'n' chips, Terry Wogan and more Cadbury's than you can shake a Twirl at. Oh, and American beer = LOL.
On a somewhat related note, I haven't changed my dollars from a recent trip to the US back to pounds yet, because the dollar's value is so low right now. I think a pound is worth something like 1.93 dollars.
Yeah, minimum wage is like £5.05 I think. And yeah, :skull::skull::skull::skull: here is way expensive. When I import US videogames, even with shipping costs it works out less than buying them here, half the time. Customs costs to increase the price, but there's ways around it sometimes. Because import tarriffs between two of the most closely-linked economies/cultures/nations on Earth is gay.
And yeah pretty much everything Psy said, though I can't say I care about our sports or food. Football (REAL football, as in the one that barely uses feet and is played by trucks :p) + Sbarro's = yes.
We should either apply for statehood or work out a common citizenship deal. Then again, if Churchill said that was a good idea 60 years ago and it's still not happened... =/
In short: Things are retardedly expensive!
I am pretty sure UK minimum wage is higher that £5.05. More like £5.30-something.
And yes, house prices are terrible.
Pretty much everything I saw in Birmingham looks like it costs the same. They have the same numbers for prices. The problem is that the pound is twice as much as the dollar. $1.93, like Psy said.
its £5.35 ( http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/ ) [equiv to $10.38)
house prices are indeed terrible but the beer is better, the football is better and we have what's left of the NHS
average uk house price = £184,924 ($359,010)
average Us house price = £136,285 ($264,540)
"*£5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
*A development rate of £4.45 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
*£3.30 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age." [Source]
Why would you want to live in England anyways? The weather is worse than we get in Canada.
Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
We don't want to, but America won't open her borders to us and we're too proud to apply for statehood.Quote:
Originally Posted by Citizen Bleys
I dont know anything about wages or anything
But like psy said, house prices have boooomed.
Yeah, house prices are really retarded and other prices are high. I was looking to buy Adobe Premier on the Internet and the prices are $849 and £720. If there are 2 dollars to the pound then where can I import and save several hundred quid? It's insane.
Limewire.
Wages are lower in america though aren't they so it might balance out.
Also, my mum just told me wine is more expensive in Canada (dont know aboiut US) so i'll stay here ta
I lol at Yanks complaining about petrol prices. And by lol, I mean get angered.
England is ridiculously overpriced. The average wage doesn't correspond with living costs, particularly if you live alone. It's best to be self- employed, that way you can claim back a lot of your wage that the government is hoping to get their foul mits on. An of course the undeclared earnings are a must, to any self-respecting citizen. As for the house prices, I already own my own house, so I'm urging them to keep on rising!
... trucks?Quote:
Originally Posted by MILF
Most people don't know any better, and the ones that you try to educate either give a quick sympathetic "oh that sucks" or they make fun of whatever countries have the high prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Manus
As for house prices, pfft. Your country's fault for being established on a teeny island. It's somehow all of your faults. [img]http://home.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/heart.gif[/img]
Transformers! Players in disguise!Quote:
Originally Posted by Raistlin
Real football is the onewhere you use your FOOT! the other one should be renamed American rugby
http://sfbay.gatorclub.com/images/D%...20Gatorade.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by RyeTransformers! Players in disguise!Quote:
Originally Posted by Raistlin
Those gentlemen. Mack trucks in Human form imo.
Edit: no blim. soccer should be called soccer, like it is.
My last word on the subject as its off topic. It's not called soccer it's called football. Thats why we have the FA (Football association) FIFA, UEFA. The only soccer i can think of is the US league MLS. (just double checked that, also Samoa and Canada. Every other nation calls it football according to Wikipedia). Two nations divided by language indeed (or whatever the qoute is)
xD that's true, especially in the NFL.Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
Those silly "international" terms. Soccer is soccer.
Oh dear, silly MILF and Raistlin! While you may have the power to make your word law in EoEO debates, you seem to have forgotten: This is GC. This is my turf. It's football. While you are in my domain, you will not refer to your silly nonsense "sport" with the true name of the beautiful game. Now zip it!
Or Lee Trundle will get you etc.
EDIT: Owait off-topic. Britain (wales needs representing ftw) is very expensive. Hooah, January sales start on boxing day.
I believe the two letters best applied here are as follows:Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
"Q".
And the second letter?
"Q".
:p
Edit: Manus, do you know Chris? He's from Wales too, so I'd guess you do (Small place, right?).
Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILFWe don't want to, but America won't open her borders to us and we're too proud to apply for statehood.Quote:
Originally Posted by Citizen Bleys
Nonsense, it's every Brit's wet dream to reclaim the thirteen colonies for the throne ;)
I'm sure you can get into Jamaica. The weather doesn't suck in Jamaica.
A very good friend of mineQuote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
:holmes: Tell him I say hi.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old ManusA very good friend of mineQuote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
Clearly, the minimum wage needed to be reduced for productivity measures; micro-economic reform encourages firms to increase their labour:capital ratio. In the macro-economy, this has the effect of decreasing unemployment and stimulating aggregate demand. As the economy reaches the NAIUR (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment) productivity boons are reflected in the CPI (Consumer Price Index), thus, curbing inflation. Most exorbitant British goods are manufactured locally. Imports are, ironically, cheaper, in relative terms. That is to say, an Italian car is more cost effective than a loaf of bread. Sadly, Britain is a great example of domestic price tyranny ... and the colloquialism: How much is a carton of Milk? - reflecting the premium that Brits pay for Giffen goods is not exaggerated. Britain also faces some pretty tough income inequality ... one of the highest in Europe.
So, why didn't Thatcherisms work? Because monetarist shock therapy affected the total economy, not just firms. Adjusting interest rates to control prices, stimulate the money market and improve loanable funds (liquidity) had many unforseen negative consequences. Inflated British pounds altered foreign buyers' preferences and hence Britain's glorious export industry collapsed, virtually overnight. Demand mechanisms control the FOREX market, so buyers simply shopped elsewhere in Europe.:eek:
Thatcher's legacy has since damaged British aspirations to curb inflation; it is generally held that any attempts toward monetary reform will adversely conjure up bad memories of the 1980's. Joining the EU is a socialist policy that achieves much the same, however. Privatising most of Britains public services was the only good move on her behalf.
Best remedy would now be tax reform.
Cheers
Actually the quickest and easiest way to lower prices, without affecting the minimum wage (Already rather low), is to simply reduce the ridiculous tax burden on the average British consumer. People are taxed when they are paid, taxed when they purchase, and taxed when they save. If you've got more than a certain amount, you're taxed when you die, too. Petrol duties are such that we have... insane prices at the pumps. Airline taxes, now even higher, are so high that it's not uncommon for half the fare to be tax (Yet we're apparently not taxed enough!) It was for me the last time I went to the US.
Indeed.
We seem to agree on the tax reform subject.
Quote:
reduce the ridiculous tax burden
The problem is that socialist policy revolves around taxation. Britain certainly has a socialist government at present. If you feel hard done, then look at the Scandinavian model. Nordics have an elaborate pre-Keynesian fiscal package that entails well over 60% income tax. :eek:Quote:
remedy would now be tax reform.
Given that social equality is non-exclusive, the high tax burden might actually be a good thing. Without forcing savings i.e. cutting back on foodstuffs - why not curb consumption of luxury goods: mobile phones, cars, appliances and internet. Ask yourself if you really need the new flat screen and matching lounge. Chances are you don't.
Personally, trading in the vehicles and not buying petrol is a great way to save money.
It's not for anyone else to decide what I need, and if I don't need something, how much weight I put on what I want.
And yeah, they have it rough in the rest of Europe. I think it's more than severe in Britain, but jeez... =/
You forgot Poland.
does that mean I should convert my pounds left from last March (when it was 1.85ish)?Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by rubah
I think it rose to 1.95 today. Wonderful. I also saw this article in the fantastic Daily Mail about how a couple sold a small house in Britain for £200,000, then went and bought an ex-governor's house (and very big it was too) for £250,000. It's crazy talk!