USA
Day to Day Living in USA
USA related forum posts
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Still a good business move?
hey there, me and the husband are planning to move our film collectables store to the usa (maybe even keep our existing one in the uk too) but we're unsure if this is such a good idea now. it is such a hard decision when all the advice we're getting is so mixed. some people seem optimistic for business in the coming year, others not. &l
Total Posts: 4 Last post by jonekane
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Expanding cleaning company to US
Hi, I would be interested in knowing whether it would be a good move to expand my cleaning company to the US. How would you go about doing this?
Total Posts: 2 Last post by vroomr513
Day-to-day Living in the US
Obviously, being such a large country, it isn't easy to generalise about life in the States. A metropolis like New York is going to offer you something far more different than the religious, mining state of Utah. These pointers should hopefully give you the right idea. The standard of living in the USA varies vastly, both in terms of wealth and location.
The people of America are notoriously friendly. Some would even say overfriendly. It is important you don't become intimidated by this, as people are confident and have no reservations about speaking frankly.
Offshore Banking
Opening an offshore bank account is an important consideration for anyone moving overseas.
There are many advantages of an offshore banking account and there are a number of factors to be considered when choosing where to open one.
The primary consideration is safety and security of your hard earned money. You should choose an offshore jurisdiction which is well regulated and has long term political stability.
You should then consider that you will most likely be dealing in currencies other than your home currency. Your offshore bank should be able to provide banking services and international payments in all major currencies so that you can manage your financial affairs in the currencies of your choosing. And of course you need to be able to access your funds with ease. International transfers, phone banking and International Debit cards are essential here. What's becoming an invaluable financial tool in the expatriate lifestyle is Internet Banking. Most banks today provide internet banking, but not all can provide it in multiple currencies, with the ability to make international payments and transfer between currencies online.
While it may not always be a primary consideration, many expatriates find that an offshore bank account can form part of your overall tax planning solution. Independent tax advice is always recommended in this case.
Finally your offshore bank should be able to provide you with access to the full range of specialist offshore products and services such as offshore mortgages, travel, medical and critical illness cover and expatriate tax advice.
Utility Bills
Gas and electric companies typically provide two payment options. The first requires you to pay the full amount when billed each month. The other lets you pay an estimated budget each month, with any difference being reconciled at the end of the billing year. Some people find this more convenient, since gas and electricity bills can otherwise vary considerably during the summer and winter months.
Most utility companies have the option to have the monthly bill automatically deducted from your bank account.
The price of your bill is going to vary. Americans are known to use between 2 - 5 times more energy than the rest of the world.
Grocery Shopping
Shopping in the States is very similar to shopping here in the UK. You have it all in abundance, from small, independent green grocers to large, salient supermarkets.
A benefit of shopping for food in America is generally getting more for your money.
Consider these normal opening and closing hours: 0800-2100 Monday to Saturday and 0900-1700 on Sunday. There are very many 24-hour convenience stores, too.
Driving and Roads
Motorways (interstates, freeways and highways) connect main city centres. There is a vast network of long-distance buses linking all major cities. Smaller cities, however, are generally not served adequately by public transport.
Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. States are now free to set their own limits, usually between 50 and 75 mph.
Air Travel
As previously stated, catching a plane in the United States is as commonplace as riding a bus here in the UK. Aeroplanes are a normal form of travel between cities and states. Highly developed, networked airline services connect most towns of importance. Fare systems have been deregulated, leading to fierce competition. Do yourself a favour and save some money by shopping around and doing a jet card comparison to ensure you get the best service for the best possible price.
Telephone
From the UK the international dialling code for the USA is +001. All phone numbers within the USA consist of a three-digit area-code and a seven-digit local number. When calling long distance, dial 1 then the area-code followed by the seven-digit number. Many government agencies, car rental firms, hotels, etc, have free-phone numbers, which always have the prefix 1-800.