Im moving to the UK, Help!

[tonythekitty]

Hi, the wife and I are thinking of taking the plunge, but we are just working class folks. There won't be any companies moving us, neither of our companies (although both are in the fortune 500) seem to have stores over in the UK.

Personally, I make a very reasonable sustenance by being a professional salesperson. I am a bit worried that cultural differences will make me much less effective as such over there, at least for a while... Id like to know your take on this. I am from the deep south, by geographical location, but neither the wife nor I have ever fit into its social morays. Football, beer, and racing reign supreme here, with cultural influence being as close as the next action flick at a movie theatre. My wife is in a sub grade managerial position, also at a retail outlet. A bit worried about the skill sets transfer there too... Do you think we would be able to find a similar job or something enough to afford to live successfully in the UK with 2 incomes? I don't necessarily want to own property like I do over here, I think renting would be fine.... I quite often see even in modern British television shows the existence of small Mom and Pop stores, frequently with one or two employees minding the store, do these really still exist? All local stores have all but been wiped out here, and if you did get a job at one you wouldn't be able to afford even a horrid rat infested apartment.

I figured maybe some of you are in our age demographic, 25-28. Any thoughts or experiences you have on the lower middle class life equivalent of living over there would be appreciated. Or anyone else you might recommend we speak with....

Thanks a ton, (metric or otherwise)

Scott and Lacey

[splodger15]

Since living in the UK my whole life I have always wanted to get away from it but then thats everyone to there own opinions about it. London is where the jobs are but then the house prices are huge. You could always commute to London Via train as house prices are cheaper out of the London borough

[VampDude]

Hi, the wife and I are thinking of taking the plunge, but we are just working class folks. There won't be any companies moving us, neither of our companies (although both are in the fortune 500) seem to have stores over in the UK.

Personally, I make a very reasonable sustenance by being a professional salesperson. I am a bit worried that cultural differences will make me much less effective as such over there, at least for a while... Id like to know your take on this. I am from the deep south, by geographical location, but neither the wife nor I have ever fit into its social morays. Football, beer, and racing reign supreme here, with cultural influence being as close as the next action flick at a movie theatre. My wife is in a sub grade managerial position, also at a retail outlet. A bit worried about the skill sets transfer there too... Do you think we would be able to find a similar job or something enough to afford to live successfully in the UK with 2 incomes? I don't necessarily want to own property like I do over here, I think renting would be fine.... I quite often see even in modern British television shows the existence of small Mom and Pop stores, frequently with one or two employees minding the store, do these really still exist? All local stores have all but been wiped out here, and if you did get a job at one you wouldn't be able to afford even a horrid rat infested apartment.

I figured maybe some of you are in our age demographic, 25-28. Any thoughts or experiences you have on the lower middle class life equivalent of living over there would be appreciated. Or anyone else you might recommend we speak with....

Thanks a ton, (metric or otherwise)

Scott and Lacey

Wow, you have no idea whatsoever about the UK. What you've see on the T.V. is very stereotypical, as not everyone is into football and beer and there are no mom pop (mum dad) stores (shops).

I suggest that if you want to live anywhere in the UK and have a better home for less if your worried about earning a lower income, that you live anywhere in the Midlands or West Yorkshire (only the West if you choose Yorkshire thou as the other places aren't as good).

Good luck when you come to the UK thou! :)

[gdf]

Come to Scotland. It is great.

[JKKDARK]

Why don't you move to Germany? Munich is the best city in the world.

[bullhead]

Why don't you move to Germany? Munich is the best city in the world.

Disney Land is better...

Just move over, If you are of reasonable intelligence, then you will have no bother impressing the guys and gals that count, as most Britons are complete morons. They may have a fancy accent, buts it's only skin of the tooth deep. Under that, there isn't much.

:P

Thats mean of course I dont't mean that!

bull, x.

[tonythekitty]

Umm, Vampdude, you will notice if you read carefully that I am actually COMPLAINING about football and beer, here, not there. And I mean our football, not yours. Both of which I have to admit Im not really into either, but especially not american football.

Also, I was ASKINg if there are still mom and pop stores for real, because there certainly are none in the US. They have all been murdered here in the states.

Yes, all I know about Brittain I learned from TV and literature.....how else do you expect anyone from the US to know anything about you guys? However if any stereotypes can be trusted then I think we would get along better there. I am not speaking of intelligence, but personality. I have been told by other people that folks in the good old UK are more likely to solve their problems in work and life by talking them out rather than fighting and screaming. Is this true? I rather hope so.

Thanks for the tips on locales in which to relocate.




Wow, you have no idea whatsoever about the UK. What you've see on the T.V. is very stereotypical, as not everyone is into football and beer and there are no mom pop (mum dad) stores (shops).

I suggest that if you want to live anywhere in the UK and have a better home for less if your worried about earning a lower income, that you live anywhere in the Midlands or West Yorkshire (only the West if you choose Yorkshire thou as the other places aren't as good).

Good luck when you come to the UK thou! :)

[tonythekitty]

Disney Land is better...

Just move over, If you are of reasonable intelligence, then you will have no bother impressing the guys and gals that count, as most Britons are complete morons. They may have a fancy accent, buts it's only skin of the tooth deep. Under that, there isn't much.
.

I wish I could but unless the laws have changed it is illegal to job hunt on a tourist visa and it will be mighty hard for us to convince people to sponser us for work visas without any face time or companies backing us.

Any thoughts?

[tonythekitty]

That is a thought, you guys speak english too....mostly. Do you know if it is easier to gain Scottish citizenship or a work visa than it is for the UK, or is everything that falls under the European Union going to be pretty much the same degree of impossible to move to?

Seems like the laws really want to keep us crazy yanks out of the country permanantly.

[BrooksyX]

Why in the world would you want to move to the UK. If you want some change so bad why not move to a different part of the states. May I suggest the Pacific Northwest, its a really great place to live.

[Shadowblind]

Where on earth do you live???

I was gonna think the US, but its dominated by football and radio shows, not beer and certainly not racing. You live in Ireland?

I know culturally, US and UK are practically the same....

[SnesR0X]

Where on earth do you live???

I was gonna think the US, but its dominated by football and radio shows, not beer and certainly not racing. You live in Ireland?

I know culturally, US and UK are practically the same....

Nascar is very popular among hicks, so that's wrong. He said he lives in the Deep South (I assume Deep South of US

[Shadowblind]

Im IN the deep south, no one I know gives a cars horn about NASCAR :p

But if its the deep south in the US, the entire lifestyle down here revolves around a single thing:

Football. Nothing else. George Forman hanburgers and football.

[tonythekitty]

Im IN the deep south, no one I know gives a cars horn about NASCAR :p

But if its the deep south in the US, the entire lifestyle down here revolves around a single thing:

Football. Nothing else. George Forman hanburgers and football.

Yea , umm to clarify Tuscaloosa, AL in the deep south of the US.

Priorities here are

1.Alabama Football
2.Taladega Nascar Racing
3.Beer.
4. Hunting helpless animals without sport
5.Alabama Football

If anybody has seen Taladega Nights, The ballad of Ricky Bobby, yep its really like that. In fact, half of our town goes to Taladega (whish is only an hour or two away.) to go watch the race every year. it is really really like that, the hatred, the stupidity, the arrogance, the drukeness, and sportscentric lifestyle.

As for why not the rest of the US, I dunno. I have always been fascinated with the UK and wanted to move there ever since I was 4 years old. I had accomplished pretty much all my goals in life here and honestly am really really bored with life, and finally my wife has decided she would like to move away to the UK too, before she was rooted here by family but not so much now. I have literally been trying to escape this town my whole life and I cant. I know if I move anywhere else i nthe states the magnet will pull me back here to AL. again. I need to go so far I can't come back. Besides, Ill save a fortune on all the crap I have to pay extra to import.

:)

Oh yea, PAL sucks tho. Bringing my TV and video games with me.

[Man]

Lmao, at the pal comment, i have a friend that moved to holland and he wants me to send him a copy of Halo 3 for the xbox he bought. But eitherway, i wish you good luck in your adventure, as it is what i aspire to do aswell, to move from my small town hickville into a totally different world.

[tonythekitty]

Im not really replying to this guy, but I dont know how to post a new subject....

If any of you guys live in the UK and make under
(hold on Im converting this into pounds, gimme a min...)
If any of you make about 15,000 pounds a year or so I would be really interested in all aspects of your lifestyle. Where do you live, rent or own? What kind of job do you have, what are the hours like, holidays , vacation, etc. Please tell me!!!!

[Shadowblind]

Yea , umm to clarify Tuscaloosa, AL in the deep south of the US.

Priorities here are

1.Alabama Football
2.Taladega Nascar Racing
3.Beer.
4. Hunting helpless animals without sport
5.Alabama Football

If anybody has seen Taladega Nights, The ballad of Ricky Bobby, yep its really like that. In fact, half of our town goes to Taladega (whish is only an hour or two away.) to go watch the race every year. it is really really like that, the hatred, the stupidity, the arrogance, the drukeness, and sportscentric lifestyle.

As for why not the rest of the US, I dunno. I have always been fascinated with the UK and wanted to move there ever since I was 4 years old. I had accomplished pretty much all my goals in life here and honestly am really really bored with life, and finally my wife has decided she would like to move away to the UK too, before she was rooted here by family but not so much now. I have literally been trying to escape this town my whole life and I cant. I know if I move anywhere else i nthe states the magnet will pull me back here to AL. again. I need to go so far I can't come back. Besides, Ill save a fortune on all the crap I have to pay extra to import.

:)

Oh yea, PAL sucks tho. Bringing my TV and video games with me.

Yeah that sounds about right, lol. I can't get Auburn vs. Roll tide off these peoples minds...

I still don't know about the NASCAR thing...

[tonythekitty]

Where are you from shadowblind?

[splodger15]

Im not really replying to this guy, but I dont know how to post a new subject....

If any of you guys live in the UK and make under
(hold on Im converting this into pounds, gimme a min...)
If any of you make about 15,000 pounds a year or so I would be really interested in all aspects of your lifestyle. Where do you live, rent or own? What kind of job do you have, what are the hours like, holidays , vacation, etc. Please tell me!!!!

£15,000 thats not alot if you are working full time you will probaly be on at least £20,000.

London has its nice parts and its good parts I live in the South London which you may or may not know crime is high but then there is crime everywere you go. If you are going to move to London move to the nice parts of it Chelsea being one of them although the places are expensive the area is posh and its where the richest live.

[V3N0M]

Well good luck but be careful.. Keep in mind some times the grass isn't always greener on the other side.. I would strongly suggest ( If you can afford the trip ) visiting the UK before you decide to pack your bags and head off into a different continent.

[b8a]

tonythekitty:
I agree with V3N0M. It's really easy to get lost in the fantasy of foreign lands, but when it comes right down to it, people are really pretty much the same everywhere. Finding and associating with people who live their lives like you would like to is going to be just as hard (or just as easy) in the US as it is in the UK. After you get settled into a foreign land the only real changes are going to be purely asthetic. I've personally found that the innate hassles involved with living as a foreigner in a foreign land quickly outweigh whatever asthetic differences may have attracted you in the first place. I've got lots of friends who have had the same experience in several different countries. It's pretty rare to find someone who TRULY falls so in love with a foreign country that they end up emmigrating there for the rest of their lives (with the notable exception of people who are clearly upgrading their quality of life by moving to, say a first world country from a third world country).

However, I totally think that you should try it out if you're interested. Especially since you're in your 20's as it's an excellent time for you to give it a go. However, there are A LOT of ways to "try before you buy" that you should consider pursuing before you decide to "take the plunge".

First, no, it's not illegal to apply for jobs in a country without being a resident (applying for jobs while on holiday is actually a common way to write off vacation expenses). Many companies will require proof of legal residency before they will hire you, but that's trivial to acquire if you're serious about residing in a foreign country, and I don't know of many companies who will refuse to consider your application when you can proove that you are seriously commited to acquiring the required documentation.

Second, "foreign exchange" programs are excellent ways to become acquainted with a country without actually commiting to a move there. There are lots of cultural exchange programs available, and not all are associated with educational institutions. One of my teachers in Japan had a relative who participated in a foreign exchange program to the UK when he was in his 70's.

Third, there are many educational institutions (not nessecarily just colleges, but vocational schools as well) that you can apply to and, if accepted, will make you eligible for a student visa. Even if the UK doesn't explicitly allow the holder of a student visa to work (and often times countries do allow you to work just enough to cover basic living expenses), they probably will allow your spouse to work with few restrictions.

Fourth, many coutries offer reciprocrating agreements with other foreign countries for "working holiday" programs, and if I remember right, the UK and the US have such an agreement in place. Working holiday programs give you a specified amount of time (usually from six months to a year) where you are free to live and work in the foreign country as you wish.

I obviously don't know the exact details about the availability of any of these options as they might apply to your situation, I just wanted to give you a few things to think about. Even if you do decide to pull up roots and move to the UK any of these options (if available and applicable) would make excellent backroads into establishing a permanent residency. Poke around and do a little research on the internet. The Britsh consulate in the US would be a good place to start. Another good site to check for would be any message board(s) devoted to US expat communities in the UK. Chances are they could give you A TON of advice about not only the realities of living in the UK from the eyes of a US native, but also about the best ways to actually go about doing it.

[splodger15]

The UK is a joke for handibg out Visa's also why not try and claim a house from the couincil just say your living in poverty and bang 3 bedroomed house. But if a UK born person tried to do that they could be waiting for years to get one

like what people have been saying the grass aint greener here. Our knife crime has rose to that more of what they have in New York and our gun crime seems to be rising aswell

[Accordion]

How would the exchange rate affect your funds if you do move.
$1=£0.49, but most prices in the UK are the same numerical value as their US counterparts.

[ExcruciationX]

Why in the world would you want to move to the UK. If you want some change so bad why not move to a different part of the states. May I suggest the Pacific Northwest, its a really great place to live.
It's okay. If you've lived here for a while (like me) it isn't that great.

[splodger15]

I would love to live in America it just has something better it just looks a better place

[ExcruciationX]

I would love to live in America it just has something better it just looks a better place
England looks funner. You don't have to drive in a car, you just take the train.

[splodger15]

Whats wrong with the Train I use the Train along with Tram , Bus , My bike and walk

[Elmarco]

Ive lived in da UK all my life, and i havent had any problems here. :D I'd keep well away from London or any major cities though. Housing there can be very expensive.

[ExcruciationX]

I said the train was better then cars (which it is).

[VampDude]

£15,000 thats not alot if you are working full time you will probaly be on at least £20,000.

I would've thought at least £26,000 upwards to £40,000, anyone with slightly lower qualifications get the jobs that pay around the mark of £12,000 to £20,000 but I guess that all depends on where you work. I earned £7,000 (before taxes) in 3 months working security early on in the year (security work requires an SIA license), which if I worked there a year I would've earned at least £21,000 (more with bonuses and if I worked full time @£25,000?) which is good money for someone like me who still lives with their parents :D


London has its nice parts and its good parts I live in the South London which you may or may not know crime is high but then there is crime everywere you go. If you are going to move to London move to the nice parts of it Chelsea being one of them although the places are expensive the area is posh and its where the richest live.

I always thought that the West of London had the highest crime rates of London, and the East being the second (the two commonest parts of our fine capital/capitol which I will hopefully never have to visit) with the South and the North having the lowest.

[splodger15]

All of London has high crime. But it the South London last night a woman died in a Gang shootout

[gdf]

As I said, move to Scotland, it's pretty nice here.

[Shrygue]

@ spodger15: Where did that person in South London get shot? Brixton? Peckham? Woolwich? Streatham? Thornton Heath? Croydon? Please tell as I know that those areas of Lodon have nasty butts around many street corners.

[Sonicboy 101]

Crime is everywhere these days. People are getting killed for no reason.
Anyway...
Apart from crime UK is good... you're making the right choice. ;)

[Shrygue]

Very true, it's a good place to be. If it wasn't we'd probably would have those tourists coming in to visit the country.

[gdf]

I think you're all exaggerating crime (Except for in London). Remember, there are no guns compared to the US.

[splodger15]

@ spodger15: Where did that person in South London get shot? Brixton? Peckham? Woolwich? Streatham? Thornton Heath? Croydon? Please tell as I know that those areas of Lodon have nasty butts around many street corners.

She was shot in New Cross. I live in one of those areas you mentioned

[VampDude]

As I said, move to Scotland, it's pretty nice here.

It may be nice, but...



Scotland has second highest murder rate in Europe (http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1578388,00.html)


...And it's only a small country? :rofl:

[beetroot bertie]

Heh, I'm popping up to Scotland this weekend.

I'll let you know if I get murdered.

[pt9087]

US and UK are practically the same....

Def not,

The only comparasen i see is the language, but even then you yanks sound different.

The one bonus about England is

Sex at 16
Smoking at 16
Getting wasted at 18
Oh and leave school at 16



If any yank has ever been to england the first thing you notice is the humidity, were i am now the temp is 8C

[splodger15]

I got wasted at 16

[dejkirkby]

Def not,

The only comparasen i see is the language, but even then you yanks sound different.

The one bonus about England is

Sex at 16
Smoking at 16
Getting wasted at 18
Oh and leave school at 16



If any yank has ever been to england the first thing you notice is the humidity, were i am now the temp is 8C

Both of these are now 18, the school one applying from next year's year 7 pupils.

[tonythekitty]

I wouldnt notice the humidity. I live in the most humid part of alabama which is like the 2nd most humid part of our country. It literally feels like walking into a wall of water.

As for the salary I just converted mine into pounds. It may be more or less, once I get over there. Who knows. Im making about $40,000 a year by myself and my wife makes about $22,000. So if I worked by myself and she didnt have a job but got to stay home and do the wife thing then I figured about 20,000 pounds. If its easy to make more than that then great! For all of you people who are warning me the grass isnt greener...I know that is a possibility but why deny a lifelong dream? I have never seen ANY. ANY maor landmarks. Never been to a real museum, never had authentic foreign food, because that isnt available here. I could live there for a few years and see what I want to see and then move back. Im going dual citizenship not revoking my US one. History here in my city (which is I believe the 2nd oldest in the state next to mobile) only dates back maybe 110 years. You guys have history. Real history! Spanning 1000s of years and you can see it and touch it and study it. Plus, unless the media drastically lies, you are a bunch nicer folk. Everyone here is a complete prat. I have lived in this stupid city for 28 years and only come across 2 people worth being friends with, and I married one of them.

My idea of fun is comroderrie and conversation, not watching the game or race and getting so drunk I rape my neighbors wife and call it an accident the next day.

[tonythekitty]

Oh yea, as for weather! I have never even been in the snow! It never even got down to freezing here last winter! I would love to see a white Christmas, somewhere! even if you weirdos say Happy Christmas instead of Merry Christmas. Its still Christmas. and that beats what the idiots did here last year! They were so afraid of iraqui retribution that we werent even allowed to call them Christmas trees at my store (which sells them.) We had to call them "Holiday Trees"
what kind of crap is that?

Look if they want to have Rammadon trees or something thats cool, but dont tell me its not a Christmas tree its been a Christmas tree for hundreds of years.

[VampDude]

Oh yea, as for weather! I have never even been in the snow! It never even got down to freezing here last winter! I would love to see a white Christmas, somewhere!


It never snows at Christmas (thou it snowed 3 years ago on Christmas day when I was in N.Ireland), it snows on T.V. thou (T.V. lies) which is about the best thing over Christmas apart from the internet.

[tonythekitty]

But does it snow in winter? It doesnt even snow in WINTER here. Or ever.

[VampDude]

But does it snow in winter? It doesnt even snow in WINTER here. Or ever.

It snows, but very little. It never really snows for long (a day at the most), our weather is really messed up here (we get sun just after and when it snows which sucks).

[Accordion]

But does it snow in winter? It doesnt even snow in WINTER here. Or ever.

it snows in March.

[splodger15]

I wouldnt notice the humidity. I live in the most humid part of alabama which is like the 2nd most humid part of our country. It literally feels like walking into a wall of water.

As for the salary I just converted mine into pounds. It may be more or less, once I get over there. Who knows. Im making about $40,000 a year by myself and my wife makes about $22,000. So if I worked by myself and she didnt have a job but got to stay home and do the wife thing then I figured about 20,000 pounds. If its easy to make more than that then great! For all of you people who are warning me the grass isnt greener...I know that is a possibility but why deny a lifelong dream? I have never seen ANY. ANY maor landmarks. Never been to a real museum, never had authentic foreign food, because that isnt available here. I could live there for a few years and see what I want to see and then move back. Im going dual citizenship not revoking my US one. History here in my city (which is I believe the 2nd oldest in the state next to mobile) only dates back maybe 110 years. You guys have history. Real history! Spanning 1000s of years and you can see it and touch it and study it. Plus, unless the media drastically lies, you are a bunch nicer folk. Everyone here is a complete prat. I have lived in this stupid city for 28 years and only come across 2 people worth being friends with, and I married one of them.

My idea of fun is comroderrie and conversation, not watching the game or race and getting so drunk I rape my neighbors wife and call it an accident the next day.

Take the choice. If its a life long dream you may regret it later in life.

See when I move I hope to move to either the States or Australia

I am just fed up with the UK , The goverment being one reason

[Accordion]

I am just fed up with the UK , The goverment being one reason

it could be a lot worse. there is no better alternative.

[VampDude]

it snows in March.

Very briefly thou, it doesn't snow as much as it used to. Plus I believe it used to snow in the Winter rather than nearer to Spring? The weather is messed up, it snows the wrong time of year and it melts the same day (I never get to make snowmen) :(

[splodger15]

Why make snowmen when you can Snow fight people instead

[VampDude]

Why make snowmen when you can Snow fight people instead

Cause snowmen are cool, especially if you make evil snowmen.

[splodger15]

lol evil snowmen

[gdf]

We get decent snow at least once or twice a year, usually in February.

[VampDude]

lol evil snowmen

My snowmen tend to be evil, if I can't find anything to make faces on my snowmen with I tend to use whatever my mum has out for the birds (i.e: seeds/nuts) to make the face...

...And then some stupid fat bird always comes along and pecks my snowman, and the way I now make my snowmen from the first time a bird ever attacked one I made of nuts and seeds I pack the nuts in the areas that collapse easily making my snowmen very evil to birds! (as it always falls on the bird that pecks it) lmao


We get decent snow at least once or twice a year, usually in February.

I think that's mainly because Scotland is higher up than other places of the UK, and closer to the North Pole (Iceland).