Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
Even before the $ went into nosedive, we were still paying 2 times the price of everything in the US and its the same now.
We pay 1/3 to 1/2 more than every other developed first world country yet maintain the same standard of living but why? It was happening before the current immigrant situation too.
I'm not gonna rant about it all over again but we do get downtrodden.
Ben.
|
Jamie
Member
Registered: 1st Apr 02
Location: Aberdeen
User status: Offline
|
I Know What You Mean Tiger
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
I'll admit one thing though - we have a great 2nd hand car market for buyers which has hugely improved in the last 7 years from being one of the most expensive 2nd hand car markets to one of the cheapest.
|
mattk
Member
Registered: 27th Feb 06
Location: St. Helens
User status: Offline
|
id rather have cheap beer, petrol, food and less tax than a cheap 2nd hand car though 
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
You right the second hand car market in the US is shit, although new cars are cheaper.
Though you have to take into account that if you live and work in the US it’s not cheaper. As your paid in $ not £ so you do not gain the money when you convert it.
I use to think everything was stupidly cheap and although in some cases it is cost of living is about the same, if not more.
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
You forget that much of the US earns less than we do (in the equivalent jobs), meaning their products are cheaper....
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by aPk
You forget that much of the US earns less than we do (in the equivalent jobs), meaning their products are cheaper....
Thank you. It just seems so much cheaper as you gain alot when you convert money.
miniem wage in my state is $4.80, you try living on £2.50 a hour in the UK
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
But again, the standard of living is the same as in the UK. We pay more for things pro rata but receive the same level of service.
In Australia for example, their fuel is 60.5p per litre, their standard of living is better than ours, their cars are bigger, and their wages are probably slightly lower. The services they receive are equal to ours though.
Just because we earn slightly more money here, why should we be forced to pay inflated prices, its like we are discriminated against because of above average wages (although I still earn below average earnings and still have to pay a high amount on goods compared to someone who earns twice my wage)
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
It doesn't work like that.
You earn say £10 per hour in a factory. That cost is passed onto the products produced.
Some things such as fuel etc are wildly different due to taxation so you can't compare on that front.
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
Plus I still beleive our welfair state and health service is one of the best in the world.
Although I use to compain about it.
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
ok, its like this:
2 Televisions. Made in the same factory in China, by the same pair of hands. One TV goes to America and is sold for £500 to someone that earns £25,000 a year. The other TV goes to the UK and is sold for £800 to someone that earns £25,000 a year.
You get the same TV made in the same place yet in the UK we pay more money. It's just not really fair and there's no arguement that could justly satisfy the situation we are in.
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Tiger
ok, its like this:
2 Televisions. Made in the same factory in China, by the same pair of hands. One TV goes to America and is sold for £500 to someone that earns £25,000 a year. The other TV goes to the UK and is sold for £800 to someone that earns £25,000 a year.
You get the same TV made in the same place yet in the UK we pay more money. It's just not really fair and there's no arguement that could justly satisfy the situation we are in.
Sales Tax in the US is 2-5% depending on the State, in the UK its 17.5% so thats most of the price increase.
Cost of fuel to deliver it to the shop drivers wages etc all higher.
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
Import tax, transport costs in the UK, retail rates in the shops, staff wages in the shops etc etc etc.
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Jodi_the_g
Plus I still beleive our welfair state and health service is one of the best in the world.
Although I use to compain about it.
Not being able to get an NHS dentist and a waiting list of nearly a year for most semi-urgent operations isnt acceptable. Doctors that would rather prescribe painkillers than get to the root of the problem is unsatisafactory, a seriously flawed and substandard state pension is pathetic. A MRSA ridden hospital system isnt very good either. I fail to see the good points really.
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by aPk
Import tax, transport costs in the UK, retail rates in the shops, staff wages in the shops etc etc etc.
But this is my point precisely - why should these areas be so expensive - they can all be addressed, staff wages are rubbish for most sectors. Its a viscious and downspiraling circle the country is in and its all been brought on by the greedy government that run it. We are just the innocent party that have to deal with it all.
[Edited on 26-01-2008 by Tiger]
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
Its not without its problems, but if you want to see a doctor you can (eventually) and its free. Or you can pay if you like an go to BUPA if you don't like it?
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Tiger
quote:
Originally posted by aPk
Import tax, transport costs in the UK, retail rates in the shops, staff wages in the shops etc etc etc.
But this is my point precisely - why should these areas be so expensive - they can all be addressed, staff wages are rubbish for most sectors. Its a viscious and downspiraling circle the country is in and its all been brought on by the greedy government that run it. We are just the innocent party that have to deal with it all.
[Edited on 26-01-2008 by Tiger]
Yes, but you don't get it. You pay someone $5 an hour in the US to drive a truck you add a similar proportion to its cost.
Pay someone £5 in the UK and its price will go up the same amount proportionally, just that our money is worth more than the US.
Think about China/Japan, they work in millions of Yen, things cost a similar amount in proportion to wages, just the number after the currency symbol are different.
[Edited on 26-01-2008 by aPk]
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
Yes thats becuase there is not enough money in it.
I waited 18 months for a heart operation in the UK so now about the waiting lists.
But in the USA I would have to pay the first $5000 on the only insurance company to cover me with payments of $220 a month.
Now I could not work for several months after that and their welfare state would not give me money for it even if I was a citizen as it takes months to get approved for it so how could I find the money to pay for it.
If I went outside the insurance company it would be $160,000+ there is no way I could pay that so would just have to die.
Speaking from experance I would have the NHS every time its amazing although slighty flawed.
Private health care is only good for people who are fit enough to be able to pay for it, which lets face it if you are ill your sometimes not.
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
London aside the cost of living in the UK compaired to wage is quite cheap.
Its just people go to over countrys and thing wow thats cheap becuase the pound is strong. Unless you live and work in the country run a house etc you do not releise how good it is in the UK.
I find the mercers report on it in a moment.
|
Jodi_the_g
Member
Registered: 7th Aug 01
Location: Washington D.C
User status: Offline
|
1 ZURICH Switzerland
2 GENEVA Switzerland
3 VANCOUVER Canada
4 VIENNA Austria
5 AUCKLAND New Zealand
6 DUSSELDORF Germany
7 FRANKFURT Germany
8 MUNICH Germany
9 BERN Switzerland
9 SYDNEY Australia
11 COPENHAGEN Denmark
12 WELLINGTON New Zealand
13 AMSTERDAM Netherlands
14 BRUSSELS Belgium
15 TORONTO Canada
16 BERLIN Germany
17 MELBOURNE Australia
18 LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg
18 OTTAWA Canada
20 STOCKHOLM Sweden
21 PERTH Australia
22 MONTREAL Canada
23 NURNBERG Germany
24 DUBLIN Ireland
25 CALGARY Canada
26 HAMBURG Germany
27 HONOLULU, HI United States
28 SAN FRANCISCO, CA United States
29 ADELAIDE Australia
29 HELSINKI Finland
31 BRISBANE Australia
31 OSLO Norway
33 PARIS France
34 SINGAPORE Singapore
35 TOKYO Japan
36 BOSTON, MA United States
37 LYON France
37 YOKOHAMA Japan
39 LONDON United Kingdom
40 KOBE Japan
41 WASHINGTON, DC United States
41 CHICAGO, IL United States
43 PORTLAND, OR United States
44 BARCELONA Spain
45 MADRID Spain
46 NEW YORK CITY, NY United States
47 SEATTLE, WA United States
48 LEXINGTON, KY United States
49 PITTSBURGH, PA United States
49 WINSTON SALEM, NC United States
51 OSAKA Japan
51 MILAN Italy
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Jodi_the_g
Unless you live and work in the country run a house etc you do not releise how good it is in the UK.
Even though i've not had to work in other countries, i've had to support myself and I calculated that a weeks shopping bill was about twice as expensive here as it was in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Wages across various sectors are both better and worse. Sparkies like me for example are on the same money as me in New Zealand, more in Australia and more in Canada. That must surely be the same across the trades board which is the basic of any domestic, commercial and industrial development.
If they (the government) wanted to lower the costs of UK products they could reduce tax on fuel, but they don't so they obviously dont think we are paying the ludicrous prices we are for produce. Why dont they do something about it? Where does the 100% inflated fuel tax actually go because we pay for NHS and State welfare out of our wages via tax and N.I.?
[Edited on 26-01-2008 by Tiger]
|
Tom
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
|
Average house price vs average wage.....
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
But again, I bet you are doing your calculations based upon changing GBP into the foreign currency. It doesn't work like that.
Reducing the tax of fuel might help reduce things, but the major factor is buying it in, import tax/duty and wages for those working in the UK.
As an example, a shop assistant in the UK might be on £15k. A shop assistant in the USA might be on $20k, that being £10k. To them, their physical products (food electronics) are just about as expensive as they are to us, might be half price to us, but PROPORTIONALLY cost a similar amount.
Ok, so thats a very simple example (and probably not 100% on the figures) but you should get the idea.
[Edited on 26-01-2008 by aPk]
|
Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
|
Yes but again, this is what i'm trying to outline.
WHY do things cost far more than they are worth.
House price in 1999 = £42,000, buyers wage £15,500.
House Price for same actual house in 2007 = £120,000, buyers wage £17,500.
That to me doesnt make sense at all.
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
House prices have nothing to do with the government - they have very little influence over prices. The property market makes costs what they are, if someone is willing to pay £120k then they can. Thats more to do with the disposable income of those buying property than anything else.
|
