Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not sure where you get the idea that food is expensive in europe, this may be true for some european countries but I can say it is not true in the UK. When I first moved to the US I was shocked at the price of most staple grocery goods, I had been paying 22p (about 35cents) for a loaf of white bread, the same over here was $2.99 or more.
Don't judge a country by its high gas price, remember the majority of vehicles in the UK get higher mpg than cars in the US, diesel is priced close to gas as their small 1.8 diesel cars are capable of 60+mpg (Yes I have first hand knowledge of this)
IMO the cost of living in the UK (property prices aside) is much lower than here in the US
Well you must be one of the few that would say the cost of living, especially food is less expensive in UK. It really doesn't matter that cars get better mileage, the fact remains gas is much higher there as well as dining out, hotels and yes, food. I can't speak about thinks like utilities, I have no experience with that. As for bread, well I don't know what kind you are buying, but cheap bread in the USA except maybe Alaska isn't $2.99 a loaf and top quality bread is more than that. I am wondering how many years ago you used these comparisons? I am sure there are food items less expensive, but how about food compared to salary? That is the real comparison.
since we have someone here suggesting that $10 a gallon in like Europe would be great - it would encourage people to dive less (lol)...
why not also tax the heck out of groceries, and raise them to the price point they are in Europe. Why would we want a higher standard of living, if we could just all take our expendable income and hand it to the Government? They know what's best for us
All the fees and taxes are passed right back to the consumers.
Not sure where you get the idea that food is expensive in europe, this may be true for some european countries but I can say it is not true in the UK. When I first moved to the US I was shocked at the price of most staple grocery goods, I had been paying 22p (about 35cents) for a loaf of white bread, the same over here was $2.99 or more.
$2.99 for a loaf of bread? Where do you shop? Its about $.99 here
Well you must be one of the few that would say the cost of living, especially food is less expensive in UK. It really doesn't matter that cars get better mileage, the fact remains gas is much higher there as well as dining out, hotels and yes, food. I can't speak about thinks like utilities, I have no experience with that. As for bread, well I don't know what kind you are buying, but cheap bread in the USA except maybe Alaska isn't $2.99 a loaf and top quality bread is more than that. I am wondering how many years ago you used these comparisons? I am sure there are food items less expensive, but how about food compared to salary? That is the real comparison.
The problem with this discussion is that it is comparing apples and oranges. Certainly, gas in Europe is more expensive. But, public transport is generally considerably better and there is less reliance on cars which get better mileage anyway. When we go to my mother's place in Glasgow, we never rent a car. We can walk most places, get the subway or bus or a taxi if we really need one. European cities trend not to sprawl the way US ones do, the suburbs are less extensive and you don't need to drive everywhere. Is that better? Not necessarily. Is it worse. Nope, it isn't worse either. It is just different.
Cost of dining out really depends on the country. I eat out in the UK for pretty much the same price that I eat out in the USA. Remember, in Europe the check is net. Tax and tip is generally included. So if I have a 30 pound check in the UK ($45) then that is what I generally pay (okay, I will usually add 10%, 3 pounds, if service is good). If I have $45 check in the USA, I am probably looking at $55 or more by the time I add tip and tax. Some countries in Europe - e.g. Switzerland - are much more expensive. Others are about the same.
When you go to the supermarket in the UK, some things are cheaper and some more expensive. For example, meat tends to be more expensive. Wine, on the other hand, tend to be cheaper.
The other huge variable in this comparison is the value of the dollar. Ten or so years ago one Euro cost $0.80; today one Euro costs $1.26. Ten or so years ago, $1 bought 1.40 Swiss Francs. Today it buys 0.95 swiss francs. The decline of the dollar over the past 15 years makes these countries fell very expensive.
Overall, it is a mistake to generalize and a mistake to try to compare the USA with Europe. In fact, you cannot compare the USA with the USA. New York and San Francisco are much more expensive than Arizona or Oklahoma. Paris and London are much more expensive than Glasgow or Granada.
Oil policy has a direct effect on our expensive geopolitics, out of control health care costs, and environmental pollution. The last thread is a legitimate discussion. This thread is just trolling.
This thread is legitimate. The thread about raising the price of gas was trolling.
since we have someone here suggesting that $10 a gallon in like Europe would be great - it would encourage people to dive less (lol)...
why not also tax the heck out of groceries, and raise them to the price point they are in Europe. Why would we want a higher standard of living, if we could just all take our expendable income and hand it to the Government? They know what's best for us
No taxes needed for the grocery prices to rise. The costs of farming have never been higher, and the costs are consistently increasing every year.
Not all of the increased costs are from fuel. A new tractor can cost over $250,000, with modern implements costing much more as well, and fertilizer, pesticides, water, and certified seed costs have all rising dramatically over the past 30 years.
The move to GMO seeds, which are modified genetically to resist herbicides, includes a genetic modification that prevents them from becoming seed stock for next year's crop. A farmer can cut down his weed-killing spray costs by using the GMO seeds, but must purchase new seed every year to keep that cost-cutting ability, and the seed companies are charging more for the seed every year.
The costs of electricity are rising. This had become another major cost, as modern farming requires careful temperature during storage, so modern crop cellars are now highly air-conditioned, and crops which were once too old to sell are now being stored and sold for longer periods. The fresh food in a market can be up to 10 months old now and still be considered fresh, but that freshness comes at a high electrical cost.
Until all these factors decrease in price, do not expect food costs to go down. These factors affect the costs of fast food as much as any other kind of dining, and highly processed foods, like frozen entries, will steadily cost the manufacturers more to make. Eventually, convenience will become the luxury it once was, and lose it's predominance at today's dinner table.
The upside to the increased cost of basic foodstuffs is more people will return to cooking at home again, and eating out, or buying cheap fast food, will happen less and less. Even at higher prices, fresh vegetables and other foods are still far cheaper cooked at home and are the best food bargain.
Of course, the best bargain of all is growing a person's own food in a garden, and this is the only type of food production that doesn't face massively increasing production prices.
Hopefully, families will begin eating together again at dinner time, and new generations of kids will learn how to cook from their mothers and fathers. Cooking at home also means adults will have some time together in the kitchen, sharing one of life's most basic and rewarding experiences more regularly while having some quality time as a couple.
Fast food is cheap food until it isn't cheap any more. Since our fat epidemic is widespread, home cooking will go a long way to make us all leaner and happier people.
since we have someone here suggesting that $10 a gallon in like Europe would be great - it would encourage people to dive less (lol)...
why not also tax the heck out of groceries, and raise them to the price point they are in Europe. Why would we want a higher standard of living, if we could just all take our expendable income and hand it to the Government? They know what's best for us
Ha!
Food prices steadily rise by the week.
Still waiting for the insurance surcharge on obesity.
Food prices steadily rise by the week.
Still waiting for the insurance surcharge on obesity.
My previous employer gave a discount on our employee health insurance if we agreed to have our cholesterol and Body Mass Index (BMI) taken at a health screening. The obese employees generally refused so they paid more for their health insurance by not getting the discount.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
