What Have You Learned? (or Learnt)

[AmericanAussie 1]

Hi there,

You were inspired, got the visa, the PRC, then your SSC, now what? What are some of the things that you've learned since settling in the US? Could be small, could be big, in anycase I'm sure it's useful for anyone wanting to move to a new country, in a totally different environment - visiting is one thing, living here, well that's a whole other kettle of fish.

So I'll get the ball rolling from some key points I've learnt (ok is learn't' or 'learn-ed' well I'm gonna use both now and then, gimme a break ok? - I'm originally from Australia - we use the Queen's English afterall):

Credit Cards

If you had them in your home country originally, the bank may initially offer you one. Checking accounts are still very big here and used as the main transactional account and usually offered with a debit card to access your funds at ATMs or POS (grocery stores, retail stores, etc). Otherwise a store card from Macy's may be an alternative to initially create a credit history that will develop a credit score (when accounts are paid on time) and perhaps a membership to gym or other organization that has monthly payments (that are met without late payment penalties).

Groceries

Whilst beef is relatively expensive, chicken is exceptionally cheap - usually on sale for 99c/lb for thighs/legs/wings or $1.97/lb for boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I recommend the 99c Store though, as they usually will have fresh vegetables for... you guessed it 99c! Anything from lb of tomatoes to watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, etc plus many other items like cookies, cereal, etc, etc way cheaper than the grocery store - but still you need to know your prices as occasionally on some items Ralphs (in SoCal) will be cheaper.

Driver's Licence

It may depend on your experience, but I only had to show my home country licence then sit the written test in NJ and when I moved to FL I just had to hand over my NJ licence, then when I moved to CA sit the written again - no practical driving test.

Cars

In CA they are subject to smog test (unless new), even when bringing and registering from out of state. New cars are offed with $0 down and 0% int on loans, but you'll need a credit score in excess of somewhere around 740 (at the dealer's discretion). Used can be a good deal, but remember the odometer reading is in miles so a 50k miles reading is 80k kms.

Car Insurance

Can come with:

Property Damage Liability (to others)

Bodily Injury Liability (to others)

Unisured/Underinsured Motorist

Comprehensive

Collision

Rental Re-imbursement

Roadside Assistance

You may have to look a policy that takes into account how long you've had your licence in your home country, as some insurance companies only accept history in the US.

Health Insurance

Tough one - your employer (for F/T positions) will most likely offer you this and is deducted from your paycheck, but not to be confused with medicare that is for old age pensioners. Otherwise you will need private insurance (unless you would want to risk paying a fortune for basic treatment - ERs will treat you but will charge you for any treatment in an emergency. Private Insurance will tend to include, with your monthly payments:

a Deductible

Co-insurance (how much % of the bill you pay - up to the maximum out-of-pocket for the year)

Co-payment (usually a smaller fee for doctor visits e.g. like $35 for each visit up to 4 per year)

Maximum Out-of-Pocket (how much you will be required to pay in total per year until the Ins. Coy. will pay the total of any further bills over this amount.

Many online sites will give you quotes based on the info you provide. Obama's healthcare eliminated lifetime maximum payout limits, so the ins. coys must now pay regardless of the total bills incurred over a lifetime of medial services used (in my understanding). However I believe the coys can still increase policy premiums based on your age and thereby increase premiums yearly.

Clothes & Electronics

Very Cheap - go to factory outlets and even cheaper, though Old Navy, H&M are good too, Macy's always has big sales - 99c stores sell ties and socks too! Best Buy is a large electronics retailer (there used to be Circuit City too, but the recession), though a great deal of online retailers, depending on which state you live in, don't charge tax and have free delivery a lot of the time as well.

Wi-fi - Internet - Libraries

Libraries (the first free libraries started by Benjamin Franklin) are a great resources for using free wifi and even borrowing DVDs (free)! Generally though, starbucks, McDonalds, Apple stores all supply free wifi and most malls too, so almost anywhere you go out to, providing you have a laptop, tablet or ereader, you should be able to find internet access.

A lot of little things are different here though, from street crossings to the language used, but this is also a regional thing - Bostonians will be more familiar with english terms (the Queen's english) than Angelenos or Texans...

In the spirit of this forum and caring for my fellow human, if I can offer a word of advice, first time when/if you go to Las Vegas, go and be in awe of the magnificence of the man-made creations, enjoy a buffet or two (Wynn is fantastic, Paris is good value), maybe a show (I really like the Cirque de Soleil Elvis), but don't let the machines take a hold on you...

Cheers

[bigdog 376]

We liked Planet Hollywood buffet the best. LV best fun in USA according to my wife.

[AmericanAussie 1]

We liked Planet Hollywood buffet the best. LV best fun in USA according to my wife.

Disney World is pretty fun too though!

[KLS2010 30]

Re: Driver's Licenses - I'm not sure if things are different in your state - or how long ago you got it - but lucky you not having to do the driving test.

I am in Texas and have had to start completely from scratch. They did not even ask if I was licensed in my home country. I have already done the written exam, and will be doing the driving test in...4hrs from now lol!

[TBoneTX 45,447]

A very helpful list, si man. Mrs. T-B. & I are also huge fans (and regular patrons) of the 99 Cents Only stores.

It's charming whenever anyone uses the word "whilst," too, si man.

[bigdog 376]

Re: Driver's Licenses - I'm not sure if things are different in your state - or how long ago you got it - but lucky you not having to do the driving test.

I am in Texas and have had to start completely from scratch. They did not even ask if I was licensed in my home country. I have already done the written exam, and will be doing the driving test in...4hrs from now lol!

Driving test done here in AZ also. lots of fun.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Re: Driver's Licenses - I'm not sure if things are different in your state - or how long ago you got it - but lucky you not having to do the driving test.

I am in Texas and have had to start completely from scratch. They did not even ask if I was licensed in my home country. I have already done the written exam, and will be doing the driving test in...4hrs from now lol!

Good luck! It was the same for me too. Only Canadian licences offered anything different. I had to do the written and driving.

[AmericanAussie 1]

I had to do the written and driving.

Well I definitely recommend Florida! Although that was based on my New Jersey one, where truthfully I should also mention, my stubbornness in having had my license for a number of years in Australia, when I sat the test in NJ, I did have to sit the written test 3 times as I did not study the handbook (for the first two tests) and am a strong believer in the metric system...so all those fluid ounces, feet and inches were my downfall... Amazing what study can actually do, lol.

Keep the advice for prospects coming!

Edited January 6, 2012 by AmericanAussie

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Re: Driver's Licenses - I'm not sure if things are different in your state - or how long ago you got it - but lucky you not having to do the driving test.

I am in Texas and have had to start completely from scratch. They did not even ask if I was licensed in my home country. I have already done the written exam, and will be doing the driving test in...4hrs from now lol!

I hope you passed! i'm dreading having to take a driving test again, i failed so many times in OZ. Finally decided to get my L's when i was 18, failed written test three times and then finally decided to get my P's a year and a half ago when i was 21 and failed the practical two times (first time for driving too slow, then for driving to fast). I'm an awful driver, i'd rather just rely on my husband to drive me around.....plus driving in America kind of scares me, no one pays attention :/

[Marilyn. 340]

In California I had to take the written and the driving test..

[giving_up 3]

I try to save money as much as I can, I didn't know this when I first moved to this country. I coupon sometimes and I'm in some "frugal" groups on facebook and there moms let me know the best savings and deals around. For instance, my daughter wanted the Dora stove for christmas, I had seen it for $119. Then one day someone on facebook said that it was the daily deal at target for $49.99. That was a great deal itself already but still I printed two coupons from the target site, one that gave me a $10 gift card when spending $50 at the store and one that gave me 25% off any dora item. I ended up paying $37 for something that could have cost me $119, plus, I got the $10 gift card.

[jjbandero 39]

Hi there,

You were inspired, got the visa, the PRC, then your SSC, now what? What are some of the things that you've learned since settling in the US? Could be small, could be big, in anycase I'm sure it's useful for anyone wanting to move to a new country, in a totally different environment - visiting is one thing, living here, well that's a whole other kettle of fish.

So I'll get the ball rolling from some key points I've learnt (ok is learn't' or 'learn-ed' well I'm gonna use both now and then, gimme a break ok? - I'm originally from Australia - we use the Queen's English afterall):

Credit Cards

If you had them in your home country originally, the bank may initially offer you one. Checking accounts are still very big here and used as the main transactional account and usually offered with a debit card to access your funds at ATMs or POS (grocery stores, retail stores, etc). Otherwise a store card from Macy's may be an alternative to initially create a credit history that will develop a credit score (when accounts are paid on time) and perhaps a membership to gym or other organization that has monthly payments (that are met without late payment penalties).

Groceries

Whilst beef is relatively expensive, chicken is exceptionally cheap - usually on sale for 99c/lb for thighs/legs/wings or $1.97/lb for boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I recommend the 99c Store though, as they usually will have fresh vegetables for... you guessed it 99c! Anything from lb of tomatoes to watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, etc plus many other items like cookies, cereal, etc, etc way cheaper than the grocery store - but still you need to know your prices as occasionally on some items Ralphs (in SoCal) will be cheaper.

Driver's Licence

It may depend on your experience, but I only had to show my home country licence then sit the written test in NJ and when I moved to FL I just had to hand over my NJ licence, then when I moved to CA sit the written again - no practical driving test.

Cars

In CA they are subject to smog test (unless new), even when bringing and registering from out of state. New cars are offed with $0 down and 0% int on loans, but you'll need a credit score in excess of somewhere around 740 (at the dealer's discretion). Used can be a good deal, but remember the odometer reading is in miles so a 50k miles reading is 80k kms.

Car Insurance

Can come with:

Property Damage Liability (to others)

Bodily Injury Liability (to others)

Unisured/Underinsured Motorist

Comprehensive

Collision

Rental Re-imbursement

Roadside Assistance

You may have to look a policy that takes into account how long you've had your licence in your home country, as some insurance companies only accept history in the US.

Health Insurance

Tough one - your employer (for F/T positions) will most likely offer you this and is deducted from your paycheck, but not to be confused with medicare that is for old age pensioners. Otherwise you will need private insurance (unless you would want to risk paying a fortune for basic treatment - ERs will treat you but will charge you for any treatment in an emergency. Private Insurance will tend to include, with your monthly payments:

a Deductible

Co-insurance (how much % of the bill you pay - up to the maximum out-of-pocket for the year)

Co-payment (usually a smaller fee for doctor visits e.g. like $35 for each visit up to 4 per year)

Maximum Out-of-Pocket (how much you will be required to pay in total per year until the Ins. Coy. will pay the total of any further bills over this amount.

Many online sites will give you quotes based on the info you provide. Obama's healthcare eliminated lifetime maximum payout limits, so the ins. coys must now pay regardless of the total bills incurred over a lifetime of medial services used (in my understanding). However I believe the coys can still increase policy premiums based on your age and thereby increase premiums yearly.

Clothes & Electronics

Very Cheap - go to factory outlets and even cheaper, though Old Navy, H&M are good too, Macy's always has big sales - 99c stores sell ties and socks too! Best Buy is a large electronics retailer (there used to be Circuit City too, but the recession), though a great deal of online retailers, depending on which state you live in, don't charge tax and have free delivery a lot of the time as well.

Wi-fi - Internet - Libraries

Libraries (the first free libraries started by Benjamin Franklin) are a great resources for using free wifi and even borrowing DVDs (free)! Generally though, starbucks, McDonalds, Apple stores all supply free wifi and most malls too, so almost anywhere you go out to, providing you have a laptop, tablet or ereader, you should be able to find internet access.

A lot of little things are different here though, from street crossings to the language used, but this is also a regional thing - Bostonians will be more familiar with english terms (the Queen's english) than Angelenos or Texans...

In the spirit of this forum and caring for my fellow human, if I can offer a word of advice, first time when/if you go to Las Vegas, go and be in awe of the magnificence of the man-made creations, enjoy a buffet or two (Wynn is fantastic, Paris is good value), maybe a show (I really like the Cirque de Soleil Elvis), but don't let the machines take a hold on you...

Cheers

Great ideas! I'd like to add a few too...

Health Insurance - open a FSA account, if you have ongoing prescriptions... It's taken out of your pay as pre-tax dollars, so you'll save some there, and it can be used for co-pays, contact lenses and a whole host of other things. Also check your plan and your local clinics, they will often have preventive check ups for free, or discounted

Credit Cards - once you have some credit built up, use www.creditcards.com to compared the different ones available to see which one best suits you. For example, my friend travels internationally quite a lot, she has one that does not charge any foreign transaction fees (some credit cards charge upto 5% of the purchase).

Car Insurance - a lot of insurers offer discounts that they may not advertise much, I'm a Chartered Accountant from Oz, I argued it's basically the same as a CPA here, and got the industry discount. Also considering getting a AAA membership, the basic one is less than $50 a year, but you get emergency service and you can flash your card to get lots of discounts for shopping, hotels, holidays

Shopping - Costco has one of the best return policies around, my husband and I bought a printer over a year ago, it started acting up, we took it to the store, didn't have a receipt, they found the item in their records and gave us a full refund.

Sorry to say this, but the squeaky wheel does get the grease here . I noticed that if I complain, but in a polite way, I end up getting special deals from lots of places, even getting credit card charges dropped.

Cheers

[N M 96]

I hope you passed! i'm dreading having to take a driving test again, i failed so many times in OZ. Finally decided to get my L's when i was 18, failed written test three times and then finally decided to get my P's a year and a half ago when i was 21 and failed the practical two times (first time for driving too slow, then for driving to fast). I'm an awful driver, i'd rather just rely on my husband to drive me around.....plus driving in America kind of scares me, no one pays attention :/

I wouldn't worry too much about the test.

Not sure what it's like in AZ, but my practical test here in CO was scarily easy. A 10 minute figure of 8 circuit round a couple of very quiet city blocks. Mostly side streets. No "remotely tricky" tasks (reversing into a parking spot, merging from an on-ramp to a highway etc).

When I think back 20 years to my tests on the hills of Sheffield..... 45 minutes long. Hill starts; clutch control; tiny, narrow streets crammed with buses and lorries; people parking on corners of junctions causing dangerously poor visibility; 4 lane roundabouts; traffic EVERYWHERE; pedestrians EVERYWHERE; junctions every 50 yards....

Edited January 7, 2012 by N M

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Mmm, the driving test in Oz are really hard now too, you pretty much have to do everything! I think in AZ it's supposed to be fairly easy but i'm pretty sure i have to reverse into a parking spot. Not looking forward to that, parking next to other cars always makes me nervous, lol

[wee carrington 33]

I wouldn't worry too much about the test.

Not sure what it's like in AZ, but my practical test here in CO was scarily easy. A 10 minute figure of 8 circuit round a couple of very quiet city blocks. Mostly side streets. No "remotely tricky" tasks (reversing into a parking spot, merging from an on-ramp to a highway etc).

When I think back 20 years to my tests on the hills of Sheffield..... 45 minutes long. Hill starts; clutch control; tiny, narrow streets crammed with buses and lorries; people parking on corners of junctions causing dangerously poor visibility; 4 lane roundabouts; traffic EVERYWHERE; pedestrians EVERYWHERE; junctions every 50 yards....

The US drivers test compared to the UK drivers test is loose and fast stuff. You're absolutely right it is scarily easy to get your license.