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07.21.08, 19:06 PM General Topics
60 replies
Dh offered a 3 year assignment to suburb of London. I'd quit my job, and we'd move with 2 yo dd. What do you think? How do you like it? [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 07.21.08, 07:06 PM Flag
 

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I did this. Was miserable and moved back without dh. He followed as soon as he could. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:07 PM Flag
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OP: Why? Details PLEASE. Offer was at 4 p.m. today and acceptance needs to be first thing in the morning. Horrible, I know. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:08 PM Flag
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I was bored. Lonely. Very hard to make friends. I couldn't work in the UK. I damaged my career by leaving and knew I would have a hard time getting a job when I returned. BTW: Why the rush to accept? It is totally unreasonable to ask anyone to make this kind of decision so quickly. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:10 PM Flag
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They're doing major layoffs at the company this week. And the offer is a way of shielding dh from them. We're in Michigan, and finding a job after will be difficult to say the least, likely move out of state, etc. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:12 PM Flag
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If they are doing "major layoffs", they can't lay off anyone with less than 60 days notice (according to WARN). This is not a decision to rush. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:14 PM Flag
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OP: There's a lot more to it that I don't want to muddy things with. Dh will have 8 months' pay if laid off. It's just the prospects are dismal. And, there are so many unknowns if we move out of state. So, I was thinking why not have an adventure for a few years? I just wanted to know what others thought of the area, from a newly-stay-at-home-mom (leaving her job if move) perspective. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:17 PM Flag
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I was bored out of my skull and couldn't wait to get back to the us and back to work. FWIW, it's not that I lack a sense of adventure. I did expat stints in Singapore and Hong Kong. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:19 PM Flag
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OP: Question to qualify your answer as it relates to me (not judging): do you feel that you need to work full time, that being at home with dc is too much? Me -- I work 4 days and it doesn't feel like enough so thought this would be great time together for 3 years. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:23 PM Flag
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I do love working. And I love being with dc. I was happy not working in the US, because I was near friends and family and had plenty of activities. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:25 PM Flag
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OP: Thank you for your input. Now - time to make a decision. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:26 PM Flag
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My sister and her dh did that with three kids. They loved it. They lived in South Ascot. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:07 PM Flag
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OP: Possible new homes are Dunton, Basildon or Brentwood, btw. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:09 PM Flag
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Did they give you the details of the package? Is it competitive given the weak dollar? Make sure they give you tax parity. Otherwise it will cost you a fortune! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:13 PM Flag
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Pay for our living (rent), moving expenses, but we need to somehow sell our house (! - in Mich) We're trying to figure out the cost of living factor they add by calling co-workers frantically tonight. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:15 PM Flag
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Figure that a dollar will buy you what a pound will buy you. But if you do this, insist on the following: Tax parity, private insurance, and a re-pat package. Also, make sure you understand the tax consequences of company paid housing and moving. Don't count on anyone helping you sell your house if you are paying for housing abroad. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:18 PM Flag
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a dollar is not even remotely on par with the pound [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:19 PM Flag
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That's not what I said. I said that a dollar will buy what a pound will buy. A cup of coffee that costs $4 in the US will cost 4 pounds sterling. That doesn't mean that you can buy 4 pounds sterling for $4. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:21 PM Flag
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That is incorrect. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:24 PM Flag
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Actually, I just got back from London. I'd say this is a pretty good rule of thumb. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:25 PM Flag
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It's pretty dead on. Rent, food, and petrol are more expensive in the UK, drink is less expensive. But it pretty much evens out. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:28 PM Flag
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lol! rent/gas/food = drinks??? You must be quite a drinker. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:29 PM Flag
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Examples. I spent very little on petrol and food (expensed most of it) and more on rent and drink. All over, I spent exactly the same in pounds as I spent in dollars. I had a parity package, so I was whole. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:31 PM Flag
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I think you think you are being helpful. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:34 PM Flag
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Then repeat after me "COLLAPSE" [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:36 PM Flag
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is OP getting these kinds of perks? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:38 PM Flag
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No, but a poster is applying her situation across theboard [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:39 PM Flag
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np: expensing food sounds like someone working in the city in a bull, not a spouse. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:43 PM Flag
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She doesn't seem to know what her expat package will include. And you really don't want to rush these things. You want to consult your tax and financial advisers to make sure you are getting a decent package. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:40 PM Flag
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That makes no sense. It is far more expensive to live in the UK in virtually ever category. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:32 PM Flag
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np: Not true at all. If you are very high income, it is more expensive due to taxes. But for everyone else, much of what is private pay in the US is covered by national services. And if you are an expat with a parity package and are adjusted for forex and taxes, you are pretty much on par. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:35 PM Flag
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I've got to go to sleep but my head is spinning with this crazy logic. I think you're babbling something about not paying health insurance because you are covered by NHS but it all evens out...poor OP is going to be on an airplane before this gets unraveled. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:38 PM Flag
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Only if she takes an expat package without doing any due diligence. Any who does that? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:41 PM Flag
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So you are saying a cup of coffee in England is $8? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:24 PM Flag
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Not to hard to spend that much on a latte at a British Starbucks! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:26 PM Flag
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^^ todays exchange is $1 = .49 GBP so its almost exactly 1/2 [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:22 PM Flag
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You totally missed the point. No one commented on the exchange rate. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:24 PM Flag
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I don't know what your point is - your communication is poor. However OP should know that the cost of living is at or slightly higher in UK then Michigan. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:26 PM Flag
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I'd say WAY higher in the UK. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:27 PM Flag
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Depends on where - Scotland, Nottingham prob. comparable to MI. Longon would be even pricer than NYC [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:28 PM Flag
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I'm from NYC. The prices in London blew me away. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:31 PM Flag
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ITA. The poster who believes it is comparable to US is wrong. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:33 PM Flag
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The prices were more than double the costs in the US? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:36 PM Flag
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Pretty close. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:38 PM Flag
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So that means that a dollar and a pound will buy you the same thing: But the pound costs $2. Exactly what I said before. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:39 PM Flag
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OP: Yes. I think that's widely known. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:27 PM Flag
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Other people seem to get it. As a general rule, what costs a dollar in the US, costs a pound in the UK. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:29 PM Flag
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OP: Not to worried about the cost of coffee. They're paying for housing, really the biggest expense for us now. And, I think we could do it with 1 car (which is at company discount btw). [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:25 PM Flag
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This sounds like a bad offer or at least one that needs to be considerably sweetened. At a minimum they need to relo your house. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:18 PM Flag
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If they are paying her rent abroad, the assumption is that she is keeping the house in the US. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:22 PM Flag
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folks, you need to take into account that the other option is that her dh is laid off. Given that fact, I say go for it! could be the best thing that ever happened to you. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:22 PM Flag
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why do you need to sell your house if they are paying your rent in england? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:23 PM Flag
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Because we don't want to have a mortgage payment. We'll be down one job. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:25 PM Flag
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But you can't expect your DH's employer to take responsibility for that. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:30 PM Flag
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dh & i lived in london for a while & LOVED it. my favorite city. but a suburb might be dull. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:39 PM Flag
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my parents did this when I was a child. my dad was born over there, and due to a loophole in immigration law, the fact I had resided three years in London as a child meant that not only was I British (which I would have been anyway), but bc of the three years residency I was able to pass the British citizenship on to my kids. If one of you is British by descent then living there with your kids gives them citizenship too. Just thought I might mention it just in case. BTW I think those years abroad were terrific for me as a child. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:57 PM Flag
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take it, the economy here is taking a nosedive [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 07:57 PM Flag
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Do it! What an awesome opportunity. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 08:08 PM Flag
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do it! They speak English, just make a major effort to reach out and meet new ppl! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.22.08, 12:32 PM Flag
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What suburb? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.22.08, 12:34 PM Flag
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I would do it in a heartbeat. Just do lots of classes with DD so that you have a way to meet other mums. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.22.08, 02:21 PM Flag
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