Why Don't We Have US-Style Accommodation?

dzug1

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

Yes - at the moment I need a referal before I can go private, over there it would be straight off and I wouldn't need to sit around for hours in GP waiting rooms like here. I'm also fairly sure that in the states they don't suggest you walk to get an x-ray when they think you may have broken your ankle...

If you couldn't afford to pay the bill they would be reluctant to treat you at all - probably tell you to walk to the nearest public hospital.

Person_one

dzug1 wrote: »

If you couldn't afford to pay the bill they would be reluctant to treat you at all - probably tell you to walk to the nearest public hospital.

Yep, American healthcare is brilliant for people with cash or good jobs (and no pre-existing conditions), those stupid poor people just need to get more money that's all!

dopester

PasturesNew wrote: »

.. oh - and I'm a bit older now and more aware of problems I might encounter living in a van. No worries about space or the driving, nor generally feeling vulnerable. But I do like to have little luxuries like proper running water.

Also, when you add up the cost of buying a half decent camper van (say £6-9k), insuring it, taxing it, petrol, annual safety checks for electrics/gas/water .... it does add up. And campsites aren't overly cheap per night either, even if they were in the right places.

I think about you quite a bit PN... even if we've had some disagreements. You've been very brave recently (imo - from the little I know).. with your migration for away from you last base for work/opportunities.

Even if you got a good job, and felt secure in it, ... I sometimes wonder if you've still got the same desire to own a house in the future as you may have had in the past. I question my own desire sometimes now. The less stress for me the better.. and you know I don't want to buy in an area which is in economic decline.

All that stuff you add-up for living a caravan (let's say a Winterized decent caravan) isn't anything like the costs of running/maintaining a house. I'm guessing you could partially 'retire' with such an approach... and done right, you'd have a lot less stress about making higher payments for rent/owning into the future, with more money to spend on yourself.

If I didn't have my current fallback position (living with a relative), I might consider it. Couldn't care less if people thought negative of me. There are decent hard-working professionals living such lifestyles.. priced out, or just not interested in owning/renting at current prices, such as this guy (I'm sure you've read the thread).. who really enjoy their mobile life. However his set-up looks "too big" for me. I wouldn't feel comfortable driving a vehicle that size.

I'm spending 4 nights a week at campsites for power - which costs £20 per week - thats all my bills and housing costs done (and no rates or council tax)! This also means I'm living at such a low cost - I'm also not a slave to my job - I can live for many years with the money I have at this rate no problem.

Weighing up the pros and cons of a motorhome vs caravan/trailer, I came to the conclusion a caravan would be my choice in such a situation. If you're not moving that often (say you have 3 or 4 months+ arranged in one location for work, with a secure good site found for the duration)... a caravan you can unhitch and use just the car for work or getting around.

With a motorhome if you have a mechanical issue (cambelt / gearbox / radiator / any number of things) it could prove expensive and you'd be without your home during a fix - if it could be fixed. With a car, you could just get a cheap replacement. You could even do without a car, and just hire a car when you need to move to a new site, or pay someone, to tow you to your next area of work / new site. There are quite a few decent fulltimers here at UK Campsite forums (you have to select show ALL on the forums, instead of show 1 month of topics, to read back through older threads).

Fire_Fox

dzug1 wrote: »

If you couldn't afford to pay the bill they would be reluctant to treat you at all - probably tell you to walk to the nearest public hospital.

Person_one wrote: »

Yep, American healthcare is brilliant for people with cash or good jobs (and no pre-existing conditions), those stupid poor people just need to get more money that's all!

According to an in-house course I did with the NHS, Americans pay an average of 22% of their income on healthcare and we pay around 12%. Note the average, so some US citizens MUST be paying far more than 22%, balancing out those who have no health insurance at all. :eek: Big difference but do they really get a better service?

My parents met a very comfortably off family on their travels, daughter of whom had a serious car accident and now needs a lifetime of personal care. A few years on the several million dollar insurance pot is running low, what should they do - sell everything? It won't be enough: not a decision we ever have to make in the UK.

Aspiring_Writer

PasturesNew wrote: »

In the downturn in the 70s, Norman Tebbitt said "get on your bike", he meant to look for work elsewhere ... but here it's just not financially viable is it. Our accommodation is simply not flexible enough to wander about looking for work and taking on jobs as/where they are ... not to mention we've no idea where they might be on hiding.

I share your view. But as others have pointed out, our country just isnt geared up for that to happen. I am, as my user name somewhat gives away, a writer. I chose writing cos I really enjoy it and also because it gives me freedom, I can pretty much work from anywhere with an internet connection.

The reason I mention this is because sometime later this year I am going to move, but I have absolutely no idea where !!! I expect it will be south of france maybe or Italy or west coast of Ireland!

I am looking forward to the adventure though!

BitterAndTwisted

A large proportion of those healthcare contributions are made by the employers as part of their remuneration packages. Some employees don't contribute at all, lucky devils. But getting fired or laid off means no insurance and that's not funny of you're already receiving treatment.

I wouldn't swap what we have here for the US system if I had a choice. It beats me why politicians of both major parties seem so keen on it. Do MPs have private healthcare for life as part of their packages like their lavish pensions? Enquiring minds want to know

krajab

Where were all these $10 motels in the US when I lived there for the last decade?? Might be able to find them in middle-of-nowhere, Alabama, but not anywhere with 400 miles of civilisation.

mlz1413

PasturesNew wrote: »

.
Why don't we have affordable hostels with single rooms for people to be able to move about? You need to be really well off to really be able to roam to look for work as hotels are expensive.
Surely this is because we have min wages to pay, H&S laws to follow, Council regulatons, Fire regulations, business tax etc that make accomodation expensive.

OK, one could try to cut a deal, for a month or so here and there, in smaller B&Bs, but it would still be hit and miss and involve some heavy negotiation and a lot of time.
Brit's just aren't good at haggling! Many of us never query the price of goods.

For the record, I'm talking of something like a Travellodge that would cost you (say) £500/month. My friend's experience is that places like that cost $400/month in the US.

travel lodges can be pre-booked for as little as £9 - but agree you need time and notice to take advantage of this.


I know a guy who lives in a cheap flat and its a nice place, but the LL doesn't do deposit or agreements, you don't pay and your out - so I guess LL also doesn't advertise. I have also seen many a cheap room advertised in newsagents windows - but its normally in a area you won't want to live in!

harryhound

Fire_Fox wrote: »

According to an in-house course I did with the NHS, Americans pay an average of 22% of their income on healthcare and we pay around 12%. Note the average, so some US citizens MUST be paying far more than 22%, balancing out those who have no health insurance at all. :eek: Big difference but do they really get a better service?

My parents met a very comfortably off family on their travels, daughter of whom had a serious car accident and now needs a lifetime of personal care. A few years on the several million dollar insurance pot is running low, what should they do - sell everything? It won't be enough: not a decision we ever have to make in the UK.

That is exactly the decision you have to make (or possibly your children have to make) when you get disabled, physically and especially mentally, through old age and require "care". (If you have been foolish enough to build up capital into five figures).

moggylover

PasturesNew wrote: »

As some of you know, I'm often "on the move", not sure where to go to next. In discussing similar things with an American it seems over there you can turn up where you like and book into a hostel/hotel at an affordable rate, wherever you want pretty much. He said he'd been confused why Brits he'd spoken to saw moving as such a big deal.

Here, you can't simply "go on the road, turn up in a town, apply for work, look around the area, then move onto another area where there might be work". Here you have to either book into an expensive hotel, try to get a house-share (difficult as that still involves trawling adverts, getting a viewing, getting accepted, moving in) or committing to an AST and not being flexible.

Why don't we have affordable hostels with single rooms for people to be able to move about? You need to be really well off to really be able to roam to look for work as hotels are expensive.

OK, one could try to cut a deal, for a month or so here and there, in smaller B&Bs, but it would still be hit and miss and involve some heavy negotiation and a lot of time.

For the record, I'm talking of something like a Travellodge that would cost you (say) £500/month. My friend's experience is that places like that cost $400/month in the US.

Have you seen some of their "affordable " hotels/motels PN?:eek::eek::eek:

They make the Bates place look quite salubrious! There are lots of very transitory folks in the states, and often they bring with them their drugs, their criminal records and their "social problems"! A friend of mine (American) once said that if you couldn't afford a "good" hotel in America you were probably better off not going;) I think he may have been slightly over-stating, but not sure I would want to stay in a hotel where many of the clients are "renting the room by the hour":eek::eek: