Financial Planning - We always knew that in the USA that your mortgage interest on your home is tax deductible, but we never really thought through the implications of this. We have discovered that it is not uncommon to still have a mortgage in your retirement, with the goal of paying it off before death, or not. Remember, the mortgage interest is tax deductible.
But the situation is different for investment properties, and of course there is capital gains tax in US (in fact pretty much everywhere except NZ on residential investment properties.) Do we have this all the wrong way around? It does provide for different starting points for personal financial planning. IT explains why investors have far more share investments, as they build up their retirement funds while still having a mortgage.
Food - long discussions about corn syrup being put in just about everything. We find things so sweet in America. But more people are realising that this is sweetness is a major contributor to obesity and changing the palates of the population. The great thing about Washington State, is that you can buy food that doesn't have corn syrup in it. But again, our muesli and snack bars from home worked well for us instead of the much sweeter products here.
Portions are huge! We forgot this today and ordered a sandwich each for $7.99. Should have stopped and thought about it... Duh - we should have shared one. Well it is 8.12pm and neither of us are hungry yet.
Tax and Tipping - I cannot work out how people budget when the price is without the tax. In Washington the tax is just under 10%. So if something says it is $1 as the price, it is actually $1 plus tax. Really frustrating.
Tipping - such a bizarre tradition. Since we first started travelling regularly to the US in the late 90's the expected tip appears to have increased from around 10% for good service to 10% as a minimum and 20% for good service. How on earth do people budget!!!????
Green spaces and recreational areas. Even though I have spent a lot of time in the States, I continually forget how so many people live in suburbs or towns that are quite small, with their own town centre, with lots of parks, with large sections - with lots of green spaces between streets. It surprises me every time!
In Seattle and Tacoma, we are so impressed with the long term planning (we assume in the face of a lot of opposition) that ended up with the wonderful waterfront and cycle paths. Even the Mayor of Seattle is a cyclist. Everyone we have talked to seems to be cyclist in Seattle. It is great. And then we look at the NZ papers and hear how four cyclists are in Waikato hospital, one is critical condition, after a car overtook them out at Gordonton and pulled back in in the middle of the group of cyclists they were riding in. Why can't we get it in NZ????
Television - Having been in a hotel room for three nights, we can't believe how terrible the US prime time tv is. Still a lot of reality tv (but newspapers say that ratings are dropping dramatically, people are sick of it). We do manage to get the best of the US TV in NZ (oh and The Good Wife is up to season five here... - think we only got up to season two in NZ - yay - more good TV to come - according to Twitter TV3 is bringing season three later in 2013) And The Newsroom is building up to season two release.
Thats all that comes to mind right now...
I will finish it up with this Quote about Travel:
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.
Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." Mark Twain
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