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Comparison of Financial Factors
A qualitative comparison of living factors between New York and London.
Primary Sources
Moved From New York to London; Great for My Finances - Business Insider
My quality of life has improved in London, largely due to the financial trade-offs I made when moving here. Currie Engel When my husband and I left New York for London, we didn't know how our finances would change. Although London can still be pricy, we're saving money on groceries and budgeting better. That said, our utility bills are around the same, and public transit is slightly more expensive. It's one of the first things I talk about with other American friends who now live in London: our quality of life in the UK. Whether I'm chatting with someone from New York, California, or somewhere in between, there's often a shared sentiment that some things just feel better over here. Sometimes, a friend will point out the clean, efficient transit system or post-work pub culture.When I really sat down to think about it, though, I realized how much of this magic comes down to the financial trade-offs that my husband and I made when we moved here from New York.Although some changes may seem small or insignificant (so much so that I hardly noticed them at first), these differences added up to make my life all the better.We live in an adorable 2-bedroom mews flat — and our rent feels manageable We spend a bit more on rent than we did in New York, but we have significantly more space. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images I am absolutely obsessed with our beautiful little flat. It sits in a quiet, cobblestone mews, which are old, converted horse stables, right in the heart of London. We are a three-minute walk from Hyde Park, steps away from a central tube station, and a 25-minute door-to-door train ride from the airport.It is, in short, an absolute dream. We have two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, high vaulted ceilings, air conditioning, heated floors, lots of natural light, and a washer-dryer.Our mews holds summer neighborhood parties, and I know all the families and couples around us. We do pay a bit more in rent than we did for my husband's tiny Manhattan studio, but it definitely feels like we're getting a whole lot more bang for our buck.It's nice to have more space, and there's no way we could afford a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with in-unit laundry back in Manhattan — especially not one near a major transit stop and park.Most people get paid once a month, which completely changed how I budget and spend moneyIn the UK, most salaried employees are paid on the last working day of the month. Practically, that means you get a lump sum in your bank accou...
I left my life in New York to move to London with my husband ... - DNyuz
My quality of life has improved in London, largely due to the financial trade-offs I made when moving here. Currie Engel It’s one of the first things I talk about with other American friends who now live in London: our quality of life in the UK. Whether I’m chatting with someone from New York, California, or somewhere in between, there’s often a shared sentiment that some things just feel better over here. Sometimes, a friend will point out the clean, efficient transit system or post-work pub culture. When I really sat down to think about it, though, I realized how much of this magic comes down to the financial trade-offs that my husband and I made when we moved here from New York. Although some changes may seem small or insignificant (so much so that I hardly noticed them at first), these differences added up to make my life all the better. We live in an adorable 2-bedroom mews flat — and our rent feels manageable We spend a bit more on rent than we did in New York, but we have significantly more space. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images I am absolutely obsessed with our beautiful little flat. It sits in a quiet, cobblestone mews, which are old, converted horse stables, right in the heart of London. We are a three-minute walk from Hyde Park, steps away from a central tube station, and a 25-minute door-to-door train ride from the airport. It is, in short, an absolute dream. We have two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, high vaulted ceilings, air conditioning, heated floors, lots of natural light, and a washer-dryer. Our mews holds summer neighborhood parties, and I know all the families and couples around us. We do pay a bit more in rent than we did for my husband’s tiny Manhattan studio, but it definitely feels like we’re getting a whole lot more bang for our buck. It’s nice to have more space, and there’s no way we could afford a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with in-unit laundry back in Manhattan — especially not one near a major transit stop and park. Most people get paid once a month, which completely changed how I budget and spend money In the UK, most salaried employees are paid on the last working day of the month. Practically, that means you get a lump sum in your bank account at the end of each month, and everyone’s a little more liquid at the start of the next month. In the US, I was paid every other week. Although I actually preferred that system, I quickly noticed that my new setup made me more conscious of the ways I spend my money throughout t...
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