If you think we pay too much for goods - you are right!

[Empty]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-17/a ... ng/6400358

[Zone-5]

A friend in the States is amazed at the cost of living here! He's right, things are a tenth in the US than here.

[neilmny]

A friend in the States is amazed at the cost of living here! He's right, things are a tenth in the US than here.

Interesting.........there's ten times the population in the US.

[Strider]

More than ten times...

Australia 22 million
US 320 million

[perfectlydark]

Still dont buy that argument. A container ship and truck can still only carry so much stock

[Strider]

Still dont buy that argument. A container ship and truck can still only carry so much stock

How is this relevant?

[GPSGuided]

U.S. regular retail prices aren't that great. BUT, if one shops smartly at sales and know where those warehouse/outlets are, then that's where those major discounts are found. Top end high quality major fashion brands could be had at 10-20%.

Doesn't quite work here in Oz and not really comparable.

[north-north-west]

A friend in the States is amazed at the cost of living here! He's right, things are a tenth in the US than here.

A tenth? So I can buy a Hilux for US$5,000? Wow, I'm moving!

Oh, wait, there's just that little problem of the minimal wage being so much less. Plus the expense of decent medical care. Plus the gun control issue. Plus . . . errr, cancel that green card, I might stay put.

[GPSGuided]

It's the heaven for the rich to get richer. Much much better to be in Australia if on the other end of the scale.

[corvus]

A friend in the States is amazed at the cost of living here! He's right, things are a tenth in the US than here.

A tenth? So I can buy a Hilux for US$5,000? Wow, I'm moving!

Oh, wait, there's just that little problem of the minimal wage being so much less. Plus the expense of decent medical care. Plus the gun control issue. Plus . . . errr, cancel that green card, I might stay put.

I am with you n-n-w .

[corvus]

A friend in the States is amazed at the cost of living here! He's right, things are a tenth in the US than here.

I believe our quality of life more than outweighs perception of cost ,our basic wages plus Medicare leave the USA for dead where the rich for the richer is at a cost to those lucky enough to even have an income JMO

[Zone-5]

Hey guys, I was actually referring to home building supplies. People build their own homes in the USA for a fraction of what it costs here and the government there doesn't have it's hand in your pocket all the time unlike here in Oz!

The only downside to the USA is that Capitalism rules supreme and they don't have any of this soviet socialist stuff like Centrelink, the PBS or Medicare! That's communism in the states, lol!

Also less chance of being shot here in Australia than in the USA. I think ~40,000 are shot each year in the USA...

------------------------

Anyone when I got an iTunes account I put my (bogus) postcode as in the US; like 'The Checkout' show on ABC showed us how?

I have now got a HUGE price reduction on online purchases and it's approx. 75% cheaper for the same download as if I had put an Aussie postcode instead!!! (SCAM)

[GPSGuided]

Anyone when I got an iTunes account I put my (bogus) postcode as in the US; like 'The Checkout' show on ABC showed us how?

I have now got a HUGE price reduction on online purchases and it's approx. 75% cheaper for the same download as if I had put an Aussie postcode instead!!! (SCAM)

Who should one blame on this one? Isn't it because the local music industry that jacked up the prices? Of course, there's also influence by their U.S. counterpart.

BTW, I didn't know one can just change the postcode. I always thought one needs a U.S. credit card or have US iTunes recharge card to establish a U.S. iTunes account.

[perfectlydark]

Its not hard to bypass the dodgy geoblocking used. Make a us account and if needed use a vpn to activate products etc. Dont have any local digital accounts anymore

[GPSGuided]

Dint think Apple uses geoblocking for their iTunes sign up. As far as I understand it, it was a requirement by those media companies to segregate their market internationally. Apple doesn't really care where we buy as they just take a small cut from whichever of their stores. What I do hate is running both and Aussie and US ITunes account. Have to sign in and out to each to update my apps. Oh, whilst on iTunes Store products. Waiting around for up to 30% discount on iTunes recharge cards make all quite acceptable.

[Franco]

"I was actually referring to home building supplies. People build their own homes in the USA for a fraction of what it costs here and the government there doesn't have it's hand in your pocket all the time unlike here in Oz!

The only downside to the USA is that Capitalism rules supreme and they don't have any of this soviet socialist stuff like Centrelink, the PBS or Medicare! That's communism in the states, lol!"

Those two points are not unrelated.

BTW , petrol and pistachio nuts are very cheap in Iran.

[GPSGuided]

One thing I can say is, the cost of cheap Asian imports (cloths, household goods etc) are quite similar here and there in the U.S. It only goes up when one goes for premium brands.

[perfectlydark]

Actually on building priducts thats interesting. My brother in law in the states does roofing and im amazed at how cheap it is for them to do a Roof replacement.
That said apparently its quite common over therw to go through a few roofs over the life of a house, from poor materials/workmanship or the weather i couldnt say

[GPSGuided]

Weather plays a big part there, especially in the snow country. With the recent big freeze and dump in the NE there, roofing businesses were kept extremely busy.

[perfectlydark]

Yep northen side of the mid west they cop most of those big blizzards. He was unsure about the roofing here but i guess its just sun and the odd spot of heavy wind to Deal with here

[Zone-5]

Unless you live in QLD then it's tornadoes, floods, cyclones and monster hail!