When a bad idea goes good and when a good time turns into a bad time!

Babagounj

Strength through joy
Any one recall that space mission where the craft crashed because the people who designed the software did their measurements in metric, while the flight controllers did not ?
 

klein

Für Meno :)
That was actually an airplane flight.
They fueled up in liters, instead of the necessary gallons required, and it ran out of fuel !

Got to watch those inbound US flights from foreign countries, since they have all liters and not gallons.
 
I envy the cheap living in the US, yes. You can't beat it.
MY money goes a long distance there.
A Quality Inn hotel that I booked on priceline in Fort Lauderdale, with swimming pool, full hot buffett breakfast, coffee machine in room, all soaps and shampoo, towels, ice provided, was $45 a night. Here, anything close to that, add atleast another $100 to it !

I also love the cheap booze and cigs, and restaurant prices are half at what they are here.

But, when I hear people working for $10 or less per hr in the US, that sucks, including UPS preloaders.
.
Do you not understand that the lower wages are in part hand in hand with the lower cost of living?

You can stay isolated, and try to sell your products at home, that no one can afford.
Make up your mind, is it cheaper here or unaffordable?
 

klein

Für Meno :)
Groceries are about the same price.
I wanted to buy a new laptop in Florida, went to Best Buy, and Brandsmart.
Couldn't find anything there, cheaper then in Canada.
So, I came home and bought 1 here, for about $100 cheaper.
But, remember I live in Alberta, the only province that doesn't have provincial sales taxes. In comparison, Florida has a 6.5% state sales tax, where as, I pay a 5% national sales tax here.(GST)
In other provinces, citizens pay anywhere between 12 and 15% combined sales tax.

And you tell me which place is cheaper to manufacture, giving these facts:
Corporate taxes at 16.5% versus 25%
Healthcare bennies at max $100 per month, versus +$1000 per month.
Retirement pensions at $70 per month versus +$300 per month

And, UPS wages, well they are different here. Loaders get a reasonable C$13 hr starting wage, and drivers earn max $27.00, however , now with the dollar exchange,
$27 = US$28. 40.
I give it another month or 2, and DS will have finally passed UPS US wages.

As to why cigs and booze are much cheaper in the US, is because they don't include sinn taxes that pay partially for your healthcare - here they do.
 

klein

Für Meno :)
well, you thought wrong, I did purchase something from BrandSmart, looked at the bill, and 6.5% tax was added.

From the net :

Florida law mandates a minimum sales tax rate of 6%, collected by the state government to provide services to all Floridians. However, the law also provides for a local option sales tax that lets each county set its own local tax that is collected on top of the general state rate.
 

klein

Für Meno :)
Well, gruntel, I didn't see you admitting a mistake, I thought you were countering me, as if Florida had no sales tax.

Sorry, if our communication somewhat failed, I didn't mean to push it further, was not my attention to do so, but only to prove it.
 

Lue C Fur

Evil member
They have no state income tax. This is one of the states I am looking to possibly move to when I retire so that I can keep as much of my pension as possible. New Hampshire also has no state income tax.

There are a few other states you could look into also as we are thinking the same thing when we retire. I think Tennessee and Alaska might not have no state income tax or sales tax.
 
Texas has a state sales tax and most cities add a % or two on top og that. In my home town the total sales tax % is 8.25%. We have no state income tax
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
They have no state income tax. This is one of the states I am looking to possibly move to when I retire so that I can keep as much of my pension as possible. New Hampshire also has no state income tax.

Don't know if it's true anymore, but in Florida, you used to have to pay a percentage tax on your portfolio. Income & Sales taxes are not the only ones you need to look into. Also, is there a property tax everytime you license your car??
 

klein

Für Meno :)
Property taxes are the highest in Florida, from what I have been told, esspecially for foreigners, it's double or more.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
I can't believe that Florida has the highest property taxes. Do you just make this stuff up ??? Why would all those seniors move to Florida?


The Formula for Determining Your Property Tax (Florida)

Just Value (market value) – Assessment Limitations (e.g. Save Our Homes) = “Assessed Value”
Assessed ValueApplicable Exemptions (e.g. Homestead) = “Taxable Value”
Taxable Value X Millage Rate = Total Tax Liability

Example: Assume Homestead A has a market value of $400,000, an accumulated $100,000 in Save Our Homes protections, a Homestead Exemption of $50,000, and the millage is 5 mills:
  • $400,000 – $100,000 = $300,000
  • $300,000 – $50,000 = $250,000
  • $250,000 X .005 = $1,250 (Total Property Taxes)
************************************
400,000 times 1.2469% = $4987.56 if it was here in San Clemente.

 
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