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Here's an easy way to think about the difference between the Pound Sterling. Just double a Dollar. If it costs a Buck here, it costs 2 Bucks over there!

When I was working in London in the early '80's, it cost $2.50 to buy a Pound. Ouchie! So, a L25 dinner was VERY expensive. Like $62.50.

Fortunately, I could convert Dollars to Pounds on a Navy base and so got a very good rate, but it was a very expensive business trip. Had it been "pleasure", I wouldn't have been there. Couldn't have afforded it.

And you wouldn't believe how much more expensive clothes, drycleaning and food are compared to here. It's almost painful to go food or clothes shopping. I don't know how they do it. I've read that most of the Brits spend all of their money on food, housing, clothes and barely have enough for a 2-week vacation.

God bless America! The land of synthetic inexpensive clothing, inexpensive homegrown produce, great beef, and waaaaaay cheaper housing.

I second most of that though clothing unless you want designer labels such as Reekbok, Levi etc have come down a lot in price.

Meals out are still expensive that is why the Indian Restaurants do well you can get a meal at an Indian Restaurant including a couple drinks, starter, main course and say ice cream for sweet for 2 for about 30.00 pounds sterling if you went to a British style restaurant though there are not many of them you would probably pay 20 - 25 pounds ahead. Most of our so called British restaurants that are designed for the cheaper end of the market are IMHO pseudo American food.

You are quite correct though most British people can only afford 2 week holiday and most people go abroad to Spain or the Greek Islands or Turkey because with cheaper drinks etc it cheaper than holidaying in the UK.

Dry cleaning is terribly expensive with clothes coming down in price it can cost almost the same to dry clean as to buy them. I can buy a trouser suit in ASDA (Wallmart) for say 20.00 pounds and it can cost me over 10.00 pounds with special offer to dry clean.

Your cost of living is much less than ours that probably goes for entertainment as well to watch a film in the UK it can be anything from 5.00 - 10.00 per person.