Personal experience: how much is life in New Jersey - ForumDaily
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Personal experience: how much is life in New Jersey

Several years ago, my husband was offered to move from the Moscow office of the company where he worked to the office in New Jersey. Having considered all the pros and cons, we agreed to move. Before that in USA we have never been.

Photo

Statistics

New Jersey is in fourth place among the smallest states in the United States, its area is 8700 square miles. For comparison, the largest state is Alaska, its area is 665 000 square miles.

With this new jersey - the most populous state. About 9 million people live here. The state is among the ten most expensive and richest. The average household income is around 70 000 $ (4 060 000 P) per year. For comparison, the average household income in the country is 56 000 $ (3 250 000 P) per year.

My husband works for Kualkom. The office is located in the central part of the state, near the town of Bridgewater. We moved there. The population of Bridgewater is just 45 000 people.

In the United States, each state has its own laws and procedures: for example, in California, marijuana is legalized, and in New Jersey it is forbidden to independently refill your car at a gas station. The standard of living is also very different from state to state, so I warn you: not everything that is relevant for New Jersey is also relevant for other states.

Visa

Most of the time in preparation for the move took to get a visa. The company was doing to her husband a work visa like L1. This is not a common type of visa, like H1B. It allows US companies to hire employees to offices in the United States through a transfer within the company. To do this, the employee must work for at least a year in the company's office in another country.

Advantages of the L1 visa:

You do not need to participate in the lottery, as is the case with the H1B visa;

the spouse or spouse can work in the USA too;

You can immediately apply for a green card.

Cons:

it is necessary to work in the office of the same company in another country for at least one year;

you are tied to an employer. In case of dismissal, the visa is canceled, it will be necessary to urgently find a new employer who will fill out a petition for a work visa for you, or leave the USA (if you do not have another visa, for example, a tourist visa);

As a spouse, I was given a L2 visa. Such a visa is usually issued to the spouse or spouse and children of the owner of L1. The L2 visa is tied to L1: if the husband’s visa is canceled, mine will also no longer be valid. L2 allows you to get a work permit - employment authorization document. My permission came two months after the submission of documents.

Advantages of the L2 visa:

You can get a work permit;

You can change the employer, in contrast to L1.

Cons:

the visa is tied to the L1 visa. If the L1 visa is revoked, the L2 also expires.

The whole process of obtaining a visa took six months. During this time, we prepared and filed documents, passed an interview and waited until the security service checked us. Our visas are valid for three years, after which they can be extended.

A stack of documents for a visa for one. Photo from the personal archive of the author

Documents

Primarily after arriving at USA we have a social security number - social security number, SSN. This is the national identification number - something like the Russian SNILS и ITN at the same time. Without such a number you may be denied work and social insurance. The Social Security Number is issued by the Social Security Administration - Social security administration - it's free. Our numbers came three weeks after the application was submitted.

A national identity card in the United States is not a passport, but a driver's license. Only 40% of Americans have a passport and use it mainly for traveling abroad.

According to the US Department of State website, in 2016, only 131 million Americans had a passport. This is only 40% of the population.

This is what a social security number looks like. Photo from the personal archive of the author

With foreign rights in New Jersey you can ride no more than a yearthen you need to get local. As in Russia, the driving test consists of two parts - theoretical and practical. More interesting: each state has its own requirements for the practical part of the exam and its own set of rules of the road. In addition to differences in speed limits, the rules for driving traffic lights may differ. For example, in New Jersey, the red light can be turned right.

My husband was credited with Russian rights - he passed only the theoretical part of the exam. Unfortunately, there are no clearly defined rules according to which foreign rights are credited or not credited. On the official website of the Motor Vehicle Commission - this is something like the Russian traffic police - it is written that in order to obtain a driver's license in the US, a foreign citizen must pass a theoretical exam and, perhaps (!), Practical.

After the theoretical exam, the MVC employee compared the rights of her husband with samples of foreign rights from a large folder and said that the practical part should be taken. In the folder, as an example, the Russian rights of the old sample were given. Claims we were asked to state in the main MVC office of the State of New Jersey. We corresponded with the main department for a month, but in the end, the rights of the husband were nevertheless recognized and given him local rights without a practical exam. Without bureaucracy has not done.

Before I left, I did not have time to get a license in Moscow, so I gave both theory and practice. Unlike in Russia, where the exam is passed on a car with pedals for an instructor, in the USA everyone passes on their cars. First, the inspector checks the car - the serviceability of the brakes, brake lights, headlights, “turn signals”, the inspector’s access to the parking brake - and only then gets into your car. If something is not working, or the car and the interior look untidy, you will be sent for a retake.

As in Russia, the practical part consists of a site and a city. My exam was taken by a woman, she asked me to make a U-turn and parallel parking, and then drive through the city. The main claim was that I drive too carefully, but I was still given rights.

System of measures

In the US, do not use the International System of Units. Instead, there are inches, miles, pounds, feet, ounces, miles, gallons, and also Fahrenheit degrees. Well, that time is measured in seconds and minutes. In order to adequately perceive the surrounding reality, it is necessary to relearn:

1 mile = 1,61 km

1 ft = 0,3 m

1 in. = 2,54 cm

1 0,45 kg pound =

1 oz = 0,028 kg

1 gallon = 3,79 l

° F = ° C x + 1,8 32

Two weeks after arrival, we tried to translate our height and weight into feet and pounds during a physical examination. The nurse decided we were joking. Another funny incident happened in a barbershop when a husband tried to explain to a hairdresser for a long time that he wanted to shorten the haircut by 1, but did not find understanding.

Banks

For newly arrived, the choice of a bank comes down to one criterion - is the bank ready to open an account for a client who does not have a social security number yet?

We chose Bank of America, the second in the United States in terms of assets. Came to the bank office. It took an hour for employees to open an account and issue a credit card. We waited for a debit card delivery for a week, credit cards for a month, as bank employees made several mistakes at once. First, we were ordered the wrong type of credit card - a cashback card instead of a mile card. And instead of changing the type of card, we were ordered another one. As a result, we received a refusal to issue a credit card by mail because we had “exhausted the credit limit”. Month went on to figure it out.

The bank has a mobile application, but SMS and notifications about debiting from the card are useless. A debit card transaction SMS will be sent only if the amount was no less than 100 $. For a credit card, you can connect the pushes, but they come once a day in 1 — 3 of the day after several transactions. The exception is payments on the Internet, SMS and pushes come to them regardless of the amount and immediately.

The second time customers of this bank, we would not. Now we are looking for a more friendly online bank, most similar to Tinkoff Bank, which we used in Russia.

Investment

Interest rates on deposits here are low - 1 — 2% per year. As in Russia, the deposits are insured by the state: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - local analogue of the Russian DIA. The maximum amount you can insure is 250 000 $ (14 500 000 Р) per person in one bank.

Looking at deposit rates, we decided to join 50% of Americans who invest in stocks. We bought Russian and foreign stocks in Russia, but here it is easier to do it: there is access to local exchanges, brokers have a greater choice, brokers have a wider choice of stocks. Now we use the services of Interactive Brokers.

In addition to stocks and other securities, 11% of Americans invest in mutual funds and 30% in pension savings. Only 11% are invested in circulation and deposits, according to the OECD Data website.

Cash, Cards and Checks

In New Jersey, even in the smallest store in the smallest town there is a terminal for payment by card. But cash is still running, and some sellers encourage them. For example, gasoline at a gas station can cost less by 10 — 20 cents per gallon if paid in cash.

We use cash only to pay for street parking and in the laundry - this requires 25 cents coins. In general, you can do without cash in New Jersey, but just in case, we always keep in a wallet 50 — 60 $.

There is another method of payment - checks. Before moving to USA checks were for us an attribute of 90's Hollywood films. To my surprise, they are still used. When we opened an account in the bank, 8 check forms were given as a gift. Additionally, checks can be ordered online. You can even choose a design! A pack of 42 checks with a standard design will cost 8 $.

Checks even accept ATMs and mobile apps. The husband received his first salary in the form of a check, transferred the amount to a card through an ATM.

Custom design checks on the Bank of America website. Photo from the personal archive of the author

Housing

The phrase "single-storey America" ​​describes New Jersey very accurately. Most of the people here live in separate houses. On average, the cost of renting with one bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom is 1500 $ per month. The minimum cost we have seen is 950 $ per month.

Our area in the winter. Photo from the personal archive of the author

There are apartment complexes that are popular with expats. Prices start at 1000 $ per month. But the pattern “the more expensive the apartment is, the better the reviews” starts from 2500 $ per month, up to this amount the reviews are equally bad.

Nearby street in early spring. Photo from the personal archive of the author

We wanted to know how the locals live, so we decided to rent a private house. To save on commissions, looking for yourself. Usually the services of a realtor cost 1,5 — 2 rentals.

The house next door is a typical "one-story America." Photo from the personal archive of the author

Utilities. Water, electricity, gas, heating will cost 200 — 250 $ per month.

The size. Not the biggest house by local standards is 3 — 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Find a small apartment for two with one bedroom and one bathroom will not be easy.

Personal space. The number of square feet per person is governed by state laws. The child must have a separate room from the parents, and children of different sexes cannot live in the same room. If you move with children, be prepared to rent a more spacious and, accordingly, more expensive housing.

Furniture. The apartment is rented unfurnished. Usually only bathroom and kitchen are equipped. The rest of the furniture will have to buy yourself.

Pledge. Usually the security deposit is the rental price for 1,5 — 2 of the month. It is stored on a special savings account that the landlord opens for you. Upon termination of the lease agreement, you will receive back the amount of the security deposit and the accrued interest.

Credit history. This is the first thing that interests the landlord. We had no credit history at USAtherefore, we used a certified translation of certificates from work and certificates 2-NDFL as evidence of our solvency. We also provided bank statements and our Russian credit history. But the decisive document was a job offer with a confirmation of the salary that the company submitted to her husband.

Where to look for housing

Here are some sites that we used to search.

Craigslist.org - for self-search and rent directly from the owner. This is where we found our home. But the choice of Craigslist is significantly inferior to specialized rental sites.

Trulia.com - A large database of ads, but some of them have long been irrelevant.

Zillow.com - a very convenient site with search filters, but also not all ads are relevant.

Rent.com - a site to search for apartments. The availability of apartments on the site is not specified, so you need to send a request directly to the management company.

Apartments.com и Yelp.com - here you can read reviews of tenants about specific apartments.

On the site "Zillow" the most convenient filters, but not all ads are relevant. Screenshot

Our house

We rent part of the house with a separate entrance, kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom and dressing room. For rent we pay 1320 $ per month. The owner made us a 30 $ discount for the lack of a washing machine and drying. We spend 20 — 25 $ per month for laundry. Since there are no separate meters in the house, utilities (and even Wi-Fi) are included in the rental price.

We found a home on Craigslist - this is how the ad looked. Screenshot

We also managed to save money on buying furniture: the owner gave us old furniture, which he no longer uses. In total, we spent 500 $ on home improvement - we bought a comfortable table and chair for work, dishes and other attributes of comfort.

Our home is in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Photo from the personal archive of the author

Public Transport

In short, it is almost there. Outside major cities like Jersey City, traveling by car is cheaper, more convenient and faster. Travel time from point A to point B by public transport and car may differ several times. For example, to get to the next town by car, it will take half an hour, by public transport - 1 an hour 40 minutes with two transfers: by train and bus.

I can get to the nearest "Walmart" by car in 5 minutes. On the bus I will reach him in half an hour.

From Bridgewater to New York can be reached by bus for 13 $, by train for 14,75 $, by car for 10,5 $ - bridges and tunnels at the entrance to New York State are paid. If you are not traveling alone, it is much cheaper to go by car.

Personal car

A car in America is an affordable necessity. Every family has at least one car, otherwise you cannot get anywhere. Our landlord has three cars for a family of four.

Used Toyota Prius in excellent condition, including tax and dealer fees, cost us 6000 $. The cost of owning a car consists of an annual registration payment - 80 $ per year - and insurance. For the first three months, we paid 160 $ per month for insurance with close to the minimum coverage, then the cost dropped to 100 $ per month.

Gasoline costs as much as in Russia, or even a bit cheaper - around 2,4 $ per gallon, this is 38 rubles per liter. We spend on gasoline 80 $ per month.

Our Toyota Prius 2006 of the year. Mileage 88 000 miles (141 622 km), here it is a bit. With good roads and climate cars live longer. Photo from the personal archive of the author

Rent a car and taxi

Renting the cheapest car with minimal insurance will cost 50 $ (2900 Р) in a day. If you plan to be in USA more than two months, it is more profitable to buy and not to rent a car.

Uber and Lift work here from a taxi. A trip through the city lasting 15 — 20 minutes is worth 10 — 15 $.

The cheapest car to rent is the Nissan Versa or a car of the same class. Screenshot

Medicine

В USA In general, and in New Jersey in particular, it is better not to get sick. Medicine here is very expensive. A visit to a therapist will cost 60 — 90 $, and a narrow specialist will cost 100 — 400 $. One day of stay in the hospital costs 1500 — 2500 $. A complete blood count is 20 $, an eye test is 70 $. It is impossible to pass tests without a doctor’s referral. Without a prescription at the pharmacy, you can buy a very limited set of medicines. To save money on medications and visits to doctors, we brought with us a whole box of medicines from Russia.

Paying for medical services helps insurance. Insurance is obligatory, for its absence they can be fined. The size of the penalty is unpleasantly large - up to 2,5% annual household income.The cost of insurance per adult averages 300 — 400 $ (17, 400 — 23, 200 Р) per month. In this case, dentistry and vision are not included in the general insurance. We have three insurances: general, dentistry and vision. We are paid monthly by insurance by the employer.

The mechanism of the insurance in USA differs from the Russian voluntary medical insurance: the presence of insurance here does not mean that you receive free medical services. You pay the full cost of services until you spend a certain minimum amount specified in your contract. This amount is called deductible. Your subsequent medical expenses are paid by you with the insurance: the part is you, the part is insurance. It is called coinsurance. This continues until you pay out of your pocket a certain maximum amount specified in the contract. This amount is called out-of-pocket maximum. Only after that the insurance starts to pay your medical expenses in full.

Let's look at an example of how insurance works in the US

John entered into a contract with the insurance. Terms of the contract are:

deductible - 1000 $,

coinsurance - 90% costs,

out-of-pocket maximum - 1200 $.

John went to an appointment with five doctors, and he was billed for 1000 $. John pays this amount himself - his deductible spent

Then John went for a massage, which costs 200 $. 90% of these 200 $ will pay insurance. Total for the massage, he will pay 20 $, and insurance - 180 $.

In the fall, John broke his leg. The treatment bill is 2000 $. This year, he has already spent 1020 $ on his health - these are five doctors and a massage. Under contract out-of-pocket maximum John - 1200 $. Therefore, from 2000 $ he will pay only 180 $, the remaining amount will be fully covered by insurance.

In reality, the amount deductible and out-of-pocket maximum above. For example, as part of our insurance plan for two deductible is 3450 $ (200 100 Р) a year, and out-of-pocket maximum - 4450 $ (258 100 Р) in year. For seven months in USA on medicine we spent 450 $ (26 100 Р).

Medical insurance in the USA is difficult. Some doctors even warn about this at their reception. Photo from the personal archive of the author

How to save on insurance

Choose the best insurance plan. For example, if you are healthy and rarely see a doctor, you can choose a plan with a large deductible and a smaller share of the joint costs that the insurance assumes. This will protect you in the event of a serious illness or injury with minimal monthly payments.

Recommendations on choosing health insurance on healthcare.gov

Buy from partners. Each insurance company has a network of partner clinics, laboratories and doctors. Partners often offer discounts, and insurance covers a large proportion of the costs of such medical services. The biggest discount we received was 45%.

Use a medical savings account to pay - it is called health savings account. The funds that you transfer to such an account are not taxable.

Use bonuses. Sometimes employers offer bonuses to employees' insurance plan. For example, we got 1400 $ (81 200 Р) for a medical savings account for passing a general medical examination.

Taxes

The sales tax in New Jersey is 6,875%. Tax is not included in the price, so the amount to be paid is always greater than the amount on the price tag. Not all products are taxed: Christmas trees are taxed, but potato chips, cheese, milk, tea, newspapers, shoelaces, aspirin are not. A complete list of taxable and non-taxable goods can be viewed. in the official tax guide in New Jersey.

22,5% salary goes to pay income tax. Of these, 12% goes to the federal budget, 3% goes to the state budget, 6% goes to social insurance, 1,5% goes to the Medicare medical program for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Dishwashing detergent costs 0,97 $. With tax, you’ll actually pay 1,04 $. Photo from the personal archive of the author

communication

We spend 90 $ for mobile communications (5 220 Р) per month for two. Our AT&T rate includes free calls and sms on site USA and 6 GB of traffic per person is one of the cheapest options. In New Jersey, the mobile Internet is stable and almost everywhere: we also listen to music and radio via the Internet.

Important point: the frequency bands of mobile operators in USA differ from each other and from Russian, so check the compatibility of your devices and local operators.

Products and Stuff

The buyer is always right, so Americans buy a lot and fearlessly. If the quality of the product did not suit you or you simply changed your mind, the goods can always be returned. Walmart accepts returns even without a check, although in this case the money will be returned to you in cash, and not to the card.

Quality and fresh products are always available in stores. For products for two, we spend 350 — 400 $ (20 300 — 23 200 Р) per month. Salmon costs 10 $ per pound, chicken - 3 $ per pound, beef - 10 $ per pound, a gallon of milk - 4 $, eggs - 1,5 $ per dozen.

Fruit counter in the most ordinary store. Photo from the personal archive of the author

All year round there are fruits and berries on the shelves: pineapples, mango, papaya, avocado, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. Apples cost 1,5 $ per pound, mangoes - 1 $ apiece, pineapple - 3 $ apiece.

In the summer, there are farmers markets where you can buy vegetables and fruits from the garden. Prices in the markets are higher in 1,5 — 2 times, but sometimes you can pamper yourself.

Clothes are cheap here. A T-shirt costs 3 $, jeans - 15 — 20 $, sneakers — 30 $.

Household appliances and furniture can be bought both in supermarkets and at garage sales. The cheapest multicooker will cost 20 — 30 $, the blender — at 10 $, the iron — at 15 $.

How to save:

Buy more. Here the rule is "the more, the cheaper." A large package costs up to one and a half times less per pound or unit. For 50 $, we have issued a Kostko wholesale store club card and are making large purchases there.

Find a cheap store. In large retail chains and discount centers - Volmart, Shoprate, Marshalls, Ikea - prices are lower than in other supermarkets. There are shops where all goods cost 1 $.

Buy used items. Household appliances and furniture can be bought on the same "Craigslist" and garage sales. For example, a normal microwave cost us 25 $, a new one in a store costs 40 — 50 $.

Travels

We try not to sit still and leave for a small trip every weekend. For seven months, we visited 15 states and Canada. The flights are not cheap: from New York to San Francisco and back cost about 400 $ (23 200 P), to Chicago and back - 150 $ (8700 P). Low cost airlines - "Spirit" и "Jet Blue".

Traveling by car is not only cheap, but also comfortable. The roads in the USA are very good, and there are many of them. Oncoming traffic is usually divided - in seven months we never had to overtake anyone. Photo from the personal archive of the author

The minimum room rate for two in a hotel is 50 — 60 $ (2900 — 3480 P).

To save money, we prefer to drive and camp. There night stands 20 — 25 $ (1160 — 1450 P). Sometimes we find free nights at the local residents through Couchsurfing.

Generally

On average, we spend 3500 $ per month for two. Of these, about 40% goes to pay for housing, 15% - on travel, 10% - on products, 5% - on entertainment. In Moscow, we spent 2000 $ (116 000 Р) per month.

Moving to USA - This is a rich experience and an amazing opportunity to learn a new country, culture, people. We try to use this feature to the maximum. After a noisy Moscow, we thought that the city of Bridgewater was located in the middle of nowhere, but there is nothing around. But it turned out that in an hour you can get to the museum in New York (yes, no summer residents, free highways at the weekend!), To the trail in the national park or the beach on the Atlantic coast. This allows you to spend your free time in a variety of ways.

You quickly get used to one-story America. We can hardly imagine life in a high-rise building and the lack of squirrels and hares under the windows.

New Jersey is a safe and enjoyable state that is great for exploring USA.

We have already studied the east coast enough and want to continue our acquaintance with the country in the west.

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