Ordinary Americans devote a lot of time to work, drive a car well. love fatty and hearty food and big houses. Their future is determined by a good credit history. Religion and the desire to get rich bizarrely coexist in the minds of the average citizen of the United States. In the opinion of people from other countries, Americans are slightly naive, friendly, love externalities and value their family very much.
Income, taxes, loans
Many Europeans envy Americans because their salaries are much higher. However, not everything is so simple: taxes eat up a significant part of the income. They vary from state to state, people with the same rate in Chicago and New York will receive different amounts on hand. The budget is burdened by the cost of insurance. Good health insurance with coverage for dentist services is a rare and very valuable bonus for which an ordinary American may well change jobs. The best medical care is provided by government officials, such as postmen and police officers.
Obligatory costs are college tuition. It is customary to postpone for higher education from the birth of a child; for this, a separate bank account is opened. Parents who have failed to save up for college take loans in the name of their children, acting as guarantors. It is up to the students themselves to pay after graduation and return to work.
The credit system helps Americans to live in dignity. All citizens receive their first card after graduation from college. Then others are added to it, in the wallet of an average American at least 5 plastic cards. It is important to keep a close eye on the timing of payments and make payments on time. If the amount of loans has increased, but there is no opportunity to pay, financial consultants will help. In some cases, part of the debt will be written off, and the interest will be frozen, and the payment time will increase significantly. But such a mistake will come at a high cost: a tainted financial history will limit access to good loans and even getting a good job.
Housing and everyday life
One of the important rules of Americans is to leave their home after entering a higher educational institution. Usually the university is located in another city, boys and girls move to the campus, where they share a room with a neighbor or neighbor. After completing their studies, young people rent their first housing. In a big city, the most profitable option is to live together with one or more neighbors. They can share not only an apartment, but also a room, utilities and other payments are divided according to the number of tenants. Not all segments of the population can count on social housing.
Loners who have achieved financial success rent a separate one-bedroom apartment or spacious studio. Recently married couples live in similar conditions, but a family with one or two children is trying to move into their own home. Usually such housing is located in the suburbs, its area is 150-250 sq. m. The house is purchased on credit at a very low interest rate, payments stretch for 30 years or more.
A typical American home is a one or two storey building with a 2 car garage, a small front lawn and a backyard used for household purposes. On the ground floor there is a spacious hall, a living-dining room and a kitchen. The cooking area is often separated only by a counter or island table. The smells of food do not bother Americans: the house is equipped with a powerful hood and air conditioning.
On the second floor there are children's rooms and a parent's bedroom. It is obligatory to have several bathrooms, a pantry or a basement, which is used as a technical room and storage. The walls of the houses are thin, and there are very few monumental brick buildings.
Americans are very mobile. If they are offered a good job on the other side of the country, most will no doubt move. After the children grow up, large houses are often sold, and older parents move to cheaper housing.
Food and other expenses
Americans prefer ready-to-eat meals, which they buy once a week, filling their enormous two-door refrigerator to overflowing. The packages are amazing: juices and milk are sold here in plastic cans. They prefer to buy toilet paper, crackers and canned food in packs. Many people use special coupons that are printed in newspapers: they allow you to very profitably purchase certain goods (usually groceries or household chemicals).
Ordering food at home is no less popular. On weekends, the family can order pizza, sushi, Chinese takeaway. Alternatively, go to a burger or steak house. Complex dishes are rarely prepared at home; cooking is considered an exotic hobby that not everyone can afford.
Americans are not overly concerned about nutrition. Many children never eat vegetables or fruits at all, preferring fries or gummies. The most favorite foods that every home has are cereals with various additives, assorted sauces, peanut butter. The result of such a diet is excess weight. Americans prefer to dump it in fitness rooms or on jogging, diets are popular only among actors, models and other people who make money with their appearance.
The peculiarity of American food is the huge portions. Nutritionists are sounding the alarm: over the past few decades, Americans have begun to consume much more food, with the emphasis on "fast" carbohydrates and fats. An obligatory accompaniment to any dinner is liters of soda. Adults drink a lot of "light" coffee, often decaffeinated, children are given cold milk or orange juice. Americans do not like alcohol, a person who regularly drinks 1-2 servings of whiskey or gin is considered an alcoholic. Strong drinks are usually diluted with soda and flavored with ice. a variety of cocktails are popular. Such drinks are served at parties; at home, most prefer beer.
Americans are indifferent to clothes. A daily uniform for all ages - jeans or shorts paired with a shapeless T-shirt or sweatshirt. Girls and adult ladies dress in the same way, emphatically feminine things are not held in high esteem. At the same time, Americans are not indifferent to well-known brands. this is especially important among young people.
Life style
Most Americans consider themselves to be early risers. It is customary to get up early here, some offices open at 8 am. And appointments and meetings can be scheduled even earlier. People who are preoccupied with a healthy lifestyle, before going to work, have time to go for a run, visit the fitness room or the pool.
Residents of small towns, suburbs of megalopolises and rural areas cannot imagine their life without a car. In an average family there are at least 2 cars, the first car is received by a high school student together with the license, usually at the age of 17 or a little later. The first car is usually used, often a father gives his son his old car and buys a new one for himself. Public transport in the outback and in many large cities is poorly developed. there are practically no sidewalks along the highways. The only way to get from one point to another is to get behind the wheel. As a result, everyone drives cars: schoolchildren and old people, disabled people and mothers of families, workers and clerks. The exception is New Yorkers. Due to the problems with the counters, they prefer to use the metro or taxi.
Children are assembled to school by a special bus, but often the responsibility to transport the offspring to school and take them home lies with the parents. They also deliver sons and daughters to studios, birthdays and other events, of which there are many in the lives of young Americans. In the evening, the family tries to get together for a joint dinner. He does not always pass at the table. Usually, everyone collects for themselves a tray with their favorite delicacies from the refrigerator and settles down in front of the TV. On weekends, it is customary to go to family restaurants, pizzerias, steak houses.
Employers don't spoil Americans with vacations. Average citizens rest no more than 2 weeks a year. A favorite vacation route for poor Americans is the nearest campground. The more wealthy travel to the Bahamas or Hawaii, eccentrics with a good budget travel to Europe. Thrifty lovers of exotic are waiting for Mexico and Canada.
The life of ordinary Americans is in many ways different from the glossy magazines. Like residents of other countries, they work hard, save on little things, and dream of a better future for their children. It is not accepted to ship those close to you with your problems here, all serious issues are solved with the help of psychologists. The profession is considered one of the most promising. This is an accurate signal: in the near future, the problems and worries of US citizens will not diminish.
