It's time you learned the whole truth about America! Enough to admire the snow-white beaches and stunning canyons! This will not tell you any American film or paid by the State Department travel agent!

I will reveal to you a terrible secret! In the US, not all that good! Do not rush after my previous stories to pack suitcases and stand in line for American visas. Read this post and you will never want to go to this country again !!!

Let's start with the prices.

I do not know who is spreading rumors about the cheapness of living in the states. This is obviously done with the money of the State Department, so that the flow of migrants does not stop there and there was someone to work for a penny. So, look! These photos are from the usual supermarket, which I made on the last trip.

Do not rush to multiply the dollars by the ruble exchange rate. It is not that simple!

First. Prices on a green background are the price, taking into account discounts for individual items. The real price is indicated on a white background. But that's not all!

The second. If you increase the photo with meat, you will see that the price is indicated for 1 pound! That's about 450 grams for our weight.

Thus, a piece of meat in 1 kg worth 13.99 dollars per 1 pound (including discounts) for our money will cost 28 dollars or almost 1700 rubles !!!

The remaining prices for meat you can also count according to this scheme: we take the cost per pound, multiply by 2 and again at the dollar rate of 59 rubles. You can also calculate the cost of seafood, they are also listed per pound.

Prices for meat semi-finished products are indicated per package. For example, in the center of a photo of Italian sausages for 6.49 dollars (again with a discount). Below is written 19 oz. This is 19 ounces or 530 grams (half a kilogram). Again we perform simple calculations: 6.49 * 2 * 59 = 765 rubles per kilo.

Vegetables. Prices per pound

Tomatoes for our money are 300 rubles per kilo.

The cheapest potatoes are 2 dollars per pound or 240 rubles per kilo.

Fruit. Apples

But that's not all! For clarity, let's simulate the situation. So, for example, you modestly collected all sorts of dollars for 30. Go to the cashier, the cashier breaks all this and appears on the cashier's screen a figure of 35 dollars!

Do not rush to scandal! You are not cheated.

Just in the USA all prices are indicated WITHOUT taxes! That is, taking a bottle of water in the store with a price tag of 1 dollar, you will give at the box office for it at least $ 1.1. This is another 10% of taxes. In different states they are different and can reach up to 20%! Therefore, when you book a hotel in the US, you know, you will have to pay more.

Just want to tell you about the salaries in the states, but I already feel like I'm being reproached for being so huge in the US and that they are making such a penny for them. Here is a link to an article about salaries .

I can confirm its authenticity by communicating with friends and acquaintances in the states. Take the industry we are familiar with - production. The average salary per month is about 4 thousand US dollars. But, this is before taxes. Taxes, on average, are 30% or 1.2 thousand dollars.

After paying all the insurance, utility bills, as well as kindergartens and schools, there are about 2 thousand dollars left in the hands at best. But that's not all!

Rent an apartment costs at least $ 1 thousand a month in a more or less large city and a decent area. If you are a "lucky" owner of a mortgage, you will pay even more.

As a result, according to my acquaintances, with a salary of 50-60 thousand dollars a year, and this is an average level, about 1 thousand dollars remain on the hands monthly. Judge for yourself whether you can be shiked with this money. And do not forget that it's VERY hard to get a good job.

The next thing that's just disgusting in the US is food! In the states, some insanity on burgers. Normal food or not, or it is insanely expensive in national restaurants. At the same time, in many national restaurants the idea of the national food they offer is also peculiar. I once ate a Greek salad in a Greek restaurant ...

What can I say, there was only a Greek name in it.

In most American restaurants, the menu will have a dozen burgers, 5 hot dogs, a couple of stacks and two or three salads. All! There you have this! Even if the menu says "Shrimpburger", that is, a burger with shrimp. Who does not understand shrimp in this cutlet.

Here is the classic burger.

Want to know how much it costs? You are welcome! Here is the lunch menu of the restaurant in which I ordered this Big Island burger for $ 10.95. And this is the price for lunch. In the evening, another menu and prices are higher.

Do not rush to think that it is cheap. The final bill for my set was not less than 25 dollars. And it's not just beer, although it was the cheapest drink on the menu after water. Let's count. 11 dollars burger, 8 dollars beer. Total 19 dollars? No matter how it is!

About taxes that do not point, did not forget? Here is a photo from another cafe. On it you can see a check. 20 dollars, like with a bush for about the same lunch or dinner, I do not remember exactly.

But that's not all!

Here we come to another thrash from the USA, which picks me up.

In the US, as in Russia, it is customary to leave a tip. But if we have this business purely voluntary, then in the states the client is obliged to leave money for the waiter!

And do not think to throw on the table 5-10% of the bill. The minimum rate is 18% of the bill! Or on the check itself, or in a booklet for the account it will be written that there are three gradations of a tip. 18% is if you did not like it very much, 20% - not bad, 25% - you liked everything. What is it?

When I first came to the states, I had an anecdotal case. After a meal at a cafe, I left the waiter with the traditional 10% of the bill for me. I had already left the cafe, but the waiter caught up with me and asked me in higher tones why he so annoyed me ...

For a long time I could not understand what they wanted from me, I was convinced that the waiter should be happy for such generous tips ... Under the screams of Fuck You in my direction I then left the massacre, but after that I realized that the tip is sacred for America . They say that in some restaurants do not pay the waiters at all and they live only on tips.

Thus, a restaurant bill of $ 20 means that you have to pay 24-25 dollars for a bun with french fries and beer. For a normal lunch or dinner (like this one), prepare to give at least $ 30 for one.