The Good:
Amazon
You cannot really compare Amazon and Takealot.
Need a garlic press by tomorrow morning? Done.
A weird charger for a toy dinosaur? Already en route.
A dog Halloween costume at 9 p.m.? Of course.
Same-day or next-day delivery is now a lifestyle. Sadly, it makes for a culture of consumerism and instant gratification but once you have tasted the poison fruit… I don’t know if I could ever move back to SA purely because… Amazon 😂
The Bad:
Housework
In South Africa it’s more common and affordable for families to have regular help around the house. In the U.S., that same help comes at $150–$200 for a 2–3 hour clean. Now, when the rand is sitting at 20:1, that’s R3,000+ to have your house cleaned just once a month. (Converting back to rands is something you cannot help yourself from doing).
Perhaps not the worst humbling experience balancing everything work and motherhood requires with a mop in one hand and laundry in the other. Sufficiently humbled, 2 and a half years later I did make my best purchase yet: a robot vacuum that mops AND vacuums. Life-changing. Now I have my eyes on Musks robot that does everything… watch this space.
The Ugly:
The Cost of Healthcare.
Nothing — and I mean nothing — prepared me for the cost of healthcare in the U.S., even for a pretty health family
– My dad visited us in the summer and landed in the ER with a stomach bug: $11,000 (R200,000) for a 3 hours stay.
– My son had a back MRI: $300 (R5500) (not too bad), I then had one on my knee $2,200 (R25,000). Does that make any sense?
– In the past few weeks my daughter had her tonsils out… quote? Between $18,000 and $24,000 (R450,000). No gold-plated ice cream.
I will cover Health Insurance in another post, for now, let’s just say: budget generously for surprises, and always ask for the cash-pay discount, even when you have insurance.
Emigrating is an adventure. It comes with incredible highs and a few “wait, what?!” moments — but if you’re thinking of making the move, this is the stuff no one puts in the brochure.
