American Viking

For us Americans it's 40. The standard is 8 hours a day with a 15 minute coffee break and a 30 minute unpaid lunch break. This example is for a construction worker.
I should also mention 40 hours barely pays rent so most people are economically forced into overtime in which hours worked over 40 are paid 1.5x your normal wage. Time and a half as it's called.

People say that other parts in the world have shorter work weeks. I'm curious as to see what it's really like.

Marshall Amps

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elcid

Don't forget their 9 weeks of paid vacation

bulldozer1984

I know you said Europe but us Aussies have the same deal. Although, overtime is paid at double time after the first 3 hours of time and a half.

Our standard work week is 38 hours. So we work 4 x 8 hr days and then get an RDO every month or some places (like my work) give you a 6 hr Friday.

But yeh pay isn't that great I'm on $31/hr so I do roughly 12 hrs overtime a week just to live comfortably.

Marshallmaniac

Yep, same here Dozer, except my work doesn't pay leave loading and don't give me an RDO a month like they should.

I'm also an investor and am on track to retire on the same income I presently earn in 5 years time because I prefer to NOT have to go to work every day in return for money. Especially not for another 30 years. 10 years full time is enough for me and I'd have done about 17 years in 5 years time. Will continue to create businesses or work part time on and off though whenever because theres only so much time off you can take and so many holidays I like to go on. The aim is more about unrestricted freedom to choose though more than anything. We won't be 'rich' in terms of just spend spend spend on whatever, but we will be in the top 5 percent. Paid off home with X amount of passive income and assetts is the goal for now. Maybe we can hit for more later on which is highly propable.

On another note, Superannuation. (Which is also included in a wage) I will not trust because:
1. It is not leveraged
2. It is at complete mercy of the sharemarket
3. Cannot be used for many, many years to come
Which is a reason I don't even akgnowledge Super exists. One can create the funds an entire lifetime of super contains within a few short years if done correctly.
Anyhow, thats enough from me. Just venting

Wiseblood

Canada is pretty much identical to the states work and pay wise but everything costs more and we pay tripple the taxes.

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scat7s

im sure you pay a higher tax rate, but it depends on the state here, some are worse than others, and cost of living varies greatly, as im sure it does up north and in europe too.

31 USD or 31 aussie bucks? haha...seriously though...

31 usd aint bad, more than alot of middle class and lower middle.

the overtime rules also vary by state. but most are in the employers favor. i dont know of any who get double time after 3 hrs. but your cost of living down under sounds like its higher than the avg in the states....not sure though

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Marshallmaniac

Yep, cost of living is exxy compared to US. Average house price is around $500,000, average wage is around $60,000 before tax and average Mars bar is around $3. To give you another comparison: A STD US Strat retails for around $2,400 and a Marshall reissue 50w plexi top RRP for $2,899

DPTONE5

As an engineering manager in the US, I am salaried. Last week, I worked 72 hours. Most weeks, around 55 hours.

Not enough time to play guitar for sure!!

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scat7s

so gas, rent, food, utilities are all comparable to the prices youve estimated as well?

thats high.

BUT, just to clarify, that 500k/60k etc is US dollars or aussie currency?

what is your money called anyway? sorry for the dumb question, im too lazy to look...

also, what is exxy?

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scat7s

nevermind i looked it up, the aussie to US exchange rate is almost 1 for 1.

yikes...

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Australian

Ya the only stable form of exchange on planet earth is the British Stirling.
And thats why we all need a Monarchy too.

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Marshallmaniac

Sorry man, by 'exxy' I mean pricey. Our currency is called Dollars.
Yea, our electricity bill is around $500p/quarter with the two of us living there. Our 'rates' to the council are around $1,400p/a (don't know if you guys have that, it's basically a tax for all homeowners to the council for the use of their roads and garbage collection) Home insurance is around (again, on a $500k home) $1,000p/a. Trying to think what else.. Umm, we pay around 31.5 percent tax (average wage earner) up to 48.5% for high incomes. We do not receive any tax benefits on our own homes, investment property, yes. Our current borrowing rate is around 3.5% but we pay 6% to borrow from the banks and that is very low in comparison to normal levels (so on $500k just paying interest only that would be $30,000p/a and around $36,000 principal and interest) I pay $1.50p/litre for unleaded petrol and it costs me $700p/a to register my vehicle (roadworthy) plus inspection fees of around $100. They charge about $30p/a for a license, A McDonalds meal costs around $9,

IbanezMark

I guess I'm not in the norm

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scat7s

thx for the info, sounds expensive. but maybe you get what you pay for, in all the photos i see it looks like an amazing place to be.

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American Viking

Paid vacation? I used to have that back when companies cared. Now it's one of those extinct species like affordable health insurance.

Wiseblood

Yes that is true, Toronto for example, we pay at least 30% income tax and then after what's left we pay 13% sales tax. A beat up 1200 square foot house in Toronto costs a half a million. CDN to US dollars is roughly equal now...

We get rapped big time! Many other places that have lower costs of living have similar sales taxes and the same income taxes but there are less jobs and most are lowering paying jobs. Not to mention these places suck to live in, Toronto ain't bad, just expensive.

I love going to the US for vacation everything is reasonably priced.

Housing and property are driven by the market and there are many poche like pretty boy type people who come from well off families that are willing to pay whatever and everyone is into very modern decor and really 'done up' style. Unlike myself who is more into practical and I actually enjoy older style decor and 'country style'. I know many people in their 20's buying their first home with their wife/girlfriend and there quick to pay $650 000+ - to me that's insane.

Taxes are always up the ass up here cause we have 'free health care' lol BS! Our health care blows, you gotta see 3-4 doctors each several times and wait 6-8 months to see a specialist just to be prescribed drugs. All of which only work business hours so I have to spend money by taking time off work to see a doctor. If you got into a car accident or an emergency situation then our health care is decent because it won't 'wipe you out' when you get the bill, cause there is no bill.

Food, clothing and all retail type stuff is expensive cause our border has huge taxes so it costs business a shit ton to bring stuff in. They also can't be in the same volume as say the US as we are far less populated, there are more people in California than all of Canada.

It is still a great place to live and visit, but it is very expensive and in many cases in an unfair way. I'd live in the States in a heart beat but getting a green card is next to impossible for Canadians - go figure?

I love this topic, I'm dying to hear what some fellow Eurpians have to say!

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bulldozer1984

Yeh we get 4 weeks a year paid leave as well as 8 sick days.

Yes Scat the cost of living over here is quite expensive compared to the U.S so im just a low to mid wage earner. I make all my cream with O/T which still aint much but i can live comfortably.

Also Viking, we get double time on Sundays and double time and a half on Public Holiday's. But that really only applies to employees in the retail sector as they are realistically the only ones that work Sundays or Pub. Holiday's.

diesect20022000

i think what we're concluding is the world economy's SHIT. noone can afford to spend for fun anymore. more people, less worth.

Marshallmaniac

Right on man.

In the 60's the norm was: Husband went to work, Wife stayed home to look after the three kids. They bought a house and car. (most not two cars) and lived pretty happily ever after (modestly)

Today, the housing market requires one large, or two mediocre incomes. BUT. People also eat out more, drink more, have credit cards, depreciating debt like car and furniture loans/personal loans.

So all in all I don't think that much has changed, but money seemed to buy more then than it does now.

We live in a 'I want everything now' society and C/cards have been the way to get it. Sadly enough. There are still ways out of this, and the knowledge is much more widespread and readily available than it once was, but most just 'want it now' and the credit card prevails. It makes no sense (to me) but everyone is different.

Roadburn

21 or 22 days each year total (so a total of 4 weeks and 2 days vacation max) in The Netherlands.
Depending on your age (45+, and not every profession) you get some extra "old folks days"...
We "save" 8% of our gross income as vacation money (paid in May/June)

Working hours have been reduced for most people so more people can keep on working instead of losing their jobs. We used to have 40h weeks as well.

€33.000 is the avarage yearly income ($41,612.65)
Petrol €1.70 /l ($2.14 / liter ($9 /gallon)

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Lucifuge

Just wondering where you get that piece of wisdom from?

Like Roadburn said, I've got 4 weeks... As for the rest, it's a normal 40 hour week here (with a bit of overtime). I work 4 days because child daycare is so freakin' expensive that it's better to get paid less than bring my son to daycare for an extra day....
And (like Roadburn said), you think your gas is expensive....

thrawn86

LOL, actually, that's the route I'm taking currently. Sorta. I haven't bought a car in 7 years, and I don't own a home anymore. I rent a modest, comfortable place, my wife is a stay at home mommy with the three boys. Here's why: Childcare is very expensive. Unless she had a very professional career, her earnings would only serve to basically pay for her gas/lunch for work and the funds to put the kids in daycare when they aren't in school. We live cheaper, a little closer to the ground, do the best we can. Most people scoff at that sort of existence, but I'd rather have my children raised by my wife than by a total stranger.

On the vacation thing: Yeah, as a construction worker, we don't get much of that. So what I do is stash a little out of each paycheck, or if I have a few good weeks or work on a Prevailing Wage job (that pays quite a bit more than my usual wage), I'll stash out quite a bit. Bank it up. Then I can draw it when I want, either to vacation with, or if we have a 'rainy day' come up.

In California, the law is Time and a Half for all hours over 40 in one week, or in any one DAY in which 8 hours is exceeded, if memory serves. We don't run into that too often. Sunday's are supposed to be Double time.

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Lucifuge

Just wondering AV, what does health insurance cost?

thrawn86

I ask this by way of curiosity: What is your average weekly commute, cumulatively speaking?

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thrawn86

I don't know what it runs toward the east coast where he's at, but I just looked into a policy for my three sons......only.......and a nosebleed plan with a $6k deductible and almost nothing else was in the $300-350/mo range.

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Lucifuge

I drive 50km a day... Right now it's on my Harley which gets much better mileage than my SUV...

thrawn86

So around 31 miles/day. Glad you can work off a Harley! I gotta have a truck to function. It's a solid 14 mile round trip from my home to the shop, and then all over the place. Today was a 150+ day.

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Lucifuge

Yeah, I just ride the bike to work and get a van or car there if I have to go to a customer's... I'm an engineer/programmer for an AV company, so I usually have to take a bunch of (expensive) stuff with me...
I do occasionaly go to customers on my bike though... Get a lot of strange looks....

For a halfway extensive health insurance (not everything covered) I think my wife and I pay about 320 euros p.p... and our son is covered until he's 18 I think (10 for dental)...

elcid

A friend who lived in France

elcid

Man you get screwed. I take it you arent union.