Micah - not being funny, the job situation here in the UK is very didgy at the moment, and housing costs are ridiculous. Just about anywhere near a town in the south east & you start talking over £100k for a one-bedroom flat to buy & rental costs reflect that. Now look at the average wage being around £20k per year, assorted direct taxes (including stuff like national insurance) taking over 30% of that, VAT at 17.5% on most purchases, fuel at around 75p per litre.............