Top 10 things we've learned in Edinburgh

Over the next ten days we will be releasing our top 10 things we've learned since moving to Edinburgh.

Here's #10:

Everything is done differently - We knew that by moving here we would be entering a different way of doing things, we just didn't expect it to be quite this different. Let's start with the most basic and fundamental difference, the bank. In the UK, having a bank account is the most foundational part of life. All bills are paid for by direct debit from your account. The rest is charged to your debit card and occasionally people use cash. Now, in the States, if you want to open an account and you have an address and some money, boom it's open. Thirty minutes tops. Here, in order to have an account you have to have an address that isn't a hostel and proof of a UK job. Here's the revolving door, in order to find a place to live to have an address, you need a bank account and in order to open a bank account, you have to have a permanent address. The only solution? Find a place to live and hope that the landlord will let you sign a lease with cash and that the bank will accept this new address before the first month's rent is due. Seven days after we first went in to the bank we finally got our account opened. Interestingly, we went with the bank that is considered lenient on the whole address/job thing. Most banks here wouldn't even begin a conversation without either. 

Another difference here is television. In order to watch anything on a television you have to have a license. This is just for the privilege of turning it on and watching over the air programs. If you want cable or satellite you have to pay on top of that. And if you move to a new address, you have to purchases a new license. 

The third difference is utility bills....but we still haven't figured out exactly how those work. All we know right now is you can choose to either pay for usage, or a flat rate. This flat rate may be more than your usage or less. Like I said, we have no idea what we're doing.   

The list goes on to include council taxes (comparable to city/property taxes), cell phone bills, online security, and purchasing tickets to sporting events. We seriously need a manual over here. 

Check back tomorrow for number 9!