?

I did a quick look after a friend of mine in the states told me how much she pays for hers and I wanted to know if this is typical. First off $200 for the phone! Then another $25 for data and another $70 for minutes and $20 for SMS!!! Thats over $120 per month or about £75.

Over in the UK I get the phone for free, 1200 minutes, 3000 texts and 1GB data for £50 about $80. This isnt criticising the USA at all, I am just surprised that it is so much more expensive over there when its an American company. Anyone enlighten me?

I have been reading about this from the UK. Can someone explain to me if I have it right? I take out a 250k mortgage with my bank, I start paying the payments on the mortgage but something happens like rates increase or the value of my property tumbles so I can send the keys to my house back to the bank. My house is now worth 200k so when sold there is still say 40k of mortgage not accounted for.

What I cant figure out is what happens then? Please dont tell me that you are let off the debt?!

In my example above who carries the can for the 40k of debt? In the UK you are held liable for this sum but things I am reading make me thing that it may be different in the US.

It seems on my travels to the USA that you have to tip everyone. Why is that the case? Surely they are getting paid to do their job. Over in the UK you tip a cab driver and a waiter/waitress a small amount but that might be it. Certainly not bar staff or anyone else.

To a visitor it seems bizarre to be expected to pay extra for someone that is already being paid to do a job. People seem to get really upset when they dont get tipped. Are people paid so badly they rely on tips to get by? I thought there was a minimum wage, is that unrealistically low?

Thanks.