Roadster 280 asked "Just what, exactly, is more expensive here than the UK?"
My recent recollections are:
Car insurance for foreigners. About double the UK.
Rented home/contents insurance includes a sizeable amount to cover the chance of being sued by someone on your property.
Mobile phones are much more expensive than in the UK.
Petrol is cheaper but you end up using a hell of a lot more.
Expect to haemmorrage money on a US tour. LOA does not compensate sufficiently for having to sell your cars in the UK early and then having to buy again. Wives definitley need their own car too despite being unable to work. More insurance at $2000 a year.
You have to repurchase all of your electrical kit. They will let you claim for a kettle though.
Disturbance allowance doesn't stretch far enough to cover the effects of terminating insurances and subscriptions that are not transferable overseas.
So overall a US tour will cost you. Best enjoy it.