Aeronut:
A couple of observations, if I may.
Car insurance for foreigners. About double the UK.
Well, depends on your negotiation skills. If you get a home contents policy with the same agency (mine is Allstate), tell them the deal is theirs if they credit you with your UK driving history. The copied my counterpart driving licence, and I got credit for 20 years clean history. I pay considerably less than I did in the UK. (About half!)
Mobile phones are much more expensive than in the UK.
Free unlimited calls in the same network. Depends on what you were used to, but nothing like the same in my opinion. My bill is 25% of what it used to be, although I will admit I used to travel a lot.
Petrol is cheaper but you end up using a hell of a lot more.
Well, I filled up my 20 US gallon tank the other day, it cost $47. What's that, about GBP 25 for 76 litres? You're right though, my car does 19 (US) mpg. So that's about 24 UK mpg. Maybe 30% less than a typical UK car. But the fuel is much less than half the cost.
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.
I agree with the idea of selling your cars etc, and those here too. I didn't think LOA was intended to cover that though.
You have to repurchase all of your electrical kit. They will let you claim for a kettle though.
US electric kettles are terrible since P=IV, and V is half UK, and so I must double, which it can't in a domestic situation. Hence P falls, and makes for a terrible kettle. Get a stove top one. Works just fine.
As for other stuff, TVs would be bad, but much equipment (if bought here) is dual voltage. Always check. It's waaay cheaper than the UK in any event.
Disturbance allowance doesn't stretch far enough to cover the effects of terminating insurances and subscriptions that are not transferable overseas.
No chance of suspending them?
So overall a US tour will cost you. Best enjoy it.
Not a happy camper then? Each to their own. I'm making a good life here, much more so than I would have in the UK at the same time of life.
I honestly thought LOA was to compensate for those items that are more expensive in daily life than the UK. Few and far between here.