The keys to survival

When you're young, you are taught that man needs food, water, shelter, and sunlight in order to survive. When you move, especially to a new country, you realize there are more items on the list. Man needs the ability to communicate with other people - a.k.a. cell phones. Man needs money, and that money needs to be easily accessible by man. The money and the ability to communicate are necessary in order to obtain shelter and food. Employment should be on the list as well, since there needs to be a flow of money (so as not to deplete all of your savings, which will be necessary for shelter and food in the future). The only problem is that many of these needs for survival are contingent upon one another. 

Lets take the example of getting a bank account...in London. To get a bank account (one which you don't have to pay a ton for and actually gives you useful benefits like a credit card) you need a permanent residence and a letter from an employer stating your salary and confirming your residence.  You'll also need a letter of recommendation from your US bank and a personal reference. Easy enough. However, in order to gain a permanent residence, in most cases, you need a bank account and a credit history - of which we have none in the UK (so much for a truly global economy). In some cases you can bypass the credit history by paying up to 6 months rent upfront. You'll also need a letter of recommendation from your previous US landlord. To get a credit card, not through a bank, so that you can have a credit history, you need a permanent residence and a prior credit history, unless you want to pay exorbitant fees. To get a cell phone, you'll need cash on hand, since your American credit card probably won't be accepted, since you have no chip and PIN. If you have cash on hand, the only cell phone you'll be able to purchase is a pay-as-you-go phone, with much higher fees, since to get a monthly plan you need a permanent residence and a credit history.

As for us, we've gotten a pay-as-you-go phone and we are waiting on the letter from the employer so we can open the bank account - one with a credit card, hopefully. Our temporary shelter runs out in February, so we're trying to deal with that as well.