Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I appreciate all of your inputs and they are ACTUALLY being strongly considered. I don't care to fourwheel or snowski. Never cared for outdoor ATV activities. A change of pace-a change in scenery would be greatly favored. I only have my Associates Degree, and I understand that higher education is preferred. I also understand that just like anywhere else, it'd be easier to do such a thing when I was in my 30's, graduated, married, and had a solid 5+ years work experience.
I'm more or less focused on if it's possible to simply transition from AR to AK, and continue on with my education/work experience and still survive. I had studied to become a Registered Dietician. After a few internships I saw that wasn't what I wanted from a career so I jumped ship on school. That left me with my Associates, and a lot of Family & Consumer Science credits. I suppose I could pursue becoming a teacher, but all I'll get out of my chosen education field is a RD, a teacher, or just a Bachelor of Science. I was considering going to school to become an LPN up there, but I understand that career path is transitioning into an exclusive RN or BSN. Of course I could pursue a state job with the Dept of Health, but it'd be nothing better than a low paying clerk (albeit, better than what I get now) job.
Even with a higher cost of living in AK, are y'all saying that it's not a smooth transition. Say, $10hr buys 3 gallons of gas. The same job in AK pays $15hr and buys 4 gallons of gas. Does that even make sense?
Home ownership isn't an issue-as I have no passion to own my own home.
Kids aren't an issue-as I don't want children.
My focus is on getting a job that can pay the bills, and enjoying the scenery around me. I think when it gets cold and there are several feet of snow, I'd rather enjoy the mountains from my window lol.
I think the transition will be smoother for you since your significant other already has a good job lined up. If she is gainfully employed, you could get a not so desirable job (like Costco) just to have an income until you find somthing better.
You may want to check into state jobs.....you may have to be a AK resident to get them, not sure..... but you could start at the bottom with okay pay but great benefits and then slowly work your way up.
I appreciate all of your inputs and they are ACTUALLY being strongly considered. I don't care to fourwheel or snowski. Never cared for outdoor ATV activities. A change of pace-a change in scenery would be greatly favored. I only have my Associates Degree, and I understand that higher education is preferred. I also understand that just like anywhere else, it'd be easier to do such a thing when I was in my 30's, graduated, married, and had a solid 5+ years work experience.
I'm more or less focused on if it's possible to simply transition from AR to AK, and continue on with my education/work experience and still survive. I had studied to become a Registered Dietician. After a few internships I saw that wasn't what I wanted from a career so I jumped ship on school. That left me with my Associates, and a lot of Family & Consumer Science credits. I suppose I could pursue becoming a teacher, but all I'll get out of my chosen education field is a RD, a teacher, or just a Bachelor of Science. I was considering going to school to become an LPN up there, but I understand that career path is transitioning into an exclusive RN or BSN. Of course I could pursue a state job with the Dept of Health, but it'd be nothing better than a low paying clerk (albeit, better than what I get now) job.
Even with a higher cost of living in AK, are y'all saying that it's not a smooth transition. Say, $10hr buys 3 gallons of gas. The same job in AK pays $15hr and buys 4 gallons of gas. Does that even make sense?
Home ownership isn't an issue-as I have no passion to own my own home.
Kids aren't an issue-as I don't want children.
My focus is on getting a job that can pay the bills, and enjoying the scenery around me. I think when it gets cold and there are several feet of snow, I'd rather enjoy the mountains from my window lol.
Rent up here is rediculusly expensive unless you are willing to live in a rough area or rent a room and share a 4 plex or soemthing, which kind of sucks becasue I like having my own kitchen and shower and all that. Also the enviornment is brutal on vehicals so you will be having to make more repairs and the repairs will be much more costly. Groceries are exponetially more expensive and if you want to do anything fun what so ever its like 3 times more expensive (going out to get a beer, bowling, whatever). If your vehical is paid for and 4 wheel drive and in sweet working order (like you keep up on all the seals, etc and not just oil changes, because the thermal expansion and contraction will find the leaks if you have shabby parts that need fixing), if you can find reasonable rent somewhere your comfortable living and dont want to go out that much you can make it work and just get a costco membership to keep the grocery bill down but thats really just an existance not a life, you could go to UAA and work on you BS or BSE but I would not work full time and do that otherwise you will burn out (unless your employer is SUPER flexible which 99% are not for you to go to school full time), you may have to take out some loans to finish your education, thats what I did there really is no way around it unless you want to work for 10$/hr going to school part time and dont graduate until you are 40. Plus winter time gas bills will hit you hard at thoes wages unless your apt is high energy efficency which is VERY highly unlikely because thoes upgrades are expensive so it would likely be in a high rent area. Up here a 100$ bill is nothing, by the time you buy some gas and get a few groceries its gone and that represents almost a day of work before taxes.
Its no joke when I say employers are looking for a minimum of a BS and 5 years experience if you want to make any decent money at all. Teachers dont make much so be careful before investing money in a teaching degree becasue you might have a negitive rate of return.
I think the transition will be smoother for you since your significant other already has a good job lined up. If she is gainfully employed, you could get a not so desirable job (like Costco) just to have an income until you find somthing better.
You may want to check into state jobs.....you may have to be a AK resident to get them, not sure..... but you could start at the bottom with okay pay but great benefits and then slowly work your way up.
Just a thought.
State jobs and city jobs are drying up, the fall back of well I will just get a state job may be a thing of the past, the taxes on oil is not acceptable anymore and is creating economic hardship so to lower the taxes the spending has to stop. Alot of thoes benifits programs are pretty much already gone because they were to expensive to fund. There were to many people in positions that were making way to much and were not adding much value and when the lower 48 went all that waste was exposed.
Rent up here is rediculusly expensive unless you are willing to live in a rough area or rent a room and share a 4 plex or soemthing, which kind of sucks becasue I like having my own kitchen and shower and all that. Also the enviornment is brutal on vehicals so you will be having to make more repairs and the repairs will be much more costly. Groceries are exponetially more expensive and if you want to do anything fun what so ever its like 3 times more expensive (going out to get a beer, bowling, whatever). If your vehical is paid for and 4 wheel drive and in sweet working order (like you keep up on all the seals, etc and not just oil changes, because the thermal expansion and contraction will find the leaks if you have shabby parts that need fixing), if you can find reasonable rent somewhere your comfortable living and dont want to go out that much you can make it work and just get a costco membership to keep the grocery bill down but thats really just an existance not a life, you could go to UAA and work on you BS or BSE but I would not work full time and do that otherwise you will burn out (unless your employer is SUPER flexible which 99% are not for you to go to school full time), you may have to take out some loans to finish your education, thats what I did there really is no way around it unless you want to work for 10$/hr going to school part time and dont graduate until you are 40. Plus winter time gas bills will hit you hard at thoes wages unless your apt is high energy efficency which is VERY highly unlikely because thoes upgrades are expensive so it would likely be in a high rent area. Up here a 100$ bill is nothing, by the time you buy some gas and get a few groceries its gone and that represents almost a day of work before taxes.
Its no joke when I say employers are looking for a minimum of a BS and 5 years experience if you want to make any decent money at all. Teachers dont make much so be careful before investing money in a teaching degree becasue you might have a negitive rate of return.
I think you are being VERY pessimistic! Things really are not that bad here. If you have a two income family and one of them is making decent money it shouldn't be a problem.
I have a neighbor who is a family consisting of a husband, wife, 2 year old, and dog and they live on his income only. He only makes $19 an hour and gets about 8 hours of overtime a week. Their rent is $1100 a month and they are doing fine. They get to go out to eat and to the movies and do fun stuff. They may not ski or snow machine or expensive stuff like that. But they go fishing & camping in the summer and have a ton of fun.
If you budget and spend your money wisely you'll be just fine!
State jobs and city jobs are drying up, the fall back of well I will just get a state job may be a thing of the past, the taxes on oil is not acceptable anymore and is creating economic hardship so to lower the taxes the spending has to stop. Alot of thoes benifits programs are pretty much already gone because they were to expensive to fund. There were to many people in positions that were making way to much and were not adding much value and when the lower 48 went all that waste was exposed.
There are many state jobs here in Western Alaska. I don't see anything "drying up." Open your eyes and learn to spell.
I think the OP will probably do fine up here too, I just wanted him to know that $13 an hour here is not the same as it is in Arkansas. Since I used to live there, I know exactly how nice it sounds from that perspective. Down there I used to rent a three bedroom house with a fenced yard in a good neighborhood for $550 a month. In Anchorage you would get a seedy room in a skid row hotel for that price. If you were lucky!
I think you are being VERY pessimistic! Things really are not that bad here. If you have a two income family and one of them is making decent money it shouldn't be a problem.
I have a neighbor who is a family consisting of a husband, wife, 2 year old, and dog and they live on his income only. He only makes $19 an hour and gets about 8 hours of overtime a week. Their rent is $1100 a month and they are doing fine. They get to go out to eat and to the movies and do fun stuff. They may not ski or snow machine or expensive stuff like that. But they go fishing & camping in the summer and have a ton of fun.
If you budget and spend your money wisely you'll be just fine!
The second income will be your saving grace, if it were just your income on 13$/hr you would not make it. People do all kinds of things and make it, it does not make it a good idea or a good quality of life.
Even with a higher cost of living in AK, are y'all saying that it's not a smooth transition. Say, $10hr buys 3 gallons of gas. The same job in AK pays $15hr and buys 4 gallons of gas. Does that even make sense?
Went to a cost of living comparison site. You stated $10/hr which really results in about $22K/yr. I did a comparison if you make $25K/yr in Little Rock compared to Anchorage. Here is the result.
Equivalent income in the city you are moving to: $33365.36.
Percent increase to maintain standard of living: 33.46%.
Basically what that is saying is, if you currently are making $25K you need to make $33K to have the same quality of life you currently have. If you are flat broke making $25K where you are now, your are going to be just as broke making $33K here.
Now the nice thing about the high cost of living in Alaska is when you move out of state all things suddenly seem as if they are on sale. HAHA
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
