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Old 10-07-2015, 12:38 AM
 
131 posts, read 195,267 times
Reputation: 210

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From Forbes: 7. Boise, ID Trivia: State capital.
Pros: Dry climate, good economy, cost of living about at national average, average home price $168,000, low crime, high rankings for walkability, bicycling and volunteering.
Cons: Cost of living 4% above national average.


So, can local employers and politicians now quit using the "we don't need to pay more because its so cheap to live here" excuse and 1)raise the minimum wage. Not to $15.00 but something better than it is, and 2) quit being cheap bastards and pay people decently.



Everyone keeps talking about "growing Idaho jobs", and "getting more tech here", but you can't recruit people to take a 50-60% wage cut to move here. Its normal expect a cut in pay from working in bigger cities like NYC, San Fran, etc. where wages are inflated to try to keep up with the high cost of living, but offering me a wage in Idaho that I made way back in 2001 won't do, it is really insulting, and shows how back assward your business thinking is.
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Old 10-07-2015, 09:52 AM
 
742 posts, read 1,121,114 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by burbsgrrl View Post
Its normal expect a cut in pay from working in bigger cities like NYC, San Fran, etc. where wages are inflated to try to keep up with the high cost of living, but offering me a wage in Idaho that I made way back in 2001 won't do, it is really insulting, and shows how back assward your business thinking is.
Yup.

But that's what the market bears when people will take those pay cuts and low wages just to live here. Unfortunately raising the minimum wage won't change that. Maybe if/when Boise starts seeing more talent loss and places can't find qualified workers - in spite of the bought-and-paid stories that often run in the papers complaining this is already the case - then wages will start to rise.
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Old 10-07-2015, 11:47 AM
 
Location: Long Beach, CA
879 posts, read 2,847,648 times
Reputation: 443
Yeah, I would be happy to move back to Boise to be near family but the numbers just never work. At least for a single working person. That's just me though, I'm sure others have different stories. I stayed in town a few months last summer and while groceries are a little cheaper I didn't find day to day stuff much, if any cheaper than in SoCal. Car insurance is much less. Utilities are probably a wash as the rates may be less but you need A/C in summer and gas in winter in Boise. Obamacare premiums appear to be nearly the same. And rent is just getting really silly in Boise (and everywhere). Pretty soon half of us will be living in cars.
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Old 10-07-2015, 12:51 PM
 
Location: L.A.>Boise>Japan>L.A.>?
229 posts, read 703,642 times
Reputation: 161
Quote:
Originally Posted by boi2socal View Post
Yeah, I would be happy to move back to Boise to be near family but the numbers just never work. At least for a single working person. That's just me though, I'm sure others have different stories. I stayed in town a few months last summer and while groceries are a little cheaper I didn't find day to day stuff much, if any cheaper than in SoCal. Car insurance is much less. Utilities are probably a wash as the rates may be less but you need A/C in summer and gas in winter in Boise. Obamacare premiums appear to be nearly the same. And rent is just getting really silly in Boise (and everywhere). Pretty soon half of us will be living in cars.
Definite savings when it came to housing, insurance, general bureaucratic fees, and the ever-important cocktails at a bar. Cable was more in Boise (with less channels). Land line cost more. Electricity cost more (DWP in L.A.). The discrepancies between prices at Albertsons was ridiculous (thank God Winco existed). Albertsons are drying up in L.A. now, but to me that was always the cheap widespread grocery chain. Same labor rates for auto repair. There are cheaper things to be had, but I wonder how many prospective movers get starry-eyed with the "low cost of living" headline thinking that it's some sort of blanket across-the-board cheapness.

That Forbes link needs to be stickied.
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Old 10-07-2015, 01:05 PM
 
Location: Long Beach, CA
879 posts, read 2,847,648 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ramenfan View Post
Albertsons are drying up in L.A. now, but to me that was always the cheap widespread grocery chain.
Well, this is the result of the Safeway (Vons in SoCal) merger. Albertsons actually has/had decent sales. And now Vons has adopted some of those sales. I buy 90% of my groceries on sale in SoCal as the regular prices are insane. And I don't go without anything. But yeah, WinCo has great prices overall. There are more and more down here now, but still usually in far flung suburbs.

But anyways, I think for most people their cash at the end of the month may not be much different in Boise. Now if you're able to buy a home in Boise there are definite savings. But renting is becoming very undesirable there IMO.
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Old 10-07-2015, 01:15 PM
 
Location: The City of Trees
1,402 posts, read 3,344,640 times
Reputation: 2183
Quote:
Originally Posted by ramenfan View Post
Definite savings when it came to housing, insurance, general bureaucratic fees, and the ever-important cocktails at a bar. Cable was more in Boise (with less channels). Land line cost more. Electricity cost more (DWP in L.A.). The discrepancies between prices at Albertsons was ridiculous (thank God Winco existed). Albertsons are drying up in L.A. now, but to me that was always the cheap widespread grocery chain. Same labor rates for auto repair. There are cheaper things to be had, but I wonder how many prospective movers get starry-eyed with the "low cost of living" headline thinking that it's some sort of blanket across-the-board cheapness.

That Forbes link needs to be stickied.
Not sure if you are aware that Albertson's snatched up Safeway so they are around for a while. The corporate headquarters in Boise has been growing as a result.

Their prices have gone down too. I have usually always shopped at Albertsons and the Co-op and rarely at Winco, but Winco is legit because it is another local company.

The parking lot at my Albertsons is typically full after work and it wasn't that way a few years ago.
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Old 10-07-2015, 01:42 PM
 
88 posts, read 211,871 times
Reputation: 127
Quote:
Originally Posted by ramenfan View Post
Definite savings when it came to housing, insurance, general bureaucratic fees, and the ever-important cocktails at a bar. Cable was more in Boise (with less channels). Land line cost more. Electricity cost more (DWP in L.A.). The discrepancies between prices at Albertsons was ridiculous (thank God Winco existed). Albertsons are drying up in L.A. now, but to me that was always the cheap widespread grocery chain. Same labor rates for auto repair. There are cheaper things to be had, but I wonder how many prospective movers get starry-eyed with the "low cost of living" headline thinking that it's some sort of blanket across-the-board cheapness.

That Forbes link needs to be stickied.
IMO the only way to take advantage of any perceived cost differentials is to move to ID from another state with equity...or to be wealthy from the get-go, and either pay off, or nearly pay off your house and then struggle to stay afloat and meet running costs. In studying the wages versus cost of goods I don't see how the average/native Boisean can move on up without some huge breaks/luck/hardwork.

It is the same situation in California but with all the wages and house prices hyper-inflated. Who the hell cares if you making $100k/year if your house costs $800k? Crappy hillbilly shacks where I grew up, once a remote and sketchy area, now go for $500k. There is no where to run to. Raise the pay in Boise and watch the same thing happen, just not to such retarded dramatic scales.
So in Boise, who cares if the houses only cost $150k if your only making $12/hour?
The running expenses don't appear to be that much of a huge disparity with some notable exceptions.

Raising the minimum wage will eventually only increase the cost of every day consumables, then housing etc, as people can/will pay more.
With increased wages come increased costs. Been treading that water for over a decade in my region. About ready to swim away.

Of course there are other trade-offs. In Cali the mileage tax is coming, the bridge tolls are increasing, the Gov is bringing in the Feds to help chase down tax-evaders, the non-bullet train to nowhere is sucking tax money, Common Core is extending its reach into all aspects of alternative education...I could go on.

My perspective for what its worth.
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Old 10-07-2015, 03:38 PM
 
Location: L.A.>Boise>Japan>L.A.>?
229 posts, read 703,642 times
Reputation: 161
Quote:
Originally Posted by boi2socal View Post
Well, this is the result of the Safeway (Vons in SoCal) merger. Albertsons actually has/had decent sales. And now Vons has adopted some of those sales. I buy 90% of my groceries on sale in SoCal as the regular prices are insane. And I don't go without anything. But yeah, WinCo has great prices overall. There are more and more down here now, but still usually in far flung suburbs.
Our nearest WinCo is in Lakewood. Maybe somewhat feasible for you but still a bit of a haul for regular grocery shopping. Not feasible at all for me-- about 23 miles away (I live near LAX). Never liked the prices at Vons but will be cautiously optimistic since one is close to me. Otherwise I'm unfortunately surrounded by multiple Ralphs (the Fred Meyer of So Cal) and end up buying only what's on sale too. And I only buy essentials.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TohobitPeak View Post
Not sure if you are aware that Albertson's snatched up Safeway so they are around for a while. The corporate headquarters in Boise has been growing as a result.

Their prices have gone down too. I have usually always shopped at Albertsons and the Co-op and rarely at Winco, but Winco is legit because it is another local company.

The parking lot at my Albertsons is typically full after work and it wasn't that way a few years ago.
I was in Japan when the merger was announced so I had no clue. I was around for a little bit after Cerebrus took control, and there was a definite improvement with prices and service. I could almost crawl to the North End Albertsons, but pre-Cerebrus I'd never buy anything more than 3 items or so at a time. WinCo/TJ's/Co-Op was still the bulk of my shopping, but I didn't feel the guilt of shopping at Albertsons anymore.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelhead69 View Post
IMO the only way to take advantage of any perceived cost differentials is to move to ID from another state with equity...or to be wealthy from the get-go, and either pay off, or nearly pay off your house and then struggle to stay afloat and meet running costs. In studying the wages versus cost of goods I don't see how the average/native Boisean can move on up without some huge breaks/luck/hardwork.

My perspective for what its worth.
No, I hear you loud and clear. No question I can get gouged here, but it's less about how comparable the costs are and aren't to California and more about the perception from people who aren't doing their homework that nearly everything will be cheaper in Boise. It's not, and reality will hit at some point. My introduction was going into Albertsons and being shocked at the prices. Retirees and pensioners might not feel the burn. But young families looking to move to Boise? Hope you have a job lined up or have some strong connections given it's such a strong who-you-know job culture there.

I couldn't keep up with Boise's cost of living. Current entry-level pay in my preferred field in L.A. is more than what I made after leaving my longest job in Boise after being at it for four years. I'm grateful I stuck around my job in L.A. for an extra year to accrue more savings before moving because I sure needed it. In Boise I made no more than half of what I made when I left L.A., but Boise's cost of living is certainly not half of what it is in L.A. My savings slowly dwindled and dwindled. Being unattached with no kids made leaving easy, and Japan (while having its own various cost-of-living issues) was an unquestionable step up in lifestyle and culture for me. The main difference between L.A. and Boise is that I can start saving money again in L.A. when I get back into the swing of things in my field.
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Old 10-07-2015, 08:59 PM
 
Location: Idaho, for good, finally
100 posts, read 141,993 times
Reputation: 190
Very interesting thread here. I live in SoCal--Long Beach actually--been in the area for over 50 years and have seen some very radical changes here. The current political/taxation climate has pushed the positives pretty far into the minority column for me.

Regarding groceries: Perhaps the wrong thing to say since Albertsons home office is in Boise... Back a few years there were many more choices for groceries, especially in my neighborhood--we had them all. One of the best was Lucky Stores. There was an Albertsons right across the street with higher prices. Then Albertsons bought Lucky and there went the low prices. Now the Albertsons is where Lucky was and Vons is nearby. Albertsons had to sell off some stores and that one became Haggen--now in bankruptcy. Vons was always higher priced than Albertsons but had better quality produce. The best here now is Stater Brothers. Most are in the Inland Empire with more in Orange County but one here in the neighborhood. It beats them all.

Probably more than you wanted to know but there it is...

I have noticed that, in general, around the country, the cost of living really doesn't change much. Some things cost more, some less, but it usually averages out pretty close. If things are cheaper, wages are less. We have the same thing down here except on a much higher level.

I read on another thread, that if you really want to know what an area will be like to live, go visit a grocery store or two in that location. You will find out more there than doing any research. Might just be true, but a little research doesn't hurt.
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Old 10-07-2015, 10:09 PM
 
Location: L.A.>Boise>Japan>L.A.>?
229 posts, read 703,642 times
Reputation: 161
Quote:
Originally Posted by Outta_Here View Post
Regarding groceries: Perhaps the wrong thing to say since Albertsons home office is in Boise... Back a few years there were many more choices for groceries, especially in my neighborhood--we had them all. One of the best was Lucky Stores. There was an Albertsons right across the street with higher prices. Then Albertsons bought Lucky and there went the low prices. Now the Albertsons is where Lucky was and Vons is nearby. Albertsons had to sell off some stores and that one became Haggen--now in bankruptcy. Vons was always higher priced than Albertsons but had better quality produce. The best here now is Stater Brothers. Most are in the Inland Empire with more in Orange County but one here in the neighborhood. It beats them all.
Lucky was the best as far as I'm concerned. When they all became Albertsons, things slipped but it was still the cheapest option. That mindset continued until I moved to Boise and started shopping for the first time in an Albertsons there. It was like "Whaaat?! What happened?!" Never been in a Haggen, and the closest one is farther than I'd prefer for grocery shopping.

I would recommend driving to the WinCo in Lakewood and seeing what they offer. Before I moved to Boise, I knew nothing about them and didn't even know they had locations in SoCal (they were all out in the nether regions of the city). I avoided the meat and produce, but as far as standard groceries go they will have the best prices. And their bulk section is quite large. I really miss that. I also think Fred Meyer is an improvement over Ralphs. Better selection of produce and healthy/organic food. And it sells other products besides groceries: clothing, sporting goods, toys, etc. like it's a mini K-Mart or Sears.
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