How did you make the move to California and affording it?? (Los Angeles: high school, salary)

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP, get yourself a viable career, something that pays well enough for you to meet the living expenses here. That's how people do it. Kind of a silly question.

I dunno. I don't have a "viable career" and i live in S.C. county. I don't have any career come to think of it.
There are people who live simply and don't make gobs of money. But yes o.p., much of California is extremely expensive.
Unless you're truly inspired to live in California and love it so much that it's worth it to live very simply and maybe not in your ideal location or you are in a position to make very good money, don't do it.
You'll be one of many, many people who think that CA is some kind of utopia and become very disillusioned when they realize that the Hollywood version is not real for most and that California grass is no greener than anywhere else (often quite excellent however) and that the state has many problems (like the drought for example).
And as Buckaroo Banzai said, "Remember; no matter where you go, there you are".

[k81689]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I think the poster was saying, that to live in CA, hope for an inheritance.

Inheritance implies free lunch without effort. Those genes will not survive.
We believe hard working and make every penny worth.
For example, pushing shopping cart will not increase your chance to get into Google or alike companies. So I will support my genes to increase their knowledge or skills to better educate self to increase their chance of survival.

So if you are the first generation believe in this, you will spend your time working hard and harder to push your second generation up a level.
If the second generation still believe in this, it will be easier to raise the third generation to equal or higher level.
This scheme won't last long though.
My great grandfather is rich and grandfather make it to negative equity level.
My father starts from negative equity level. I got to graducated school without pushing shopping carts. I make sure my kids know all the story and let them choose their own destiny and support them or not accordingly.

I don't believe in student loan or gov. wealth redistribution.
I just can not see anyone getting out of sink holes with gov's help.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by lwilson80

Hello,

I've always wanted to live in California, however, my friends that live there stated its crazy expensive and they're working two jobs just to get by. Therefore, I wanted to know for those of you who've recently relocated to California, what was your determing factor in moving and how are you dealing with the cost of living?


Thanks!!!

I moved for the second time in 2011 during the bottom of the real estate crash. I picked up a nice one bedroom condo in San Francisco for $250,000 and sold it recently in the low $500,000's.

[Mister 7]

Originally Posted by lwilson80

Hello,

I've always wanted to live in California, however, my friends that live there stated its crazy expensive and they're working two jobs just to get by. Therefore, I wanted to know for those of you who've recently relocated to California, what was your determing factor in moving and how are you dealing with the cost of living?


Thanks!!!

The "Coolness" factor. Saying that "I live in Los Angeles."

COL is outrageous. I would discourage anyone from moving here unless they make 200k.

We are solidly 6 figures here and can't wait, and are counting down the hours, to GTF outta this place.

We live in an apartment for $1800, with two windows. We are fine and by no means struggle, but it's just ridiculous. Zillow/google a $400,000 home anywhere not in SoCal and the est. mortgage payment is less than your "average" apartment here.

Have no regrets, this was experience of a lifetime, but DONE, with a capital "D" here.

Time to go back to reality.

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by blueskywalker

I dunno. I don't have a "viable career" and i live in S.C. county. I don't have any career come to think of it.
There are people who live simply and don't make gobs of money. But yes o.p., much of California is extremely expensive.
Unless you're truly inspired to live in California and love it so much that it's worth it to live very simply and maybe not in your ideal location or you are in a position to make very good money, don't do it.
You'll be one of many, many people who think that CA is some kind of utopia and become very disillusioned when they realize that the Hollywood version is not real for most and that California grass is no greener than anywhere else (often quite excellent however) and that the state has many problems (like the drought for example).
And as Buckaroo Banzai said, "Remember; no matter where you go, there you are".

Or not. LOL Believe it or not, not everyone fails.

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I moved for the second time in 2011 during the bottom of the real estate crash. I picked up a nice one bedroom condo in San Francisco for $250,000 and sold it recently in the low $500,000's.

We bought our last house for $280,000. Sold it 10 years later for $600,000. Folks aren't going to make that kind of return buying one of those $150,000 McMansions in Waco, Texas.

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by AJT123

COL is outrageous. I would discourage anyone from moving here unless they make 200k.

This statement is absurd.

Bottom line, OP, are you a defeatist? That's the common thread here, and if you are, I agree, better find somewhere cheap to live on that Walmart salary. If you're smart, innovative, willing to work, take risks, and make some sacrifices to get yourself started, you have a good chance of doing just fine.

[DinsdalePirahna]

I came here back in the early 1990s with about 1500 (about 3K in today's dollars).

A large suitcase and a bicycle.

New York's economy was in the tank, so I figured "why not?"
Found a good job within a month. Moved the beach within two months and haven't looked back.

You have to have talent and drive to make it here. Otherwise, stay where you are.

[No_Recess]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

You have to have talent and drive to make it here. Otherwise, stay where you are.

This attitude is what separates the two groups on these boards: the naysayers vs. the optimists. You can't passively live here like you would in many other places around the country...even big cities (especially in the South and Midwest).

Too many diverse, talented, smart folks are competing for the same piece of pie.

If you want to just get ANY degree/ANY job and roll out of bed while having a comfortable life it ain't happening here. Whining cuz the folks do it in Toledo or Montgomery or Witchita is counter-productive.

Nobody wants things to be expensive or over-crowded. Nobody wants it to be this expensive and over-crowded.

But if you don't want to personally deal with it (which is everyone's right and I can't blame anyone) don't act so outraged that there are many more willing to take your place and give it a shot when you leave.

That just isn't the case for most of the other parts of the country.

[theraven24]

Not all of California is expensive. If you don't care where you live in California, there are multiple cities you could live in that are nowhere near the prices of living in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, etc.