Is this a realistic plan to move to Dallas, TX? (Houston: extended stay, daycare)

[TheresMore2life]

Hello, everyone. I hope everyone is doing great today!
Anyway, I need to know if this plan I've been obsessed with lately, is realistic.
I've always wanted to move from my birthplace of Phoenix, AZ since I was 13 years old( I am currently 22) and now it's all I dream about to move. I am set on Dallas, Texas! I have a one year old son and I work at a weekly hotel as a CSR(customer service rep.) I hope to have 30K in savings by the time I wish to relocate which is in three years(not sure why I chose three years but sounds good to me)
So I don't think I'll have a job there so I will be without employment only living on my savings until then. I figure I'd live in a hotel and with my experience in a hotel environment(CSR and housekeeping) I'll have no issue in finding something in those fields. Plus I would like to get certified in Phlebotomy which I'm quite positive I could easily find something in that field!
With all said and done, is my plan realistic? I'm pretty close to 5k in savings at the moment and I know how to live frugally even with my son!
Plus daycare will not be an issue since my mom will be moving with me and we already have a setup with her living with me and caring for my son while I work which saves me a lot!
Yes or no? I'll hit the pavement hard when I get there...I'm confident I'll find something-anything!
Also, any suggestions on where ever else in Texas to move with son are welcome!

[kdai]

IMO, it is not really about how much money you have saved or going to save in the next 3 yrs. Most people relocate to dallas because of their jobs. If you are set on moving to dallas, at least find a job in dallas before you actually move here. There is really no point to move your family to dallas if you don't have a source of income.

[TheotherMarie]

My first question would be: Have you ever been to Dallas?
I'm just curious as to what is drawing you here.
If you haven't been here, you should spend some time here first. It's a great big area, with everything from urban to rural living.

My other concern would be living here on a phlebotomist's wages. Safer areas with good schools for your son will be more expensive. Here, people with children usually choose the area they live in based on how good the schools are.
The area in general is a lot more expensive than my husband and I ever thought it would be.

Anyway, three years is a long time from now, and so many things could happen.
But it's good to have dreams and goals.

[Beardown91737]

Housing gets more expensive here each month. Plus, the environment is very different and may be difficult to get used to. I would try visiting first and see if this 50 shades of green windswept prarie flatland suits you.

[WorldKlas]

I commend you for saving $5K at your age as a mom. That is remarkable and shows you can do this!!!

When you have your money saved up, start your job search by moving here yourself for a few weeks -- stay in an extended stay hotel -- and get a job, any job you find acceptable. Then have your Mom and son join you. It will be fine. Keep saving and planning. Lots of young people move here just like you and it works out. I did it 34 years ago with my 6 year old son. It worked great!

[ChristieP]

Phlebotomy is not a good-paying profession here. You will be lucky to make $15 hourly/$31000 annually, which is 150% of the federal poverty level for a household of 3 people.
See if you can land a job with a large company, such as Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp, where you can laterally transfer to DFW. Already having a job will make it a lot easier for you to find housing and get established here.

[RJ312]

As someone who has lived in both Dallas and Phoenix, I can say for sure that Dallas is a far superior city to live in than Phoenix.

Why are you so interested in living in Dallas?

I don't really see the point in leaving Phoenix for Dallas based upon the circumstances you described. For me, I had to leave Phoenix because Phoenix is a bad city for corporate work. There are not high quality jobs in Phoenix because of the lack of corporate HQs there, especially HQs of Fortune 500 companies. But with the jobs you described of CSR, hotel, and phlebotomy, the difference between Phoenix and Dallas is minimal. In hotel, Phoenix might even be better because Phoenix is more tourist oriented than Dallas. There's no reason to come to Dallas on a recreational vacation. People who visit Dallas visit the city because of a business conference, work meeting, or visiting family. There's not a lot touristy here compared to Phoenix.

You need to think more about this.

[Just.No]

Out of the big four, DFW is my least favorite Texas metro. With that said, you could definitely do worse.

Your plan regarding a weekly hotel is sound, weekly hotels are a great option when transitioning into a new city.

I'm not sure how much you'd be making as a CSR but weekly hotels in DFW run from just under $200 a week to just over $350 a week from what I've seen.

If you're thinking about being a CSR, I think Austin or even Houston would be a better option, but as I stated DFW isn't a bad choice per-say. Good luck with your move.

[2gen4u]

Originally Posted by Just.No

Out of the big four, DFW is my least favorite Texas metro. With that said, you could definitely do worse.

Your plan regarding a weekly hotel is sound, weekly hotels are a great option when transitioning into a new city.

I'm not sure how much you'd be making as a CSR but weekly hotels in DFW run from just under $200 a week to just over $350 a week from what I've seen.

If you're thinking about being a CSR, I think Austin or even Houston would be a better option, but as I stated DFW isn't a bad choice per-say. Good luck with your move.

I'm curious. Why is it your least favorite?