Relocation? Depends on cost of living in Big D (Dallas: apartments, car insurance)

[sojourner]

I currently live in a nice sized town in Alabama (population 59,000). My son would like me to move to Dallas where he lives. I'd love to do this, BUT......

I'm a senior citizen with the requistite "fixed income" and am VERY concerned that the cost of living in Dallas might have an adverse effect on my finances.

I need to know how much it costs to do the following in Dallas County:

1) Get a driver's license
2) Register my vehicle
3) Any other expenses you think of that I haven't mentioned

I now pay $390/month for a very nice two bedroom apartment in a lovely neighborhood with beautiful landscaping, etc. Anyone know of somewhere I can get this kind of deal in Dallas? Or even if it's possible at all?

If you moved to Dallas from a smaller community, by how much did your car insurance premium increase?

Many thanks for any help you can give me with this.

[lany]

Hello Sojourner...

I spent 3-4 months doing a lot of research before we moved from California the first part of April. You are very wise to question those things now. Many do not seem to take into account the cost of anything except housing before they move. Here are a few answers that I hope help.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/vtrreginfo.htm?pg=faq

This is the Texas Dept. of Transportation website FAQ. Texas goes by age of vehicle when they figure plate fees. Plus, there's a $90 new resident tax and additional taxes from each county (I think Dallas county even charges a bridge tax). Getting the first year plates for a newer model car would be approximately $200+ and that won't include the emissions inspection... usually $39.50. Driver's license is $24.00 for 6 years.

$390 for a nice 2 bedroom in a lovely landscaped neighborhood is highly doubtful in Dallas or any of the suburbs. Triple that and you would be closer although there are some nice senior communities (but I have no idea of their cost.)

One thing that I had a very difficult time getting figures on were utilities and food. What I did find was that utilities seemed to be sky high, obviously due to it being *HOT* here during the summer and the strong need for air conditioning during those times. I have yet to get my first electric bill but I do expect it to be a little higher than what I paid in California due to KWh differences.

Food seems to be a little higher than it was in California but I'm sure that will vary for all parts of the country. What you could do if you are still considering moving is check out some of the weekly ads from the local grocery stores... Tom Thumb, Kroger and Albertsons. If they require a zip code for their ad you can always give them your son's zip code so you can see the local flyers.

Sorry,.. I can't give you a figure on car insurance because we lived in a large metropolitan area so ours went down.

Personally, after reading your information and knowing what is here in the Dallas area, I would suggest that you stay put. I think your dollar would go further where you are than it would here.


Best Regards,


Lany

[sojourner]

Lany, thanks so much for your input.

Everything you mentioned is considerably higher in Dallas than here.

My current utility bill shows a cost per kilowatt hour of 6.49 where my son is getting his for 13.9 per kilowatt hour in Dallas.

I've checked out Dallas apartments on the 'net and found that, as you said, what I now enjoy would probably be out of the question there.

I suspect your final assessment is correct.

Whatever I do, I appreciate your responding as you have and hope your circumstances will be much to your liking in Dallas, a city which seems to have a lot to offer despite the high cost of living!

Thanks again.

sojourner

[lany]

I'm glad to have helped Sojourner. Indeed the metroplex does have a lot to offer but that isn't always a good thing either.

Yes, there's the stores and restaurants but there's also the traffic, the costs, the abundance of people and not knowing your neighbor (and sometimes not wanting to know them). Plus, with the internet, what you can't buy at the local 5 and Dime, you can get on the 'net and have it shipped right to your front door.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!

[Just Lookin]

Lany, do you plan on staying in Dallas or going back to California? Just curious because I am thinking of moving to Texas from California. Are you saying it would not be worth it? If you had to do it all over, would you?

[lany]

I just found this posed question thanks to another forum user pointing it out to me.. (Thanks Purp)

Bound..

God willing, I am in Texas till I die and after that too. It took me 15 years to get back here after I had to leave, I pray I don't have to leave again.

If I had to do it all over again, would I? With everything else aside, yes, in a heartbeat and without a second thought.. however, I would have done it sooner. Not counting all of the years I was away... yes, I'd have moved sooner than we did.

There are some bad things going on in the DFW metroplex that I am not too happy about and some of them have been unsettling to me... sometimes to the point of losing sleep or changing the way I do things. Due to that, hopefully in time, we can move to a more rural area, out further from the metroplex.

Lany

[klaudia ferhati]

what are bag for the kids?
i think that children are in risk because of the society,because they take some bad things that can cause a big problem in their family. they copy the bad things from each other. in the street they find people that have gum or watch in television, films with kill and still.
i think that their parents should say their children and to know them that what they see in film, and they should choose the programs about them.