[BikeChick]

The only fun thing I get to do is ride my motorcycle, which I try to do at as often as possible. Given the beautiful Florida sunshine it's something I can enjoy year round which is great. However, like many Florida residents, life responsibilities get in the way of enjoying all the things tourists get to enjoy (i.e., beach, pool, theme parks, etc.) I haven't been to the beach in years and not to the pool since last summer. Sometimes it's hard to fit the "fun" stuff in.

[sickfromredtide]

Originally Posted by SunshineState

TIME....Well it's Sunday morning and my hubby is hard at work on fixing our garage strengthening it...not on the beach or at a park enjoying the beautiful day today.
It is not an exaggeration, we simply no longer have the time or money to enjoy what Florida has to offer anymore. As the prices for everything in Florida has skyrocketed it is no longer affordable and since our taxes and insurance have more than doubled in the last two years we now pay JUST to live in Florida, not to enjoy it.
Just check out how much a ticket to Disney is, and I remember when Bush Gardens was FREE (I am only in my 30's) not to mention a non-rat infested hotel is over $100 a night to stay. (I am going to Tallahassee next week and the cheapest room I could find is $189 a night!) Forget about ever staying at a hotel on the beach anymore. We use to spend a weekend a year on Treasure Island...we stopped going when the room rates went up to $299 a night. Orlando area is the same or worse! NO EXAGGERATION....FACT!

WOW! You guys are killing me. I think the garage door can wait its only March , go out and enjoy this beautiful weather. I just don't get it. I'm in my 40's my wife in her 30's and daughter is 2, we each work one job 5 days a week and manage, we live in a small home less than 1000 sq ft and with 2 boxers, I don't want a bigger home its just more to clean, I quess thats the problem with you guys you just need too much, sq. ft., toys, material things. All you need is a friend with a boat and I know we all have at least one of those. At the least just get your butt out to beach for 10 minutes and it could change your whole day. Try it. I'm off to beach with my wife and daughter, enjoy.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by SunshineState

It's funny you ask.....I was just talking to a friend up north the other day saying how my hubby and I use to do things in Florida that we no longer have the time nor money to do. We live less that 5 miles from the nearest beach and yet haven't been to the beach in probably 5 years or more. We haven't been to Disney, Epcot, Universal, or any Florida theme park in about 8 years. We haven’t been to a concert, or festival in 4 years. We use to enjoy going to Bok Tower for their yearly Symphony on the hill, the Renaissance Festival, Concerts on the beach, the dog park at Honeymoon Island, the houseboat in the Key's, several Bed & Breakfasts, Disney attractions, Parades, Treasure Island for the Sand Castle yearly events, Water Skiing, Jet Skiing, Anderson Park, Caladisi Island, crabbing, scalloping, fishing, and more. Now we both work six days a week to pay for our outrageous homeowners insurance and taxes and spend the rest of our time hardening our home for possible hurricanes.Things in Florida have really changed and now it's all about affording to stay here while we look to leave here.

We were at that same point. Our last year was about selling the house. That being said, I would still consider retiring in NW Florida/Navarre Beach, which is still unspoiled .

Our dogs loved the beach, but in Boca Raton they weren't allowed. Also- S Florida heat was not for me- I dont like feeling humid and sticky six months out of the year- the beach was too hot from March to August!! We would have lived elsewhere, if we have the chance again. Sunshinestate-good luck wherever you move. Please choose carefully though.

sunny.

[SunshineState]

Originally Posted by sickfromredtide

WOW! You guys are killing me. I think the garage door can wait its only March , go out and enjoy this beautiful weather. I just don't get it. I'm in my 40's my wife in her 30's and daughter is 2, we each work one job 5 days a week and manage, we live in a small home less than 1000 sq ft and with 2 boxers, I don't want a bigger home its just more to clean, I quess thats the problem with you guys you just need too much, sq. ft., toys, material things. All you need is a friend with a boat and I know we all have at least one of those. At the least just get your butt out to beach for 10 minutes and it could change your whole day. Try it. I'm off to beach with my wife and daughter, enjoy.

I am happy for you that you can afford to work only 5 days a week and have the time to take you wife and daughter to the beach. We are hardening our home, paying for insurance and taxes and are currently paying for an adoption. We LIKE our property and not having neighbors so close they can hear us sneeze and our home is a modest 3 bedroom home on a little over a acre so I am not sure where you get th part where we need "too much" square feet or toys and material things. As for our toys they include a riding mower, and lots of tools my husband uses for work, my computer which I use for work, a work truck for my husband and a car I drive for work, …oh we do have a Jacuzzi we use to unwind after six days of hard work.

[verobeach]

[quote=bmurphy;494650]Do you really spend THAT much time hardening your home for hurricanes that it's all you do besides work? That seems like an exaggeration. Hurricane season isn't even all year...QUOTE]

Newer homes come with garage door reinforcements, roof trusses, cut-to-fit hurricane shutters, etc., etc., etc. I don't EVER think about hurricanes unless I'm packing up to go away in the month of September then I'd put my shutters up and set my garage brackets in place.

[pianogal]

We both work 5 days a week (actually one of us works 1 fulltime and 1 part time time - 10 hours a day for 4 days and spend about 10 hours a week at the part time job) BUT, we still have 2 free days most weeks PLUS DH gets 6 weeks of vacation time plus holidays a year and I'm a teacher so I get 4 weeks off during the school year (Fall, Spring and Christmas breaks) and two months off during the summer for a total of 12 weeks a year off. We enjoy living here with all Florida has to offer. We also enjoying traveling during our extended vacation times.

[NP2B]

They're on VACATION!!! They're off for the week, escaping from all the toil and trouble that they do, just like you, back home.

I live in NYC, a huge tourist destination if I'm not mistaken. I can't tell you the last time I was at the top of the Empire State building, or on the Circle Line, probably not since I was a kid. I haven't been to the Metropolitan Museum of art in probably 2 years, same for a Broadway show.

All these things that people come from the 4 corners of the world to my little island to do, I don't get to do nearly as much as I would like to. Because like you I'm working to pay for my life. And if I told you what I', paying for a 2BR apt in Brooklyn you'd DIE! But we do try to make time when we can to do the things that make it great to live here. And when I ride the xpress bus in the morning to work and the fog is hovering over the river with the sun rising over the brooklyn bridge and it looks like a watercolor painting I remember the beauty and excitement of living here.

Listen, I'm working full time, and going to graduate school, I know from busy. YOU have to make the TIME to do the things you enjoy, and you have to take a moment from time to time to count your blessings.

There is no perfect place, only a place that is perfect for you. Every place has it's cons along with it's pros. Sounds like you've lost that loving feeling... and it's time for you to move.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by tallrick

And with a smaller home there's no room for the toys, looks like you lose either way!

Well we have a small home 990 sq/ft and enough yard to park a 30' travel trailer and 2 jet skis, a swingset and running room for the dogs. that's all we need. If we want a big home and lots of land, there goes the jet skis and camper. We have weekends off so we have plenty of time to squeeze in some fun and it doesn't have to cost much. We get some friends with us to take the skis and tubes out and chip in on the gas money, bring a picnic lunch and have fun. It's not always about having to spend money to have fun. Don't have jet skis or a boat? go to the beach. it's free. pack a lunch and some drinks.

[SunshineState]

[quote=verobeach;494929]

Originally Posted by bmurphy

Do you really spend THAT much time hardening your home for hurricanes that it's all you do besides work? That seems like an exaggeration. Hurricane season isn't even all year...QUOTE]

Newer homes come with garage door reinforcements, roof trusses, cut-to-fit hurricane shutters, etc., etc., etc. I don't EVER think about hurricanes unless I'm packing up to go away in the month of September then I'd put my shutters up and set my garage brackets in place.

Actually that depends on where you are building. In the Panhandle there are NO building codes that require reinforcements, shutters, etc. That is something that during the Legislative Special Session this past January it was voted on that "all" of Florida should have the same building codes and the Panhandle exemption should be taken away. But of course leave it to our lawmakers to try and rescind the new law. So yes in South Florida many of the homes, newer or not are hardened but there are over 3 million homes (newer and older ones) that do not have hurricane protection, and no building codes that require it. As a matter of fact the home next door to us was just built in 2006 and does not have hurricane shutters, hurricane windows, etc and we are in Pasco County (near Tampa) Our home built in 2004 also did not have many of those so we are adding those features.

[Margel]

Everybody really is in agreement here....you make priorities with your money. Sunshinestate is working for an adoption (congratulations!) and others use their money for living and whatever else they desire from campers to spending beach time. Vacations aren't a daily thing so when you have some time off, you have to prioritize how to spend that time. If money is tight, just getting out and enjoying the beach is something everyone can do, even for just a little while.