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Every time I, or another poster, have asked advice about moving to another area without any professional job skills or lots of money, everyone discourages the idea. Understandable. It's a risky move. I've done it a few times and failed.
It's obvious why it's generally a bad idea. But is it ever a good idea? Do you think sometimes it is worth the risk ?
Just looking for stories of those of you who have moved away without enough money to afford living on your own there/no job lined up/on a whim/etc. Have any of you done the "move to a new place not having a job or knowing a soul" thing and made it work successfully?
I think the answer to your question would be "It depends." If a person wants to move to a different part of this country due to a real perception that better opportunities in general are available there, then I'd say the move would be worth the gamble. However, if a person is coming from an attitude of "anywhere-but-here-I-just-need-to-get-outta-this-place," chances are good to excellent that this particular gamble is not going to be worth paying the price of failure. Just on the emotional/psychological level, we only have so many brand new fresh starts available to us. What is true psychologically is even more true when it comes to personal finances. How long did it take to save up the money to even begin to give making such a move serious consideration? How many more times are you willing to call up family members to ask them a purchase a bus ticket back home, and how many more times will they be willing to comply with your requests?
We get questions like this one constantly on the Colorado forum. I've lived long enough to witness at first hand the way my home state of Colorado has morphed from a rural state in the middle of a geographic no-where to one of the hippest most happening places around. It's amazing what just paying attention to our scenic views and legalizing the use of pot in both its medical and recreational guises has done for this state. Colorado real estate developers are making fortunes off the perceptions of Hollywood actors and popular singers out of Nashville who never have to deal with the day to day reality of just making a living. I watch people come and go out here where I live all the time. If asked to summarize my over-all experience in the form of a generalization that provides useful feedback, I'd have to say "Don't do it." But there are exceptions to every rule... Bottom line, provide me with enough information that shows that you and your current situation merits a different reply; than I'll give you a different reply.
I've been in situations where I've won through at the end by the application of shere spunkiness and a refusal to be defeated. I also been in situations where the sooner I conceded that I was attempting the impossible the better - better to concede your limitations than to lose those things you do have going for you now. That's my advice from way out here in Internet Land.
I and others here can resonate with your dream of just spreading your wings and taking flight, and I can even visualize your OP as a stray message from one of the Wright brothers seeking encouragement while building that new-fangled flying machine. However, unless you just so happen to be called Wilbur or Orville IRL and you just chanced to drop by after wiping off all that grease, the best advice I can offer is to accept the fact that you are not capable of personal flight and the best solution to your problems resides in your geographical present. Get a good set of job skills. Once you have acquired them, only then can you attempt the flying thing with any reasonable hope for success.
Last edited by Colorado Rambler; 04-10-2017 at 12:03 AM..
It's worth the risk if you're moving from one area with limited opportunities to another bursting with opportunities.
hate to say it, but if someone grew up in a rural or limited opportunity area, they most likely never picked up the skills employers want.
nor will they have the connections in the industry either
they can move, but more than likely it is still an uphill battle, one they could have started fighting before they leave, ie have money, job, skills in place
Every time I, or another poster, have asked advice about moving to another area without any professional job skills or lots of money, everyone discourages the idea. Understandable. It's a risky move. I've done it a few times and failed.
It's obvious why it's generally a bad idea. But is it ever a good idea? Do you think sometimes it is worth the risk ?
Just looking for stories of those of you who have moved away without enough money to afford living on your own there/no job lined up/on a whim/etc. Have any of you done the "move to a new place not having a job or knowing a soul" thing and made it work successfully?
Yes, at rare times, it can be a good idea. Nothing is set in stone.
If you have the skills of a minimum wage worker, then if you move to a lower COLA area, and you feel there are adequate jobs available for your skill set, even if it is at minimum wage level, then you are doing better generally.
Example- Look up paid roommate jobs on Craigslist. A homeless friend of mine got a job doing this.
She is paid to sleep from 10pm-6am mon-friday. Rarely woken up. They take part of her pay for her share of the rent. Then she works one weekend a month, and that weekend, is the $$ she saved up. She's since gotten a different job and moved out on her own. She strategically found a studio apartment in an excellent location near where she already lived and worked. Then she took a different job
If you move close to a Grocery Outlet lets say, a much cheaper grocery store than you shop at, you'll do better saving money. Moving to an area with public transportation, a food closet, etc.. more resources. I have a friend who obtains alot of bubble wrap (she sells on Craigslist) bread tossed out from the bakery into the trash (perfectly good) and sometimes backed goods. She picks up tin cans for the redemption value, finds money and sometimes good things going thru the trash. She walks for an hour or so in the evenings looking thru the trash bins behind stores.
Now she makes $1 more than she did before as a paid roommate. Not much but it gives her some spending money after taxes, to work out at the gym and have a coffee once a week with friends afterwards. Living near Grocery Outlet has allowed her to buy healthy food at low prices too. Her quality of life is much better now.
Another idea is the Sierra Ski Resorts in California. They provide housing though take 30-50% of your check. Food at their cafeteria and restaurants is discounted 50%. It's housing for about 5 months out of the year and a way to save a little $$ for a deposit for an apartment in a town maybe 45 minutes away.
Last edited by NancyDrew1; 04-10-2017 at 11:51 AM..
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Example- Look up paid roommate jobs on Craigslist. A homeless friend of mine got a job doing this.
She is paid to sleep from 10pm-6am mon-friday. Rarely woken up. They take part of her pay for her share of the rent. Then she works one weekend a month, and that weekend, is the $$ she saved up. She's since gotten a different job and moved out on her own. She strategically found a studio apartment in an excellent location near where she already lived and worked. Then she took a different job
Ok, So I got to ask. What exactly is a paid room mate? What are the job responsibilities?
There are times where it makes sense. For example, your lease is about to end. Do you continue living in a place where you've been unsuccessful getting a job or move to a city where you'd have a better shot? For the most part, it's a bad idea in this day and age though.
I moved from home back in 1984 to work in the oil fields. I was from Port Hueneme and moved to Taft California about an hour and a half north of where I live now. I was young and dumb and wanted to try it out. We had some friends in the city I moved to and I was able to sleep in the living room of their home for a while. I ended up getting a job in less than a month and worked in the oil patch for less than a year before realizing that it was not something I wanted to do as a career. Pay was good though and the rent was cheap. Then again it was Taft California and this was a long time ago.
Not something that I would do now.
Plenty of people do make it though. Lots of people come to the USA from other countries and make it here. I would want to know though, what is wrong with the place you are now. What is keeping you from making it there?
Ok, So I got to ask. What exactly is a paid room mate? What are the job responsibilities?
I googled it and they generally are positions living with disabled people. You provide companionship and help with living skills in exchange for a salary and a place to live.
Sometimes I need a kick in the ass to motivate me. When I'm sufficiently motivated I can do a lot of great things. I think I would do just fine in such a situation, but I would drag my feet getting there lol
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