Is There Anything Positive To Say About Albany? (Leesburg: credit report, military)

[Katsmeeyow]

Jeff, I am so happy to hear you made it safe and sound! I hope you are enjoying your new "digs" and that all is right with the world as far as you are concerned!

I am surprised car insurance is more exp! Wow! Sooooo, would you say that in general the only thing more expensive in the Chicago area is rent/mortgage and perhaps gasoline? Just curious.

Stay happy and I wish you all the best!

Kat

[FlourChild]

Originally Posted by jeff3166

Katsmeeyow- I did arrive safe and sound as schedule late last month. With driving a U-Haul down, while towing my car on one of them auto-transports, I was for sure lighter in the wallet when I got here (with the gas prices and all ), but I did arrive safe and sound. Thanks for asking/wondering.

Shortly after arriving, I posted a thread that asked the question, Is this heaven, or is it Albany/Leesburg, GA?, since I was having trouble differentiating between the two, based on what I've heard about heaven. It was just kind of a joke, but what I was mainly saying is that I was here, and happy to be here.

With a little over a month here now, I'm still happy to be here, despite the MUCH higher percentage of state taxes that are now being yanked from my pay each pay period, and the totally unexpected higher cost of auto insurance I'm now paying (can you believe that for the exact same auto insurance policy, it costs $150 more per 6 months in GA than it does in the metro-Chicago area?!).

But anyways, all's good, and I haven't asked, "WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS!!" yet, but I'm definitely hoping for a nice state tax return come next tax season, with all their milking from me right now!

FlourChild- I wish you hadn't inferred that utilities are high-cost here. I haven't received my first electric bill yet, but have been cringing at the thought of what it'll look like when I finally do get it, especially with as much as my A/C runs on a daily basis! As you suspected, I have been busy working, and with some OT thrown in as well, but with the higher state taxes in GA, higher auto insurance premiums in GA, and now the potentially higher utility bills, I may be needing to work a lot more OT!

Aw, sweetie, I'm sorry. It's true, but you'll deal with it. We are no longer shocked to get bills from WG&L for $350 to $500 a month. In Huntsville that would have raised eyebrows, but not here. I figure we're paying for our utilities and for people who won't work to pay for their own anything.

[jeff3166]

Katsmeeyow- Thanks, and I am enjoying my new digs, for sure. Thanks also for the strong recommendation that you gave about Creekwood. It's definitely a nice area and I've met some nice folks there. In getting out and about around here since arriving, I've seen some of the other apt. complexes I was considering, and, uh yea-- I'm glad I am where I am! FlourChild, I definitely owe you a thanks here, as well. In the first thread I did on here (Albany, GA Apartment Information), you closed one of your posts with the statement: "In other words, avoid living on Mock Road". I took that to heart, and with driving through that area several times a week going to and from work, I am glad that I did, thanks!

Anywho, I was totally shocked about the auto insurance also. It amazes me that with all that traffic and bad weather for several months a year, that it is cheaper to ensure a vehicle up there, but it is.

As far as other cost of living stuff, surprisingly and unfortunately, gas prices are about the same, but I lived in the county just north of the county that Chicago is in. If I lived in Cook County/Chicago, I'd defintiely be paying 25-50 cents more per gallon. As far as food, I really can't tell and haven't noticed a difference in the prices between there and here. I have to admit that I don't do much grocery shopping, I always eat out or do carry-out, so it's hard for me to say one way or another as far as that goes. As for restaurants though, it all seems the same... the prices on the menu at Chilli's here and there are pretty much the same, the price for a sub at Subway is pretty much the same, etc. I haven't received my first electric bill yet, but I'm sure that will be higher just based on having more square footage now, using the air conditioning a lot more now, etc. As far as other stuff... electronics, clothing, household goods, etc., I don't really shop enough/pay attention enough to know whether or not it's cheaper here compared to there.

FlourChild- $350-$500/month...yikes! Mine shouldn't be that high, being as that I won't have a gas or a water bill, but I'm hoping the electric isn't any more than maybe $150 a month.

[Katsmeeyow]

I am so glad that you like Creekwood! It is hard to recommend places sometimes because everyone has different tastes, but I have always thought they were very nice and did a very good job keeping them up and all. (I think I mentioned that if I had to choose an apartment, it would be Creekwood above the rest that I know about.) Also with them being in Lee County (or right on the edge of it) I thought it would be a plus for you especially with the expressway so close. Glad I was able to give you advice you could use! (And that I was right about LOL)

I imagine that with you living in an apartment (especially if you are in the new ones), your power bill will be around 150.00. I know our house in Lee county was between 250 & upper 300's! Of course, I am hot-natured and really run that AC in the summertime!

Anyhow, glad everything is working out for you! You seem like such a nice person that people around here are going to want to get to know you and before long you will be the belle of the ball!

Take care!

Kat

[jeff3166]

It was definitely very good advice, advice that I could use, and advice that you were right about! "belle of the ball"....LOL...don't know about that. But anyways, I live in one of the older one-bedroom units. While it's less square footage, it may be less energy efficient, so I guess I'll find out sometime this coming week what the power bill looks like. The power bills that y'all were paying (250-upper 300s) sound outrageous!!... y'all must of had the local shopping center tapped into your power line, or something!

[Katsmeeyow]

Nope, just a 2000 sq ft house with a woman in it that likes her AC! LOL It actually was a new house, and I was really surprised that our light bill was so much in the summer. I just attributed it to me being hot-natured and crankin the AC down to 68.

We rented a house on Stuart Ave (our house sold more quickly than I imagined) before we bought this one, and our light bills were, most of the times 500 a month or so- SERIOUSLY. It was an older home, and it probably had like NO insulation, with probably 2500 sq ft and honestly, it had the largest in-grown pool I have ever seen so far as a private home is concerned (really the reason I rented it!!!) We stayed for one year. Couldn't see forkin out 950 for rent (or was it 850?) and 500 for power! ( I really did love that pool - as did all of our friends & it had the greatest brick enclosed, screened patio area complete with swing!)

Yours should be wayyyyy less!

[jeff3166]

Wow...mine better be wayyyy less! lol That is outrageous though, but I guess with all the square footage, it being an older house, maintaining 68 degrees, and the huge pool, all of those factors do add up. Whenever I go to work, I turn my AC up to 80 degrees, so i guess I'll see if that help any...hope so!

[Katsmeeyow]

Ok Jeff, Was the power bill bad?

[jeff3166]

Eh....not too bad, I guess... was like 98 bucks for a full month of service. Could be worse (and probably eventually will be as the summer gets hotter/stickier), but I was really hoping/thinking it would be lower, considering that I live alone, and therefore:

A. With working atleast 40 hours per week (and adjusting the thermostat to 82 degrees prior to leaving for work each time), I don't maintain mid-70s temperature in the apartment 24/7 all month long.

B. The hot water heater (electric) isn't used excessively, since only 1 or 2 showers are taken per day, and I never take anything remotely close to what most would consider to be a "hot" shower.

C. I don't cook at all, I either eat out or do carry-out, so therefore my stove (electric) hasn't been turned on since I moved in almost 2 months ago. Along with that, with no cooking or meal preparation, I have no use for the dishwasher, so it's had as much use as the stove has had since I moved in.

D. I don't have a washer or a dryer in the apt. sucking up electricity for hot water/drying heat.

E. I'm pretty energy-conscious and am good about not have lights on that aren't needed to be on.

So I don't know, I consider the 98 bucks as being pretty high, and I'd sure hate to see what the bill would be if I maintained mid-70s 24/7, took hot-hot showers, cooked a meal or two per day, ran the dishwasher a few times per week, had a washer and a dryer in the apt., and wasn't energy-conscious!

[Katsmeeyow]

LOL I would not know what to do if I got an electric bill that low! But, with all you are saving and your energy consciousness, I guess it might seem a bit high. Perhaps they just have a starting point at about 80 dollars and anything you use is tacked on?

What do you think of our fair city now that you have had some time to adjust? Have you met any good folks yet? TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME!!! INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!