Seeing a lot of former Long Islanders from North Carolina... (Triangle: rent, health insurance)
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I just moved to Cary, NC and all I can say is that I do NOT regret moving from LI one bit. Every morning, sparkly unicorns prance into my bedroom and serve me grits and pecan pancakes on a silver platter....then afterwards I send my kids off to their #1 ranked school in our #1 ranked neighborhood on the hoverbus and sit down at the computer to see how much my eBay auctions have gone up overnight. I work from home selling old farming implements we find on the side of the road, it is a very lucrative business.....but since we were able to sell our 1 bedroom lean-to shanty on Long Island for $3.8 million dollars and buy a 10,000sf mansion with gilded sconces, rooftop jacuzzi and IMAX theater for the price of a used Hyundai it's really more for fun than anything. Plus we've got a fully staffed tobacco plantation on the back 40 just in case things go really sour and I lose all the money I invested in silkworm futures. At night the whole family usually take our Segways down to ye olde Outback Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesdays or Chili's and then Johnny Rockets for desert. After we put the kids to bed we sometimes host local gangsta rap battles or play Monopoly.
To anyone looking to take the plunge: GO FOR IT! You will NOT look back!!!
I live in Lincoln County, Lake Norman area. My first post was my personal negative experience moving to NC from LI. I was just voicing my opinion about how this was a wrong move for us. I was also trying to get across the point that moving here doesn't magically solve financial problems, It's a trade off, whether you stay on LI and pay high taxes with a great salary or you move to NC with lower taxes and half the salary, It all basically evens out in the long run, So yeah, as we all know we need money to live but all the money in the world can't make a person happy. My kids (I have 2) Will never go without, we have always taken family vacation, my kids participate in sports. As for school districts on Long Island, Even the "worst" schools blow NC schools out of the water, Why? Because half of LI property taxes goes to the schools, so that's a non issue for me. I think you might have misunderstood me when I said "It has nothing to do with money" I wasn't making a blanket statement about how I feel about money in general, what I was trying to get across that I'd rather live in a handyman fixer-upper on LI where I feel I belong,with family and friends, my true home , than live in NC in a beautiful house with lake views, a pool and a boat and be unhappy.
In fairness you moved to the sticks... serious sticks. The only even reasonable location north of Charlotte (outside of Meck county) is Mooresville. The schools there and in South Charlotte are excellent. I don't know how you didn't realize what you'd be getting into up there before you moved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by seain dublin
What is so difficult to understand. If someone making 70k leaves NY and heads south and gets a job making 40K they just took a 30K cut in salary.
So their property taxes go down lets say 7K a year, they're now worse off then they were in NY because of the salary reduction.
Unless someone is making a lateral salary move due to a company transfer it is very easy for people to fall into the trap of "cheaper living".
Especially when they find out it isn't as cost effective as they thought it was going to be and have now taken a huge salary cut.
They can easily end up further behind than they were in NY.
Last year when gas was at all time high, the states that were struggling the most were all in the south(including Florida).
Even though gas was more expensive in CA and NY, people had higher incomes and it wasn't hurting them as it was in the southern states.
It's not hard for me to understand... I wasn't the one who started this thread or someone complaining about a mistaken move.
My point was that QOL does factor in money and I stand by it. Sure, if we use your silly fuzzy math, you make it seem straight forward. Well, it's not that simple because a 40%+ salary cut is insane. Nobody in their right mind could think for a second that was a move up.
and the gas example... wtf. Gas is always cheaper down South. Groceries, sales tax, etc, etc are where the costs can and will be higher. But all those things pale in comparison to the big 3 you chew on here - PnI on a retarded priced house, taxes, and insurance. Those 3 things dwarf what someone would pay elsewhere.
So it's a matter of doing realistic math and deciding for yourself. If you log the time to research it (and there's absolutely no excuse not to on such a big decision), you will know what you're getting yourself into.
What you can't factor in is the impact of being away from family and friends - it's not quantifiable. That is where I believe most people get in trouble.
In fairness you moved to the sticks... serious sticks. The only even reasonable location north of Charlotte (outside of Meck county) is Mooresville. The schools there and in South Charlotte are excellent. I don't know how you didn't realize what you'd be getting into up there before you moved.
It's not hard for me to understand... I wasn't the one who started this thread or someone complaining about a mistaken move.
My point was that QOL does factor in money and I stand by it. Sure, if we use your silly fuzzy math, you make it seem straight forward. Well, it's not that simple because a 40%+ salary cut is insane. Nobody in their right mind could think for a second that was a move up.
and the gas example... wtf. Gas is always cheaper down South. Groceries, sales tax, etc, etc are where the costs can and will be higher. But all those things pale in comparison to the big 3 you chew on here - PnI on a retarded priced house, taxes, and insurance. Those 3 things dwarf what someone would pay elsewhere.
So it's a matter of doing realistic math and deciding for yourself. If you log the time to research it (and there's absolutely no excuse not to on such a big decision), you will know what you're getting yourself into.
What you can't factor in is the impact of being away from family and friends - it's not quantifiable. That is where I believe most people get in trouble.
That's the key. It's not just about percentages, ie how much less is it to live someplace else percentage wise..it's simply about how much money is left over after the bills are paid. If here I have 2K a month and there 1K...I'm not moving, even if it's a lot cheaper.
Where you get in trouble is when someone loses a job here on LI. You get underwater much faster carrying a mortgage on 450K as opposed to 250K once income =0
You're wrong about the gas. I lived in the Triangle for the past 5 years, and gas there was always significantly more expensive than it was for my family in the suburbs of Chicago... For months after Katrina, gas was through the roof, as the Triangle is serviced by a pipeline that was affected by the storm. Most stations were actually OUT of gas for many weeks (months? I just remember it went on for FAR longer than it seemed it should have) after the storm.
You're wrong about the gas. I lived in the Triangle for the past 5 years, and gas there was always significantly more expensive than it was for my family in the suburbs of Chicago... For months after Katrina, gas was through the roof, as the Triangle is serviced by a pipeline that was affected by the storm. Most stations were actually OUT of gas for many weeks (months? I just remember it went on for FAR longer than it seemed it should have) after the storm.
You're right about gas prices going through the roof, I lived through that fiasco too, our gas prices were way higher than NY, Long Isalnd specifically, But It wasn't Katrina.. can't remember the name. I called all the local gas stations every night to see if they were going to get a delivery, and when I found one, I would sit on line for hours waiting, what a joy!
On LI you could go to the beach everyday...why sacrifice that? I live here just fine, but even if I didn't, I'd rather live on the street and have a beach close by, then live in a big house and have to drive hours to get to one.
Also, I can't say this enough, you get what you pay for. LI is expensive b/c it's a freakin' nice place to live. Want to live cheap, you'll get less quality. It's that simple. LI may be expensive, but it has EVERYTHING.
Since the San Francisco bay area is much more expensive than LI, does that mean SF blows LI away in terms of quality?
Also, the beach is something you like, but I would hazard to guess that for a good number of people on LI, the beach does not enter into their daily lives at all - even in the summer, let alone when it’s 35 degrees and a steady 20 MPH breeze blowing.
What is so difficult to understand. If someone making 70k leaves NY and heads south and gets a job making 40K they just took a 30K cut in salary.
So their property taxes go down lets say 7K a year, they're now worse off then they were in NY because of the salary reduction.
Unless someone is making a lateral salary move due to a company transfer it is very easy for people to fall into the trap of "cheaper living".
Especially when they find out it isn't as cost effective as they thought it was going to be and have now taken a huge salary cut.
They can easily end up further behind than they were in NY.
Last year when gas was at all time high, the states that were struggling the most were all in the south(including Florida).
Even though gas was more expensive in CA and NY, people had higher incomes and it wasn't hurting them as it was in the southern states.
But not everyone who relocates off of LI takes a 40 to 50% pay cut.
And as far as gas goes, to quote an SE Hinton title, "That was then, this is now". That was a temporary situation for a few weeks. A quick check of Gas Buddy shows that gas prices have returned to historical norms, where NC prices are $0.20 less per gallon than on LI. It is all about taxes. NC state gas tax is about $0.32 per gallon where as NY is $0.42. SC is only about $0.17.
Since the San Francisco bay area is much more expensive than LI, does that mean SF blows LI away in terms of quality?
Also, the beach is something you like, but I would hazard to guess that for a good number of people on LI, the beach does not enter into their daily lives at all - even in the summer, let alone when it’s 35 degrees and a steady 20 MPH breeze blowing.
No clue b/c I have never been, but I would wager, yes.
You are right about maybe the beach doesn't enter into one's daily lives, but perhaps that's why people are still here despite the rising costs. B/c Long Island is beautiful, and that when it is warm out, LI beaches are a great way to spend a summer day. I couldn't imagine spending summer without a beach near by. That's me, though.
But not everyone who relocates off of LI takes a 40 to 50% pay cut.
And as far as gas goes, to quote an SE Hinton title, "That was then, this is now". That was a temporary situation for a few weeks. A quick check of Gas Buddy shows that gas prices have returned to historical norms, where NC prices are $0.20 less per gallon than on LI. It is all about taxes. NC state gas tax is about $0.32 per gallon where as NY is $0.42. SC is only about $0.17.
We didn't take a pay cut when we moved from LI to NC and most of the people I know down here that are originally from the east didn't as well.
Not sure who these people are that are moving for 30-50% pay cuts.
Other than Katrina hitting, our gas prices are always lower than my parents who still live on LI. Gas prices and weather temps are always compared
We didn't take a pay cut when we moved from LI to NC and most of the people I know down here that are originally from the east didn't as well.
Not sure who these people are that are moving for 30-50% pay cuts.
Other than Katrina hitting, our gas prices are always lower than my parents who still live on LI. Gas prices and weather temps are always compared
Maybe cops and teachers would take a 30% to 50% pay cut?? I don't know, I'd like to see a real comparison. The salary.com type sites give you percentages, but how do we know if they are accurate? I'd like to talk to someone in another state with the same job title in the same type of company.
Check out that salary!!! Ain't no one on the SCPD moving down there..not until they retire, anyway.
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