Madison 2014? (Cable: sale, coupons, apartments)

[jj85]

Greetings Madison!!!
I am so glad I have found an area that I'd like living in that's doing well with the economy
I'm moving out of this area because of the economy, & now it's even affecting my part time income
So there's no way I can see myself affording to move over there by this summer (which I'm really bummed out about), but but should I go there this fall?
Or should I wait until Spring to head over there?

Thanks for your input, & have a great weekend.

[7G9C4J2]

I'm sorry, but that is such a general question that we can't possibly respond.

What line of work are you in? Part-time or full-time? Do you have family or are you moving by yourself? Are you now or do you plan to be a student? Have you researched cost-of-living in Madison to predict what it'll take per month to live here, and do you have enough saved up to live on for approximately three months? Do you have a vehicle? Do you have unique housing needs (pets, handicapped-accessible, size, amenities)?

There are many highly knowledgeable people on this forum, but it's simply not possible to answer an open-ended question like "should I move this fall or next spring." If you can refine your question and provide more data, we will try to help.

[jj85]

Yo thanks for the response, originally added more, but didn't want to sound too picky hehe.
So usually I work in either Construction, Janitorial, or Production for a living. I've been to Madison a few times. I'm pretty sure from what I've seen that it'd be cheaper to live in Madison than here
Oh & I'm single, no pets (well I do but my puppy dog (dauchound) is staying here in OR with my uncle), & I do have a car to get around in
Any thoughts?
Have a great weekend.

[7G9C4J2]

Well, jobs in the field you mention are available, if not plentiful. Obviously, in the Midwest, there are more construction jobs available in the spring than there are in the fall. You certainly would not be able to get a job offer in any of those fields before moving here, so you would need to have resources to live on for several months while you hunt for a job.

One-bedroom apartments in Madison rent from a low of about $600/month for a very small unit in a sketchy neighborhood to a high of $1,100/month for a large fancy place with all the amenities. If you find apartments listed with a lease-beginning date of August 15, they are in the student neighborhoods near the University of Wisconsin, and are likely to be noisy. Utility costs can vary enormously depending on size, age and construction method of the building, but you can probably figure on spending at least $40/month on utilities, and it could be more. I couldn't possibly predict your vehicle insurance costs, but I can tell you that Wisconsin allows insurance companies to use your credit rating in setting insurance rates. One person can eat frugally for $35 or $40 per week, if you don't drink, have exotic tastes or dietary restrictions. Gas hereabouts is generally in the $3.60 to $3.90 per gallon range. Cable TV rates vary enormously but are usually at least $50/month. Internet also varies depending on where you get it but can be anywhere from $30/month on up. Landline phone is maybe $60/month. Cell phone depends totally on whether you have a bare-bones phone or a fancy one with internet capability.

So from all that, do the math to figure out what your approximate monthly expenses would be, multiply that result by three, and then save up until you have at least that much put away before you move.

[Chelito23]

Wow, 35-40 bucks for food a week? I guess this just shows how smart of a shopper you are!! I am guessing that is using coupons and buying on sale only? I know for me, being frugal, $50 is my weekly supermarket goal and usually I can keep the bill around that. But eating out on top of that really adds to the total. I think your breakdown on prices is possible, but most people don't live on a show string budget like that for long.

[7G9C4J2]

I completely agree that most folks wouldn't want to live that frugally for long. I was trying to put together some bare-bones minimum numbers for the first 90 days or so before an income starts, and for that purpose, and assuming no alcohol or other expensive items, I think $35-$40 per week for food for one person is quite doable.

Of course, that means choosing generics, the cheapest cuts of meat once or twice a week, relying on things like eggs, pasta and legumes, and getting produce from the "reduced" bin and bread at the day-old outlet. I've lived that way, and I can attest to the fact that it can be done. Not a particularly fun way to live, of course, but if the OP is looking to relocate on a shoestring, that kind of penny-pinching is going to be inevitable until he lands a job and starts earning a positive cash flow.

I should add that if the OP has special food needs like gluten-free, or eats only organics, or expects to dine on only restaurant meals, or is factoring in a 6-pack of beer a day, my estimate is way too low. But if you can tolerate living extremely frugally until you have an income, it is quite possible to get by on $35-$40/week for food.

[jj85]

So far happy with the responses, ty
Economy looks so much better in Madison than here, & with me being single I'll be able to live pretty cheaply until I do find work.
Sounds like I should wait until spring to go over there, which I have no problems doing.
It'll be a huge step up for me.
In Madison it looks like I won't really have to worry about loosing my job, where as here once I hit x amount of time instead of bumping up my pay they'll fire me, & have my position filled the next day.
I'm so very excited for Madison