moving north and looking for low cost of living (Portland: apartments, rent)

[reloop]

Originally Posted by chaosX5

These are really well though out points You call it common sense, but that seems to be sorely lacking these days Yes, cost of living is subjective........it's all in the lifestyle you choose. I know people who barely know where they're veggies come from, let alone GROW them. They'd better stay close to a Wal-Mart.....................

I have a friend who lives in Brewer. She says it would be cheaper to buy bottled water to water their lawn than it would be to run the garden hose.

Although the occasional septic tank pump is necessary where I am, I'm glad I don't have to deal with a water and sewer bill.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

Fortunately, I completely misjudged my need for wood pellets last summer! Only burned half of them last winter, so I'm ALL SET FOR PELLETS this winter!! YAY, lol.
(We do burn oil too...)

That is very fortunate.

How many pallets of pellets did you burn through?

[lilred0005]

About 10 yrs ago, I had the wonderfull opportunity to go home with a college roommate to a very small town in ME, East Waterboro. I stayed for a week and since E. Waterboro is so small(200 ppl), we went to Sanford and Biddeford several times. I was shocked to recently find out that the cost of living and real estate in that area is so high. Granted I loved it but found many people out of work and the economy somewhat depressed. The town was so small that there wasn't even a traffic light except for one yellow blinker and no grocery store or pharmacy, ect. Comming from Ft. Lauderdale this was definetly culture shock, lol. My question is why is this area so expensive? Oxford Co. does not seem to be nearly as steep eventhough it's a neighbooring county.

[Syngar99]

i will summarize my own feelings on heating costs-

some people (not all) have EASY access to alternate heat sources that do not rely on oil or gas. For them I appreciate their situation. I also know for several thousands of dollars people could implement such systems into their own homes.
However for many people (particularly new home owners and new moves) adding a wood or pellet stove is a cost that can't be fit into the budget. not to mention some people do not or can not be invested in some inherent pains in the ass parts of wood stoves ( i grew up with a wood stove as my primary heat source, and so i am aware of many issues involved with starting, running and stocking it).
Does a wood stove help defray heating costs in the long term? perhaps, but it is not some cure-all for any discussion regarding heating costs.

some people have room on their properties to grow garden, bless them, some have access to aquifers and free water, bless them too. THESE forums are not really for the woodsman living in BFE maine so much as for what i call 60 percenters- that is the 60 percent of mainers that live within an hour of civilization and do not have paul bunyans heritage to help the survive.

if you are a survivalist type or just a plain ole frontiersman sort, then thats great and i aspire t be one mysef one day, but your insights are not necessarily germane to some 20 yr old kid trying to rent a place in downtown bar harbor (for instance) lol.

i am not good with cars and i;ve gone onto forums to ask for advice, and there is always at least ONE wag that makes a comment about how EASY it is to do a repair, maybe it is, but if you have no experience with such things, its like telling a 10 yr old to cut someone open and do a colostomy.

if people want to give actual help to inexperienced people- glib comments about options that are beyond the average modern young person is NOT help.

[lawmom]

When we lived in Northport, we had a large house that was not well insulated. We spent a fortune on oil to heat that place, and our electric was $300 or so a month in the winter due in large part to the heat tape for the well. Winter months were hell utility-wise.

Here in NM, the electric rate is cheaper than what we paid in ME. I love Maine, I grew up there, but people need the whole picture when learning about other places to live. Utilities in the whole north east are expensive!!!

I suppose we could have burned our kid's toys or something. We do, after all, all have choices.
One choice we obviously would have pursued had we stayed in that house would be putting in better windows and insulation.

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by lilred0005

About 10 yrs ago, I had the wonderfull opportunity to go home with a college roommate to a very small town in ME, East Waterboro. I stayed for a week and since E. Waterboro is so small(200 ppl), we went to Sanford and Biddeford several times. I was shocked to recently find out that the cost of living and real estate in that area is so high. Granted I loved it but found many people out of work and the economy somewhat depressed. The town was so small that there wasn't even a traffic light except for one yellow blinker and no grocery store or pharmacy, ect. Comming from Ft. Lauderdale this was definetly culture shock, lol. My question is why is this area so expensive? Oxford Co. does not seem to be nearly as steep eventhough it's a neighbooring county.

In the last twenty years there has been an enormous amount of growth and development in southwestern Maine, which includes Cumberland and York Counties. The towns in this area have been "discovered" by folks moving up from Boston and northeastern Massachusetts, and the entire area has grown tremendously. I escaped from there in 1990.

What you are seeing there is not "Maine", but more likely "North Boston".

Yes, very expensive and made so because most of it is on the coast.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

In the last twenty years there has been an enormous amount of growth and development in southwestern Maine, which includes Cumberland and York Counties. The towns in this area have been "discovered" by folks moving up from Boston and northeastern Massachusetts, and the entire area has grown tremendously. I escaped from there in 1990.

What you are seeing there is not "Maine", but more likely "North Boston".

Yes, very expensive and made so because most of it is on the coast.

Very true. We live in your "North Boston". So far the crime aspect of the encroachment has not been a big issue around here....yet. I suspect this will change as opportunists in the criminal world infiltrate the area to exploit the wealthy. We'll eventually move somewhere else though we're content here for now. I would not want to live some place in the State where it would take us four hours to drive to a doctor's appointment or two hours to get the car serviced.

[forest beekeeper]

Okay fine. I think perhaps that this discussion becomes difficult as Maine has many regions.

Maine means many different things to different people. I moved here to this region after touring around and seeing the kind of society that I wanted to fit into. If someone else wants to live in a city, great, go for it. have a ball!

Maine has different things for different folk, and most of Maine is rural.

I drive around and see my neighbors, and I see that most of them have acreage. Most of them have a few propane bottles next to there house, and an oil tank, and a few cords of wood stacked up.

Folks here seem to have multiple sources of heat, and seem to shift from one to the next, as the economy shifts.

I see many old pickup trucks each with a snow blade mounted on it [and I doubt if 10% of them are registered]. It is what they need to easily function.

I see old houses and I see new houses around here. As it pertains to this OP, the difference is one of culture more so than between old homes and new homes.

In these threads I discuss what I see folks doing, and what I do. Living in Maine can be at reasonable expenses. But I guess it matters more about which region you are in, and which culture you are trying to blend in with.

If you wish to live in tract housing where everyone burns oil / propane you can; and you will pay for that standard-of-living.

Most of Maine is rural so the thought of farmers cutting hay and foresters surveying land, should not be absurd. As most of Maine is this way.

What I see of Maine may not relate to what folks are doing in some suburban area.

I own a very new house. I am familiar with building costs and what it takes to do these things. I have spent a few hundred dollars on our wood stove. I have even posted photos of it. So I think that I do have a valid point of view when it comes to living in Maine on a low budget.

We do live within 20 minutes of Bangor, so I guess that I am among the "60 percenters" too

I get DMs on CD from a selection of 20-somethings who do want to get started in Maine. Living simpler lives; growing their own food; building their own homes; etc.

I wish to help anyone who is inexperienced in Maine living.



I am sorry that this offends so many.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Maineah

... I would not want to live some place in the State where it would take us four hours to drive to a doctor's appointment or two hours to get the car serviced.

I agree with that entirely.

[Aptor hours]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Its' the same all over the country. We're heading toward a depression though you'll never hear about it on the network news!

It is all we hear about on the news Are you kidding me