[lovemichigan]

Wow! I just got my car license plate and drivers license renewal notice! The plates are $134 and drivers license $65! That is $199, add car insurance, $800, gas $30 per week and that totals $2560 a year! I make $9 per hour, so over 20% of my take home pay, is just to get to work and back! This is not right!

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by lovemichigan

Wow! I just got my car license plate and drivers license renewal notice! The plates are $134 and drivers license $65! That is $199, add car insurance, $800, gas $30 per week and that totals $2560 a year! I make $9 per hour, so over 20% of my take home pay, is just to get to work and back! This is not right!

I'll take it!!! Vehicles that ran me almost exactly the same to register and insure in Michigan are WAY more expensive to register and insure here in Maine. I can't wait to get back there this Summer for good. What used to run me $189 for plates and license, now costs me $245 (same vehicle). Insurance went from $650 a year (pays to be above 40) to $1740 a year here (different company, same coverage. cheapest I can find). Further to drive to everything so gas went from $40 a week to $75 a week. Plus wages are horrible out here. Went from $21 an hour there to $10.50 here.

You have no idea how expensive it can be other places. Michigan is way cheaper to live than anyplace else I have lived (tried Texas (long ago), Mass (yeah I know) and now Maine) Left 2 years ago and it was the biggest mistake my wife and I have made ever. This time when we get back, we are staying put!

[Siberia]

$75 vehicle registration....$32/month insurance rate on a reliable, high MPG used Honda.

Live smarter, live below your means...that is the key to getting ahead, regardless of income.

Siberia

P.S. If you are making less than $25/hour in Michigan, you should avoid new or lease vehicles if you want actually save a few bucks each year...and get something with a 30 MPG to save on fuel. I feel bad for every American, making less than $50,000/year, who drives a $35,000 new vehicle....yet doesn't understand that it is the worst investment in the universe...period.

[Michigansnowflake]

HUH? My husband renewed his DL yesterday and it was 18$

[Br1234]

I've decided to blog at move-on dot org. The admin. over there is more conservative.

[Frankawitz]

Plates cost me $171.00 for three trucks. my license cost me $18.00 ins. runs $117.00 a month.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Frankawitz

Plates cost me $171.00 for three trucks. my license cost me $18.00 ins. runs $117.00 a month.

Just curious, these your work trucks, or your personal trucks? Does it make a difference? Reason for the question is that I am going to put a work truck on the road and was wondering if it is better to go with the commercial plates or just regular ones. Haven't had time to even look into it yet, so I'm being lazy here .

[Southernkomfort27]

Originally Posted by lovemichigan

Wow! I just got my car license plate and drivers license renewal notice! The plates are $134 and drivers license $65! That is $199, add car insurance, $800, gas $30 per week and that totals $2560 a year! I make $9 per hour, so over 20% of my take home pay, is just to get to work and back! This is not right!

You think that's bad,...I just got my escrow statement and my house payment is going up by 184.00! No home improvements, and my s.e.v went down, I can't believe this!

[blau]

I just moved to arkansas, my plates on my 2006 car are 24$ a year, and to get a drivers lisc. for 4 years is 26$. property taxes on a home that would run me 2k in michigan is 400$ a year.
I am 4 hours from branson, 6 hours from NOLA, and 4 hours from memphis.
I live on top of a mountain with a view that would run me much more in michigan. and I am expecting from 0 to 1 in of snow this winter.
When I was looking to move to arkansas and told people from michigan many looked at me and said arkansas is a backward state. I asked have you been there? the answer was NO. If you have been to this state and you like north michigan you would run to this place.
California has people moving to this state by the droves. I predice this state will become the next carolinas in the next 10 years.
I have watched property prices go up steady for the last 5 years.

[darstar]

As we can see here , things in Michigan , are not all bad, that is , if you have a job ! I think the cheapest place you can live , is in the mid south , say NC or SC , but you have to pick the local. they have low property tax , and have caps on sales taxes for vehicles , but , electricity is thru the roof. Food same , housing less or same, depends. wages , less. So , all in all Michigan is not so bad.......we just got to get the jobs back ! Will take some work. If Michigan goes down the toilet totally , then ,.....so goes the rest of the Country. Then , it will be time to pack up the old truck , put grandma in her rocker and strap it to the roof, sell off some of the kids ,and use the money for gas, to get us tickets for the promised land.......where ever that Is ?