Family Needs Help Relocating To Montana (Billings, Missoula: sales, rentals, how much)

[cooglymoog]

Hello Everyone,

My Name Is Al. I Have A Wife And 4 Boys. We Currently Live In Nj, And Are Looking To Move To Montana. We Are Looking To Move Because We Need A Much Needed Change Of Pace. We Work Very Hard, And Have So Little. I Have A Wife That Works Endlessly, I Work 70 Hours, And We Have Nothing To Show. We Barely Pay The Bills, And The Cost Of Living Here Is Going Through The Roof. Stress Is Getting Unbearable, And We Need A Change Soon. We Both Thought Og Montana, But We Do Not Know Where To Start. My Wife Is A Nurses Aide. I Am In Sales, And We Have One Autistic Child. We Have Our Hands Full. We Want To Rent A Home If Possible. Anyone With Info, Please Respond.

Thank You

[ComputerUser000]

What part of the state are you looking to move to? How much are you looking to spend on rent etc? Your budget and what you're looking for make a big difference in where you should look to be living.

[bigtrees]

Cooglymoog, unfortunately Montana is very expensive as well. People think that it is an inexpensive place to live and a simple life, but prices have gone up a lot and jobs are hard to find. I would not recommend Montana to someone struggling in New Jersey as there are far fewer jobs here and the ones that are here don't pay as well as back East.

While you can raise an austitic child in Montana - and I know a number of people who have - it often requires one person to stay at home. Two income families with an austictic child would be a difficult (and expensive) proposition.

I wish you luck!

[JetMech72]

Sales and nursing? Hamilton might work out for ya. It is rapidly becoming a retirement community, making Nursing the number 1 employment opportunity there. However, rentals might be tricky. Visit Ravalli Republic - Bitterroot Valley News, Hamilton, Stevensville, Darby, Florence for job listings and homes for rent. Also (and this should be recommended to everyone) visit mt.gov - Montana's Official State Website there are job listings, housing programs and just about everything you would need to know about Montana, before relocating.

[cooglymoog]

I just wanted to say thank you for replying. It has been very tough here for my family. We barely make it every month. The pace here is just so fast, my wife cannot keep up any longer. She works all night long, and takes care os 4 children all day long. She sleeps no more than 3 hours a day, and she is wearing down with each day that goes by. She has endured this brutal schedule for 4 years now, and now wants a change. We are looking to slow down permanantly. We want to live in a small community where there are still values, and a good sense of family. Financially we cannot keep up here, so please feel free to send me any info that may be of some help. I am grateful for any reply.

Thank you

[Mandy14]

I think Billings might be a good choice for you. There are two major hospitals as well as several clinics. Sales jobs are numerous here too. With a sales job you might be able to create better hours to work so that you can give your wife a little more time to rest. Also, living in a town just on the outskirts of Billings might be a little cheaper as well. There are several towns within 20 minutes of Billings.

[rubydi]

I agree. check out the jobs in Billings and see about housing in shepherd, Joliet, Laurel, etc. Also, how old are the other kids? Can't they help out more at home? You might check the college and hospitals to find out what type of aide is available for families with autisic children. Maybe your wife could do work at home from the internet. What skills does she have? Medical and/or legal transcriptionist can usually work from home. just an idea

[mattman3seven]

Originally Posted by cooglymoog

Hello Everyone,

My Name Is Al. I Have A Wife And 4 Boys. We Currently Live In Nj, And Are Looking To Move To Montana. We Are Looking To Move Because We Need A Much Needed Change Of Pace. We Work Very Hard, And Have So Little. I Have A Wife That Works Endlessly, I Work 70 Hours, And We Have Nothing To Show. We Barely Pay The Bills, And The Cost Of Living Here Is Going Through The Roof. Stress Is Getting Unbearable, And We Need A Change Soon. We Both Thought Og Montana, But We Do Not Know Where To Start. My Wife Is A Nurses Aide. I Am In Sales, And We Have One Autistic Child. We Have Our Hands Full. We Want To Rent A Home If Possible. Anyone With Info, Please Respond.

Thank You

Do you know anyone in Montana? We are moving in a few months, and we have realized that without the help of our family up there, we would not have been able to move . Our dilemma is almost exactly as you describe, but we are in the fortunate position to already have jobs lined up when we get there. I'm pretty sure the rentals in one of the "bigger towns"(Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, etc.) would be pretty easy to come by. But we are finding that getting a rental in towns with populations less than 5,000 are hard to come by. And you also have to be honest with yourself about something. Are you moving because you want to move to Montana, or are you moving because you feel the need to escape? If you are just trying to escape, it's probably not going to happen. We have problems, yes, but we also but we have been put in the fortunate position to be able to negate the problems with this move. We know what our jobs are going to be, how much money we will be making, what are bills will be. If you move without a job and unless you have a pretty hefty savings account, you are taking a big risk, if you are just trying to escape your problems.

Take your time and plan things out, don't just up and move because you have problems. You're not alone by a long-shot, so be patient. Your problems will not disappear just because you move to Montana.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by mattman3seven

Do you know anyone in Montana? We are moving in a few months, and we have realized that without the help of our family up there, we would not have been able to move . Our dilemma is almost exactly as you describe, but we are in the fortunate position to already have jobs lined up when we get there. I'm pretty sure the rentals in one of the "bigger towns"(Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, etc.) would be pretty easy to come by. But we are finding that getting a rental in towns with populations less than 5,000 are hard to come by. And you also have to be honest with yourself about something. Are you moving because you want to move to Montana, or are you moving because you feel the need to escape? If you are just trying to escape, it's probably not going to happen. We have problems, yes, but we also but we have been put in the fortunate position to be able to negate the problems with this move. We know what our jobs are going to be, how much money we will be making, what are bills will be. If you move without a job and unless you have a pretty hefty savings account, you are taking a big risk, if you are just trying to escape your problems.

Take your time and plan things out, don't just up and move because you have problems. You're not alone by a long-shot, so be patient. Your problems will not disappear just because you move to Montana.

Very good point! Not only will your problems not disappear they may intensify!
It takes a big commitment to move and live here, money is tight and work is long and hard. After living in many states all over the country this place is way different than anyplace we've lived before. Not in a bad way, just takes a different mindset. Outside of the bigger towns the attitude is THINGS don't matter here. Nobody cares if you have the latest gucci bag or designer jeans and in fact they'll most likely resent you if you do as an uppity or showy city slicker who'll be gone after the first winter.
At least vist here a few times before you move, we've seen many a newbie chewed up and spit out by this state after a summer vacation move. In fact, we've been chewed up and spit out twice here so we left only to return a third time and finally get it!

[debh2007]

Originally Posted by mattman3seven

Do you know anyone in Montana? We are moving in a few months, and we have realized that without the help of our family up there, we would not have been able to move .

I agree that it would be nice to have help wherever you decide to move. Part of why we might move TO Montana is for the support of family. It is hard to raise young children without family support around. We are in Illinois with no close relatives for 1300 miles in both directions. I would love to have my mother (Florida) or mother-in-law (Montana) nearby. A big draw for us to Montana is that my husband has a TON of family there.
If you can choose a place where you might have less of a financial struggle along with family/close friends for support might be something to look for.