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While this may not help you . . . it's a lifestyle choice. Period. Thus, it's your choice. OK, very obvious, I know. LOL. What I would do should mean nothing to you. However, you are asking, so I'll tell you. No, I wouldn't relocate.
To me it's not about food, schools, etc. It's more about culture and mindset. I am a "New Yorker" -- through and through. I was born in NY, and raised in NJ, my entire life. That's just me.
Good luck! If YOU make YOUR decision, it will be the right one.
It greatly depends if you're rich...Then by all means come back to NJ..If not-RUN, don't walk to anyplace else. I've been in a lot of other cities, and there's much better choices than anywhere in Jersey IMHO..I've lived in South Jersey for over 3 years now-and unless you're young and a minority-there's no jobs here. In Cumberland County(South) the current unemployment rate is averaging about 11.9% for October 2010. There's a lot of people out-of-work, on welfare, and if I had a choice I'd be outta here on the next Greyhound to another state. As I've stated in numerous other posts elsewhere-no place is perfect; yet I've never encountered a harder state to exist in than here in NJ...
Living in NJ is basically a super-high-energy lifestyle. You work crazy hours and burn up money fast. You can't save money, unless you're rich. It is okay to work hard if you have time for the family and can pay the bills, whatever state you live in. In NJ, unless you're making six figures, you will probably either have to sacrifice family time or not have enough to pay the bills. A single family home lifestyle in NJ, like a nuclear-family lifestyle where you live the American Dream and have two kids and a car and a driveway--that will easily burn you up $6,000 in after-tax income each month. Now, if you got the dough, you win. No dough, you lose, or you spend so much time trying to make that dough that you won't have time for the family.
Sometimes it can be hard to wake up at 6am on the first day of the month in NJ and wonder to yourself, where am I going to get the $6,000 I'm going to need for this month? Here, you don't work for yourself, you work to beat the competition, you work for the tax man, you work for the insurance companies.
I decided I will give up my job and return to NJ...I may be able to transfer to another position within my company, if not, stay at home mom it is. I picked NJ not just because it's where I grew up, but because where both of our families are. The only thing we have in SC is my job, nothing and no one else.
Of course I may change my mind, but this week it's NJ for the win. Even if it's a little tiny expensive as hell state, I love it.
I decided I will give up my job and return to NJ...I may be able to transfer to another position within my company, if not, stay at home mom it is. I picked NJ not just because it's where I grew up, but because where both of our families are. The only thing we have in SC is my job, nothing and no one else.
Of course I may change my mind, but this week it's NJ for the win. Even if it's a little tiny expensive as hell state, I love it.
You'll be okay. Welcome back to NJ. Let us know where you settle. I am confident that you are making the right decision because this is where your family is. Nothing beats that
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jersey Girl Stuck In SC
I grew up in NJ and I loved it. It's where all my family and friends are, and where I know everything like the back of my hand. I grew up in Boonton then Dover and finally Randolph, I worked in almost every town like Mt. lakes, Mt. Arlington, Parsippany, Ridgefield Park, Mt. Olive, North Bergen, etc.
In September I was asked to relocate to Greenville, SC and I did. I figured I'd try it for a year and see if I liked it....so far it's okay. Greenville is quaint and has the best down town I've ever seen. The food is okay - I miss taylor ham egg and cheese sandwiches! - and the people are nice, my job pays very well and the cost of living is about 30% less then NJ.
Now, once I was living here for a month I found out we were pregnant but I thought 'it's okay, I'll have the baby here and then we'll move back to NJ' but now I'm re-considering. 200K here basically buys you a mini mansion and the property taxes are still under 1K, VS NJ where 200K gets you a mediocre house and property taxes are insane. The school systems are okay and really depend on where you purchase your home, there are top notch schools here so let's just say that's not the cause for pause.
I can live without the pizza, taylor ham, friendly neighborhood delis, and I can deal living without my family but I will miss my friends and of course my sisters. I will also miss NJ, all of it.
So I'm asking all of you who own homes here in NJ, who have established your families here in NJ - what do you think? What is your family life experience? If you were given the chance to relocate to a warmer place where the cost of living was 30-33% less would you? Do you see state taxes decreasing?
You can get a lot of the foods that you mentioned in Charlotte. Search on the Charlotte board.
Here's my take on it. Get a house in Greenville in an area with good schools. By the time that your kid is old enough to go to school you'll know better whether you want to stay or go back. In that time you'll also know if things are better or worse in NJ & you'll have equity in a house to help cushion the blow if you go back.
If you had the job in Spartanburg I'd say it's simple, commute from NC (much better schools) but Greenville is too far.
I'm in NC, not far from the border & some people here commute to Spartanburg, but more commute to Charlotte. I'm close enough to cross the border for gas & can't get back across the border quick enough.
I decided I will give up my job and return to NJ...I may be able to transfer to another position within my company, if not, stay at home mom it is. I picked NJ not just because it's where I grew up, but because where both of our families are. The only thing we have in SC is my job, nothing and no one else.
Of course I may change my mind, but this week it's NJ for the win. Even if it's a little tiny expensive as hell state, I love it.
You'll be fine!! Yes, Jersey is expensive but there are many many people who live here that aren't millionaires..just middle income
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nj lifestyle
