40-45k for single, renter, frugal millennial in OC, LA or SD?

[johnny1313]

How about Irvine? Since you are willing to take housemates, your salary should be fine. Seesm Irvine is over 50% Asian and since you typically date within your race you should find this area to your liking. Many areas of Irvine will not appeal to you as too similar to your parents lifestyle, but I believe the communities around the university may offer what you are looking for.

[lshore7]

Well I'm definitely leaning towards OC or LB now, thanks for the suggestions! I work in advertising and telecommute now, but that might not always be an option, or if I look for other work.

Yes some of Irvine seemed too sterile for me when I visited but I'll have to look at some areas you mentioned near the Uni or in neighboring cities.

[lshore7]

Also wanted to say that it's possible this would just be a 5-10 year location for me, I'm making no assumptions about living in the area forever or it being financially feasible to do so. I would like to live in the area at my age and into my 30s, but beyond that I'm open to "settling down" a bit in other areas of this diverse country .

[RudyOD]

Hi Ishore,

So you are around the same age as me (I'm 27), we both have very similar philosophies/values (don't plan to own a home, have kids, nor care for materialism) and like doing the same things for fun (for me it is hiking, trail running, photography etc.) In addition, you know how to save. You'll be more than fine. The first thing you should be doing though is determining how much you are willing to set aside for rent, and then seeing if you can find any actual locations that will meet your finances near possible job sites.

If you're serious about meeting and dating mostly within your race (East Asian), then stay away from the coasts. They tend to be mostly white people, and the Asian women there are mostly attracted to men from that demographic. I recommend North OC (Brea, Fullerton, Buena park, Cypress), Central OC (near Irvine mostly), the San Gabriel Valley (anywhere from Rowland Heights to Pasadena works) and parts of Central LA in between Santa Monica and DTLA. These areas are all very diverse, but they also attract high percentages of Asian Americans.

Of those areas, you will get the least for your money in Los Angeles proper, but you will never run out of things to do, especially when it comes to nightlife, and even proximity to the Santa Monica mtns. The traffic there is horrendous though. North and Central OC are definitely more calm than LA, but just as diverse (Cerritos - technically LA, borders North OC, and it attracts lots of young educated Pan-Asian community; La Palma is more family oriented; Buena Park has a high concentration of Koreans; Fullerton has the only real night life in the area; Irvine probably is the way to go for single Asian professionals). Borth OC also has the benefit of being within 20 to 40 minutes drives of various biking and hiking hotspots (Puente Hills, Santa Ana Mountains, Cleveland National Forest, Laguna Coast Wilderness, San Gabriel mountains...and further away are the Santa Monicas and beautiful Malibu).

The San Gabriel Valley has its own dynamics, and you can pretty much consider it Boba Mecca, lol. It is home to the 626 Night Market, which is supposed to mirror the nigh markets of Taipei, and others in Asia. Cities there range in diversity, from heavily Asian, to heavily Latino to mostly white...to many being a good mix of all three. The best of the SGV, IMO, is having the San Gabriel Mountains as your backyard! Endless amount of trails and hiking for exploring. Also, if you live somewhere like Rowland Heights, you easily have both the best of OC and LA within driving distance.

Hope this helps

**BTW, with your budget managing skills, I highly doubt that you can't make it out there. You have a surplus, while most people are living off their credit cards -_-

[lshore7]

Yes that helps immensely, thanks . As I'm not used to LA traffic I will probably stay out of the most horrendous traffic areas you mentioned. I can look into weather averages for each city that you mentioned to get some idea, but how much warmer are the cities that are further from the coast? If you go inland from the coast 5-10+ miles will it typically be like 10-15 degrees hotter? Or, as far as non-coast cities in OC, is South, Central or North OC usually the hottest weather?

[RudyOD]

Originally Posted by lshore7

Yes that helps immensely, thanks . As I'm not used to LA traffic I will probably stay out of the most horrendous traffic areas you mentioned. I can look into weather averages for each city that you mentioned to get some idea, but how much warmer are the cities that are further from the coast? If you go inland from the coast 5-10+ miles will it typically be like 10-15 degrees hotter? Or, as far as non-coast cities in OC, is South, Central or North OC usually the hottest weather?

The hottest I've felt anywhere in OC has been in Rancho Santa Margarita (but I don't think it is representative of all of south OC). I felt like I was roasting when I've gone down there during the summer. If you stick around central OC, like Santa Ana/Costa Mesa, it is actually still rather pleasant, with arguably better climate than the coast since it doesn't feel as cold during the winter months, though slightly hotter in the summer (not intolerable or anything like Rancho though). North OC (Fullerton/Buena Park/Cypress) is a few degrees (+/- 2 to 3 degrees) warmer than central OC, but even when it gets really hot, we still get nice coastal winds. Once you get into Brea and the San Gabriel Valley, it starts to feel both drier and hotter (and COLDER during the winter...down to the 30s!) due to it being cut off to the coast by the Puente Hills. This is relative though, and it still has better climate than the San Fernando Valley...not to mention Moreno Valley lol.

Honestly you're going to have pleasant weather just about anywhere in OC +90% of the year. It's just during the heat waves, some parts will suffer more than others...like Rancho, or the San Gabriel Valley (but that's consider L.A.). During the hot season, inland OC will typically be in the mid 80's, while coastal OC in the high 70's, with the exception being on record breaking days when it goes into the 90's. This is only for 2 months of the year though (mid July to mid September).

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by RudyOD

Hi Ishore,

So you are around the same age as me (I'm 27), we both have very similar philosophies/values (don't plan to own a home, have kids, nor care for materialism) and like doing the same things for fun (for me it is hiking, trail running, photography etc.) In addition, you know how to save. You'll be more than fine.

Rudy, I do love you -- who wouldn't? -- but please know that values change as people get older. Mine have changed drastically since I was your age.

I think living within one's means and seeking and finding contentment is crucial and admirable, but a need for creature comforts and safety increases with age as does a need for financial stability. People who rent could be making a wise choice if they want maximum mobility and they do not care if their rent increases slightly. But as incomes rise and years pass, many things become more important: the need to avail oneself of income tax benefits (such as they are now); the desire to know one's housing prices remain fairly fixed; and a desire to build equity.

With regard to kids, never say never. I agree that materialism can be a trap, but what is considered materialistic is subjective concept and it most definitively is also relative.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by ysr_racer

Don't be a renter at 50, or you're a renter for life.

So what?

I'm a renter at 44 and my net worth is 6X my gross income. It's all about keeping your housing costs low so you can save. If you can afford to buy without it eating up too much of your income, then fine. But in expensive coastal CA metro areas, people of modest means pretty much have to choose between renting a very modest place (or sharing one) so that you can save a decent amount for retirement vs. home ownership. You can't have both, unless you buy a house and rent out all the bedrooms for years (if you don't mind being a landlord and if you can actually get a loan).