Northeast to Florida - Happy with your decision? (Sarasota, Bradenton: violent crime, home)

[MrRee]

I plan to live year around in Fla.
Right now I am a snowbird.

Yes it costs more for running the A/C so much, but then it cost me about $1000.00 a month to heat my big house in Mi.
At least I don't have to shovel any snow off the walks

What's better ? lower wadges and less costs or bigger wadges and expensees.
Seems it works out even if all is considered.

I will soon be in Fla. year around.

[gettinoutofjersey]

no one can use the standards or enjoyment that others have to decide where to live. lots move here and leave and end up in no carolina, virginia or so carolina for a variety of reasons, hence the term half backs. could be they would like to go back but once out of the northeast its a tough move back cause of the cost. if you are planning to make the move take a couple vacations at different times of the year and see if its something you desire. theres plenty of things that may turn you off about the area such as summer temps or winter birds. there are some really out there people that give advice on this board. the advice is free and remember you get what you pay for.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

The heat? I'm sorry but your post doesn't make sense to me. You have a degree and you were happy to come here and wait tables and bartend? I think it is an admirable thing starting your own business but if it is growing, I assume it is somewhat successful. Then why are you looking for another job? I had several interviews and offers when I came down but the choice between bad pay and worse pay was hard to make. Luckily, my wife makes good money or not sure how we would make it. I have friends in CT who have worked for the same company for 25 or 30 years. My uncle worked for the same company for 46 years in the Northeast. I haven't heard of anything close to that here. I think the worst of it all was on my first day I had to sign a paper stating "Florida is a right to work state, therefore you may be immediately released from your job without notice or just cause". I never heard of anything like that in my life! Welcome to your new job but just so you know we can fire you whenever we want for whatever? It makes me sleep well at night, all that job security.

I am looking for a job while I'm starting this business because the jobs I'm interviewing for are in a field I've always wanted to get back into and I'm thrilled. My business is fun and growing and I certainly can do both.

This day and age, people in general don't work for the same company for 25+ years like the generations before us. People want to better themselves and you can't always do that staying with the same company. In this computer age, you can spend five minutes and locate positions you would like to persue across the globe for many reasons not only monitary but personal fulfillment. To me the thought of staying with the same company for so long is depressing. I've always directed my own retirement and 401k, etc.

You've never heard of the right to work law? Twenty three states in the United States have right to work laws.
Believe it or not, they also protect you.

Maybe I missed this part but if the money part was so important to you, why did you take pay cuts and move down?

[mikeandaija2009]

In this computer age, you can spend five minutes and locate positions you would like to persue across the globe for many reasons not only monitary but personal fulfillment.
[/quote]

Great idea!!! We should all quit our boring jobs that make this country run, and span the globe looking for positions of personal fulfillment. Forget a good, lasting job, a steady paycheck with benefits, things our parents enjoyed and depended on in their lifetime. Besides, the federal government will always back you up if you fail. Soon, we'll all have universal health care so we can spend our days having fun and chasing our dreams. We won't have to worry about working to pay for silly insurance anymore like all the generations before us. Any wonder why the middle-class is almost dead?

[NYtoOsprey]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

In this computer age, you can spend five minutes and locate positions you would like to persue across the globe for many reasons not only monitary but personal fulfillment.

Great idea!!! We should all quit our boring jobs that make this country run, and span the globe looking for positions of personal fulfillment. Forget a good, lasting job, a steady paycheck with benefits, things our parents enjoyed and depended on in their lifetime. Besides, the federal government will always back you up if you fail. Soon, we'll all have universal health care so we can spend our days having fun and chasing our dreams. We won't have to worry about working to pay for silly insurance anymore like all the generations before us. Any wonder why the middle-class is almost dead?[/quote]

i agree w/BlueHerons. those things our parents enjoyed are gone. No more Company Man. No gold watch and retirement package for us. Oh well. We'll do it our way and we DO find ways to make money AND have personal fulfillment.

[NYtoOsprey]

oh and if i didn't respond to this thread earlier, count us among the happy transplants from NY that are young and happy here.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by NYtoOsprey

i agree w/BlueHerons. those things our parents enjoyed are gone. No more Company Man. No gold watch and retirement package for us. Oh well. We'll do it our way and we DO find ways to make money AND have personal fulfillment.

I couldn't disagree with you more. There are company men, gold watches and retirement packages. Think about General Motors, Ford, Dodge, John Deere. Aircraft makers like Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft helicopters. The millions of appliances that come out of appliance park in Kentucky. The many medical research laboratories and hospitals around the country developing new advances in medicine everyday. Do you think the millions of employees work there for fun? Do they work there for "their own personal fulfillment?" Do they show up 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift and say "today I'm doing it my way". No they work for their family, their dedication to their skill and trade, and their future so they can some day retire with the gold watch and the retirement package. I think if you asked anyone of those employees about their job, none of them would say "I'm just finding a way to make money"

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

I couldn't disagree with you more. There are company men, gold watches and retirement packages. Think about General Motors, Ford, Dodge, John Deere. Aircraft makers like Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft helicopters. The millions of appliances that come out of appliance park in Kentucky. The many medical research laboratories and hospitals around the country developing new advances in medicine everyday. Do you think the millions of employees work there for fun? Do they work there for "their own personal fulfillment?" Do they show up 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift and say "today I'm doing it my way". No they work for their family, their dedication to their skill and trade, and their future so they can some day retire with the gold watch and the retirement package. I think if you asked anyone of those employees about their job, none of them would say "I'm just finding a way to make money"

If so many of those Detroit jobs are so fantastic, and those people are so happy, why has Detroit been in such a horrific economic decline for the past 30 years?

I didn't reply to you to start a pissing contest about careers. My point was to say, yes, there are well paying jobs in Sarastota. It isn't the career graveyard you might think.

The reason I started the restaurant job when I first moved down is because it was quick, no long interviewing process, good money, and zero responsibility.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by blueherons

If so many of those Detroit jobs are so fantastic, and those people are so happy, why has Detroit been in such a horrific economic decline for the past 30 years?

I didn't reply to you to start a pissing contest about careers. My point was to say, yes, there are well paying jobs in Sarastota. It isn't the career graveyard you might think.

The reason I started the restaurant job when I first moved down is because it was quick, no long interviewing process, good money, and zero responsibility.

And I don't want to argue with you about careers. The OP stated she had a good job with SUNY in New York. SUNY is the State University of New York. I know this because my wife graduated from there. It is a state public college, and more than likely, she is a State of New York employee. Northeast state public employees are offered unbelievable health, pension, and benefit packages. My advice was not to give that up for warmer weather. She would never, ever get the same packages she gets in New York in Florida. Not even working for the State of Florida. She really needs to think about what she may be giving up before she listens to someone say there are a bunch of good paying jobs in Sarasota or sure the pay is less but the cost of living is so much less. It's all not entirely true. I worked for a national hvac service company up north for years. My wife works for the fed government and was transferred here. I contacted the local branch of my old company when we came here. We have access to child care now because my sister lives close. I was offered re-employment with the company. I assumed I would be starting back at my old rate of pay, benefits, etc. My old branch manager up north said it should work that way. Surprise, even though it is 1 corporation, there are different divisions. I am now in the "Southeast Division". Long story short, my pay was cut by $8 an hour, they screw with my time so as I don't get overtime. Work me 14 hours one day, then send me home early the next. Don't pay any travel time, etc. and they made me sign the paper saying they could fire me at anytime. Never did that up North. My take home pay is the same it was 10 years ago for the same corporation. My cost of living and expenses really haven't changed, CT vs. Florida. I came to Florida and now I'm broke. Thank God my wife's pay stayed the same.

[mikeandaija2009]

Just remembered something one of my co-workers told me.

"Florida is full of warm weather, sunshine, and after the rain, plenty of rainbows. Just no pot of gold".