How much enough in Seattle?

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by AprilSeattleBound

I have an Associates degree. I think I need to rethink this move for now. Now, I'm looking more at Portland, if that's any different. Are my chances better there or should I try some place else?

Portland is cheaper but not necessarily cheap, you may find a place in Vancouver WA that can work, it just across the river. Again if you really wanna live in the area, look at Tacoma.

[deathorglory]

When I moved here with my boyfriend 2 years ago, we had $10k saved up, we both had jobs lined up (but were moving a week prior to jobs starting and no move packages on either job offer), and we were doing ok with the move. Then again, we both make over $100k a year so each paycheck helped us out a lot with all the bills and stuff we had to pay. We also had to furnish our entire apartment anew, which cost us a hefty penny.

We didn't even move into downtown Seattle. We moved to Renton. We both commute to work (me to Tacoma, him to Ballard). Honestly, if we didn't have to buy furniture, I still wouldn't have moved without at least $6k saved up (first/last/security will be a huge chunk of that, if not all).

[mike62pp3]

I moved to Seattle 5 years with only $100 to my name and to start school. Thankfully my housing was covered by my student loans (which I'm still paying on). After moving here I found a PT freelance gig that allowed me to go to school and work, the extra money helped pay for groceries and bills. After graduating I was able to land a FT job with a real salary, and that helped get me started.

I know you've already got an AA, but if you ever consider getting a BS this would be a good place/time to do so. It also allows you to live here without having to pay for rent (at least not now). I'm in the tech industry and know that the companies I've worked for factor in degree w/ experience if you've got one over the other. There's more people with BS degrees so it's harder to compete with unless you have a lot of experience.

Another option if you've desperate is to find a house with a bunch of people to make your housing costs low and work your way up. I've known people to split a 5bd house and each pay around $600 for their own room. But I personally wouldn't move anywhere without securing a job first and with a decent sized savings (at least $10K for me).