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Old 07-01-2014, 08:31 AM
 
790 posts, read 1,268,582 times
Reputation: 1029

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vannort54 View Post
My wife and I moved down here from Chicago I'm retired and she was recruted by a headhunter for the dental insurance industry. She has allot of years in her field, a large dental practice in st.pete hired her as there dental insurance coordinator. We would no of moved here if the pay was lower than what she was making up their witch was $50,000 a year. But she is very good at her job. She makes allot of money for her employer. Between the 2 of us we are close to $75,000 a year. But like other people say rent is high her for what you get. Also insurance for her medical and car and renters is high. So I dont see how other can make it here if you don't have a good paying job. Also groceries are also more expensive here than the North Imo. Also we are in our late 50"s so having no more snow was the only factor why we decided to move to Florida. Crime is just as bad if here as it is in Detroit or Chicago. The reason you see Detroit and Chicago in the news is because they are larger cites compared to Tampa area.
Seems like a fair assessment here. I don't see anyone in Tampa surviving on 40k a year and the median household income for Tampa Bay is $44,402 which is almost 22% LOWER than the national average and 2.5% lower than the state average. So there is a lot of areas where families are making lower than the avg and the prices on things like insurance, housing, food, utlilties (TECO just increased rates 3% this year) keep going up every year while wages remain stagnant.

Im sure there are successful people on CD and thats great but the reality is the AVERAGE household in Tampa is struggling.

"The Census ACS 1-year survey reports that the median household income for the Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater Florida metro area was $44,402 in 2012, the latest figures available. Tampa median household income is $638 lower than the median Florida household income and $6,969 less than the US median household income. 2013 metro income data (including Tampa median household income) will be released in September of 2014."
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Old 07-01-2014, 09:25 AM
 
17 posts, read 21,183 times
Reputation: 23
So you guys are saying if you are making 40k a year and your apartment is between $800-1000 you won't be able to make it down there? I know up here in the Philly area I make about $29,000 have off in the winters and have a very small one bedroom apartment that cost $950 a month and I still have money for food, to go out on weekends and to travel a little bit. I'm in the same situation as the first poster and I'm looking to move down to have full employment. It would be my girl friend and I. We would like to atlesdt start out with $25,000 each and be able to work up in our feild of work. I do pool work and she is a teacher. I look on craigslist every day and always see openings for jobs that's why I'm wondering how hard it really is to get work? I've called a bunch of places and yes it seems very hard to line up a job before you move where most employers want you to come in within the next few days for a interview and start the following week. If anyone on here wants to hire me to clean their pool let me know!!!!! But this is a great read and gives me more insight on what to look for. I understand it's going be rough but it's a risk and it's the only thing I got if I wanna do pools all year because it's season up here
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Old 07-01-2014, 09:34 AM
 
790 posts, read 1,268,582 times
Reputation: 1029
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhp91787 View Post
So you guys are saying if you are making 40k a year and your apartment is between $800-1000 you won't be able to make it down there? I know up here in the Philly area I make about $29,000 have off in the winters and have a very small one bedroom apartment that cost $950 a month and I still have money for food, to go out on weekends and to travel a little bit. I'm in the same situation as the first poster and I'm looking to move down to have full employment. It would be my girl friend and I. We would like to atlesdt start out with $25,000 each and be able to work up in our feild of work. I do pool work and she is a teacher. I look on craigslist every day and always see openings for jobs that's why I'm wondering how hard it really is to get work? I've called a bunch of places and yes it seems very hard to line up a job before you move where most employers want you to come in within the next few days for a interview and start the following week. If anyone on here wants to hire me to clean their pool let me know!!!!! But this is a great read and gives me more insight on what to look for. I understand it's going be rough but it's a risk and it's the only thing I got if I wanna do pools all year because it's season up here

Do you have a car? Depending on that the insurance is over $120/month for full cov and then factor in car payment and gas. Plus on that wage you will be RENTING all your life and never be able to acutally buy a house. This isnt "PHILLY" btw so things are drastically different. You also mentioned you have a GF, how much does she make, If you have a g/f helping you out then thats totally different.

Craigslist? cleaning pools? but you say you are looking for "full time" employment. If it were as easy as you think its, im sure you would already be down here with a full time job and "money to spare"...

I will say this though. We do have a "slow" season down here in the winter for pool service as well so while your work may not stop completely dont expect it to be the same as if it were the summer.

In regards to the 40k a year, I am talking about mainly familys with kids. Which is most of the population here. If you had to take care of you, a kid and a girlfriend on 40k alone, it would be a struggle. Any single guy can survive off 20-30k, lol its not that hard to do.
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Old 07-01-2014, 09:39 AM
 
105 posts, read 135,449 times
Reputation: 98
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vannort54 View Post
My wife and I moved down here from Chicago I'm retired and she was recruted by a headhunter
Could you tell me which "headhunter" office recruited her? I'm in a different field, but am in the same boat. We're in Chicago and want to make the move as well. Any info on the headhunters in the area is appreciated. Thanks.
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Old 07-01-2014, 11:28 AM
 
17 posts, read 21,183 times
Reputation: 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by The b8nk View Post
Do you have a car? Depending on that the insurance is over $120/month for full cov and then factor in car payment and gas. Plus on that wage you will be RENTING all your life and never be able to acutally buy a house. This isnt "PHILLY" btw so things are drastically different. You also mentioned you have a GF, how much does she make, If you have a g/f helping you out then thats totally different.

Craigslist? cleaning pools? but you say you are looking for "full time" employment. If it were as easy as you think its, im sure you would already be down here with a full time job and "money to spare"...

I will say this though. We do have a "slow" season down here in the winter for pool service as well so while your work may not stop completely dont expect it to be the same as if it were the summer.

In regards to the 40k a year, I am talking about mainly familys with kids. Which is most of the population here. If you had to take care of you, a kid and a girlfriend on 40k alone, it would be a struggle. Any single guy can survive off 20-30k, lol its not that hard to do.
Yes I have a car but also have a company truck. Which it looks like most employers will supply one for you down there. If that is right I may just sell my car and we will just have one car which both mine and her'a are paid off. The reason we haven't made the move yet is because we both have made a agreement with our companies well stay for the summer. She is a teacher also a nanny for special need children. How are the teaching jobs down there? I'm not saying it will be a easy move at all and could be very risky but with how many schools are closing up here and how bad the schools are in the Philly area it just seems like a good time for a fresh start, I've been doing the pool work for 6 years and work march-October but would like to work all year with atlesdt 40 hours a week. If we both were able to get jobs and made $35k a year how would we be able to live? I'm just very curious and want to get the most info as possible,
She would also be willing to take a waitress job at first to have some kind of income. Is that also very hard to get jobs?
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Old 07-01-2014, 12:17 PM
 
4,586 posts, read 5,610,794 times
Reputation: 4369
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spring Hillian View Post
The problem we have here in FL is that there are much more people than there are jobs. That leaves a lot of people underemployed or unemployed.
On that note: A lot of people come here with/without a job, some find jobs, some don't, and some open their own businesses to "try" to cater to those who moved here with or without employment, and who have ZERO buying power towards the "services" offered! So moms and pops struggle to cater to an audience that's not rich & shops mainly at Walmart & are always looking for "deals".

We here on CD are not always taken seriously when we tell people life is expensive in FL unless you make 6 figures and don't spend recklessly, and a lot of folks move here anyway "because they're done with snow", and don't realize it until it's too late, and they become those who cannot support the service industry they were looking to work in. I remember a time in Florida when the gas was $1 and some change...not the case anymore.
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Old 07-01-2014, 12:48 PM
 
790 posts, read 1,268,582 times
Reputation: 1029
Question for northerners....do you really think the ads you see on TV will be day to day life here?
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Old 07-01-2014, 01:07 PM
 
4,586 posts, read 5,610,794 times
Reputation: 4369
Quote:
Originally Posted by The b8nk View Post
Question for northerners....do you really think the ads you see on TV will be day to day life here?
You beat me to it...

People need to read about "advertising" more...
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Old 07-01-2014, 01:43 PM
 
17 posts, read 21,183 times
Reputation: 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by The b8nk View Post
Question for northerners....do you really think the ads you see on TV will be day to day life here?
Nope but that would be nice. It's a risk I guess, if it doesn't work out I can always move back to the north. Unemployment rates are high here to but people make it work. What's life without taking a risk and going for your dreams. Thanks for all the help I'll see you guys in September.!
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Old 07-01-2014, 02:58 PM
 
Location: Spring Hill Florida
12,135 posts, read 16,128,302 times
Reputation: 6086
Dont get me wrong: It certainly does not require 6 figures to do OK here. Zero buying power? Pass by any shopping mall in the state of FL and I am sure you will find the parking lot busy. Here in SH stores are opening all the time. We are waiting for the next mall to be built which will house Bonefish Grill, Hobby Lobby, Mattress Firm and Vitamin Shoppe as the first 4 announced businesses going into Cortez Commons. Retail is booming here. Even though we are in our "off season" the restaurants are busy.

The median income for Tampa is $44,000. That means half are getting more than 44k and half are getting less. I guess it sucks to be on the getting less side overall, but that is the way it goes. I am sure that a couple with 3 or 4 kids that is on the low side of the median is going to be tight.
But that is the way it goes when you want to raise a family.

It does not matter where you live these days. Time are tough all over. Every state, every city is suffering from the economic downturn of the 21st century. Oregon, Nevada, California, Illinois all have
higher unemployment rates. It is hard to find work in any state.

I remember when gas was 0.38 an a pack of cigarettes was 0.45
Attachment 132219





Quote:
Originally Posted by PhotoProIP View Post
On that note: A lot of people come here with/without a job, some find jobs, some don't, and some open their own businesses to "try" to cater to those who moved here with or without employment, and who have ZERO buying power towards the "services" offered! So moms and pops struggle to cater to an audience that's not rich & shops mainly at Walmart & are always looking for "deals".

We here on CD are not always taken seriously when we tell people life is expensive in FL unless you make 6 figures and don't spend recklessly, and a lot of folks move here anyway "because they're done with snow", and don't realize it until it's too late, and they become those who cannot support the service industry they were looking to work in. I remember a time in Florida when the gas was $1 and some change...not the case anymore.

Last edited by Spring Hillian; 07-13-2015 at 11:47 AM..
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