Getting out of debt and out of Washington (Seattle: apartment, travel)

[mthomson]

This is a two part thread...
Here is a YouTube video that a friend sent me that offers a gauranteed plan to get out of debt. It's only 2:21 long and well worth it for the advice offered.
Secondly, I'm not trying to start a controversy, but am genuinely curious. So many people on this forum seem to hate Washington and yearn to live somewhere else, somewhere better, somewhere more affordable. If this is you, why don't you move? I can't buy "job", because you complain it's too expensive here, so there must be better jobs elsewhere. I can't buy "My kids are in school" because all I read on this forum is how bad the schools are. "Climate" doesn't work, because so many moan about how bad our weather is here. "Quality of Life" is out, because according to many of you Washington is a high crime rat hole.
So I'm truly curious, if you hate our beautiful, wonderful state so much, why are you here? I fully expect some good answers...I'm not trying to be a smart aleck jerk. I just can't think of what those answers will be.

[mayfair]

Here is my take on the second part of your post.

What I see is a number of people (myself included) who don't like certain aspects of WA but don't hate the whole place. For example, people who suffer from SAD may love the natural beauty but are suffering from the short, gray days. Or people may have trouble affording an apartment, but like their job. It's not simple and cut-and-dried. One spouse often is happy and another doesn't like the place. Life is complex and many-faceted.

If a person is young and single or retired, it's easier to move. Not everyone is going to pick and leave when they have family, school, community and job connections in a place.

[mthomson]

Good answer, thanks.

[rjcjmom]

I have to agree with those folks that say life is complex and many faceted. Also, that there are many wonderful things about Washington. As a Washington native, however, I have spent enough time around evergreen trees that never reflect the seasonal changes and grey skies to last me for the rest of my days. It is very beautiful, and the mountains in particular, and all the water, as well. But for me - I would definitely prefer somewhere warmer, less damp, and sunnier. Eastern Washington I have found very much too my likeing that way, but not much in the way of jobs. I remember going to college there years ago, and a native eastern Washingtonian asked 'So you moved to the eastside just to dry out?' and I had to admit it was nice.

As far as why I don't get in my car today and go - in addition to money concerns (mostly lack of) - I don't know a soul in the southwest. Also, I have 2 special needs kids and visitation issues. Their dad, also a native western Washingtonian (like me), cannot imagine living anywhere where it doesn't rain half the year and doesn't have everlasting greenery. Nor does he want our kids anywhere else.

So, yes, to my mind, those are reasonable issues that will take lots of careful planning to work through. I have always found that when I make a change in the direction I want in one area of my life, it doesn't always positively impact the other areas of my life, so I hope to have things straightened out in the next couple of years or so. But I know it won't happen unless I start planning now.

If I had no family ties, I would still feel a bit daunted by having no job lined up or any friends or family there.

I might add that, growing up and even today, I have met with from time to time several people that would also like to move out, but just can't figure out all the obstacles. My parents, for example, always wanted to move out of state but actually spent all of their remaining days in the same house they had for 40 years. But, I also know of a native Washingtonian family that waited until their youngest kid finished high school and then didn't waste a day moving to Phoenix. The interesting thing was the husband was a professional sail-maker and was prepared to give it up cold turkey. I understand that it has been all smiles for them ever since.

So I know it can be done!

By the way, I used to spend years commuting on the ferry boat system to work in Seattle and, in talking with many folks over the years, formed the very unofficial opinion that if somebody had been commuting/living roughly 5 years or less in Washington, I would invariably hear how ecstatic they were with Washington and how glad they were to have had the opportunity to move here. I knew for sure of only about 4 to 5 native Washingtonians who commuted to Seattle on a daily basis. They for sure were a whole lot less bubbly on the same topic.

[JDTD]

Originally Posted by mthomson

This is a two part thread...
Here is a YouTube video that a friend sent me that offers a gauranteed plan to get out of debt. It's only 2:21 long and well worth it for the advice offered.
Secondly, I'm not trying to start a controversy, but am genuinely curious. So many people on this forum seem to hate Washington and yearn to live somewhere else, somewhere better, somewhere more affordable. If this is you, why don't you move? I can't buy "job", because you complain it's too expensive here, so there must be better jobs elsewhere. I can't buy "My kids are in school" because all I read on this forum is how bad the schools are. "Climate" doesn't work, because so many moan about how bad our weather is here. "Quality of Life" is out, because according to many of you Washington is a high crime rat hole.
So I'm truly curious, if you hate our beautiful, wonderful state so much, why are you here? I fully expect some good answers...I'm not trying to be a smart aleck jerk. I just can't think of what those answers will be.

I watched the video. I don't buy stuff (no toys, trips, etc.). I make a decent living by middle-class standards, and I still can't afford to live here if I want to retire before 85. So...I am going to move. I'm a freakin' native Washintonian too (born and raised). Thanks for bringing up these points! I'll send you a post card from wherever I end up.

[rjcjmom]

I agree with affordability thing. I work at a just over minimum wage job and it is gone in a heartbeat. Used to work at a place (in Washington) where people had excess money and talked incessently about the best stock, bond, interest rate, or latest investment program and how it would affect their retirement planning, mortage payment, and so forth. That is a foreign language to me. Everyone I live around is struggling desperately to make it day to day here in the rather depressed SW Washington community I live in. Everyday I meet somebody who is busy figuring just where their 5 dollars will get them the most bang for the buck.

Recently there was a newspaper article about how employers here were screaming for employees. Well, people are desperately looking for work here - but employers here don't like to make investments in training. They want somebody already qualified and trained, in something more complicated than a service job. And - they are not willing to pay top dollar. So they will go on screaming for qualified workers, because all of those people are generally already working. At several dollars per hour less than they would find in any of Washington's bigger cities, I might add. And in the meantime, poor, untrained, people keep desperately hoping that anyone will give them a break, anywhere. And because there are so many looking for work, it takes a very long time to get a job. If anybody has the slightest edge over you, or if you have any issues with your work history - that's it - you won't get the job, usually.

Which is one of many factors contributing to that 'hard to move' out of Washington thing for some people.

By the way, last time I lived in Seattle about 8 years ago - I never met a single person who did not have a roommate unless they earned over $3k per month. I can't imagine things have changed for the better in that regard there much since.

[tudorjason]

That advice is useful, but its really advice only for not getting into debt in the first place - not getting out of debt. It's just POV.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by rjcjmom

Recently there was a newspaper article about how employers here were screaming for employees. Well, people are desperately looking for work here - but employers here don't like to make investments in training. They want somebody already qualified and trained, in something more complicated than a service job.

So true... the problem is many employers have found training to be a mixed bag. I work in the medical field and their was a point where as soon as someone became experienced, they would by lured away.

We only train about 10% of what we once did. Traveling Nurses make up the shortfall and contract employees.

[chris]

yeah there are way worse places to live than Washingon, it's not as bad as CA or FL or a few other choice places.

I'm sure those who wish to leave cannot just pick up and leave without job security, moving can be somewhat traumatic and financially risky for families. Like many who aren't crazy about living here, I have to consider what's best for my family, which is to stay put for the time being.

For me, the weather and quality of life are the two big issues. My posting history should have more elaboration into those details.

To me, the OP's reaction is similar to many who don't harbor criticism about Washington very well (usually singles/dinks), and take every critique of the state as a personal attack. There's no reason to be offended by other people's opinions. That's what were all here for anyway, to possibly gain knowledge or re-enforce our reasons for staying/leaving. Certainly presenting comedy is a good outlet (my preferred method) to get a point across, but the OP's video is completely out of touch.

[wannabeaTexan]

I am born and raised here and do not like the weather and am having a hard time finding a decent place to live at this point as rents are being raised at a rate faster than my income is. I don't hate it here, but also don't want to spend my entire life living in one area.

But I have 6 kids, which makes it difficult to move. I don't have savings and will have to rely on a tax refund if I want to make it to Texas.

If I had been smart, I would've up and moved out of state and went to college at 18 instead of having a kid. LOL Although I probably wouldn't have had the guts to move away at that age since most of my family is here.

At any rate, my circumstances at this point just don't make it easy to do what I want.