How much it cost to live in WY????? (Cheyenne, Casper: coupons, car insurance)

[kq6ee55]

Hi: Can anybody tell me how much the winter energy bill (heating: gas or electric)of a three bedroom house, and car insurance??? I am driving a Toyota Corrola. I have to calculate how much they cost before wife and I leave CA. To WY. In CA, car insurance is very expensive and the winter energy bill is not that expensive ( I gest ). Somebody told me that you have to spend $2500 /month to heat your house during winter because of the sub-zero temperature. Is it true ??? Is there anybody have solar heating in their house?? I might lower the energy bill. I am no an engineer but I plan to do a lot of experiments such as solar cooker and heater.
How about FOOD!!!! in CA, there are a lot mom and pop stores, farmer market, and many, many food stores -- you can save a lot with coupons. I don't know about WY. Last time I went to Casper, I saw WAL-MART. I think it is the biggest, isn't it??? Would you mind to give me some answers ??

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by kq6ee55

Hi: Can anybody tell me how much the winter energy bill (heating: gas or electric)of a three bedroom house, and car insurance??? I am driving a Toyota Corrola. I have to calculate how much they cost before wife and I leave CA. To WY. In CA, car insurance is very expensive and the winter energy bill is not that expensive ( I gest ). Somebody told me that you have to spend $2500 /month to heat your house during winter because of the sub-zero temperature. Is it true ??? Is there anybody have solar heating in their house?? I might lower the energy bill. I am no an engineer but I plan to do a lot of experiments such as solar cooker and heater.
How about FOOD!!!! in CA, there are a lot mom and pop stores, farmer market, and many, many food stores -- you can save a lot with coupons. I don't know about WY. Last time I went to Casper, I saw WAL-MART. I think it is the biggest, isn't it??? Would you mind to give me some answers ??

There are way too many variables for you to get an actual figure of what those things would cost. For example, for winter heating expenses, it will depend on the energy efficiency of the home, as well as square footage, location, alignment with the sun, desired interior temperature, and method of heating. If you use firewood exclusively, that you cut and split yourself, it won't likely cost nearly as much as if you use only propane, if all other things are the same. Many homes are designed and built to use passive solar heating in the winter, requiring only a little supplemental heating to keep the house comfortable. As for car insurance, there are a lot of factors there, too.

Figuring out what car insurance will cost depends greatly on things like driving history, driver's age, marital status, vehicle, type of insurance desired, home address, and so on. Your best bet for getting this information is to call an insurance agent, or to get an online quote from a company or agent in the area you're thinking of moving to.

Finally, Wyoming has some major grocery stores in the larger cities, but nothing like California seems to have. Some of the smaller cities may only have one or two grocery stores, while the larger cities, of course, will have more. Only the larger cities in Wyoming have Wal-Marts, some of which do have grocery departments (at least in Super Wal-Mart). There are also some "mom and pop" type stores in many cities and towns in Wyoming. In many places, these may be your only choice, because the town isn't big enough to support a major store. There are things you might be used to buying in California that you may not be able to buy in Wyoming, at least during certain times of the year. From my experience, produce selection in Wyoming is more limited than it is in California, because things that can be grown in California can't necessarily be grown in Wyoming.

[HighlandLady]

I reside, for now, in Casper, in a 1700+ sqfoot, 3-4 bedroom older home, and the most we paid for gas this winter was $120. Our electric was about the same. It just depends on the temperature and winds. Last year it was well over $500 a month during the coldest part, but our furnace was not functioning well and we replaced it.
We have two Super Walmarts now, two Albertson's and two Safeways and a Smith's for groceries.
Many utilize a fireplace or a pellet stove too.
As far as car insurance...I certainly hope you have it before you arrive here, I hope you have insurance now! We have Geico on a truck and Jeep, pay about $68 a month - that includes both. jdavid has it right with regards to insurance...as well with all of his points.

[loudyk]

I live in a 2700 sq. ft. 4 bedroom home. It is 17 years old, well built and insulated. I have lived in this house 11 years and my highest heating bill (gas) was $225 for a month. Car insurance is less than California, but it still depends upon your driving record and type of coverage your looking for. Your heating bill will vary depending on how well insulated your house is and whether you have gas or electric heat.

Why Wyoming? Casper has horrendous wind. It tends to drive people away. I know I'm leaving as soon as my husband and I are ready to retire. Hopefully in the next year. Then it is somewhere south that is warmer and with very little wind!

[HighlandLady]

Not to berate anyone or become belligerent...but any place you choose to reside will be what you want it to be and what you make of it. Yes, Casper has winds, sometimes it is all one can do to stay vertical...and yes, the temperatures can be cold - this winter is one of the coldest and windiest I have been through in 20 years. However, as it has been stated in a couple other threads, winds can be ungodly elsewhere (Cody - 127mph) and frankly, I would rather have Casper winds any day. It usually is more windy in the winter than the summer.
There are many things to do in Casper - several organizations, museums, nightclubs, outdoor activities...depending on your activity level and likes. The mountain is just minutes away, the river runs through town with some excellent fly-fishing spots. Skiing is good, hiking, mountain climbing...and areas close to hunting. Casper's central location is great for i.e. the Bighorn Mountains, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, etc. It is a cleaner town than Cheyenne, for instance (IMO).
I don't care for the winds either...but I find other things to do to not focus on the winds. The library here is a fine one...and though I am not a shopper in the least, there are a few places that are quaint and wonderful to browse through...in the downtown area, not the mall. One just has to kind of dig a little bit and not scratch the surface...there are alternatives to the wind

[ElkHunter]

Up here in Sheridan, we don't get the winds that some places get so our energy bills tend to be a little less. This winter the worst my bill was $160. That's gas and electric. My house is 1600 sq ft and was built in 1984. But last year I had 30 inches of insulation blown in the atic. I have a crawl space so we strapped insulation to the floor. Also, I replaced every light bulb with curly frys. haha That's what they look like.

So I was really happy with energy this winter. Now we'll see what the central does this summer.

Insurance is going to very depending on vehicle, years of experience, tickets, etc so there's no comparison. Just go online and visit someplace like Geico and get a free quote. That will give you a good idea.

[HighlandLady]

Those 'curly-fry' lights are grand, no?

[ElkHunter]

Yeah they are. A 60 watt bulb actually only burns 14 watts but is as bright as a 60 watt. Plus, there's no heat generated. So I get good savings from all the curly frys. haha

[HighlandLady]

And...they are fat-free!! Can't beat that!

[wyolady]

I got some "curly-fries" but the light is much whiter than the warm light of traditional lights. With my aging eyes, I can't seem to read by them. Any ideas?