Moving and Boston (violent crime, credit, student loans)

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by sedqq1

Thank you everyone. It seems Boston is higher and my wife will not find it easier. It seems like one has to move out of the country!

And yet I can't imagine that everyone is having that perfect job. How do others like me make it? I don't think I am doing horribly.

People who are single and work at near minimum wage? Are they all destined to live in the hood?

It seems very in odds with the value placed in hard work and the "Good life." I understand those days of a 40 hour work week and financial stability, a house and car are over. But this new world?

I see a bunch of people who seem to make a lot of money, people who can afford $5K a month rent etc I see in some post and can't help wondering where all the geniuses appeared. From all over the world, home grown ... ... I guess this is the new reality.

A lot of people have bs jobs that pay a lot and don't understand money and spend like there's no tomorrow. This always comes back to bite them. People on this board tend to be very wealthy and sheltered.

Boston is not a place to go if you want to minimize importance of money, status, education, various other attributes that have nothing to do with being a good person or having a strong community.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by sedqq1

People who are single and work at near minimum wage? Are they all destined to live in the hood?

In the hood with multiple roommates and no car.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by sedqq1

Thank you everyone. It seems Boston is higher and my wife will not find it easier. It seems like one has to move out of the country!

And yet I can't imagine that everyone is having that perfect job. How do others like me make it? I don't think I am doing horribly.

People who are single and work at near minimum wage? Are they all destined to live in the hood?

It seems very in odds with the value placed in hard work and the "Good life." I understand those days of a 40 hour work week and financial stability, a house and car are over. But this new world?

I see a bunch of people who seem to make a lot of money, people who can afford $5K a month rent etc I see in some post and can't help wondering where all the geniuses appeared. From all over the world, home grown ... ... I guess this is the new reality.

I hear your plight. Since the 1980s, there has been a huge transfer of wealth from the low/working class to the top/upper class. There have been studies about how in most parts of the country, it is difficult, if not impossible to rent a typical 2 bedroom dwelling with two adults working at minimum wage full time. And the rapidly increasing costs of higher education aren't helping, either.

Combined with outsourcing overseas, and increased automation and efficiency, jobs for the working class are disappearing and won't be back. This is a phenomenon long seen in declining societies -- once the majority of wages come from services rather than goods, countries decline in wealth and status. We can regroup, increase the social safety net, commit to education, and prevent the stagnation and fall of the middle and lower classes, but sadly, too many people are against doing so.

A lot of people seem to inherit wealth -- or a house, and that makes a huge difference. But people who don't have that sort of luck have a difficult time. And in an area like Boston, where housing prices are so high, you are not alone.

[sedqq1]

My wife works in a factory kind of ... at this time. Shift work. I feel she can do my job if I taught her and I also don't feel like I'm at my limit in terms of capacity and complexity. My job isn't that hard.

I did a lot more complex stuff in grad school. Then again Maybe lots of people feel that way. College and real life are so far off. Why use your mind on complexity when real life is all about digging, swimming in currents, very little about "Smarts."

A lot more it seems to do with whether people like you. And that is never taught in College where the Professor sees a paper, not the student.

Oh well. But hey it is Friday night!

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

People on this board tend to be very wealthy and sheltered.

You don't know that for certain.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by xo_kizzy_xo

You don't know that for certain.

So the people posting about 5k budgets are actually poor?

Naw, I'm pretty confident. Look at the bs we talk about on here. People living paycheck to paycheck don't have the time to worry about most of this nonsense.

[alidmc]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

So the people posting about 5k budgets are actually poor?

Naw, I'm pretty confident. Look at the bs we talk about on here. People living paycheck to paycheck don't have the time to worry about most of this nonsense.

The posters with 5K budgets and purchasing $1m+ homes usually post a few times and disappear. The regular posters keep it real

Back to the OP- your wife could look at jobs in the medical field in Boston. Boston has many hospitals and all are open 24 hours a day. These hospitals need a lot of support staff and often struggle to find individuals to cover all shifts.

Medical, technology, education, biotech, and finance are the largest sectors aside from retail/service. There aren't a ton of factories in the Boston area, due to real estate costs.

But our weather is not great. Our winters are long and cold.

[sedqq1]

Trying to get my wife out of shift work. That's the main push factor for us wanting to leave Madison, WI.

[nuala]

Back 10-15 years ago I was going to move to Boston and read forums and asked similar questions. It was frightening to read sorts of opinions like "don't even think of spending less than 2,5-3K a month if you want a nice neighbourhood". I did read them with a grain of salt so I went straight to some rental agency on Newbury street (the posh district) and they found me a place for $700, right by the Prudential. Single room but for a single person it was OK. Even though I had found a job in advance, once there I saw how I could have searched for a job while there and maybe found something even more profitable. Basically, my message is: don't be deterred by opinions on a forum, moving places usually works out better than expected (it has always been the case for me).

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by nuala

Back 10-15 years ago I was going to move to Boston and read forums and asked similar questions. It was frightening to read sorts of opinions like "don't even think of spending less than 2,5-3K a month if you want a nice neighbourhood". I did read them with a grain of salt so I went straight to some rental agency on Newbury street (the posh district) and they found me a place for $700, right by the Prudential. Single room but for a single person it was OK. Even though I had found a job in advance, once there I saw how I could have searched for a job while there and maybe found something even more profitable. Basically, my message is: don't be deterred by opinions on a forum, moving places usually works out better than expected (it has always been the case for me).

Ok but to be clear, there are no 700/month apartments by the prudential center now. The costs are very real and in my opinion not at all worth it if you aren't 22. I know I'm looking to get out if the right job opportunity comes up elsewhere. Average people who want to get married or have families will have a rough time in boston. Feel free to ignore this if you want, but do so at your own peril.