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It's really not for anyone else to judge how much money another person needs in order to make a move.
When people enquirer about this - and there is a reliable group of people who do - they are over stepping their bounds.
Unless the question is about job opportunities in a specific state in a certain field - and on THIS forum they seldom are - it is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
Did they ask for financial advice? No.
Not everyone wants to discuss the exact money that they have saved or an inheritance that they received. Or a monthly disability payment that they receive.
Those things are personal.
Americans can move from one state to another at any time and for what ever reason that they wish. That is a Constitutional right.
It's really not for anyone else to judge how much money another person needs in order to make a move.
When people enquirer about this - and there is a reliable group of people who do - they are over stepping their bounds.
Unless the question is about job opportunities in a specific state in a certain field - and on THIS forum they seldom are - it is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
Did they ask for financial advice? No.
Not everyone wants to discuss the exact money that they have saved or an inheritance that they received. Or a monthly disability payment that they receive.
Those things are personal.
Americans can move from one state to another at any time and for what ever reason that they wish. That is a Constitutional right.
I most certainly hope that your response isn't based on something I wrote...if it is, that wasn't my intent at all. Truly. I agree with you...money is a touchy subject and no one's business. I really admire those people who have save diligently...or have some sort of nest egg. I also think the more money saved, the safer you will feel when taking on a big move. Very smart.
However, my purpose for having said that some posters have mentioned a large chunk just to move, it actually makes said move, that much scarier. If I had such a cushion, I'd be more likely to take the plunge and not worry so much about the smaller things. Of course, that is all subjective.
And then there are these posts, where the OP may have a cushion but smartly moves without a lot of fuss or muss and makes it work very well. I also admire that aspect. Personally, I wish I had more "just go with it" attitude...
Living in the same place for one's entire life is not always an accomplishment. Some people stay out of fear or connections with others that faded away a long time ago.
My motto "I do believe
if you don't like things you leave.
For someplace you've never been before". - "I Found a Reason" The Velvet Underground
Life is to short to waste in living in a place that you don't love.
Connections w/ others that faded away a long time ago. It reminds me of eating food past its' expiration date. Some things, people and connections are best to let go of...in order to grow.
The thing is--it's really hard moving--you have to change, accommodate & it's a big learning curve in every way, shape and form. Not for the faint of heart, but for the courageous!
I just want to disagree with you on one little thing - and that's your statement that you probably couldn't do the same move to California. There are lots of jobs, and hostels here, too.
If you decide you don't like Utah, come try CA. Some of us are poor and also very happy, living the sunny life here
Great Great thread OP, I am SO happy for you!! I considered SLC a few months back, I've been there 3 times and it is breathtakingly beautiful, and the hostel option was one of the reasons why, it's an international destination due to the LDS church/genealogy researchers and they don't require a non-u.s. passport to stay in them. It also has great public transportation, I'm still not yet sure I'm driving my jalopy across the country for move #5. I'm also tired of hearing how I need to have a job lined up and 10 grand in the bank to make a move possible, in fact I'm getting tired of analysis paralysis that I'm guilty of and part of me is screaming "just make a decision already"!! However I am leaning toward my former home of 20 years, Seattle, I can do it on a $1000-1500 similar budget because I know the place like the back of my hand; and there are places/people I can crash with til I'm on my feet.
jasper12: I LOL'd when I read "a week of PB and J, apples, and bananas never killed anyone"...yet it's hard to believe how many people don't know that and consider it major deprivation if your not dining out every night. Other inexpensive options if you have access to cooking facilities: you'd be surprised how far a bag of potatoes, rice, and butter/soy sauce packets can stretch or whatever else you can come up with in a pinch, they also don't require refrigeration, a room with one can sometimes be more expensive. Since I doubt few of us will have a minibar in the room.
Shellnic: I know what you mean, if that kind of dough was in my checking account I'd be studying brochure's at the Hilton and Hyatt, not posting here.
I most certainly hope that your response isn't based on something I wrote...if it is, that wasn't my intent at all. Truly. I agree with you...money is a touchy subject and no one's business. I really admire those people who have save diligently...or have some sort of nest egg. I also think the more money saved, the safer you will feel when taking on a big move. Very smart.
However, my purpose for having said that some posters have mentioned a large chunk just to move, it actually makes said move, that much scarier. If I had such a cushion, I'd be more likely to take the plunge and not worry so much about the smaller things. Of course, that is all subjective.
And then there are these posts, where the OP may have a cushion but smartly moves without a lot of fuss or muss and makes it work very well. I also admire that aspect. Personally, I wish I had more "just go with it" attitude...
Not to get off topic here, but it seems to me that if everybody had that huge nest egg, they'd be less likely to pull up stakes and try their luck someplace else...isn't that what the pioneer and gold rush days were about? Humanity has always had the need to search for prosperity and greener pastures, even though the grass isn't always gonna be that way.
Honestly, I think that moving cheap is the best way to go for single people. I went from TN to IA and had no help doing it - I took my my clothes and some personal possessions and that was it. I bought cheap things once I got there and sold them off once I got back. I lost money, but it would have been more expensive to drag everything halfway across the country then drag it back. If you buy used furniture, you'll lose even less money. You could even buy a bunch of clothes at the Goodwill or something.
There are still places in this country one can move to and probably get a job relatively quickly. It may not be a high-paying job or the job you want, but sometimes you just have to be local in order to have a chance. You don't want to move to bad off states without a job (think CA, FL, NC, TN, NV) but economically healthier states like UT, MN, IA, NE, etc, are probably worth taking a gamble on if you're somewhere that you absolutely hate.
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Some things, people and connections are best to let go of...in order to grow.
