Hi everyone,
I'm from Northern California where I love the weather/culture. I would like to move back but it is just too expensive. I moved to Scottsdale, Arizona 6 years ago and at first the cost of living was so much lower but every year I have earned less than the year before in massage therapy.
Now I am looking for some place new to move. I want to teach at a massage school to have a steady income while working at a resort spa a couple of days. Tucson has very inexpensive rents and is similar to here but I may earn even less there and the crime is higher. Las Vegas is less seasonal for work with a low cost of living but jobs at resort spas are difficult to get. Denver seems best but the rents are much higher and I have never lived in the snow before. I would love to live in Boulder due to the amount of healthy food, yoga and outdoor activities but was surprised it is almost as expensive as Cali with awful looking rentals. I use to make triple what I do now but with seasonal work and the economy it's hard to make it 4-5 months out of the year. Any advice is greatly appreciated.