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I really just don't know what to do anymore. I feel its almost like why live in NY or Long Island when I can live in a tropical paradise. Its the same thing were ever you go in America, Low wages, laid off whenever they want, working then getting laid off or fired. Working continuously just to make your $400-$600 a week and it get you NOWHERE!! I personally can never afford to have a family or own a house or property for that matter so why STAY IN NY!? I just hate NY and Long Island most of the time, especially in the winter. The winter is just murder for me personally, depression, anxiety, not working, costs of living in a small piece of crap 1 bedroom for $1000 cash a month just throwing out my money.... I feel that at least shouldn't I live in a warmer climate were depression isn't such a problem? Move were I can actually enjoy nature and the wonderful culture and environment in Hawaii instead of New Yorks deadly repetative cycle of ruin.
I was working in the 5 boro's for about 7 months as an exterminator. I loved my job yet couldn't save a nickel. The only benefits I ever received were parking tickets and seat belt tickets which ruined me financially and physically. I know have 2 seat belt tickets and one signal ticket. Because these are on my license now for 4 YEARS, I can not get a job no matter what company I try to apply for because of my driving record. I HAVE NO ACCIDENTS, NO MAJOR TICKETS, NO DWI, NO CRIMINAL HISTORY... just a few minor tickets going from door to door, stop to stop, in a area of the world were cops attack the honest worker and destroy a people as a whole. Because of my accidental actionsn of not putting on my seat belt from going from 54th st to 58th st I cannot be considered for employment anywhree in the united states as a driver or service worker who drives a company vehicle. Had recently 3 job offers which were denied because of more than 2 moving violations in 4 years.
Why should I stay here? Its cold, miserable, and just so depressing the fact that for another 4 years and I'm 30 I cannot be considered for a job in the United States because of 2-3 small driving tickets. Shouldn't I move to hawaii were I can enjoy the waters and people? Start a new life away from the mess of New York? If I have a few grand saved since I was a kid shouldn't I just use this to move away from this cycle of disaster? My whole family is here and do not want me to move, yet I just don't see how I"ll ever make it here. I have a good resume and am a great worker and person. I have very little life savings yet I have just enough now before I give it all away to my landlord to make a move in my life. I would think that hawaii could be a wonderful begining for me for I loved the carribean and all the islands I have ever visited in my life with my family when I was young and only have beautiful memories at these places. I don't think I have many beautiful memories in theis place called Long Island except FINANCIAL STRESS, the teases of success with the reality of failure, the consistant cycle of getting a job and working for a few months then getting fired or laid off, why not this cycle happen in a tropical paradise? The American worker means nothing, never ment anything, and is the sucker of this financial tug of war. If I can't enjoy my life with a ton of money, then mabye I should just move to a climate that I love so when more failure or unemployment occurs or even homelessness in the future for if I never find a job with the slightest bit of security I really feel that this is a possibility.
I just really can't go threw the cycles anymore for I know that this will be how it is for the rest of my life and I just wana prepare for it. I"ve had 3 jobs in theh past 2 years and just can't go threw the financial torture anymore, and if I do at least I will have a beautiful place to walk around, explore, and become apart of like hawaii....
Last edited by BugBoy911; 01-04-2010 at 09:43 AM..
Where is your spirituality? Your higher power? Are you connected to the energy grid of the universe? To the great supercomputer in the sky? To Spirit? To Being? (Some people call that power God. I like other names.) Someone once said...
When you have a problem in life, and you need to fix it... the only REAL solution HAS GOT TO BE a spiritual one.
I am a very spiritual person and believe in a higher power. I am a very openminded person and love to practice a holistic lifestyle. Its the concrete jungle or money, money, money, and stressing about money. What am I supposed to get out of your response? I just clicked on your link... and????
I can understand your pain but I'm not sure moving to Hawaii without any savings will make your life any better. If you had $5-10K to start it might be more realistic.
Also don't discount the negative effects of being by yourself and away from love ones.
Well, it is obvious you don't seem to fit in New York so going away from there might be a good start. How about buying an RV to live in and heading somewhere south? That would take up less resources and would keep the resources in a tangible item (the RV) which you'd be able to sell later if you wanted to.
Just because you don't fit in New York, doesn't necessarily mean you will fit in Hawaii. It doesn't mean you will, but again, it doesn't mean you won't, it's just not related much at all.
Hawaii is a pretty hard nut to crack when it comes to living inexpensively since we don't have a lot of the options available to folks on the mainland. No trailer parks, no RV parks just for starters. However, there are other beautiful places that aren't as expensive to live in.
Another option would be to stash all your furniture and stuff with your relatives, pack really lightly (it's much easier for traveling) and then catch a ride south. Stay in hostels which are low cost as well as more interactive than many other overnight accommodations. Find a village, hamlet, city, etc., that you like and look around to see the folks you want to hang with. Now is a good time to reinvent yourself as whoever you want to be since they won't have any preconceived notions of who you are. Find some sort of employment and find some sort of inexpensive living arrangements, maybe back to the RV living. Then when you get settled, you can either send for your stuff or go back for a visit and pick it up.
great post hotz, I agree get out of NY, stash your stuff or better yet sell what you don't need and hit the road. make your way to a warmer climate. what about florida or ca? you just need a warmer pace that is not as expensive as NY to live good luck to you
Its the concrete jungle or money, money, money, and stressing about money.
Dave Ramsey is well-known for his book "Financial Peace." I read his book about 10 years ago. Today, I am married to a wonderful man, God's gift to me. WE DO NOT FIGHT ABOUT MONEY. Why? Because we follow Dave's advice. We have financial peace. I recommend Dave to anyone and everyone. You can't go wrong with his methods of handling money.
I am a very spiritual person and believe in a higher power.
Quite simply, if you want a way out of the concrete jungle, don't rely on yourself. Don't look to other humans for the answer. Look to your higher power for the answers. The only REAL solution will come from your higher power. How do you plug into the energy grid? How do you communicate with Spirit? Well, that's personal. It's different for everyone.
Yes, Hawaii is warmer. Can't speak to more friendly, because I haven't lived in NY, but the reputations seem to indicate at least a more surface Aloha spirit in Hawaii. Then again so many seem to find here unwelcoming, or maybe just hard to crack into local deeper friendships....I didn't, but our experiences are all different.
If I look at your list of woes, they are:
Weather - Hawaii would be warmer and more temperate
Financial - Don't think the move will solve that. You'll be starting over, because I'm going to guess you don't have a lot of bucks to pay for moving over all your goods. So it means selling everything and buying again here. Not a big problem, just one to go into heads-up and eyes open. Buy your pots & pans, towels, and such at garage sales, and you'll save a lot of money. Jobs are probably scarce in both places, if you are using the ratio of jobs to applicants. More jobs in NY overall, but more people too. Maybe a few less choices of types of jobs here. So if you end up still paycheck to paycheck, will you be happier here? Hard to tell.
Tickets - sorry, we've got seatbelt laws too, and I can't go with the "the man's against me" argument. You know the laws, you didn't obey them, you are paying the consequence. Deal with it. If you get tickets here, you'll pay the fines and/or have the fallout of whatever that means for a chronic failure to comply. You've got 2 seat belt and one signal (running a traffic light?) violation. A new start somewhere could be a reason to own up to personal responsibility and cut out that "ain't my fault" attitude. If you do, life in general will be a whole lot easier.
Stressing - not just about money, it sounds like. Sometimes a new start is just what folks need. Sometimes they bring all their stress with them. It depends, and no one here can answer that for you. You are 30 years old with a whole big lifetime ahead of you.
Come on out if you want the adventure, spend your days off enjoying the blue water and blue skies and big smiles. Join in and relax. Make life work for you. I know it sounds simplistic, but if you find that inner switch, you will wonder why you didn't do it long ago...it really is all up to you. Yes, life takes some work, but it's also beautiful and wonderful all around you, where ever you are.
BB911: Hang in there. As some of the others have said, the immediate problem is getting out of NY to a warmer place.
There are plenty of places on the mainland with beaches and palm trees where you can live way cheaper than HI. Depending on your sense of adventure and risk tolerance, you can get two houses down in Jacksonville FL for under $70K -- put 20% down (around $14K plus closing costs), rent out one of the houses and you could cover your mortgage. That also gives you a feel for how low rents are down there.
Posters here from HI will tell you how impossible that scenario is over there.
Of course, job situation is terrible in FL, but it is up North, too and in HI. Still, if you are without full-time work, why not be in a place that does not make you miserable.
Your post is a sad but important reminder to our friends in HI and other sunny places that here in the north on the Mainland winters really are very hard on some people. In a place like NYC with the low angle of the sun and the tall buildings you can go days, literally, without seeing the sun, even if there are no clouds in the sky.
How about Arizona? It's in the 70's today, Phoenix is a big city with job opportunities, lots of hiking and outdoor activities. The cost of living is very reasonable...for $1000 you can rent a 4 bedroom home. The best part for a single guy is that there are WAY more single women than men.
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