Want to move to California

[2sleepy]

Unless you have your heart set on Los Angeles and living near a beach, consider the Sacramento area. You can apply online for state jobs, State of California job site and try to find a an administrative assistant job with the state, don't pick a job in a high cost of living area concentrate on affordable areas like Sacramento, you might also look for the job listings for the County, or even various cities. If you have experience in the health care field, you might check job openings in area hospitals or insurance companies, you might post this in the Sacramento forum and if you are looking for a job specifically in healthcare message caligirlz and tell her what you are looking for, she's the resident expert!

You will still be in driving distance of beaches, and places like Lake Tahoe. In my opinion it's one of the few remaining decent places to live on a lower middle income salary.

[jacktravern]

Originally Posted by MaxLMG

Ok, let's say you get $38,000 (the high end of your assumption)

-taxes (lose half)=

$19,000/year post-tax



-average rent in LA for a 1 bedroom ($1,200) .....not near the beach, not a nice area.

-health insurance= w/ the kid $350 a month for a family plan.

-gasoline $30/week =$120/month

-Vehicle registration= $180/year

-Smog test= $60 every 2 years, so $30/year

-Car insurance (varies), but assume $100/month

-Food= $10/day between you and your son although this is way too low= $300/month



Just these assumptions alone already upside down -$1,550 your post-tax salary. On top of that, this does not take into account anything else like clothes, toiletries, random expenses, shopping or anything else. This is just bare bones basic expenses. Plus $10 a day between an adult and child is pretty meager eating. Forget about having money for "fun", you are basically living in poverty at this point.

Oh man, i like to keep people grounded in reality but you really tried to use scare tactics. In the last several Years, I had 1 bedroom apartments in San Gabriel and Tarzana for 950, and 1100 respectively and those are both Above average neighborhoods.

But to say 1200 is the average in LA is simply not true

My vehicle Registration is like 90 bucks, dont know where u got 180

And insurance on a car with a car payment may run u 100 or more, but if the car is paid off and u have liability (and dont live in Compton) it should come in well under 100. mine is like 40 bucks.

Health Care, u cant presume she has to buy a plan, the job could be providing health care for all you know. As a teacher, I pay ZER0 per month

Only the food and smog numbers are somewhat accurate

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by MaxLMG

Ok, let's say you get $38,000 (the high end of your assumption)

-taxes (lose half)=

$19,000/year post-tax



-average rent in LA for a 1 bedroom ($1,200) .....not near the beach, not a nice area.

-health insurance= w/ the kid $350 a month for a family plan.

-gasoline $30/week =$120/month

-Vehicle registration= $180/year

-Smog test= $60 every 2 years, so $30/year

-Car insurance (varies), but assume $100/month

-Food= $10/day between you and your son although this is way too low= $300/month



Just these assumptions alone already upside down -$1,550 your post-tax salary. On top of that, this does not take into account anything else like clothes, toiletries, random expenses, shopping or anything else. This is just bare bones basic expenses. Plus $10 a day between an adult and child is pretty meager eating. Forget about having money for "fun", you are basically living in poverty at this point.

I worry that these numbers might give Dreamer (or others considering similar moves) an unrealistic picture of how much it costs to live in California.

For example, you didn't mention utilities with the rent. Electricity will likely cost $40-$50 a month, more if you need to turn the air conditioner on (which, since you won't be living by the coast for $1200 a month, you may need to do from time to time). We'll assume water and trash are included in the rent, but tack on another $70 to $100 a month if you want cable and Internet.

You also left out clothing. While it's true we don't need to buy winter coats here in Southern California, we do have to buy clothes. I try to shop in low end stores (like Wal-Mart) for a lot of my family's clothing, and still find prices here to be higher than the east coast, if only because of our high state and city sales taxes.

Food? Unless you're getting food stamps or have some way to grow your own vegetables out behind the apartment, a two person family --- especially when one of them is a growing teenage boy -- is not going to be able to survive on $10 a day for food here in California. No matter where in California you live.


If you would like to live somewhere without snow, there are better places than California. In addition to Texas (although living costs in the bigger Texas cities aren't cheap either!) and Nevada, I'd look at Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. (But again, bigger cities in all of those areas will have a higher cost of living than smaller cities and more rural areas.)

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

I worry that these numbers might give Dreamer (or others considering similar moves) an unrealistic picture of how much it costs to live in California.

For example, you didn't mention utilities with the rent. Electricity will likely cost $40-$50 a month, more if you need to turn the air conditioner on (which, since you won't be living by the coast for $1200 a month, you may need to do from time to time). We'll assume water and trash are included in the rent, but tack on another $70 to $100 a month if you want cable and Internet.

You also left out clothing. While it's true we don't need to buy winter coats here in Southern California, we do have to buy clothes. I try to shop in low end stores (like Wal-Mart) for a lot of my family's clothing, and still find prices here to be higher than the east coast, if only because of our high state and city sales taxes.

Food? Unless you're getting food stamps or have some way to grow your own vegetables out behind the apartment, a two person family --- especially when one of them is a growing teenage boy -- is not going to be able to survive on $10 a day for food here in California. No matter where in California you live.


If you would like to live somewhere without snow, there are better places than California. In addition to Texas (although living costs in the bigger Texas cities aren't cheap either!) and Nevada, I'd look at Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. (But again, bigger cities in all of those areas will have a higher cost of living than smaller cities and more rural areas.)

Taxes are not 50% in California, that's nuts. Her net for 38k should be around 32k. And she will have to buy clothes and pay utilities in other states too. One of the big questions is, what would jobs with her skill set pay in other states? If she can give up on the beach idea, she could probably do just fine in a place like Sacramento.

[MaxLMG]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

Oh man, i like to keep people grounded in reality but you really tried to use scare tactics. In the last several Years, I had 1 bedroom apartments in San Gabriel and Tarzana for 950, and 1100 respectively and those are both Above average neighborhoods.

But to say 1200 is the average in LA is simply not true

My vehicle Registration is like 90 bucks, dont know where u got 180

And insurance on a car with a car payment may run u 100 or more, but if the car is paid off and u have liability (and dont live in Compton) it should come in well under 100. mine is like 40 bucks.

Health Care, u cant presume she has to buy a plan, the job could be providing health care for all you know. As a teacher, I pay ZER0 per month

Only the food and smog numbers are somewhat accurate

Drivers license, registration, fees, etc. You need to change your state drivers license as well. Include smog test unless you have a hybrid like me then it is waived.


Where is a 1 bedroom for 950 in a nice area in LA? I'm curious bc I know someone who just moved to Koreatown paying over 1200.

Healthcare depends on her employer. She's not looking for a unionized teaching position and will have to get a family plan for her and her son.

I have a new vehicle however if you get liability only then that's your choice. During my time here I have seen some very brutal car accidents so I prefer more than liability nmbut to each his own.

[MaxLMG]

I suppose difference of opinions in terms of cost but at any rate 38k with a son is going to be a struggle. I doubt anyone disagrees with that. If you are comfortable with being in a situation like that then you should be fine.

[Dreamer36]

All advice is welcomed. Its given me a clearer picture.