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North NJ, or possibly east Mass, is where I truly want to live, but the cost concerns me. I would be totally fine living in a tiny 600-900 sqft apt just to be in this location, but even those are expensive now.
Should I wait 5-10 years until I improve my resume, advance my career and am able to have a professional career.
Arguments for moving up
* In 5-10 years from now, I want to say that I spent my 30's living where I wanted to. Not just spending the last bit of my young years living a place I don't like because it's cheaper.
* I can start building friends/relationship/etc. there now, instead of building them in a state I'm not going to live in long-term and then having to start from scratch.
Argument against moving up
* I'll may have very low disposible income. Or if I have to work 60+ hour weeks to get disposible income, then I won't have time to enjoy much of what the state has to offer.
From the stickied thread on the forum - answering some of these will help us help you.
Where are you coming from?
Why are you moving?
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
Will you buy or rent?
What is your budget ?
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ?
Do you need/want good public schools?
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
Moving to NJ because I like the towns, roads/infrastructure, it has a lot to do. And I have friends/family there. Not sure where I'll be working yet.
Rent. No more than $1500 a month for a studio, or $1000 with a roommate. I'd be totally fine with a very basic 600sqft microapartment if need be. Maybe in Clifton?
No spouse/children/pets. Education doesn't matter.
Regarding your last 2 questions, the thing I like about north NJ is that everything is in proximity. You can live in a sleepy town, but have nightlife, things to do, etc. 10 minutes away. Or vice-versa.
What type of work do you do now? Based on what you said so far, I would advise you not to move here now. Having little disposable income makes it difficult to actually enjoy the things you like about NJ. I ask what you do for work now because if you work in a field that’s in high demand and there’s room to climb up the ladder and earn more in a couple of years, then moving now and living frugal for a bit can be ok.
But as someone who is approaching my 40’s, I truly feel like my best years are ahead of me so don’t make it sound like once you hit 40 it’s too late to have a life.
Moving to NJ because I like the towns, roads/infrastructure, it has a lot to do. And I have friends/family there. Not sure where I'll be working yet.
Rent. No more than $1500 a month for a studio, or $1000 with a roommate. I'd be totally fine with a very basic 600sqft microapartment if need be. Maybe in Clifton?
No spouse/children/pets. Education doesn't matter.
Regarding your last 2 questions, the thing I like about north NJ is that everything is in proximity. You can live in a sleepy town, but have nightlife, things to do, etc. 10 minutes away. Or vice-versa.
I'm from NJ and I love it for all the reasons you stated and more but it's expensive (I know Florida costs the same now on the surface but the taxes in NJ add up fast) and career-wise it was a dead end for me. I stuck it out for 8 years longer than I should have, trying to make it work.
My best advice, being at least a decade older than you, if you're going to move to a place you're not from, especially a place with a high cost of living, do it for the job opportunities. If you're in finance, medicine, law, tech, pharma, logistics, you're a railroad engineer, or a few other niche fields, then heck yes, move to NJ. Live your best life. But don't do it to work a job you could work anywhere. NJ will beat you down.
I lived in CT 12 years when I came from Japan as a student. I then moved to a rural part of Indiana for a job in 2004. I remember my salary was only $35K then. But financial life was relatively easy. I could afford a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with 1 acre of land, and it was like $130K, if I remember correctly. The house was so big that I rarely went into most of the bedrooms.
But what got me was the fact that there were hardly any people with whom I could engage in intelligent conversations. So when the first job offer came from NJ, I grabbed it without any hesitation (2007). The offer was substantially more than I was making in IN, but in NJ, it probably wasn't enough to live comfortably.
I lived in a small 1 bedroom apartment in Piscataway for a year ($1200 a month), then I moved to another 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown Jersey City ($1300 a month). I was perfectly happy. I could visit NYC as often as I wanted, and I met a lot of interesting people.
It's been 16 years since, and when I look back, I am so happy that I left IN when I did. My financial situation has also significantly improved since. I still can't believe that I am now a landlord, renting my property to someone else, instead of renting it from someone.
If you hate FL, you should leave. You only live once, right? You may need to live in a crappy apartment for awhile, but I'm sure your situation will improve.
I would recommend getting a job first, and then moving. NJ is expensive, but the Boston area, especially Cambridge, is even more expensive. The Cambridge area is the biological hub of the country. Therefore there are very high paying jobs depending upon your technical skills/education.
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