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02-16-2011, 08:22 AM
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9 posts, read 12,105 times
Reputation: 11
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Hi,
Since theres plenty of threads asking everyone about their planning on moving to nyc. I am not going to ask everyone again whether I will make it or not. But instead I'd like to know if my projection of prices and spending is realistic. I am a 27 years old single male with retail experience, photography skills (from 60 credits of photography course) and no degree. I will be bringing with me an amount of $4000 with $2000 for emergency fund. This amount will help me survive until I get a job (A low wage job is fine to start) Note that I do not have any connections who live there and I do not know how to secure a job nor settle an apartment remotely (tried and failed too many times, but still trying)
To break it down :
$500 - will be used for hostel stay on the first initiation week
$1200 - will be used for the first and month rent (I'm really cheap and won't mind a closet sized room)
$105 - for MTA monthly pass
$200 - for food and drinks (no eat out and just basic cheap food)
$60 - for mini storage to store my photo equipments until I find a shared apt ( my only belongings are photo bag and a bag clothes thats it)
So that's total $2000+ estimation for the first month. Once I get settled I will also apply for a food supplement program since I am eligible and would use the service just in case (I have survived living in other states working minimum wage without food stamps so no tax payer hate comments please) I will bring with me an ipod touch to craigslist for jobs and apartment, a pay as you go phone, and no cash (to avoid getting mugged or losing it). I will use the days to walk in to places in Manhattan and the boros for jobs and the night to collect employment and jobs information as this will be my full time job until I land one. Worst case scenario what would happen ? And realistically how long do you think my fund will last with that spending projection you think?
A gazillion thanks for all  |
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02-16-2011, 12:25 PM
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496 posts, read 752,462 times
Reputation: 624
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Good luck! It's not going to be easy.
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02-16-2011, 02:57 PM
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13,117 posts, read 26,521,738 times
Reputation: 12988
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Several questions/ callouts:
1. Your $1200- is that what you're projection for 1st month's rent & deposit? So $600/mo for your share? That's possible.....but going to limit the # of places you can see/ roomates by a good chunk.
2. Eating on $6/day is also going to be difficult. Not sure where you'er coming from but grocies cost a lot more in the city....$6/day is cereal for breakfast with water, ramen for lunch with water, maybe an apple or some piece of fruit, and again ramen with some chicken or something in it for dinner.
3. I do not see any money for laundry/ dry clean/ any personal needs (toothpaste, haircut, etc)- that's probably $20-25/ mo MINIMUM- more if you're a guy and you need to get your hair cut every 4 weeks or so. If you're looking for a job, you need to look & smell ok 
4. No money put aside for cell phone bill or your share of electricity/ cable/ internet once you find a place to live.
Realistically, you're probably ok for 2ish months.....then you're in big troubhle.
It's really not advised to move to NYC until you have close to $10k in savings. It could take several months to find a steady, good-paying gig. |
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02-16-2011, 03:28 PM
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Location: New York, NY
917 posts, read 2,845,212 times
Reputation: 1044
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What about furniture? You're not going to find a furnished place that cheap. Even a mattress costs something.
I second the concern about utilities/phone. Without a phone/internet, you probably won't be able to find a job, and that could easily run you about $100 a month. You may also struggle to find someone to rent to you with so little money and no job prospects. Do you have a guarantor? What happens if you can't find somewhere to stay in that first week (definitely possible)?
If you had a bigger safety net or a job offer, your plan would be ok, but you are REALLY pushing it.
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02-16-2011, 10:13 PM
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9 posts, read 12,105 times
Reputation: 11
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Ok, I forgot to add the $30 for phone every month. As for internet I'd want to rent a place with everything included and at least a mattress (actually found several of these on craigslist). I have been homeless before.. I know it's a catch 22 with finding a job. People are less likely to hire someone with no address. But I'd rather be doing this for the chance to live in New York than any other place in the world. Working out with my past is no longer an option. I really have nothing to lose. Part of me wants to move somewhere and settle. But not in a town so small where theres no job for everybody. What attracts me with new york is the high turnover unlike any other place. I mean I survived doing something like this in Boston. didn't even take me a whole month to land a job. But that was back in 2004. Boston is really tiny. And the city is already very expensive for it being a college town. As for a job I was thinking of dishwashing or be a walking courier. Like I said if I can't find a job or a place to live I'd live in YMCA or cheap hostel until I land a job. I feel it would still be safe with my belongings kept in storage space. If that doesn't work and my resource is almost all gone I'd sell my photo equipments.
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02-16-2011, 10:20 PM
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13,117 posts, read 26,521,738 times
Reputation: 12988
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Let us know how it all works out!
PS- Boston isn't a college town....yes, it's home to quite a few colleges, but it's the 10th largest US metro area, the political capital of Massachusetts, and the financial anchor of the northeast. Not to mention it has more history on the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail than 99% of other US cities have altogether.
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02-16-2011, 11:09 PM
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12,344 posts, read 24,970,632 times
Reputation: 10326
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I can't really comment on the overall budget, but you should check out Elmhurst in Queens if you are looking for a good neighborhood to live in. There seem to be quite a few room for rent situations that are $600 or even under. It is well-served by transportation and if your place is right near one of the subway stops, you could easily be in midtown within 30 min. at rush hour.
The other thing going for it that would help you alot is the abundance of good, cheap food, though $200 a month for the food budget does sound too low, even with cheap food. There are plenty of good $6 meals to he had, and I suppose it might be possible that a $6 meal could even be split between lunch and dinner but I really don't know. There is a dumpling house that is supposed to be super cheap and very good Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House - Elmhurst - Elmhurst, NY
It's a heavily immigrant neighborhood -- I am not sure of the percentages, but I am guessing it is up there at about 70%+ foreign born. It's pretty safe because many immigrants are just hard working families trying to get by.
Good luck. |
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02-17-2011, 01:34 PM
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1,669 posts, read 6,196,451 times
Reputation: 1191
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Everything is possible and could be done with creativity and imagination. Many have come with less and made it. Some come here and immediately go straight into shelters for assistance. I wouldn't say its the best thing, but if you are really adamant about doing so, do it! You know what you are facing and have already contemplated the risks and rewards. Yes, you could eat off $200 a month if you shop smart and love pasta. Good luck!
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02-17-2011, 04:53 PM
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769 posts, read 1,985,829 times
Reputation: 283
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As I have posted before, do not assume you will find a job so quickly. Even for minimum wage entry level jobs there are hundreds of people applying for each one. I know people that have applied to every major retailer, restaurant, etc in the city, applied everywhere in their neighborhood, applied for cashier/food service jobs at airports, attended at least 5 open houses/open interviews a week, replied to 20+ Craig's List ads a day, and 3 months later they still have no job. And this is a person close to your age, with a clean background and stable work history.
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02-17-2011, 08:33 PM
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Location: East Village
755 posts, read 2,212,956 times
Reputation: 300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by newyorker24
As I have posted before, do not assume you will find a job so quickly. Even for minimum wage entry level jobs there are hundreds of people applying for each one. I know people that have applied to every major retailer, restaurant, etc in the city, applied everywhere in their neighborhood, applied for cashier/food service jobs at airports, attended at least 5 open houses/open interviews a week, replied to 20+ Craig's List ads a day, and 3 months later they still have no job. And this is a person close to your age, with a clean background and stable work history.
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This. I know someone who lost a good job and, even with a clean background, degree, skill set and good work history, took several months to find something else. They were applying for delivery jobs—and still not getting calls back!
(Obviously, they finally found something better than the previous job, but it was not easy and took much longer than anticipated.) |
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