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If you havent noticed, I prefer to live in hotter places. I hate winters in New Jersey.. I moved to Florida once and hated it... and will NOT make the mistakes I made when I moved there. I want to this slow, and correctly, if I even move at all. So I wanted to know as much as you all could offer. Good, bad, EVERYTHING with no shame about living in all parts of Arizona. Here is as much info I can provide to help with whatever answers youd take the time to reply with.
I am looking anywhere in or around the Phoenix area. I dont mind a 30-45 minute commute to the city. Reason being I work for Animal Control and the NJSPCA right now and want to continue my careers with animals. The Humane Society of Phoenix has been a big part of my life so I was definitely thinking of looking into a job there. I already see several part time and full time positions open NOW that I am fully qualified for and look forward to seeing what they would have in the future. I REFUSE to move to Arizona (or anywhere really) without getting a job. So I understand that might be a while.
I have a 2 and will probably be 3 year old if I move there. I do get child support but I have no idea how or if that changes when I move so I will not be including that as extra income until I get that info. I am looking for a child friendly area. Mediocre to good if not excellent schools preferred, however, since I would just be starting and hes still young, its NOT necessity. But safer areas definitely is. I want to feel safe going home. That has always been my priority every time I moved. I like low crime areas. While I understand crime is everywhere; I prefer it be in a place that is least likely than others.
I dont really care much about space. A 1 or 2 bedroom would suffice for myself and son. Cost is extremely important. I want to be able to afford where I live based on what I could or would be working with. I am only going if I snag a full time job which i know is hard to come by. Internet is the only thing I need to survive lol Aside from regular utilities, of course! I am relatively easy to handle. I dont care about what there is to do around the area, etc. As long as there is a nice park for my son, a theme park somewhere I can drive to within a couple of hours, and normal shopping centers; I am extremely happy. I love trails, I love animals, i dont care about bugs, snakes dont scare me, etc etc
I have a car that I am currently paying off. Its 300 a month.
I am also going on vacation there in February to scope it out so as many suggestions as possible so I can check them out!
So here are my questions based on what I have provided. (Feel free to ask any questions!)
1. What is the average hourly wage someone should make to live in areas around phoenix? What do I NEED to make an hour? I currently make 12/hr with on call pay + child support + low hours at a part time job and BARELY make it here in Jersey. I only have like, 180 bucks left a month.
2. What is the average baby sitting/daycare costs?
3. What are some fun things to do in or around Phoenix?
4. Are there better choices for jobs in Animal Welfare somewhere else in Arizona?
5. How difficult is it really to find an average job?
6. Is there any financial help/programs for single working moms?
7. What do you LIKE about Arizona? What do you HATE?
8. How often to dust/sand storms really happen, and what is best way to prepare for them? Or is it more of a 'wait it out' type of thing? Same questions for Monsoons. What other natural disasters are there?
9. What is the cost of the average utilities? I am almost never home and when I am; Its one light on, my computer on the charger and AC on energy saver mode in summer and I most likely wont turn on the heat in AZ as im completely used to 50-70 degree whether but who knows. haha.
10. What else should I ask? lol
Thank you to anyone who could provide some input!
Last edited by Jelliedfox; 12-17-2016 at 11:48 AM..
Its fairly easy to find a bad job; difficult to find a good one. Some municipalities are even using private companies for animal control and you would be shocked at how bad wages are...like 10 per hour...You will struggle with a kid and you will be much more in survival mode than choosing the best school district to live in.
Not surprised, actually. Theyre starting to do the same here in Jersey.But thank you for the input. I will definitely keep a look out for that. So something like 10 an hour is not good?
If you havent noticed, I prefer to live in hotter places. I hate winters in New Jersey.. I moved to Florida once and hated it... and will NOT make the mistakes I made when I moved there. I want to this slow, and correctly, if I even move at all. So I wanted to know as much as you all could offer. Good, bad, EVERYTHING with no shame about living in all parts of Arizona. Here is as much info I can provide to help with whatever answers youd take the time to reply with.
I am looking anywhere in or around the Phoenix area. I dont mind a 30-45 minute commute to the city. Reason being I work for Animal Control and the NJSPCA right now and want to continue my careers with animals. The Humane Society of Phoenix has been a big part of my life so I was definitely thinking of looking into a job there. I already see several part time and full time positions open NOW that I am fully qualified for and look forward to seeing what they would have in the future. I REFUSE to move to Arizona (or anywhere really) without getting a job. So I understand that might be a while.
I have a 2 and will probably be 3 year old if I move there. I do get child support but I have no idea how or if that changes when I move so I will not be including that as extra income until I get that info. I am looking for a child friendly area. Mediocre to good if not excellent schools preferred, however, since I would just be starting and hes still young, its NOT necessity. But safer areas definitely is. I want to feel safe going home. That has always been my priority every time I moved. I like low crime areas. While I understand crime is everywhere; I prefer it be in a place that is least likely than others.
I dont really care much about space. A 1 or 2 bedroom would suffice for myself and son. Cost is extremely important. I want to be able to afford where I live based on what I could or would be working with. I am only going if I snag a full time job which i know is hard to come by. Internet is the only thing I need to survive lol Aside from regular utilities, of course! I am relatively easy to handle. I dont care about what there is to do around the area, etc. As long as there is a nice park for my son, a theme park somewhere I can drive to within a couple of hours, and normal shopping centers; I am extremely happy. I love trails, I love animals, i dont care about bugs, snakes dont scare me, etc etc
I have a car that I am currently paying off. Its 300 a month.
I am also going on vacation there in February to scope it out so as many suggestions as possible so I can check them out!
So here are my questions based on what I have provided. (Feel free to ask any questions!)
1. What is the average hourly wage someone should make to live in areas around phoenix? What do I NEED to make an hour? I currently make 12/hr with on call pay + child support + low hours at a part time job and BARELY make it here in Jersey. I only have like, 180 bucks left a month.
2. What is the average baby sitting/daycare costs?
3. What are some fun things to do in or around Phoenix?
4. Are there better choices for jobs in Animal Welfare somewhere else in Arizona?
5. How difficult is it really to find an average job?
6. Is there any financial help/programs for single working moms?
7. What do you LIKE about Arizona? What do you HATE?
8. How often to dust/sand storms really happen, and what is best way to prepare for them? Or is it more of a 'wait it out' type of thing? Same questions for Monsoons. What other natural disasters are there?
9. What is the cost of the average utilities? I am almost never home and when I am; Its one light on, my computer on the charger and AC on energy saver mode in summer and I most likely wont turn on the heat in AZ as im completely used to 50-70 degree whether but who knows. haha.
10. What else should I ask? lol
Thank you to anyone who could provide some input!
While the cost of living will be lower than where you are in Jersey, it still is not cheap to live here. Phoenix is a nice place to live but it is a desert. Dust is a way of life out here and dust storms happen, but are not that frequent.
1. Pay tends to be low for a city of Phoenix's size but there are some good paying jobs, depending on your field.
2. Not sure about the average day care cost. I recommend calling a few of them to get a true idea.
3. Fun is subjective. There are lots of things to do: hiking, biking, swimming, casinos, shopping, bars, restaurants, museums, theaters, gyms, fishing, boating and any other thing you can do in and around a city.
4. I would think the greater Phoenix area would give you more opportunities in your field.
5. Again, everyone's experience is different. It just depends on your experience and hustle.
6. Not sure about any programs for single mothers. I assume there are some, but wouldn't count on them.
7. I like lots of things about Arizona. The winters are glorious, the scenery is wonderful, people are friendly for the most part, newer housing stock, decent economy, easy weekend road trips to southern California, Vegas, Mexico or Colorado. Decent airport. My biggest dislike is the unbearably hot summers. The heat is no joke and it lasts from May to late October.
8. See my earlier comments on this. Arizona weather is pretty mundane, for the most part. Sunshine just about every day, no hurricanes, earthquakes or blizzards. Occasionally there will be flooding if we get enough rain but...we don't get much rain!
9. Utilities are only a concern in the summer. How much you spend will depend on personal preference and how energy efficient your house or apartment is.
Thank you so much for the detailed reply! i was doing a lot of research and I saw that working for the county of phoenix is definitely a plus pay rate wise.. a simple clerk gets like 13.40 an hour which with my expenses isnt so bad. Animal control starts at 15 which was a definite plus. I looked into a couple of areas and like most, I loved chandler, Arizona. My kind of place. I am very easy to please. I dont drink, dont smoke, hate parties ... Im a young old lady haha. I just like things for my kid to do. So everything youre saying is a gigantic freggin plus.
Would you say that the costs of utilities is similar to Florida? I had a two bedroom apartment there. All electric appliances, and with the AC on all day throughout the summer; my highest electric bill was 89 dollars lol My water bill was like, 26, and trash and sewer was a flat rate fee. So it wasnt SO BAD. I was able to afford it. I just dont know if its really different in Arizona. I dont mind desert, I love heat. Im weird. I cant wait for this vacation... so many things are appealing about this place. I cant pass up at least a chance to see it.
Being able to travel to California and Colorado is HUGE DAMN PLUS. Im assuming people commute to California for the beaches and Colorado for the mountain/forest areas?
Location: The edge of the world and all of Western civilization
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1. What is the average hourly wage someone should make to live in areas around phoenix? What do I NEED to make an hour? I currently make 12/hr with on call pay + child support + low hours at a part time job and BARELY make it here in Jersey. I only have like, 180 bucks left a month. I think this depends heavily on a case-by-case basis. I make much more than what you do and I feel like that's not enough because I like to have money set aside for necessities, luxuries and savings. I have no dependents either.
2. What is the average baby sitting/daycare costs? Don't know.
3. What are some fun things to do in or around Phoenix? Also depends on you. There are some basic cultural amenities, but plenty of bars and restaurants. There are a lot of outdoor activities as well, but just know that you'll be limited in the summer.
4. Are there better choices for jobs in Animal Welfare somewhere else in Arizona? I can't imagine those jobs pay well anywhere in the state, but most opportunities will be in the Phoenix area. I believe most of that is through Maricopa County, but if you're qualified you'll probably do better at vet clinics.
5. How difficult is it really to find an average job? Fairly easy, but if you're struggling now you won't do much better here unless you find a decent one.
6. Is there any financial help/programs for single working moms? That's funny. Welcome to Arizona.
7. What do you LIKE about Arizona? What do you HATE? There are plenty of entertainment options, and that's about all I like.
Career-wise I'll never get ahead if I stay here because the economy is pretty pathetic considering this city's size, and it desperately needs to diversify. There's no sense of community. The state is very far behind and it's conservative to a fault. Phoenix really has no character or personality, and sprawls for miles. Transportation is in urgent need of improvement. Poverty is among the highest in the country in Arizona (#8) and access to services seems to be worsening. I could go on, but that gives you an idea.
8. How often to dust/sand storms really happen, and what is best way to prepare for them? Or is it more of a 'wait it out' type of thing? Same questions for Monsoons. What other natural disasters are there? Mostly in the summer will you see those storms. Other natural disasters can't be ruled out, though are highly unlikely to happen, such as tornadoes. During the monsoons, powerful microbursts can cause significant damage. Earthquakes can happen too, as one hit last year. On April 4, 2010, a 7.2 earthquake hit northwest Mexico, and it was felt in Phoenix. Keep in mind that Arizona is very close to the border of the North American and Pacific plates, and parts of the state are technically in the Ring of Fire. Still though, these aren't likely to happen and you oughtn't worry about them too much.
9. What is the cost of the average utilities? I am almost never home and when I am; Its one light on, my computer on the charger and AC on energy saver mode in summer and I most likely wont turn on the heat in AZ as im completely used to 50-70 degree whether but who knows. haha. Right now my electricity is low, but in the summer it can get high. If you really look you may find apartments with some utilities included. Water is fairly inexpensive, but I imagine in the future it will inevitably become much more expensive.
Cost is extremely important. I want to be able to afford where I live based on what I could or would be working with. I think it's good that you mentioned you're taking this slow, especially with this point. I live in Central Phoenix and rents are rising very rapidly here, and many of my neighbors are being priced out when their leases are up. To be specific, I've heard of increases from $100-$400. In Arizona a landlord can legally increase rent as much as he/she wants. Some cheaper places will be in undesirable neighborhoods.You may want to contact your auto insurance provider to get a quote because it can be pretty steep in Arizona.
1. What is the average hourly wage someone should make to live in areas around phoenix? What do I NEED to make an hour? I currently make 12/hr with on call pay + child support + low hours at a part time job and BARELY make it here in Jersey. I only have like, 180 bucks left a month. We just had prop 206 pass. Minimum wage will go from $8.05 to $10. hr on Jan 1st. Its being contested, but will most likely happen. Cost of living is MUCH cheaper here than Jersey. $10hr will go a longer way here than $12 hr will there. A decent 1bd apt will be roughly $500 to $700, any more than that and you are getting into the higher end stuff with marble countertops and garages. Any lower than that and you're probably in a questionable place.
3. What are some fun things to do in or around Phoenix? What are you into? Phoenix is a great place (most of the year) if you enjoy the outdoors. Around Phoenix we have many lakes, mountains, trails, Lot of homes have gravel yards, so there seems to be plenty of parks all over the place. We have Flagstaff 2 hours away when it gets too hot here. Disneyland is 4-5 hours. We have several waterparks, there are many areas of town with different feels to them to explore. We would really need some more details from you to get more details from us.
7. What do you LIKE about Arizona? Take a look at our weather right now, and taco tuesday What do you HATE? All the people who come here to just temporarily enjoy our weather. (Its not them, its how much slower they make everything).
8. How often to dust/sand storms really happen, and what is best way to prepare for them? Or is it more of a 'wait it out' type of thing? Same questions for Monsoons. What other natural disasters are there? They are rare, maybe 2 or 3 a year. If they happen they are at the start and end of the summer. The news usually gets a pretty good idea a day or two out when they will probably show up. Most people get weather alerts on the phones when they hit. They are usually accompanied by rain, so they may last anywhere from 1/2 hour to maybe even half a day a few days in a row. You will taste it in the air. If you have breathing problems, you DO NOT WANT TO be out in them. The dust here is extremely fine, and difficult to filter out. I usually turn off my AC completely when it happens or you will have a layer of dust over everything. They can be extremely thick, I have been in one where I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. It lasted about 45 minutes, and no way was I going to try driving in it. Its not uncommon to see many people pull over to the side of the road and wait them out.
We have monsoon season here. It doesn't rain much, maybe a few inches, but when it does it can come down extremely heavy in a small area real quick, and half the city may flood. We get so little rain here, that the ground can't soak it up. Just last year it rained IIRC 4 inches in a hour, and the storm drains couldn't handle it in my area. The manhole covers were coming off, and not only do most people here not have a clue how to drive in bad weather, but there vehicles aren't usually ready for it. There was 3 inches of rain on the edge of the road and people were avoiding using the lane. A drive that normally takes 5 minutes took an hour and a half to go a few miles.
We also have microbursts (about during the monsoon/dust storm time of the year). A completely unpredictable burst of wind. I was across the street from one a few years ago. It was a slight breeze about 10-15 miles and less than a 100 ft away, there were 90mph gusts of wind that were ripping off carports. It hit completely randomly and there is really no way to tell when. They happen when there is an extreme cooling by the rain really quick. Our cities winds and air flow changes because of the mountains within the city limits. You can learn your area, know where the fronts are moving in from, and you can get a pretty good idea of when they MAY happen.
We get wildfires and droughts in the lakes every few years, but that's kind of it for the weather other than the HEAT, (which has too many threads on its own already I won't start on it).
9. What is the cost of the average utilities? I am almost never home and when I am; Its one light on, my computer on the charger and AC on energy saver mode in summer and I most likely wont turn on the heat in AZ as im completely used to 50-70 degree whether but who knows. haha. Internet has a couple providers, about $40-$50 a month for 20-30mbps. As for electricity; I am in a 700 sq ft 1bd apt (that I pay $680 for). I have black out curtains over all my windows. During the hot summer months I would leave my AC at 74 when I was awake, 72 when I went to sleep. My electricity was right around $100 a month all summer long. Currently, I have had my AC off most of the time, except when I sleep, I am about $45 a month for the last couple months.
10. What else should I ask? lol Thank you to anyone who could provide some input!
Thank you both Adriver and DVXHD! Both of you gave me a bit better of a perspective. To clarify, New Jersey is 3 times more expensive than Arizona. a one bedroom averages about 1050 to 1300 with only gas included (and thats SOME PLACES) and a two bedroom is 1300-1600. Thats literally both my paychecks. I have a roommate to split the rent. If I didn't, I'd be homeless. Its too much here... but then I see beautiful apartment in these areas that I keep reading such positive things about.. a 2 bedroom for 1100?! even 900 in some parts of Chandler/Gilbert... and 800 for a 1 bedroom... thats what im paying now...
As for what I do for fun, you both pretty much named it. I love water parks, I love disney, (roller coasters) I love parks, lakes, etc. It's the simple things for me.. and to eat at restaurants lol The good thing about me is that I know how to budget. I just want to make sure that the job I get (if any) is enough to manage all the utilities, travel, and insurance. I pay 350 in car insurance already so... lol
Electricity is very close to what I was paying in Florida and used to paying even here in jersey. So thats not a big upscale.. so far expenses seem manageable debating on where and if I could land a job there.
Thanks again for the input. still would love any information. This is a big move... if I do it, and I wouldnt know anyone so I have to make sure I know all my cards.
Thank you both Adriver and DVXHD! Both of you gave me a bit better of a perspective. To clarify, New Jersey is 3 times more expensive than Arizona. a one bedroom averages about 1050 to 1300 with only gas included (and thats SOME PLACES) and a two bedroom is 1300-1600. Thats literally both my paychecks. I have a roommate to split the rent. If I didn't, I'd be homeless. Its too much here... but then I see beautiful apartment in these areas that I keep reading such positive things about.. a 2 bedroom for 1100?! even 900 in some parts of Chandler/Gilbert... and 800 for a 1 bedroom... thats what im paying now...
Electricity is very close to what I was paying in Florida and used to paying even here in jersey. So thats not a big upscale.. so far expenses seem manageable debating on where and if I could land a job there.
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Apartment prices here either include water/sewer/trash or you pay $20-$30 more a month for it. There are some places that include electricity in price, but those places usually have a cooling/heating system that is on a general temperature system for the entire building (using cooling/heating tubes), and you can not adjust it individually. You would either need your own portable heater, or some other way to cool your place down to change it.
$850 is about where a 3bdroom house starts out to rent to here, (not necessarily chandler or gilbert, those are a little nicer and about a few hundred bucks more).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jelliedfox
Thanks again for the input. still would love any information. This is a big move... if I do it, and I wouldnt know anyone so I have to make sure I know all my cards.
Lmao, im not a big sports person so im not sure I get the link lol I was more on the analogy of, "playing my cards right" to get a good and hand and not fold to another HUGE mistake.
Its incredible, that price. and the extra bucks to pay for water and trash and such isnt too heavy. Im used to paying at least 1900-2200 in expenses a month and so far, the numbers are at least a 1/3 less. As long as I find the right job, that is. Dont want to get a cheapy paying job and be making less and equaling out to the same thing paying wise...
But I really do appreciate your opinion. Its a lot to think about. Absolutely. I definitely want to take my time with this decision. I do want safety as a priority, so I am willing to pay a little more if it means getting a nice neighborhood for my son. Its why Chandler and Gilbert are my top picks. I just also want to check out the culture and such. I am in no way a person who cares what someone's religious, political, racial, or marriage beliefs are, but I dont want to in a place that cant respect that I honestly dont care. -shrug- I want my son to be happy, and have friends of all the like, just want to make sure where I go believes the same.
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