Should i move out of san diego? (rent, house)

[Memo619]

Hello city data community, I am here wanting some feedback and maybe you guys can help me make a decision. I am a veteran living in san diego currently staying at my moms house. I get almost close to $2,000 a month from the VA. I wanted to know if moving to another state like texas can be good for me at this time in my life since I want to move back out on my own. There is one school that offers the program that I would like to get into but there is a 2 year waiting list. I looked at other schools in texas and they have no waiting list. I am 25 years old and like i said im tired of living at moms house and the cheapest place i could find out here was a studio for $900, while in texas i found a couple of 1 bedrooms for $350. Should I move away to go to school for a few years and return when I have a career? I am afraid that If I continue to stay in san diego and not continue my education I will always live at moms house... again let me remind you all that if I move away I have income every month so i wouldnt have to worry about rent over there since its a low cost of living.

[Call_me_Tom]

I'm in a similar position as you. I retire from the military in 1-1/2 years & will take home around $2k a month. States I looked into gave tax breaks on military retirement or had very low tax rates. Because you're getting disability I don't think that's something you have to worry about.

What is the tuition for out of state students at the school you're looking into? Post 9/11 GI Bill will pay for school & housing but the housing rate varies by area. For SD it's $2k but for Tx, Az & NM it's around $1k.

If you're worries about getting into a rut staying in SD then move otherwise I'd look into local SD schools. You can also do online classes.

[Fran66]

All I can offer is this:

You're only 25. Two years isn't a long time to wait for a school you really want to attend. (Also, are you certain they don't make an exception for disabled veterans?)

Secondly, don't underestimate the effect that weather can have on you. Most of Texas is brutally hot and humid in the summer.

Thirdly, I agree with Call Me Tom.

[futbol]

At your age and in your situation I would be tempted to move to Texas, get that schooling, save up some money and then think about coming back.

[Pedro2000]

I disagree with the "2 years isn't a long time to wait." Yeah 2 years isn't a long time, but having 2 years worth of school behind your compared to worrying for 2 years about how you're going to survive, what you're going to do, etc can be an eternity. And life happens. I know a lot of people who took "a couple years off" and never wound up going back to school. Some regret it years later, others did what they needed and don't.

If school is something you want to do and it's important to you, I wouldn't wait around 2 years. If you think the schools in Texas have what you want, then go for it. If you don't like Texas, you can always finish school and come back. No point in just waiting around in SD hoping that you'll start school in 2 years.

[nmguy]

New Mexico is vet friendly and has a much lower cost of living. It may be worth your time to investigate the Albuquerque forum on City-Data.

[Fran66]

Originally Posted by nmguy

New Mexico is vet friendly and has a much lower cost of living. It may be worth your time to investigate the Albuquerque forum on City-Data.

Well, it's not THAT much lower -- housing/rent is what makes it lower. And possibly utilities. Our food is high, if not higher. But, overall, I do agree. It's just that his school of choice is not here.

[Fran66]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

I disagree with the "2 years isn't a long time to wait." Yeah 2 years isn't a long time, but having 2 years worth of school behind your compared to worrying for 2 years about how you're going to survive, what you're going to do, etc can be an eternity. And life happens. I know a lot of people who took "a couple years off" and never wound up going back to school. Some regret it years later, others did what they needed and don't.

If school is something you want to do and it's important to you, I wouldn't wait around 2 years. If you think the schools in Texas have what you want, then go for it. If you don't like Texas, you can always finish school and come back. No point in just waiting around in SD hoping that you'll start school in 2 years.

Hi, Pedro. So good to see you again.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Thanks for serving our country.

What does your gut tell you? Do you have anything holding you back from the move?

At your age, you can literally do whatever you want. Speaking for myself, the last thing I cared about was living in just good weather. I was out meeting women, hanging out with friends, finishing school etc all of which are non weather dependent.

But if you are moving, move out with purpose. School is a good one. Maybe you need to just get a new look on things AND save a couple of bucks in living expenses.
Its very likely there will be things you like or dislike about moving somewhere else, but same could be said about sticking around too. Wont know until you try it. Life is about the journey....

Good luck!

[wymore]

Originally Posted by Call_me_Tom

I'm in a similar position as you. I retire from the military in 1-1/2 years & will take home around $2k a month. States I looked into gave tax breaks on military retirement or had very low tax rates. Because you're getting disability I don't think that's something you have to worry about.

What is the tuition for out of state students at the school you're looking into? Post 9/11 GI Bill will pay for school & housing but the housing rate varies by area. For SD it's $2k but for Tx, Az & NM it's around $1k.

If you're worries about getting into a rut staying in SD then move otherwise I'd look into local SD schools. You can also do online classes.

Tom brings up some excellent points. If you have the GI Bill benefit, your monthly stipend will be quite a bit more in San Diego. Additionally, you will be paying in state rates on tuition here whereas you would be paying out of state in Texas, and I believe the GI Bill does not cover the difference between in state and out of state rates. So combine those two issues, and you could be looking at $1k more per month staying here, which would then be more than the difference in rents you mentioned.