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Old 06-16-2021, 09:56 PM
 
Location: Brisbane
3 posts, read 2,015 times
Reputation: 13

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Hi everyone from Australia!

I have spent a few months reasearching which state could be the better option for myself, my 18 year old daughter and my two tween sons to start over in. Califoria was never on my list. I have visited a few times and I think it's beautiful but since it is so expensive,I never considered it until reading some advice on the Florida forum where a single mother was wanting to move to Orlando and was told a couple if times that California has much better services for autistic children (2 of the 3 are)

I have lived in Australia for 14 out of the past 15 years. I did spend a year in Atlanta 2019-2020 until shortly after Covid happened before returning because my 4th child (also 18) was coming back with or without me. I didn't think I could live so far away, or I was scared that I couldn't anyway. Plus to be really honest, I don't like Atlanta very much which made it easier for me to say ok,we'll come with you,at least long enough to make sure you're settled and ok.

Why would I leave a beautiful place like Australia? For the same reason I did last time. Try as I might, I cannot find work here. I am too old for the type of work that I have experience in. Retail,customer service, Restaurants. I was a stay at home mom here for 10 years but when my ex and I split, I started applying and I couldn't understand why I wasn't even getting interview until I saw a financial counslor who asked me how old I was and when I told her,she flat out told me that I wasn't going to find those type of jobs at my age. I had an accident on top of that that has left my dominant hand partitially paralyzed.
Despite my hand,when I moved to Atlanta, I started applying for jobs and worked at several. I wasn't psysically able to do them all but my attitude was that i wouldn't know if I didn't try and I was working two jobs until Covid.

It might be hard to understand why,i'd want to give up living in a beautiful country where welfare pays most of my costs but just for myself personally (no judgement to anyone else on welfare) it absolutely guts my self esteem. When I went back to America for that year and was able to work I felt like a different person. I felt happy for the first time in years.And now i'm back under a cloud of depression. I'm not afraid of working hard. I love working hard and i know it will be difficult no matter which state we go to but I need to be careful that I try to start over in a state that has help for my two autistic children. I won't have much money but I will have a car.

Any advice on San Diego for me?

thank you.
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Old 06-16-2021, 10:19 PM
 
Location: San Diego Native
4,433 posts, read 2,394,378 times
Reputation: 4801
San Diego is a great place to live but it comes with a hefty price tag. Unless you're bringing quite a bit of money, I don't think it would be my destination if my background was in retail/customer service/restaurants as you say. If you were single just starting out and childless, maybe. Although I do agree with whoever told you that social services for your autistic children would be better in California than Florida.


Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
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Old 06-17-2021, 02:53 AM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
5,024 posts, read 7,532,912 times
Reputation: 4054
At the request of long term friends, we hosted an Australian family at our home here in San Diego in late 2019. Right before the virus. They were from Victoria about 4 hours inland from Melbourne.

The parents were in their 50s and the daughter was maybe 30. Fun discussion topics were religion (they are devote Catholics), the heavy use of 'ie' in Australian linguistics, and American politics. They knew more about American Politics than I do. The father called President Trump 'Donnie.' I wasn't sure who he was talking about at first.

I took them all over San Diego at my expense. Some places they liked. Some they loved. They loved our weather. They loved our Zoo. The daughter knew more about the San Diego Zoo than I did.

Before they left San Diego, we did a post-mortem while sitting around our backyard firepit. The bottom line is this... they loved San Diego but they could never live here. San Diego is far too expensive for their budget. And San Diego has gotten more expensive since then. I'm told jobs are plentiful now but I don't think these new jobs pay an amount sufficient to live here comfortably.

When our Aussie friends were ready to move on, I took them to the train station. Kisses and tears were everywhere. They used the train to go up-coast to Disneyland. The daughter sent me lots of pics from their Disneyland vacation when they got back to Victoria.

I probably didn't answer many of your questions but when I hear Australia, I think of the family who stayed with us in 2019.

Btw... my wife and I were in Australia for about 2 weeks 30 years ago. Sydney to Brisbane. I loved the beer-drinking hard-working people. But I'm not sure I could live there.
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Old 06-17-2021, 05:42 AM
 
Location: Brisbane
3 posts, read 2,015 times
Reputation: 13
Thank you!!
This is what I was concerned about when it came to California. I have to be really careful with my children as I don't want to potentially move them into a situation where we could become homeless no matter how much I am working.I don't have much family in any given state so it makes it more difficult.
I probably will have to set my sights on the midwest. As much as the winter's there don't thrill me, the cost of living is much lower and the wages are higher than Atlanta where you get paid very little but the rents are still kind of up there.

I pay 1900 a month for the place we live in.Australia isn't cheap to live in either and I keep a very tight budget to do this but I am honestly getting a very good deal for the price. Usually living in the city would cost another 1500 for the size and amount of bedrooms we have.

That's too funny about the politics. So many Aussie's have talked to me about American politics once they hear my American accent! The media here has more coverage of American politics than Aussie one's half of the time!
I'm sure they loved their trip!! I used to live in Melbourne for 8 years. I lived about 40 minutes from the city. I'm in Brisbane now which I really love! We live in a fantastic area and most of the people are great! I just wish I could find employment!
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Old 06-17-2021, 06:11 AM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
5,024 posts, read 7,532,912 times
Reputation: 4054
It'salwayssunny... set your sights on St Louis MO. We lived there for a long time before we moved to San Diego in the early 2000s.

We loved St Louis. Housing is cheap and the people were great. The locals made us feel right at home.

In St Louis, the locals will ask you what high school you went to. Sue and I wanted to be locals, so we would say Normandy High School. Normandy High School burned down many years ago. So no one probed us for our high school details.

Everyone complains about the weather in St Louis but it's total BS. St Louis has a mild 4-season weather. A little snow in the winter and the summers are bearable.

We had no plans to leave St Louis but we did. An old friend offered a nice job to my wife here in San Diego. My wife is not a risk taker but I saw very little risk with a move to San Diego. Having no kids made the move very painless. We sold our St Louis home for a nice profit. I sold my St Louis business for a nice profit too.

We now live comfortably in San Diego because we have the means to do so. Living here and worrying about paying the bills would be no fun.

Good luck to you whatever you choose.
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Old 06-17-2021, 01:05 PM
 
9,522 posts, read 30,369,653 times
Reputation: 6434
Don’t do it.
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Old 06-17-2021, 02:01 PM
 
2,208 posts, read 1,750,408 times
Reputation: 2649
Quote:
Originally Posted by It'salwayssunny View Post
Thank you!!
This is what I was concerned about when it came to California. I have to be really careful with my children as I don't want to potentially move them into a situation where we could become homeless no matter how much I am working.I don't have much family in any given state so it makes it more difficult.
I probably will have to set my sights on the midwest. As much as the winter's there don't thrill me, the cost of living is much lower and the wages are higher than Atlanta where you get paid very little but the rents are still kind of up there.

I pay 1900 a month for the place we live in.Australia isn't cheap to live in either and I keep a very tight budget to do this but I am honestly getting a very good deal for the price. Usually living in the city would cost another 1500 for the size and amount of bedrooms we have.

That's too funny about the politics. So many Aussie's have talked to me about American politics once they hear my American accent! The media here has more coverage of American politics than Aussie one's half of the time!
I'm sure they loved their trip!! I used to live in Melbourne for 8 years. I lived about 40 minutes from the city. I'm in Brisbane now which I really love! We live in a fantastic area and most of the people are great! I just wish I could find employment!
Keep in mind the difference in the dollar between the Aus and US dollar.


Your $1500.00 rent there would be, for even a 2bdrm about $2500.00 Aus.

Costs are high.


I have been to Australia several times and really like Melbourne and the area West of the city as well. Sydney was next. I have friends and business associates in Australia and there is a big difference in cost here.


The suggestion of St Luis was good as well as Nashville or Knoxville Tennessee. Depends on what life style you want. Also check the school districts. Some in all 3 are excellent but the more rural you get they drop some in quality. San Diego CA would be difficult for you with the type of work you do.
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Old 06-17-2021, 07:21 PM
 
Location: Sandy Eggo's North County
10,145 posts, read 6,594,069 times
Reputation: 16475
OP~
Based on your situation, I can't say "Come to Sandie Eggo." (See what I did there, for you?)

The cost of surviving is very high.

However, there are tons of job opportunities. (Unfortunately, your skillset is such that it won't pay a living wage, here.)

So, it's either go back to school, to learn a marketable skill, or continue on your current path. Sorry to say. Going back to school with an autistic, hungry brood isn't going to work, so another option needs to present itself. Depending upon the "spectrum" levels, you may have to stay at home with them until they die (or you die.) This is a very unfortunate reality today.
I'd say get into real estate, but there's already 28,000 real estate agents in San Diego County.

Whatever you decide, you'll need to bring your "A-game" to survive/flourish.

Currently, bars/restaurants/hotels are all looking for labor/help, and they'll pay decently for good help too. But for "how long" nobody knows.

One thing you might consider~ Trading houses for a while, with someone in Sandie Eggo. (See, I did it again, for you!)
This is, of course, providing you have a house to trade for a year or whatever.

Last option would be to "house sit" for some of Sandie Eggo's more affluent. This would/could keep your costs down, some.

There are Sandy Egan's that would love to travel to Brisbane on vacation, or to live for a year or 3...
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Old 06-18-2021, 01:55 PM
 
2,208 posts, read 1,750,408 times
Reputation: 2649
Quote:
Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ View Post
OP~
Based on your situation, I can't say "Come to Sandie Eggo." (See what I did there, for you?)

The cost of surviving is very high.

However, there are tons of job opportunities. (Unfortunately, your skillset is such that it won't pay a living wage, here.)

So, it's either go back to school, to learn a marketable skill, or continue on your current path. Sorry to say. Going back to school with an autistic, hungry brood isn't going to work, so another option needs to present itself. Depending upon the "spectrum" levels, you may have to stay at home with them until they die (or you die.) This is a very unfortunate reality today.
I'd say get into real estate, but there's already 28,000 real estate agents in San Diego County.

Whatever you decide, you'll need to bring your "A-game" to survive/flourish.

Currently, bars/restaurants/hotels are all looking for labor/help, and they'll pay decently for good help too. But for "how long" nobody knows.

One thing you might consider~ Trading houses for a while, with someone in Sandie Eggo. (See, I did it again, for you!)
This is, of course, providing you have a house to trade for a year or whatever.

Last option would be to "house sit" for some of Sandie Eggo's more affluent. This would/could keep your costs down, some.

There are Sandy Egan's that would love to travel to Brisbane on vacation, or to live for a year or 3...
These days with prices going up, the name is: "In Sane Diego".
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Old 06-18-2021, 10:24 PM
 
Location: Brisbane
3 posts, read 2,015 times
Reputation: 13
Thanks for the responses and suggestions. Both of my children are high functioning thankfully. I rent here,so wouldn't be able to trade houses. I am going to have a look at St. Louis and other midwestern states.
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