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we lasted with only 10,000 saved up. We have been here 9 months now, and had no problems finding work, and even though we used most of our savings, we are able to put back a couple hundred a week now.
My husband nor I have a college degree... so it isn't like we had that to help us out in our job search.
Good Luck!
and what kind of jobs did you find, at what kind of salaries and what kind of a place are you living in? I am not trying to get nosey and yes, it can work, I am glad it worked for you, but this isn't saying it will work for everyone..What about things like medical insurance, gas, etc? How are you handling that?
My sis lived an adventurous life. She lived all over the world, working all kinds of jobs. She moved to many a country not knowing the language or knowing a soul. Her first move was when she was about 19. In the end she spoke and wrote Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, French etc. People can move without a job. You have to be willing to take the chance. You have to be willing to work at anything. She started out washing floors in a hospital in Germany. She worked as a fashion model in Belgium. She sold real estate on the Spanish Riviera. She taught German and English at a high school in AZ. She has no regrets. Me, I have lived my life very carefully. Always a secure job etc. I have no regrets. There are a million things you can be. It's up to you.
God this sounds like the reverse of my GF and I. I want to be your sister and she wants to be more like you
Different strokes I guess. Your sister's life just sounds really fun and adventurous whereas she's worried about the future and stability.
Edit: and I'm looking to move out to San Diego or Austin with the GF (can't believe I convinced her to go!) in a few months. We're visiting some friends in LA in March and we're making a stop in SD to take a look around.
One thing you shouldn't worry about is work. There's always work if you're willing. The best way to make money in between jobs is work in a restaurant. They're always hiring and you'll make good money. I plan on getting a waiting/bartending job while looking for a career once I move.
God this sounds like the reverse of my GF and I. I want to be your sister and she wants to be more like you
Different strokes I guess. Your sister's life just sounds really fun and adventurous whereas she's worried about the future and stability.
Edit: and I'm looking to move out to San Diego or Austin with the GF (can't believe I convinced her to go!) in a few months. We're visiting some friends in LA in March and we're making a stop in SD to take a look around.
One thing you shouldn't worry about is work. There's always work if you're willing. The best way to make money in between jobs is work in a restaurant. They're always hiring and you'll make good money. I plan on getting a waiting/bartending job while looking for a career once I move.
not in San Diego, there are people with years of restaurant experience, all fields, form waiting to bar tending and managing who can not find work in the San Diego area. People come on here all the time and want to know where they can get a job or why with X number of years experience they can't get hired...Remember, in San Diego you are competing with kids from about 3 good sized colleges and several Mexicans.
Now, that doesn't mean you should not move to San Diego necessarily, but do not expect to just get hired in a restaurant the way you can in many places...You would stand a much better chance of getting a wait staff job in Austin..
But even in normal chains like Chili's or Applebee's it's hard to find a job? Turnover is so high at my job now that I take vacation whenever I want and come back when I want
But even in normal chains like Chili's or Applebee's it's hard to find a job? Turnover is so high at my job now that I take vacation whenever I want and come back when I want
The Penn job market is very different than the Ca market right now. Probably the chains are even harder to get hired..That I am not positive of, but just check everything out before you make the move. If you work for a major chain now, maybe you could transfer..I don't know about San Diego, but I do know Chili's many places are closing down. This is the case with TGIF as well, so you now have many seasoned wait people out of work, looking for another restaurant...
But even in normal chains like Chili's or Applebee's it's hard to find a job? Turnover is so high at my job now that I take vacation whenever I want and come back when I want
Yes, it's very hard to find any type of job. If you do plan to come, have at least $20K saved to hold you over. There are lots of college students here, and they tend to work in the restaurants. And don't count on flipping burgers, either. If you speak Spanish, you might have a chance at a fast food job. There are also people here with years of hospitality experience that are looking for jobs. If you do move here, you're going to have lots of competition.
and what kind of jobs did you find, at what kind of salaries and what kind of a place are you living in? I am not trying to get nosey and yes, it can work, I am glad it worked for you, but this isn't saying it will work for everyone..What about things like medical insurance, gas, etc? How are you handling that?
Nita
We are handling it with ease. Of course our Savings was almost burned up but we are back to having a couple thousand in the bank again, so we have a safety net. We don't go out for dinner and go out very often, that saves a lot of money. Gas was never an issue... It is only about 10-15cents higher here than back home, that is only a couple dollars extra per tank. Gas is a necessity to us, and haven't went without yet.
I am a nanny pretty much full-time now, I work for 4-5 different families to fill in my schedule. I've met all of the families though my regular families school friends etc. Yes, I don't mind working weekends and evenings... it will work out better after our baby comes, because my husband can be home in the evenings from his work. I make between 14-16.50 per hour in cash. I typically bring in 350-600 per week in cash. My husband works full-time for a family law firm, his checks are roughly 800-1000 every two weeks. He also is the San Diego Area Manager for Absolut Vodka, which basically he does promotions and product samplings at bars a couple times a month. This is purely extra money to put in our baby savings fund (He makes $45 per hour and before I was pregnant I helped out as well and made $25 per hour) It is a nice extra check when we get them!
We have NO debt, except for a car payment, which makes it much easier to pay bills, we have never been behind on anything. As for medical insurance, I do have state medical right now due to my pregnancy, which in all honesty is fine with me, because I don't have to pay out of pocket for all of my co-pays and hospital stuff. After the baby is born we will be put on my husbands insurance, as his job is rather new... His boss is even offering to help pay for school if he becomes interested in the law career. Very cool.
I know our situation isn't what EVERYONE'S will be, but everyone did tell us NOT to move here, etc etc etc... but we did anyways, and we made it work! I am merely giving everyone my personal response about our experiences here, if they choose to take the risk, then great. We were willing to take ANY jobs we could get when we moved here (I.E. I was a baby photographer which I did previously in MN, and he worked 2 P/T retail jobs) It's all about networking and meeting people, that is how we have found all of our employment out here. FYI we didn't know a soul until we came out here looking for a place to live last March, since then we have made some lifelong friends, who have acted as "family" during the holidays when we felt like going home wouldn't be a smart choice financially.
I have 12 grand saved up, and I have a few classes left till I graduate that I can complete online. Location doesn't matter in this way. My life dream has been to live in San Diego. I know the traditional route is to wait it out until I am more established financially, then move. But alas in reality the way it usually pans out is that by the time you are "established" you're too deep into your career/family whatever and stuck geographically. More to the point-I'm unhappy. I'm bored. I'm unfulfilled. I've never been further West than Chicago, as I've never had the money to travel. I need to get out of my bubble, and San Diego is where I want to start. I'm in my mid-twenties and still don't have any interesting stories, or notable experiences. I feel like I'm at a stage where I need to take a chance, because the status quo just isn't working.
I guess I am looking for some kind of a pat on the back here? Somebody to tell me I'm not a massive idiot who will inevitably be calling his parents in 6 months for a 1 way ticket home.
If anything about this post jumps out at you, by all means, tell me what you're thinking. Thank you.
I didn't read the four pages of responses, but honestly I don't care what they say/said. I left "home" at 21, have lived on both coasts, had many great experiences, and just returned "home." I say leave.
There is no amount of money I would trade for the experiences I have over the past eight years. I've lived in Duluth, Boston, Kansas, San Jose, and Seattle. I've been to the St. Patty's day parade in Boston, hiked the long trail in Vermont, been to Yosemite, Tahoe, and San Fran. I've been to a Mexican birthday party where I was the only white person there (AWESOME by the way. I learned hispanics dress to the nines for B-day parties), seen races at Laguna Seca, and been to the Pike Market. For every memory I've posted here, there are a thousand I have not posted about. I wouldn't trade that for anything on earth...
not in San Diego, there are people with years of restaurant experience, all fields, form waiting to bar tending and managing who can not find work in the San Diego area. People come on here all the time and want to know where they can get a job or why with X number of years experience they can't get hired...Remember, in San Diego you are competing with kids from about 3 good sized colleges and several Mexicans.
Now, that doesn't mean you should not move to San Diego necessarily, but do not expect to just get hired in a restaurant the way you can in many places...You would stand a much better chance of getting a wait staff job in Austin..
Nita
That's not true-do you live in SD,Nita? I have been here 8 yrs,and SD has work. It's not as high paying,and it never has been,but actually there is less competition in SD than in LA. city of 1.5 million,county of 4 million. vs. 9 million in LA.
SD has alot more middle of the road industry,and varied industries.
And,b/c it's varied,there are different niches for 'good sized population of 3 colleges' and 'several mexicans'. LOL. It's a bit silly-I know you post here regularly,but phrasing it like that is simply not accurate. And the colleges are not that large,given the size of the city,and not all students work. It's not a college town like boulder or say,Davis or Santa Cruz,either. Some people even do a reverse commute down to Tijuana to work! Shocking,I know,but look out folks-stereotypes don't always apply.
OP: Sounds GREAT!
I grew up in the NE,left at 19 moved to MT,then africa,asia,caribbean,etc. finally to SD where I met my spouse;we went to SFO,then CO and have been back in SD for 8 yrs. Of course you should do it!
SD is a beautiful place,and so cal presents a unique lifestyle/vibe that is great to experience. there's nothing like it,as can be said for many cities/places.
For housing options,you have alot of choices,depends on whether or not you want olders style architecture or more generic complexes. And yea,where you live might be depending upon what type of job you are looking for.
But most areas of SD proper can be accessed w/in 20 minutes of each other. A little more in traffic. It's living outside of SD proper that people really hit the traffic,for the most part.
12k is good-you should do fine.
Neighborhoods: North Park,UTC,Normal Heights,Talmadge and the cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach [small beach cities just outside city limits] are my recommendation to you.
And starting out renting in a complex is good b/c the move in deposit is usually low,and the leases are short,giving you a low risk chance to look around and get the lay of the land. And be sure to plan on having a vehicle,as others have said. And do not stress about 'CA emissions',unless you have a very old vehicle. And in that case,sell it and buy another one in CA that is already smogged. [plenty of old hondas and toyotas in SD;my spouse and I drive 15 yr old ones ourselves. and we pass smog.]
Good luck!
Last edited by lrmsd; 02-14-2010 at 03:10 PM..
Reason: typo
This is an addendum to my post about my adventurous sis and traditional me. I mentioned neither of us have regrets and that is true. We do have different lives as aging women. Sis's health failed her, mine didn't. She is no longer able to work and hasn't been able to for some time. That's just fate I guess. Sis nows lives in an apartment supported by welfare. She didn't work in this country enough to qualify for more than around $300 per month in Social Security. She lives off that and welfare. She drives the car our parents left her when they passed away 15 years ago. I own a home with my spouse, continue to work full time and will retire with a pension and social security which should allow me to pay my bills and have some fun Retirement will bring a definite reduction in income, but we bought our San Diego home (modest home, modest neighborhood) with retirement in mind. My sis and I have very different financial lives, but we are both happy.
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