SF's rising prices and changes: How are you coping? (San Diego: low income, insuring)

[andyadhi01]

Originally Posted by gaijin_samurai

The places that are cheap have no jobs.

The job prospect here is not great either outside of the tech industry.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by gaijin_samurai

The places that are cheap have no jobs.

uhhh look at Texas.. .

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by DSLGal

Ugh, you've just reminded me that I could have moved to Europe (Sweden), but I was too stuck on living in SF to budge (face palm myself, lol). I also hear you on not being "mentally present" in SF. Although it's beautiful here, most of my friends have moved away, and I guess I'm just mostly not into the City as I used to be.

I would definitely try Europe if given the opportunity, but for the time being, Seattle is in the running (if I can stomach the weather), or the polar opposite, Louisiana (I have a number of friends there). I have also considered the DC area.

As far as fine dining, if I do decide to leave, I must try the French Laundry before departure. .

Whereabouts in Europe were you thinking of moving to?

Right now, I'm thinking Switzerland. It seems good for expats and their actual effective income taxes are actually lower than the U.S. yet they have great infrastructure and a high quality of life.

Yeah, about Sweden- Scandinavia is really kicking butt right now. Finland is #1 for academic performance in the world, right behind them is South Korea- and they don't put in nearly the number of hours of study that South Korea does. Denmark is well positioned to benefit from the new world when climate change kicks into full gear. Sweden is right up there too.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

While I never lived in the city, I worked in it and often went to get lunch nearby. I din't see why anyone would want to spend their money on things they can get cheaper elsewhere. Granted, I'm an extreme case with this. Even around the rest of the Bay Area, it just got too much for me. I love the Bay Area and miss it but, my dollars go further here in Washington State. Just the combination of lower cost of living in general (although still higher than most other states) and no state income tax has been a nice change.

Yeah, I've been hearing about more people moving to Tacoma. I had no idea Washington state has no state income tax. California has all these taxes, but what do we have to show for it?

I think once I leave, I will miss aspects of the Bay Area too. But many of the things I will leave behind are disappearing anyway. It is more like I miss the past version of SF now and just the past in general. I don't know if you or anyone here ever does this, but when I feel like I want to get away from current times, I just youtube music videos from various decades. Like 90's music, and it always brings me back. I wish I could have been in SF during the 90s.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by peninsular

My story is that of following simple advice that's heard (read) many a time on this forum - live close to your work. Of course it's easier said than done, but that doesn't make it any less of a good idea. I did it the other way around and was fortunate to find a job that is a lot closer to where I live. Moreover, now I can use MUNI to get to the office and back and don't have to drive pretty much at all. That made a huge difference. I feel I'm not nearly as exhausted or aggravated when I get home. Gas and time savings are nice too, but I don't think it's as important as the mental state improvement that comes from not having to commute 45+ minutes each way 5 days a week.

If there was a piece of advice I were to give it's this. Before you consider moving your home, consider moving your place of work.

Yes, it makes a huge difference when living close to work. Thanks for pointing that out on here. Just hope people can afford to live by their work.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by bentobox34

I always dreamed of living in San Francisco but when I finally got a job in the Bay Area, found it doesn't seem as magical as I thought it was back when I visited frequently in the 1990s. Whether that's because it changed or because I am no longer the fuzzy headed teenage idealist I was in the 90s I can't say. Both my wife and I are in industries that only pay about 20% premium in the Bay Area, so we have determined it's not worth it to stay here despite all the QOL benefits (many of which we can't afford to enjoy). Besides my employer-matched retirement savings we save absolutely nothing each month and spend everything we take in. We live in a one bedroom apartment with a baby so obviously are going to need a bigger place soon but I don't see how that's ever going to happen without compromises I'm unable to stomach (e.g. moving to a higher crime area or over an hour from work). Obviously not a sustainable situation by any means.

The way we are coping is by applying to jobs in lower COL areas (in other words, pretty much everywhere). My sister and brother-in-law live in Madison Wisconsin and despite the weather, the QOL they are able to afford on middle class salaries is truly stunning, coming from the CA perspective. They live in a $240k 4-bedroom house with a large yard in a neighborhood where kids ride bikes and play in the middle of the street, and both of their commutes are 10-minute bike rides. Madison is liberal and has a decent range of urban amenities like coffee shops, restaurants, museums, bike paths, etc. I can't say it compares to the Bay Area but there is life in flyover country.

Madison sounds like it has all the right stuff in the most important aspects. With all the changes in SF, I don't think you will miss out on much.

I read an article about how the hipsters who are priced out are now moving into "acceptable suburbs". Not saying you are a hipster. Just that I guess everyone, even those who are known to abhor the suburbs, are now trying to find a new life out there based on necessity. I think this extends to people moving to smaller cities in flyover counties.

[stateofgreen]

...but people have told me I missed the boat....I just hadn't been ready. Now I'm afraid I'll be driven to $1700-$2000 for a 1BR.:cryin g::shoc ked::eek :

And not be able to buy at all as a single woman in California.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by andyadhi01

It hasn't really affected me much at all except the traffic has gotten significantly worse and so has road rage. The new gourmet places offer nothing but long line of yuppies eating very mediocore and usually unhealthy food. For the price of good restaurant meal my cook makes a large amount of food that lasts 3-4 days- I just find going out to eat annoying because it's not worth the crowd and wait no matter how good the food is. My favorite is take outs from small ethnic restaurants and the prices there haven't changed at all. I don't go out to drink..so bar prices does not affect me. I just drink good beer and wine in home. The sunset district repels the pretentious new rich and for the most part I don't have to deal with these annoying people. The house proces have gone crazy and I gave up on buying. God bless my rent controlled apartment-

Hmm, sounds like we have similar strategies when it comes to food, except I don't have a cook. I am the cook. I also prefer drinking good wine at home.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by gaijin_samurai

Moving from California to Wisconsin will be a huge culture shock. I don't care how liberal they say Wisconsin is...its probably to the right of the Inland Empire.

I've lived in both the IE & Madison. You are very mistaken.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

Right now, I'm thinking Switzerland. It seems good for expats and their actual effective income taxes are actually lower than the U.S. yet they have great infrastructure and a high quality of life.

Yeah, about Sweden- Scandinavia is really kicking butt right now. Finland is #1 for academic performance in the world, right behind them is South Korea- and they don't put in nearly the number of hours of study that South Korea does. Denmark is well positioned to benefit from the new world when climate change kicks into full gear. Sweden is right up there too.

One of the things Scandinavia has going for it is that their birth rate is extremely low, and the net of immigrants over immigrants is negative. The implication is that they for the most part really need more working age adults in the country to drive GDP, and hence you have a shot at getting work permits, etc. Or you could just marry a native.