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Old 04-20-2016, 02:00 PM
 
52 posts, read 51,474 times
Reputation: 18

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Hello all,

You guys have been super helpful to me so I wanted to give an update. Hubby got a job offer in Seattle. Starting pay, $25/hr. Office is located in Lynnwood but he'd be cleaning swimming pools all over. I have had lots of interviews (phone) but no actual offer. My question is, will hubby's job be enough to survive until I get a job?

For you folks who don't know my story, I'll sum it up. Moving from Hawaii to the mainland with 6 kiddos in tow ranging from ages 15-4. On the fence between East Cobb County, Georgia and Edmonds, Washington. Sold our swimming pool business. Going up there with around $50,000 in hand (subtracting the cost of shipping everything/airfare/etc.. from original sale price of business). We don't want to struggle. Georgia is cheap, Washington is not. Either place is cheaper than Hawaii.

Thanks for your input!
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Old 04-20-2016, 02:45 PM
 
1,630 posts, read 3,867,921 times
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I'll ask the obvious - swimming pool cleaning is not as lucrative here as in Hawaii ... is this a year round job? Does it include benefits like health insurance for your family? I would say it would be a struggle on that salary with 8 people depending on it. Just want to be honest.
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Old 04-20-2016, 02:57 PM
 
2,685 posts, read 6,024,020 times
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Since you plan on finding a job and have put the pieces in place (selling your business) and plan on moving the fact that one of you got a job before you move is huge and sets you up much better. Unemployment is 3% here, if you've already got phone interviews from afar I'd say your chances of also landing a job are decent. If you plan on hitting the pavement to land a job when you get here then you have a good plan and in the mean time can survive as you put it on your husband's salary and savings. These moves always involve uncertainty but you've thought it through and have planned for it, I would take the plunge.
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Old 04-20-2016, 03:09 PM
 
21,988 posts, read 15,608,858 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tobester View Post
I'll ask the obvious - swimming pool cleaning is not as lucrative here as in Hawaii ... is this a year round job? Does it include benefits like health insurance for your family? I would say it would be a struggle on that salary with 8 people depending on it. Just want to be honest.
Plus, there are a lot more pools in Georgia, not so many here.
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Old 04-20-2016, 04:10 PM
 
Location: Kirkland, WA (Metro Seattle)
6,031 posts, read 6,082,309 times
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That's $52K, best-case, though I'll assume the work is seasonal so probably less. Can't see anyone using a pool here in Seattle metro from c. November - April under most circumstances, this (warm) month being an exception clearly.

I wouldn't try living in Edmonds on that with a spouse currently not-working and six children. That's hard-scrabble in a place that is not supportive of the concept anymore, past c. 10-15 years. I'd be shocked to find a house rental there for less than $3K to support that size of a family, though exceptions do happen.

Benefits weren't discussed, unclear how that works.

Looking at Payscale dot com, cost of living in Marietta is substantial lower than Seattle on a couple factors. If the job thing was just as solid there as Seattle, that's where I'd focus. Curious quality of life differences between Marietta and Seattle, if that's a deciding factor.

Mildly curious how it went in Hawaii on the previous income, but I'll look up the threads/story some other time.
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Old 04-20-2016, 05:32 PM
 
52 posts, read 51,474 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tobester View Post
I'll ask the obvious - swimming pool cleaning is not as lucrative here as in Hawaii ... is this a year round job? Does it include benefits like health insurance for your family? I would say it would be a struggle on that salary with 8 people depending on it. Just want to be honest.
It is a year round job and includes benefits like health insurance, 401k, and vacation pay...plus a company truck, cell phone, gas card, and credit card.
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Old 04-20-2016, 06:26 PM
 
Location: Nashville
3,533 posts, read 5,792,325 times
Reputation: 4707
Quote:
Originally Posted by HawaiitoKennesaw View Post
Hello all,

You guys have been super helpful to me so I wanted to give an update. Hubby got a job offer in Seattle. Starting pay, $25/hr. Office is located in Lynnwood but he'd be cleaning swimming pools all over. I have had lots of interviews (phone) but no actual offer. My question is, will hubby's job be enough to survive until I get a job?

For you folks who don't know my story, I'll sum it up. Moving from Hawaii to the mainland with 6 kiddos in tow ranging from ages 15-4. On the fence between East Cobb County, Georgia and Edmonds, Washington. Sold our swimming pool business. Going up there with around $50,000 in hand (subtracting the cost of shipping everything/airfare/etc.. from original sale price of business). We don't want to struggle. Georgia is cheap, Washington is not. Either place is cheaper than Hawaii.

Thanks for your input!
Swimming pools and Washington, especially Seattle is kind of an oxymoron. If a person's profession revolves around swimming pools, Seattle probably sounds like the last place on the earth a person would want to live. You will probably have to accept if you move to a place like Seattle, even if he is rolling in the swimming pool cleaning business, that you will also have to work a full time job and probably have your children in day care, like most other double income earning Seattle families do. You will probably end up finding your lifestyle will be like many other double income earning families. Being a housewife/househusband in Seattle with kids, requires an extremely wealthy spouse and even then it will be a stretch. You have not made any mention of your job in this post, but expect that you will be working full-time as well, even if you are making $50,000 a year yourself. Seattle's rents are skyrocketing beyond belief.
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Old 04-20-2016, 06:37 PM
 
52 posts, read 51,474 times
Reputation: 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondebaerde View Post
That's $52K, best-case, though I'll assume the work is seasonal so probably less. Can't see anyone using a pool here in Seattle metro from c. November - April under most circumstances, this (warm) month being an exception clearly.

I wouldn't try living in Edmonds on that with a spouse currently not-working and six children. That's hard-scrabble in a place that is not supportive of the concept anymore, past c. 10-15 years. I'd be shocked to find a house rental there for less than $3K to support that size of a family, though exceptions do happen.

Benefits weren't discussed, unclear how that works.

Looking at Payscale dot com, cost of living in Marietta is substantial lower than Seattle on a couple factors. If the job thing was just as solid there as Seattle, that's where I'd focus. Curious quality of life differences between Marietta and Seattle, if that's a deciding factor.

Mildly curious how it went in Hawaii on the previous income, but I'll look up the threads/story some other time.
We didn't live on $52k in Hawaii. More like $75-80k and barely making ends meet. We just figured that with the lower COL in Seattle than Hawaii $52k was doable for a little bit since we'll have money in the bank ($50k) I do realize the rental prices are steep and I've been doing my due diligence in researching different areas and cost. I would hate to jump from the frying pan to the fire just because we got an okay job offer in Seattle.
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:11 PM
 
319 posts, read 343,722 times
Reputation: 669
I would say if I was in the swimming pool business, I would rather be in Georgia than Washington. Georgia has loads of pools and this area has very few. And while we may be cheaper than Hawaii, you will struggle here as well. With 6 kids and one moderate income, its going to be rough. You also may have a hard time finding a rental. I can't speak for Edmonds, per se, but landlords here are quite picky and 6 kids is more than a lot will want to do. Heck, a 2 income family with no kids that isn't over 100k in annual earnings is more than many want to do. It's not easy here. Georgia is hot and well, the South - and all that comes with that, but it is cheap and family friendly and has a lot of swimming pools.
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:20 PM
 
1,054 posts, read 1,035,029 times
Reputation: 566
100k no kids still works in Seattle. But 52k with several kids certainly would be tough as others have said. COLA in Seattle is rising.
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