Thinking of relocating, Clearwater St Pete area need job info. (Tampa: sales, 2014)

[Spring Hillian]

Great advice to heed. Without a financial cushion to carry you for a year or maybe longer can make a huge difference.

Originally Posted by algia

Unfortunately that pay range for a place will place you in crack towns here IF that. Maybe save some money while you have a job, make a monthly goal to save for this move, and then move with a cushion. Wanting to move, and making a successful move are two very different things!

[NeedThaSun]

I will take all of your advise under consideration, I wont move until i can afford to live a couple months (maybe 6) without work, and find a decent place to be safe. Im in retail, always a need for us everywhere, thank you so much and keep the advise flowing. As I think about it more and more i will probably transfer from my currrent job. Im not a society drainer. Im a hard worker and i just love florida.

[gulfer]

I disagree with those who say you can't make it. You already know you have to work hard.

A friend of my daughters, at 26 years old was living in Chattanooga, TN until recently. She wanted a 'Fresh Start'. She was working at a major Pizza chain up there. She talked to her Manager about her wanting to move to Tampa. Her Manager called the Managers down here, gave her a great recommendation, and she had 50 hours a week worth of work lined up at two different stores before she even left. She clears between 10-14 per hour. So using 10 per hour, she makes 500 a week or 2K per month. She has a nice 1 bedroom, works hard, and seems very happy.

Previous Posters:
I didn't 'Miss the Point' on what the OP was asking. She stated her line of work, stated her budget, said she wanted 1 or 2 jobs, etc... 43 is YOUNG!

I'll refrain from commenting on the slight beating on the head I took on my post. I believe if you work hard you can make it. I believe if you are in a situation where you 'Need a Change', Change it. I believe if you want to get ahead at times it takes a sacrifice. And if that sacrifice is 60 hours of work a week until you find something better, then do it. I wouldn't recommend it if it meant living like that for years and years with no upside in sight.

You have a skillset that you can advance in once you get started. AGAIN, GOOD LUCK!!

[Spring Hillian]

It takes a few things to be successful, here or any where.

Gumption, pride, desire, a goal, patience are among them.

I think a few posters here don't have any of those major ingredients and that is why they are so bitter on FL.

If you want it bad enough, you do what you gotta do and get on with the program.

It sounds like our OP here is on the right track.

Originally Posted by gulfer

I disagree with those who say you can't make it. You already know you have to work hard.

A friend of my daughters, at 26 years old was living in Chattanooga, TN until recently. She wanted a 'Fresh Start'. She was working at a major Pizza chain up there. She talked to her Manager about her wanting to move to Tampa. Her Manager called the Managers down here, gave her a great recommendation, and she had 50 hours a week worth of work lined up at two different stores before she even left. She clears between 10-14 per hour. So using 10 per hour, she makes 500 a week or 2K per month. She has a nice 1 bedroom, works hard, and seems very happy.

Previous Posters:
I didn't 'Miss the Point' on what the OP was asking. She stated her line of work, stated her budget, said she wanted 1 or 2 jobs, etc... 43 is YOUNG!

I'll refrain from commenting on the slight beating on the head I took on my post. I believe if you work hard you can make it. I believe if you are in a situation where you 'Need a Change', Change it. I believe if you want to get ahead at times it takes a sacrifice. And if that sacrifice is 60 hours of work a week until you find something better, then do it. I wouldn't recommend it if it meant living like that for years and years with no upside in sight.

You have a skillset that you can advance in once you get started. AGAIN, GOOD LUCK!!

[tinytrump]

(((Please do not move here unless you have a good job lined up first.We have too many people who move here without a job and end up becoming a burden on those of us who have to pay to support them)) Why I say this area is unfriendly!! OMG!!! glad I did not read this when I came, and now I can't leave because I have a great JOB!!! GRRR

[gulfer]

NICE POST! I wasn't going to jump on the unfriendly comments and still won't.

It is all those State Income Taxes that we pay to keep the Social Services, Food Stamps, Welfare, etc... for people that kind find jobs or don't want to work.

OH WAIT! We don't have State Income Taxes for that. Our property taxes are significantly lower than many other states too.

[sptsailing]

Rent in FL is 'too d**n high' for what you get. I have been here since 1959 and assure you that unless you have a job lined up, you will be in for disappointment. Retirees on Social Security are willing to work for a pittance to supplement their incomes, which means everyone's pay is lower. To add injury to insult, this is a destination for the wealthy, so they drive up the prices of housing and rent. That said, there is great sailing water here, the beaches are fabulous, and for about half the year, the weather is perfect. The other half, it is warmer than one might prefer, but you can get used to that.

[NeedThaSun]

Thank you gulfer and spring h. i do need a change, the job market in nc..bad. been out of work 2 years just about, and well part time here and there doesnt cut it, but im persistant, hard working and honest so, when i have enough saved to get started, ill do it. ive struggled all my life, but i wont take govt help assistance food stamps, none of it. I work for all i have. i just have an idea of what i want and its to live in st pete area, to ride my motorcycle, work a good job, go fishing and BE WARM. im glad to be on this forum to see whats really going on out there. thanks!

[mateo384]

i say just do it! If that's where your heart is, then who should judge? I'm doing it all with no job lined up, and I'm not the slightest bit worried. Where there is a will, there is a way. Plus, we are only on this earth for such a limited timespan. Why not do what you want?

[NC_Job_Hunter]

Originally Posted by NeedThaSun

question is; jobs, are they available, attainable, sustainable. Im in retail now, I can do anything up to asst mgr, lead positions, cashiering, merch, customer svc, paint, pest control, sales, just cant lift or twist, have a bad back from an old surgury. Im 43, female, not afraid to get my hands dirty or sit at a desk and talk on the phone. I dont make alot of money right now, never really have, so Im looking at places to live in the 450-500 a month range, therefore need a(one or two) decent job pt-ft to make enough to pay the bills and get by. Where do I start looking, what is best way to search? Maybe this is stupid but I need to know how to get started. I seriously want to move to FL, I know Ill be able to come up with money to get the place, and get moved in, but after that,...there wont be any to live on without a paycheck. Any ideas and suggestions helpful. thanks.

Stay in NC.
Seriously, the cost of living is quite a bit higher here than anywhere I have lived in NC, including Charlotte. Everything except gas (which is about the same) cost at least 25% more. Even cheap places to buy groceries like Aldi is higher here than Aldi's in NC.
The weather is pretty bad here too. From May until January it is terrible hot and humid. Yes, even in Nov and Dec many days are humid and still quite warm. So A/C is a must most of the year, including in your car. Traffic is god aweful and you will spend 20 minutes trying to get 5 miles up the road.
As for rent, again, very pricey for what you get. One option is to buy a mobile home from one of those places that sells the homes but rents you the lot they sit on. You can buy the home very cheap and lot rent can be $350-$500up depending on what all the park offers. Most apartments in that price range are not in decent neighborhoods.
You can likely find a job in retail, since there is such a high turnaround. WalMart, Bestbuy, Homedepot, Lowes, Target and others are hiring all the time. Most will offer full time or near full time hours to you if you prove you are likely to stay with them and do good work. None of them pay very well, but with the turnaround they have, your chances of advancement are pretty good, especially with your experience. You can also likely get a job at one of the shops at the beach, if you think you would like that.
There is also the smell. Reclaimed water stinks like,,, well to put it in a nice term, it smells like what it is reclaimed from. And they water everything around here with it, so the smell is always there. Most folks say you get used to it, but I haven't gotten used to it in the 8 or 9 months I have been here. Oh yeah, and the tap water isn't fit to drink either, so count on buying your water. $1 a gallon for Crystal Geyser natural spring water from the Blue Ridge mountains. You can get it at Family Dollar and Dollar Stores.

If you do decide to move here, I hope you the best. But I do feel you are in for a shock when you go the grocery stores, etc. LOL, even Florida's Natural orange juice is higher here than it is in NC.

I don't think I will end up here very long. I'll probably move back to NC before too long. It is just a much nicer place to live.