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Cities I was looking into: Cody, Sheridan, and Sundance really caught my eye.
Although Cody and Sheridan can be a bit expensive, I think Sundance would be a bit small. It's a nice area, but really not a lot going on around there for your background. (that I know of)
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Activities: Actually, I love the outdoors, which is why I really loved Wyoming! I would like to get into hunting though, and this seems like a perfect place -not sport-hunting of course, heaven forbid-.
Actually, hunting is available just about anywhere in the state.
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How do the animals fair in the winter?
Animals do fairly well in Wyoming. If you're talking just a couple animals, you should have no problem sheltering them. Even larger herds need something when storms hit or real extremes hit (-40). If nothing else, a smaller pen to keep them together, a shelter belt or wind break. But with a small gathering like you're talking, you can bring them into a barn during extreme's.
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Do you guys also leave your car doors unlocked? In NC we left the doors open when the car was parked in our yard.
I'm not sure if the doors on my pickup even lock anymore. Haven't locked them since I was in Texas back in 2004.
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Heating: Just had a question about heating. Is the price high to heat an average size house? By average I mean something in the area of two/three bedrooms, no upstairs.
The house I sold last year was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1800 sq ft home. It had natural gas, forced air heat. Central air for summer. Combined, my gas and electric run right at $100 a month, but during the winter on really cold months, it run around $150 a month.
It's funny seeing how I think 55 is freezing in SoCal. When it's 55 and raining, people think the world is going to end here!
I get a kick out of visiting friends in SD in the "winter" months and wanting to go sailing with them if the conditions are reasonable. They think I'm nuts, but with modern layering clothing (instead of our old peacoats) and foulies (if needed), it's a blast. They're all bundled up and I'm in a long sleeve shirt and windshirt and a farmer john bib windpant and deck boots.
I do have friends that have moved to SD from the Rocky Mountain area and joined my old SD yacht club. Out here, they were as hardy as anybody in the cold weather. Now, after a few years in San Diego ... they whine about how cold and nasty it is on a 50 degree day on the water. And I like to go diving still at this time of the year ....
We sailed down to Cedros in Feb last year ... for the warm waters and fishing. Wonderful four days of sailing (with a bit of motoring due to light winds), and a couple of days to fish the kelp patties. My friends were miserable the whole time, stayed below and kept warm and out of the weather for most of the trip .... claimed they were never going to let me talk them into a winter trip of such duration again. Maybe from Shelter Island out to the whistler and back, but not much further ... well, maybe the Coronados for an overnight if the weather was clear.
I don't think they'd be up for feeding the critters here anymore in 30 mph winds gusting to almost 50 mph ... as it was today ... in 23F temps. That's brutal compared to SD typical winter days when the cloud layer can burn off by mid-morning and the winds are modest ....
The natural gas bill (heat and hot water) for my 2200 sq ft home averages $88 per month year-round. Electricity, water, sewer and garbage comes on one (city) bill, and I'd guess it averages $135 per month -- $100 in the winter and $175 in the summer with more electricity (central AC use) and water.
That's in the city, however. If you live in the country and heat with propane, it would be higher.
The natural gas bill (heat and hot water) for my 2200 sq ft home averages $88 per month year-round. Electricity, water, sewer and garbage comes on one (city) bill, and I'd guess it averages $135 per month -- $100 in the winter and $175 in the summer with more electricity (central AC use) and water.
That's in the city, however. If you live in the country and heat with propane, it would be higher.
Electricity and propane costs are substantially higher in the areas where you don't have municipal services. Your energy use will be very dependent upon how "tight" your house is built and insulated.
I've got neighbors with $150/month propane bills, and some with $500/month wintertime propane bills for similar size houses. It all depends ....
If you want to keep livestock, you'll be running stock tank heaters and such which can use a lot of electricity in the winter months. It wouldn't be uncommon to spend $150-200 per month for domestic and livestock electricity use. Especially if you are on a deep well to pump your domestic water supply.
Utlilites are less, but I've noticed food and other grocery type items are much more!
Cold medicine, shampoos, detergents, milk, bread, coffee...all of it is way more than what I'm used to paying, by 20-100% more.
My grocery bill has increased by about $30 a week since we arrived. I have also not been able to find certain grocery items that we were used to in Texas. It takes some adjusting.
I would definitely suggest visiting in the winter; I grew up in Illinois and lived in Texas the better part of my life and moving here has been unbelievably hard. The wind and cold is really hard on me and my family so we've had a pretty severe case of cabin fever, and we're really not into winter yet.
There is a wealth of advice and knowledge on this forum, so take what you need/like and throw out the rest!
Utlilites are less, but I've noticed food and other grocery type items are much more!
Cold medicine, shampoos, detergents, milk, bread, coffee...all of it is way more than what I'm used to paying, by 20-100% more.
My grocery bill has increased by about $30 a week since we arrived. I have also not been able to find certain grocery items that we were used to in Texas. It takes some adjusting.
I would definitely suggest visiting in the winter; I grew up in Illinois and lived in Texas the better part of my life and moving here has been unbelievably hard. The wind and cold is really hard on me and my family so we've had a pretty severe case of cabin fever, and we're really not into winter yet.
There is a wealth of advice and knowledge on this forum, so take what you need/like and throw out the rest!
Good luck in your decision!
I did a project in Texas that ended up lasting 4 years. I was glad to get back because I found grocery prices were cheaper here. In Sheridan, Whole milk and 2% milk is $1.98 a gallon. How much is it in your neck of the woods? (That's for Meadow Gold milk)
I agree with visiting. Winters can be real nasty if your not prepared, or not mentally ready for it. Cabin fever is a well known desease in Wyoming for some. But luckily, it's not windy everywhere.
I paid $2.58 for a gallon just the other day. With 3 kids we go through milk more than water! I wish I had my own cow somedays.
Bananas, grapes, strawberries, oranges, apples are all significantly more here, as well as lettuce and tomotoes. I like to never find good tomatoes here either. It's a hit or miss game.
Our staples, like paper towels, cleaning supplies, medicines and vitamins are all a bit higher here. Bacon and hot dogs are much pricier...we like the Hebrew National hot dogs and I'd pay $2.50 for a package and I pay $3.99 here at Wally world...at Safeway they were $5.99. A lb. of bacon would run us about $2.50 as well, and we've paid $4.99 here. Needless to say, we don't eat bacon often. I've just noticed differences in prices; I'm one of those that knows what she pays for everything...I have a photographic memory and with a family of 5, I watch every penny.
To the OP, be prepared to give up some of the conveniences that you're used to. I miss having a 24 hour pharmacy or drug store. If you're used to dining out, you may have to adjust your dining out habits. I'd love to have some good Mexican food or Chinese food. Luckily I know how to cook Mexican so I've been able to make do, but sometimes I'd like someone to fix it for me. We were used to living in a city of 4 million, with a myriad of places to go, and so we've been forced to be creative. I'm sure for some it's really easy to make the transition, but in our case it's been quite dreadful. I think for us one of the hardest things is being away from family and friends.
I can't speak for the friendliness factor because we've had some dreadful experiences, but the folks here on this forum are about the friendliest WY folks I've encountered. As with any place, there's undesriables everywhere.
Location: formerly Gillette, WY now Sacramento, CA
203 posts, read 712,974 times
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Originally Posted by Crazymomof3
To the OP, be prepared to give up some of the conveniences that you're used to. I miss having a 24 hour pharmacy or drug store.
FYI- if you ever need a 24hr pharmacy, your hospital pharmacy should be open 24hrs
As coming from the San Diego area myself (north county coastal) The things I notice is gas is WAY cheaper. I would say almost .50 or more cheaper. I am bad but I don't pay too much attention to food cost but I do know that the produce does cost more and is of lesser quality than in CA. My husband and I joke that the produce looks like this was the last stop on the truck. In the summer, there are people that bring and sell farm fresh stuff from CO, SD, and other places and I buy all my produce there depending on what is there. I can't wait for Colorado peaches this summer.
Luckily in Gillette, the supermarkets carry a lot of different stuff like mexican and asian stuff that I was surprised to find here. My friend who is originally from Mexico City and lives here now was surprised with the selection of goods.
The main difference would be you will be keeping more of your money because of the lack of state income tax and low sales tax.
To the OP, if groceries are your query... I guess you will just have to shop around and use coupons? I've found lots of my favorite products have coupons online that I can print off. Or use the Sunday paper coupons. Penny pinching has become second nature to me as I spent the last 4 years in school and my husband is self employed (the teenager moved out in 07 though, so that did help bring our food bills down )
I don't remember produce being so bad when I lived in Lander, but then I got some fresh berries and cherries in the summer from my aunt. Definitely check out summer farmers markets When I did live there, there was a tax on groceries and clothing, which, if I'm remembering correctly, has changed now? That would make a difference.
Crazymomof3
Where I live in Minnesota the Hebrew National hot dogs are about $3.50-4/pack at Walmart too.. so I can't sat that it's a WY thing. I buy organic milk at $3.48/ half gallon, and think that is a great price..I might be wrong. I do know you have a Safeway there.. and I was just checking the advert and saw bacon at 2.99/lb which is about what I pay here in MN. My husband would rather go without air than without bacon at least once a week ~hee hee~ Super Walmart's are usually open 24º too, and carry the OTC pharmacy stuffs. I've never lived anywhere there was a 24º pharmacy. hmm, does that make me deprived? Course we don't even have a Target store within 50 miles of us, so I probably am deprived!
To the OP, if groceries are your query... I guess you will just have to shop around and use coupons? I've found lots of my favorite products have coupons online that I can print off. Or use the Sunday paper coupons. Penny pinching has become second nature to me as I spent the last 4 years in school and my husband is self employed (the teenager moved out in 07 though, so that did help bring our food bills down )
I don't remember produce being so bad when I lived in Lander, but then I got some fresh berries and cherries in the summer from my aunt. Definitely check out summer farmers markets When I did live there, there was a tax on groceries and clothing, which, if I'm remembering correctly, has changed now? That would make a difference.
Crazymomof3
Where I live in Minnesota the Hebrew National hot dogs are about $3.50-4/pack at Walmart too.. so I can't sat that it's a WY thing. I buy organic milk at $3.48/ half gallon, and think that is a great price..I might be wrong. I do know you have a Safeway there.. and I was just checking the advert and saw bacon at 2.99/lb which is about what I pay here in MN. My husband would rather go without air than without bacon at least once a week ~hee hee~ Super Walmart's are usually open 24º too, and carry the OTC pharmacy stuffs. I've never lived anywhere there was a 24º pharmacy. hmm, does that make me deprived? Course we don't even have a Target store within 50 miles of us, so I probably am deprived!
I agree about penny pinching. I don't spend much at all on groceries, but I really shop the sales and use coupons, especially on double coupon days at Albertson's. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. We stock up when things are on sale. I've learned from experts (when I worked in the grocery biz) that groceries go in "cycles". For instance, certain items go on good sales every 3 months, so you should stock up on 3 months worth of stuff & by the time you run out that item will be on sale again. It is kind of a pain, but I usually go to both Smith's & Albertson's every week to buy what's on sale. I don't even shop at Walmart very much, unless I need something for a particular recipe that I don't have on hand and it's usually cheaper there than at the other stores. Produce is definitely a seasonal thing. I just do a lot more frozen veggies & fruit during the winter and then really enjoy when summer gets here and I can afford more fresh stuff. Septo Queen is right in that the produce stands set up in town are great. Of course, the best tomatoes you can get are those you grow yourself! Sure wish we could grow pomegranates here! They are my favorite and I stock up big time in the fall when they get them at Costco. To wrap it up, I feel that your grocery budget is all what you make it. If you take time to shop for deals you can do well. If you don't have time then you probably have more money than time and it doesn't matter that much anyway! Just my opinion!
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(the teenager moved out in 07 though, so that did help bring our food bills down 
