I trust dis- moving from Midwest to cali?

[katyringo]

I trust my dis folks and wonder if those who live in CA would offer some thoughts and advice. If you don't have something nice to say please just don't respond. Totally not on topic to theme parks..

Currently live in the Midwest and make 127K a year. This is very comfortable in the Midwest.

For many reasons I'm looking for new job and a dream job opened in CA. Fremont, CA. If I got the job and could get the posted max salary (I have the credentials to make that happen) the salary would be 190k.

I am very aware the cost of living compared to Midwest is much much higher. We would need to rent and I'm seeing rent in that area being $4000 a month.

Moving to CA and this job would not be to simply make more money. Actually it's not that at all. It's about life improvement. Midwest winters are really hard on my husband and I. Current political climate of our home state. Closer to Disney- it's about quality of life. I

I am our breadwinner. Hubby is a disabled veteran. So we would have his disability on top of the salary. So would be looking to live in CA on about 210k a year.

All I hear is the cost of living being so high in CA . We have pretty low bills. No student loans. A little bit of car debt. Our current housing cost is $1000 a month. (Yay Midwest).

I did run the math factoring 4000 for rent, triple unities costs, triple gas costs. Double food budget. My math says we would do fine.

What else do I need to know and consider?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

It's about life improvement. Midwest winters are really hard on my husband and I. Current political climate of our home state. Closer to Disney- it's about quality of life.

I am from Ireland but I have lived and worked in multiple countries. This to me is the most important thing. All the time I moved, first in various places in Ireland and then to Germany, Scotland and London, have all been about quality of life.

Each time I moved, I knew I would find a job and that job would cover living expenses. When I moved to Scotland I did not know anyone or have any professional contacts, but I found a place to live, a job, a social life and was there for almost 3 years.

Life is so much more than work, and I don't think many people understand that quality of life is so important.

If the financial aspect is doable, then go for it.

 

[VandVsmama]

Financially, it’s going to be hard on that total household income.

 

[katyringo]

Financially, it’s going to be hard on that total household income.

Can you give me some examples of why? Like I am really trying to understand it.

 

[China Expat]

DO it if you can! California native here, and I am thankful more than ever to be here for political reasons. I am taking an 11 month contract in Boston come August, and will miss being able to hike and bike almost every day here, but am excited to explore New England. Winters will be rough in NE, but I lived through them in Beijing. My son is in the bay area, and we love it up there. Tons of walking trails and proximity to water. It feels different up there. Traffic is an issue, but it';s the same traffic issues we now see everywhere. Do it!

 

[cruisehopeful]

The bay area is on the higher end of cost of living in the state but it sounds like you have already factored in rent, utilities, etc. There's really no downside to the move if you don't have any problem living within your means. Something I recommend to my friends when they move across the country is to visit and do normal daily activities, hobbies, whatever is normal to see how that all fits since you are giving up your social circle. Generally, people in California aren't as friendly as the Midwest and often never know their neighbors.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Generally, people in California aren't as friendly as the Midwest and often never know their neighbors.

This is something most people don't realize. That was one reason why I moved from Germany to Scotland. I loved my job, my work colleagues, and everything about being at work. For the 10 hours a day I was in the building, I was happy but it was when I wasn't in work, it was the day to day life outside work that got to me and was a factor in why I left. It was very different both culturally and socially to what I was used to.

 

[VGCgroupie]

You likely wont have nearly enough disposable income to go to Disney very often. That is just my opinion. Food is probably more than double the price. You also need to be sure you are factoring the much higher taxes, not knowing where you live I cant give you specific numbers but income tax will likely be much higher. 1k rent on 127k w/ midwest taxes vs 4k on 210 w/ ca taxes is not a big enough split that I would make the move. I have been in the position before with the potential to move back to CA with a much higher salary and it did not make good financial sense for us to do it. Also one thing to always consider with new jobs is, what if that job does not work out are you confident you could find a job right away with that same salary in CA. Again this is all just my opinion as someone who was born and raised in CA, moved because it was too expensive and has never regretted it once. Family is there that is why we briefly considered a move back for a higher paying job but chose not to. Also happy we made that choice, as I know we wouldn't be as financially stable as we are now had we moved back. I am not in the midwest but I am not in CA and we make our way to Disney many times more times per year than I would like to admit.