Moving to Orlando, need advice from Floridians...

[Quinn222]

I work at Publix part time and that makes me feel proud. Although most of us try our hardest it still seems like there are some out there you can't please and I am glad to hear all the good comments on here.
Matt

We love Publix! I suppose it's more expensive than WalMart but I don't think it's any more expensive than any other grocery store. And, may I say, you have the BEST cupcakes!

 

[Quinn222]

wow, ours never goes above $175 in the summer.

Oh my, I would love that. And our house isn't huge or anything, it's just a 3/2. It's older though and I really think the attic needs to be re-insulated.

 

[ducklite]

I agree, my car insurance is about 40% less than it was in NJ. Right now I've got four cars on my policy, including a 2001 Saturn sedan, a 2004 Saturn Ion Quad Coupe (listed as leisure vehicle), a 2005 Prius (fully loaded), and a 2007 Saturn Sky (ragtop roadster, and by far the most expensive to insure, even though it's listed as a leisure vehicle!) and I'm paying what I was for the Saturn sedan and Ion in NJ.

Anne

 

[oogieboogie]

Thanks for all the answers guys... this gives me great ammo to figure out the costs of daily living down there.

DH has calculated car insurances, and with what we have now with Geico, it's not going to increase by much - less than $100 for both cars. Our cars are fairly new (2005 minivan and 2004 aveo) and they're still both under factory warranty.

So far, I've got $200 for electricity, $100 for cable/satellite+internet, $28 for Vonage (which we have now - going to just change the numbers), $50 for water/sewer/trash, I'm figuring gas at $2.85/gallon - about the same as here.

Next question is pest control... how often and how much do you pay for that? What pests are usually included in the control?

 

[flatline]

you guys are making me check into Vonage.

our pest control is twice a month and it's about 30 bucks a month. you'll need if only to ward off palmetto bugs.

I don't get the groceries being higher here. the only thing I've noticed is milk. everything else stayed about the same. I think Publix is the same as Kroger was up north, just better quality. we've had friends down that have gone on grocery runs and they agreed.

factor in non-smoking restaurants and bars, and life is good.

 

[ducklite]

Thanks for all the answers guys... this gives me great ammo to figure out the costs of daily living down there.

DH has calculated car insurances, and with what we have now with Geico, it's not going to increase by much - less than $100 for both cars. Our cars are fairly new (2005 minivan and 2004 aveo) and they're still both under factory warranty.

So far, I've got $200 for electricity, $100 for cable/satellite+internet, $28 for Vonage (which we have now - going to just change the numbers), $50 for water/sewer/trash, I'm figuring gas at $2.85/gallon - about the same as here.

Next question is pest control... how often and how much do you pay for that? What pests are usually included in the control?

I've got two different pest control companies. One treats the yeard (and fertilizes) the other takes care of the house (We've got Tubes In the Wall--greatest thing ever invented!), total I think it's about $40/mo between them.

They treat for everything from roaches to fire ants to spiders to silverfish to millipedes, you name it.

Anne

 

[JustHolly]

Hey! How do you like this area? You need to try Wally World weekday mornings. If I get there before 10 a.m., I never end up waiting in a line. I do self checkout and usually breeze right through. Even yesterday morning, (Saturday) while more crowded, wasn't all that bad early in the day.

We really like this area. I think it's growing quickly, but I love the lakes, the orange groves, and the small town feel. Everyone is very nice. Our neighborhood is beginning to get a nice feel to it as people are moving in. It's fun to watch the neighborhood kids out playing together, and to talk to everyone while I'm out walking the puppy.

I also love being 5 minutes from Walmart when there are "emergencies." You're right, I'm going to have to go at "off" times. I ended up having to go to Walmart at 6am and it was empty! Normally I work during weekdays, but I'm off for the summer and I'll have to do my shopping early on weekdays.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Oh congratulations on your impending move I am very jealous.....I wish my move was close. I lived in Orlando 1998 to 1999 and came back to NY due to family...now it is a wish & a prayer in the future sometime. I do remember though it was Sooo hard to make the initial move blind to expenses and glad to see great people here with so much info and advice. I do remember though that things weren't really any cheaper, except for the price of gas back then it is on Long Island. Prices for everything are really sky-rocketing here so I personally can't wait to get out.

Ruthie
Native New Yorker/really a Floridian

 

[CathrynRose]

Please dont forget to budget in car insurance. Florida rates are more than double - just about anywhere else.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Terminex is good for the pest control -about $28 per month.

Progress Energy is the electric company-at least for Orlando. Florida Power used to be the provider. I for one cannot stand Progress Energy but there are no other choices unfortunately.

Brighthouse for land line phone as well as broadband. Phone portion stinks, but they are better than having Sprint.
Love BellSouth but we are in a "pocket" that is serviced by Sprint (that's why we chose the Brighthouse)

Your electric bill will be high from May til November. Life in FLORIDA is hot!!!!!
We don't use the heat in the winter unless it is really cold. Just put a sweater on. Maybe 1-2 times per year to take the chill off and no more.

 

[ducklite]

Please dont forget to budget in car insurance. Florida rates are more than double - just about anywhere else.

Not if you're coming from the Northeast. NY/NJ/CT/MA have some of the highest rates in the country. My insurance here is the same now with four cars--one of them is a two seater convertible!--as it was for two cars in NJ.

Anne

 

[CathrynRose]

Not if you're coming from the Northeast. NY/NJ/CT/MA have some of the highest rates in the country. My insurance here is the same now with four cars--one of them is a two seater convertible!--as it was for two cars in NJ.

Anne

Fine - then Ill put it this way.

I was paying (and now pay) $23 / month in Chicago for liability - and was paying $79 / month in Florida for the same thing.


And the OP isnt coming from the NE - theyre coming from Ohio.

 

[rparmfamily]

Car insurance is NOT double the cost of everywhere else, I moved back to Florida from Maine in 2003 and our insurance only went up a bit, and we actually got more coverage.

In Florida, they require uninsured motorist coverage and personal liability coverage (PIP I think), something not required in some other states.

Pest service--we get service quarterly $60 thru Pennisular Pest Control. We do our own yard. The pest service we have covers the garage and inside plus the outside for pretty much any bugs. Palmetto, silverfish,etc. I have found the more trees you have in your yard, the more bugs you'll see.

No state income tax either folks...that's a big one for us!

 

[CindysGusGus]

Oogie,
Congratulations! We hope to be joining you this fall sometime. I will be trying to line up interviews on my vacation. (not really fun but hopefully worth it!) Thanks for these questions helps me to budget too!

 

[ducklite]

Oogie,
Congratulations! We hope to be joining you this fall sometime. I will be trying to line up interviews on my vacation. (not really fun but hopefully worth it!) Thanks for these questions helps me to budget too!

I'm going to warn you right now, I tried doing this for six months, and found that 90% of potential employers won't talk to you until you are actually living here full time unless you are in the medical or teaching fields or they have recruited you. I actually had a HOME here, fully furnished, all I needed to do was get in my car and drive, and start work Monday, and they still didn't want to know anything about me until I was permanently living here.

Of the ten percent who would interview me before I moved here, I lost out four jobs to people who were already living here, and was told flat out that had I been the job would have been mine. I did get two offers I turned down because either the money wasn't there or the guy I would have reported to was such a slimeball I needed a shower after the interview. Ish.

Anne

 

[Keggy]

I work in Lake Mary and live in Sanford. I have a 10 to 15 minute drive to work, I just drive straight down Lake Mary Blvd. It is a very nice area to live and work. I used to live in Lake Mary, but we enjoy the area that we live in now as well.

It looks like everyone pretty much answered all of your questions.

For the person that posted that inusrance was double here???? It really depends on where you live. We lived for three years in St Pete. Our insurance was almost twice as much as what we pay now. We used to live pretty close to the theme parks and our insurance was about 1.5 times what we currently pay. Now living in Sanford we pay $109 a month for two cars and two drivers with Geico (same company throughout).


I can't tell you how many apartment complexes are coverting to condos. There are some new condos right behind the housing development where I live that are very nice. I am trying to think of the name of them...I will try to remember!

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Kelly

 

[floridafam]

We rented when we first moved down here. Apartments here are very expensive and I would budget at least $1,000 for a 2 bedroom.

We pay FPL $250 a month for our electric. It's crazy.

Trash is about $50 every 3 months.

Cable and internet are free since DH works for the cable company-thank God.

Our property taxes are lower but we pay more here than we did in Michigan for almost everything.

Dh makes more here, though. I wouldn't move back up North for anything.

 

[oogieboogie]

I work in Lake Mary and live in Sanford. I have a 10 to 15 minute drive to work, I just drive straight down Lake Mary Blvd. It is a very nice area to live and work. I used to live in Lake Mary, but we enjoy the area that we live in now as well.

How is Sanford? I didn't really put them in my list of choice cities because the schools don't seem to be the best of all the Seminole county schools and I hear the crime rate is higher.

I personally would like to live in Lake Mary but it seems real estate is so much higher in Lake Mary compared to the other cities on my list. Sanford prices seem to be more in line with what we're looking for, but the above reasons are why I'm hesitating looking at the Sanford area.

As far as car insurance goes, ours are not going to double. DH already priced a quote from Geico and it's only going up by less than $100 for the 2 cars - a minivan and a compact. We've already budgeted that.

 

[GeorgeG]

We use Massey for two different services: The Pest Control is for the house and they come every three months for $64.50 per quarter. The GreenUP is for the lawn and that is every month at $55 per month.

For either service they will come out right away if you have a problem for no additional charge.

So far, we've been very pleased with them. We had more bugs up in NY.

 

[DMickey28]

HI, Dh and I are moving to Ft. Lauderdale in two weeks!

I really, obviously, don't have any insight to the current prices. We are renting a two bedroom 1255 sq. ft. condo right now. It's so much more expensive to rent then the 'burbs of Chicago. We are paying $1300 for a two bedroom and loft HOUSE rightnow and will be paying close to $2K for a apartment. Granted it's downtown Ft. Lauderdale... I am expecting to pay about $150 in electric, $50 in water (that's what the landlord is charging). My grocery shopping stinks now and I have never lived in a high rise so stopping at the grocery store every night is not a problem for me. I figure with more planned shopping my grocer budget won't change.

DH and I my office are .5 miles apart, so we will save on gas by driving to work a few days a week!

Right now we are paying $250/month in car insurance on three cars. We are selling one and converting to the company I work for, so I suspect a decent cut in insurance anyway. If I were to switch here it would be 1/2 but I am waiting to we move since it's just a few weeks.

I can't think of anything else I am planning for. DH works out of the house right now and ends up playing golf a good 4 afternoons a week. Now that he will be M-F like the rest of us, his golf budget is going to decrease dramatically! :0

YIPPY... See you at WDW!