Wanna move to Cali NEED OPINIONS/info

[blink]

I was thinking of moving to California in the next few years (music/nice weather)
but being from Canada and free health care and all I wanted to get info about how hard it is to support yourself?

All honesty please. If some peopld don't mind stating income or what you'd need to be "good" and age, occupation etc.

I'm not going to be a doctor/engineer and get the high income, so any help would be appreciated.

[Nemesis]

It all depends on what you specialize in.

[Flashmonkey]

I'd be more concerned about what the job market looks like out there at the moment. Especially if you're not going to be a doctor or an engineer....

[heylookitsfranco]

this thread is relevant to my interests. any bums out there still making ends meet? 'cause I'm down to party with y'all. I'm REAL good at being a bum

[GeneJunkie]

Where in CA are you looking to move to? Where I currently live, in Southern Cali has the highest unemployment rate in the US. It is very expensive to live out here, high taxes, high insurance, high gas, high everything.

Yes there are perks to nice weather, but honestly when it comes to moving to CA, I wouldn't move out here unless you had a job lined up. $10/hr type job will not be enough for you to live on. I tried getting a 2nd job last summer, and ended up giving up because no one was hiring.

[Liber]

Originally Posted by blink

I was thinking of moving to California in the next few years (music/nice weather)
but being from Canada and free health care and all I wanted to get info about how hard it is to support yourself?

All honesty please. If some peopld don't mind stating income or what you'd need to be "good" and age, occupation etc.

I'm not going to be a doctor/engineer and get the high income, so any help would be appreciated.

lol...nothing is free, but that's another discussion

Ok, don't take this the wrong way, but in order to give you advice we might need to know your current situation.

Age?
Qualifications? (ie experience and education)
Are you single/married and do you have kids?

Basically anything else that comes with economic baggage would be relavent to this topic.

[wtfh4xx]

Its gorgeous here usually, having weird weather lately but who isnt.
just be prepared to deal with fall out effects
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...own/index.html

[blink]

Originally Posted by Liber

lol...nothing is free, but that's another discussion

Ok, don't take this the wrong way, but in order to give you advice we might need to know your current situation.

Age?
Qualifications? (ie experience and education)
Are you single/married and do you have kids?

Basically anything else that comes with economic baggage would be relavent to this topic.

Well I am not single, gf is taking psychology and I'm taking criminal justice and entrepreneurship. I am a musician and plan on having a career in being a band. I've heard every comment possible along the lines "...haha, goodluck"
and I know it's not easy, but aside from the fact I just want to reassure I'm not moving there in hopes of finding a mcdicks job and randomly getting famous =p I'd move there having a plan and steady career in plan. I.e police, swat...criminal work; along those lines. Or if everything goes well, maybe something in buisness, maybe managing a good size company etc.

But considering I'm a police officer ...beat cop for a few years, then progressing to homocide detective or so...yes I watch The First 48 everyday =p
Lawyer somewhere down the line would be a possibility, but atm I am not taking any law school.

[Jiggles]

San Jose Police Department will be hiring in 2-3 years. I will be applying and you should too if you're interested in criminal justice. 80k/yr starting salary, plus health and dental and when you retire you get 90% of your annual salary for the rest of your life.

As for being in a band, assume that you will fail and have something else lined up to support yourself/family. But good luck with it and if you do become famous I would enjoy a free CD

Good luck! Hope I see you at the police acadamy!

[TXJ]

As far as I know you have to be a citizen to be a police officer or any type of civil service/federal/etc employee.

If you're serious about it then move to a close state that will be easier to establish yourself in. AZ, NM, TX etc. Then move up from there. Jumping in head first isn't always the best idea. At least if you have a "home base" you always have something to fall back on... assuming you want to become a US citizen.

I don't know if you have immigration all sorted out already or not, but that's rather costly and time consuming. Naturalization generally takes upwards of 5+yrs since you have to be granted residency for 5 consecutive years before applying for citizenship. Or you join a US faction of the military for 4 years then apply to become a citizen (I think you can still do this with the Army, don't remember)

The "fast" way is to get married to a American (about 4 years to citizen). My brother married a gal from Canada. They were married, in the USA, filed their paperwork and waited for 8 months before she even got her social and permission to work. You get a "Employment Authorization" card and a social before you even get your green card, she got her first 2 yr green card 1 year after filing their initial petition.

Initial cost to start up the petitions was in the 1.5k range before lawyer fees. Immigration is painfully slow. It took them 7 months to process her request for naturalization after 4 1/2 years of jumping through hoops renewing cards, waiting and going to pointless interviews...

Good luck with your endeavors, it'll be a long road but worth it in the end.

[Liquidtoon]

I think a important note to add here is the size of California. What part do you plan on moving to? If you want to live in L.A. (yuck) there is places that you can afford but the crime/traffic ect is scary in a real way or if you want to move to San Diego or San Fran the prices go up rapidly and employment options drop just as fast.
That being said Cali has the lowest national cost of continued education in the US. Currently community level classes are 36 bucks a unit. If you are looking at Berkeley or there abouts its around 425 a unit. Housing/apts are rather reasonable at the moment if you get a good job. Law enforcement / corrections is hard to get into here. there is test and wait periods that can take a couple years to get through, when they are hiring.

All in all its the same with all major cities. rent / gas / food ect in Chicago, Miami, D.C., S.F. its all about the same. Its all really high.

If you seriously want to do it the best advice is get a job first. Get online get your resumes out there in the area you want to move. Once you line up a job get a short term lease on a cheap apt,put most of your stuff in storage, learn the area so you know where you want to move. This way you get used to the new job without over-whelming yourself at the start or living in a horrible area. by staying in an apt it lets you not worry about unpacking, a long term lease in a bad area, learning what might be a bad commute to work, and if the job dont work out a short lease on a cheap apt is easier to cover in case things dont work out.

[Kevin2109]

I'll tell you this.... I'm 18 and live on my own and completely support myself with no help from anyone. It isnt easy but it definitively worth is Its a lot of hard work, and you must have a solid job

PM me if you would like more info, like where I live ect.

[Liber]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but California is in the middle of a budget crisis. I doubt Public Sector(ie Law Enforcement) jobs are going to be easy to get anytime in the near future. Even if you did manage to get one, I guarantee you these jobs will not be nearly as cushy as they have been in the past.

CA's taxes/regulations/Costs of living are already outrageous, which means that the state can really only relieve pressure on its debt by cutting spending. The state can't even afford to house its prisoners in proper facilities because it spends wastefully. Essentially, this means the state will have to cut subsidies to local services and those that get to keep theirs will have to fight hard for them.

Some major metropolitan areas that don't have insane Costs of Living: Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham/Winston-Salem, NC; Jacksonville and Tampa, FL; Dallas Houston and San Antonio, TX. Beyond those, there are a ton of mid size cities in the Mid-West/Southeast that have reasonable costs of living.

I'm not sure about Atlanta, GA.

Use this tool for looking at Cost of Living Comparisons, it's fairly accurate:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costo...tofliving.html

I know it won't let you compare Canadian cities, so i would just use your best guess as to what compares to Calgary.

[Too40gawlf]

Originally Posted by Liber

Correct me if I'm wrong, but California is in the middle of a budget crisis. I doubt Public Sector(ie Law Enforcement) jobs are going to be easy to get anytime in the near future. Even if you did manage to get one, I guarantee you these jobs will not be nearly as cushy as they have been in the past.

CA's taxes/regulations/Costs of living are already outrageous, which means that the state can really only relieve pressure on its debt by cutting spending. The state can't even afford to house its prisoners in proper facilities because it spends wastefully. Essentially, this means the state will have to cut subsidies to local services and those that get to keep theirs will have to fight hard for them.

Some major metropolitan areas that don't have insane Costs of Living: Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham/Winston-Salem, NC; Jacksonville and Tampa, FL; Dallas Houston and San Antonio, TX. Beyond those, there are a ton of mid size cities in the Mid-West/Southeast that have reasonable costs of living.
I'm not sure about Atlanta, GA.

Use this tool for looking at Cost of Living Comparisons, it's fairly accurate:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costo...tofliving.html

I know it won't let you compare Canadian cities, so i would just use your best guess as to what compares to Calgary.

Psshhhaw! But do they have good music and weather???

[wtfh4xx]

Not lately, its still raining.
Didnt keep me from riding though!

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by Liber

I'm not sure about Atlanta, GA.

The Atlanta area isn't bad at all, IMNSHO. Nice suburbs, things to do in the city (if that's your thing; I hate it personally), decent employment opportunities, some decent roads to ride on (layouts are great in a lot of places but the paving of said roads is hit or miss).

All in all, I would say the Atlanta area is a good prospect, but it isn't California. I personally think that is a good thing. No offense Californians!

[zilaniz]

I thought about moving to Cali, but I am too scared about a massive earthquake happening there in the near future.

[eddiekay]

My daughter lives modestly in Orange County. Over $200 income.
My pal Jimmy lives modestly in Santa Barbara...about $150 in income.
My friend Lori lives mdesestly in San Jose...maybe about $60k.
SoCal is paradise....go for it ! But at the same time...dont jump till you got a place to land...have a job waiting.

[ducducgooseit]

Just stay in Canada. Have the odd holiday once in a while in California. That way California will stay "exotic" to you and the travails of living there won't rear their ugly heads. Day-to-day California is not that much better than the rest of North America.

[Liber]

Originally Posted by Too40gawlf

Psshhhaw! But do they have good music and weather???

depends on your definition of good weather?

Memphis and Nashville have good music but are subject to floods and tornadoes, and an enormous earthquake in the potential near future in Memphis's case.

New Orleans has good music but is subject to Hurricanes. It actually dodged a bullet during Katrina.

I think Atlanta has a good music culture, but it is subject to droughts, heat waves, flooding, tornadoes.

Thinking about that, Dixie Alley has some of the most intense weather in the world. However, it also possesses some amazing musical talent.

I wouldn't really consider California to have good weather. Brush Fires? Earthquakes? Not for me. But for the people out there it's probably as normal to them as tornadoes and hurricanes are to me.

Btw, NoVA has some of the lamest spring/summer weather in the country, and the people that live there are scared to death of the tiniest bit of rain. Try going down I66 in the rain and then watch people go down I66 in the snow, complete lunacy.

[Rexbo]

I live in Redondo Beach in a super nice house with roommates with a view of the ocean. Rent in the area for a room is approx $900/month, $1200/mo if I wanted a studio or single unit by myself. Utilities are generally another $100 or so a month, and since public transit really doesnt exist, assume a few tanks of gas a month.

Pretty much what I'm saying, is to live normally in LA, you gotta be making at LEAST $2500/month if you're goin solo to account for health insurance/food/blow/etc. Something to consider. Thats also if you never plan on buying a house or having kids haha.

[alex.s]

it really depends on the quality of living you want.
you can live in the slums for about 6-700$ /mo for a 4-500sqft studio appt. what i would call "decent" you wind up paying about $1000/mo for say 600-700sqft. gasoline is retarded expensive. utilities are expensive. healthcare and insurance is WAY too expensive. you have to drive everywhere unless you live downtown (but if you live down town you'll be paying more in rent)

the good:
the weather really is amazing, but during the summer it's too hot. (100 all the way up to 110 on hotter days) granted this isn't really an issue since we have such amazing beaches, and infact being so hot is a plus in the summer because of the women... wow the women. the women alone could be reason enough to move here. you can go from a hot and sunny day in shorts on the beach to snowboarding down powder just a few hours away on the same day. there's an amazing party everywhere you look if you're looking for them. amazing art culture and scenery. extremely diverse population. TONS of brewerys and really great beer. tons of entertainment. i don't think you could ever be bored unless you have two broken legs. once you get to know them (see below) people are extremely friendly, especially the people you see on a regular basis as part of your day to day life (checkout people, attendants, etc) california is extremely bike and motorcycle friendly, and during the summer it seems like theres a bike for every other car. LEGAL LANE-SPLITTING! absolutely amazing roads. every kind of food you can imagine you can find within 20 miles. (although, it gets pretty expensive) fantastic technology sector. amazing internet. because of the mountains and lakes, theres tons of amazing, twisty roads. plenty of which are deserted during the week. there are tons of smaller communities great for familys, however they can get pretty expensive. i don't think you'll find a house cheaper than 300k even for small one-bedroom houses. if you want something near the beach be prepared to pay double or triple that.
if you're in LA around the studios, you really do see actors everywhere. unfortunately sometimes if you're in the wrong area of LA this can be bad as it seems like every waitress is an actress who wants to tell you about how they're going to make it big real soon.


the bad:
everything is expensive. and right now, california is really struggling with the economy.
tap water is polluted with (literally) uranium as well as a bunch of other crap and tastes like it, so you're forced to buy bottled or filtered water.
gridlock traffic everywhere you go. too many people.
everyone has a cellphone attached to them when they're not talking to someone. most of the time this is just so they don't have to interact with other people.
because theres so many people, and so many non-native californians or visitors, if you're driving everyone is a complete dick to each other so long as you know you aren't going to see them again. (chances are, you wont.)
depending on where you are (mostly only in LA or oakland), it can seem a little dangerous, but in reality if you aren't a dick to people on the street, they wont be a dick to you. (unless you're driving)
most natives are unfriendly at first to people who are clearly not native. (i think its conditioned... tourists come to california and trash it up and treat it like its just a vacation spot and that they don't care because "they'll be back home in 2 weeks.")
pollution near big cities is really bad.
san diego is a big military area, so we get lots of temporary residents. most of them are wonderful people, (most of my friends are in some branch of military service) but a very select few are down-right disrespectful dickbags to their surroundings and the environment. fortunately the good outweigh the bad by a large factor... its just some of them really stick out like a thorn. its the same as the uncaring tourists during tourist seasons. (they come in waves) no respect for their surroundings or local customs. they're there to be on vacation or get away from where they were, so that's what they're going to do. they don't care who gets in their way.

looking back i kinda went on a rant... but hopefully you get an idea. if you've never been to california before, take a trip before moving. i've been in cali all my life so i honestly can't give the perspective of someone outside of california looking in, but i think its a wonderful place. if you do come out, let us know- we'll show you a great time.

if i could sum up california in one sentence it would be: everyone you don't know is a dick, but the weather is amazing.

[wtfh4xx]

I would say ALMOST everyone you dont know is a dick. The weather is amazing when it acts normal and doesnt rain halfway through June like this year

[wtfh4xx]

Originally Posted by zilaniz

I thought about moving to Cali, but I am too scared about a massive earthquake happening there in the near future.

You have a better chance of being struck by lightning while riding your Ninja on a sunny day.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by wtfh4xx

You have a better chance of being struck by lightning while riding your Ninja on a sunny day.

this is true. even if there is a big earthquake, its not like it is elsewhere. all the buildings are built to withstand it. i'd much rather have the ground shake a little bit than have to deal with flooding, tornadoes, or any of the other crap the rest of the country is faced with on a much more frequent basis.

[phr3ek]

here's my experience

i was an 18 yr old kid that got a job at a warehouse on 10-2007
started at $9/hr, then 3 months later went up to $12.50/hr, then $14.25/hr
i took home about $1700-$2200 per month

rent was $1000 per month(2 bed 2 bath), split between me and my roomie, so $500 each
only utilities we had to pay was gas and electric ~ $50 ->$25 each
then cable (2 boxes, HD, movie channels) ~$130 -> $65 each
we buy our own food ~ $300/month

so thats just under $900 total per person
and it leaves about $700+ for personal expenses, personal bills, transport, insurance and crap

i was putting away $200 per paycheck away to 401k
i have put away $4700 after roughly 1 yr

having to live with $200 less made me spend less in misc. stuff

so on 4-2009, i got fired
ive been applying for jobs since then, so far only 4 interviews
ive was on unemployment from 6-2009 to 4-2011, taking home $1500 month
doable, but pretty hard to get used to at first

then my nutz decided to commit suicide and hang itself
needed surgery to get it fixed, i now have a $17k bill i have to pay - $250/month

idk wtf happened but somehow bills started piling up to where i could only spend $75/week max just to cover bills

got tired of waiting for a job so i started going to wyotech for auto-mechanics on 4-2011
idk how i will pay off my loan, but that's for later to worry about


despite my current issues, i do like living here in SoCal
weather is nice, ppl are nice
or maybe i just dont want to move anymore....
ive lived in the Philippines, Dubai, and now here, maybe im just tired of moving around and losing my friends

my dad wants me to move to south carolina and get a mechanics job out there where he works because they just got a new contract with boeing and positions are opening up....

there are places in SoCal that have low rent for "big" apartments, but they are way out in the deserts, about 1-1.5 hour commute just to go to work
what you save in rent, you spend on gas


edit*
cliffnotes
18 yr old kid gets a job on 10-2007, making decent money
got fired on 4-2009
collecting unemployment from 6-2009 to 4-2011
only had 4 interviews during that time
surgery
bills are piling up
now going to school
DONT WANT TO MOVE!!!!!

point of story, job market sucks bawlz!
all employers are picky, they want to get the most qualified person and are willing to interview hundreds to find that ONE person

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by phr3ek

here's my experience

i was an 18 yr old kid that got a job at a warehouse on 10-2007
started at $9/hr, then 3 months later went up to $12.50/hr, then $14.25/hr
i took home about $1700-$2200 per month

rent was $1000 per month(2 bed 2 bath), split between me and my roomie, so $500 each
only utilities we had to pay was gas and electric ~ $50 ->$25 each
then cable (2 boxes, HD, movie channels) ~$130 -> $65 each
we buy our own food ~ $300/month

so thats just under $900 total per person
and it leaves about $700+ for personal expenses, personal bills, transport, insurance and crap

i was putting away $200 per paycheck away to 401k
i have put away $4700 after roughly 1 yr

having to live with $200 less made me spend less in misc. stuff

so on 4-2009, i got fired
ive been applying for jobs since then, so far only 4 interviews
ive was on unemployment from 6-2009 to 4-2011, taking home $1500 month
doable, but pretty hard to get used to at first

then my nutz decided to commit suicide and hang itself
needed surgery to get it fixed, i now have a $17k bill i have to pay - $250/month

idk wtf happened but somehow bills started piling up to where i could only spend $75/week max just to cover bills

got tired of waiting for a job so i started going to wyotech for auto-mechanics on 4-2011
idk how i will pay off my loan, but that's for later to worry about


despite my current issues, i do like living here in SoCal
weather is nice, ppl are nice
or maybe i just dont want to move anymore....
ive lived in the Philippines, Dubai, and now here, maybe im just tired of moving around and losing my friends

my dad wants me to move to south carolina and get a mechanics job out there where he works because they just got a new contract with boeing and positions are opening up....

there are places in SoCal that have low rent for "big" apartments, but they are way out in the deserts, about 1-1.5 hour commute just to go to work
what you save in rent, you spend on gas

Damn kev I sure hope everything is ok right now! I know how it is living with medical bills, Diabetes can get expensive!

We need to help you with your insurance! That could save you some money There must be a better option, you pay too much

[phr3ek]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Damn kev I sure hope everything is ok right now! I know how it is living with medical bills, Diabetes can get expensive!

We need to help you with your insurance! That could save you some money There must be a better option, you pay too much

im doing good, bro and sis are helping me out
thanks for the concern

i will be reducing my car insurance coverage to bare minimum
i pay 200/month on a car i only use once a week
i'll be rigging a milk crate to my bike for groceries

[Kevin2109]

Ok good I can't let a fellow Kevin be in trouble

Have you ever thought about selling your car?
Posted via Mobile Device

[phr3ek]

i want to sell it, but my bro and sis will chew my ass out
my mom said never to sell the car, thats why she put it under my bro's name

i have the title in my name now, but not planning on selling unless i need to
a car is a good vehicle to have

[wtfh4xx]

Yea but you can always sell it and up a 1990 CRX that has turnk space for getting groceries and gets as good mpg as your bike
Oh then you save wad of cash too.

[CynicalC]

I moved from NY to CA about 2.5 years ago. It took me 4 months to find a decent job, and that's with some pretty hefty qualifications & job experience.

I don't mean to discourage you, but your plan seems a little short-sighted. You should find a way to come visit before committing to anything. Travel the state from north to south and see what you like. Just a couple things though. Firstly, whoever told you the weather is nice is a liar. I found this out the hard way. Secondly, don't assume that your job experience makes you a shoe-in for a law enforcement job here. It's 99% who you know, not what you know. So have a plan b, c and d. Third, there's a music scene here just like anywhere else, but I wouldn't expect to get "discovered" because there's 12 million other people who thought the same thing. You can find most of them on height street

[gfloyd2002]

Cali native here. California is a big state, with lots of different options. There is a huge difference between San Francisco, LA, San Diego cultures. And in costs, you'll get midwestern rather than coastal costs in places like Fresno, Palmdale, Redding, Sacramento. Or you can go for the hippy vibe in Chico, Santa Cruz. The mountain vibe in Mammoth, Big Bear. Desert in Palmdale, Palm Springs, San Bernardino. You like coastal forest? Eureka or Crescent City. Agricultural? Fresno, Sacramento. You name it, Cali has it. No matter where you go, its pretty easy to get other places if you need to move for work or for a gig.

Lots of inexpensive options where it is easy to live, just not in the big cities. It is a huge state. If you go straight for LA or (even more expensive) SF, it is still possible live on the cheap and it is done all the time, but prep for more of a struggle.

Schools are some of the best in the world, imho. There is the UC system, state college system, JC system, and a great adult ed/vocational ed system as well - including some great police training. Law enforcement jobs are there, with lots of options. State parks, highway patrol, federal law enforcement offices, county sherriffs, state police, city police. It is such a big state, if you are willing to travel for interviews or work, you could probably find something with the right training and enough drive. And contrary to previous post, you don't always have to be a citizen, (though in cases I can think of you have to have applied for citizenship.) There are jobs open now for entry level police in Santa Barbara, Glendale, Stockton, Santa Cruz, Paradise, Northridge, Santa Clara, Bakersfield, Vallejo, etc.

Band scene is very competitive, but if your talent level is there, there are opportunities. Surprisingly decent music scene even outside of main cities. I really dug the Sacramento band scene when I was there, and got to see Cake live, hang out with 7 Seconds, etc. Easy for bands from the outer areas to drive into LA/SF for gigs, too.

So the question is what you really want and how hard you are willing to work to make it happen. Have a plan, commit and think long term, and you'll be fine.

Good luck.

[CZroe]

Anyone mention MediCal yet? Anyway, I left Atlanta for San Diego due to the bike being my primary transport. Wouldn't be able to do it without a roommate. I'll be back in ATL when I can afford a car.

[phr3ek]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Anyone mention MediCal yet? Anyway, I left Atlanta for San Diego due to the bike being my primary transport. Wouldn't be able to do it without a roommate. I'll be back in ATL when I can afford a car.

i wish mediCal covered my surgery, but they said i made too much money in may despite being fired the month b4

[rockNroll]

Isn't california due to fall off into the ocean any time now?

[Alex]

Any day now.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

Isn't california due to fall off into the ocean any time now?

it's going to go hang out with hawaii... alaska can come too.

FIRE ZEE MISSILES!

[blink]

Thanks for all the info everybody!
I will for sure come down there if not this summer then next!
This summer is Europe =]

[Havok]

Originally Posted by alex.s

it's going to go hang out with hawaii... alaska can come too.

FIRE ZEE MISSILES!

LMFAO! i love that one