Housing Costs

[Senkusha]

So, I'm looking for a new place to call home.  Does this sound familiar?  Or am I in Hell?

I bring home about $2,300 / month.  The typical rent here is starting at $1,900 / month for a STUDIO apartment.

Um... that's about 82% of my monthly NET income!  How in the hell am I supposed to afford that??!

Something really needs to be done about this.  These prices have shot up within the last three months.  My pay hasn't gone up in at lease six months.
I need to find a new place to live by March 1st!

[Senkusha]

I guess I should give an update.  Sorry for the late reply on this.

I did manage to find a place that didn't require three months worth of rent up front, AND a credit score of like 650+.  So now instead of paying $1700/month for a bedroom, I'm paying $1650/month for a one bedroom APARTMENT.  However, my daily commute has changed from a 15 minute walk to a two hour Subway/Bus ride -- thus my income has gone DOWN significantly.  I'm no longer working six days a week for 10 to 12 hours a day.  Now, I'm working five days a week for not more than nine and a half hours.  AND on top of that, I've developed plantar fasciitis in not one but both feet, so I'm living in daily pain.

So, for the last few months, I've been searching high and low for a different job, preferably one with a desk job, preferably one with weekends off so that I can develop a social life, and one that pays more than the $16/hour I'm making now.  Since I haven't been able to find any available jobs, I've attempted to start a few gigs from home.  Like a Patreaon page, Buy me a Coffee page, and even an Etsy shop.  I will admit that I simply haven't felt very creative lately.  I desperately want to feel creative again!

Maybe somebody in the world of the Internet knows of a employed position that I can perform their paperwork for them?  I really do enjoy paperwork!  Hit me up!

[ZandraJoi]

How do you like your new place? How did your gigs work out?
We own our own home.  Been living here for 9 years now. But before we moved here & even after, we looked into living closer to my parents who are an hour south. I'm VERY close to them. But the housing (with acreage) was 3x it is up here. I'm glad we didn't find a place because the economy took a nosedive. We are mortgage free but with a house there, we'd be in debt. We are not "spring chickens" to want to start over.
Is moving to a more rural area an option for you? Housing is cheaper. Even if you rent a trailer in a trailer park. Yes, some can be nice lol

[Senkusha]

Well, the "gigs", didn't work out.  So, I'm still looking for other income streams.  Still hopeful to find a [desk] job closer to home.  Moving (dread) isn't really an option, as neither Tanya nor I currently drive, so we're stuck to the good ole foot-mobile or the public trans system.  And I really do despise moving.  I really like the place we're in now though.  It's nice and quiet, a three minute walk to the Subway/bus terminal, and there's no nosy neighbors and drama.  No drugs!  It's really a treat.

[ZandraJoi]

Well, the "gigs", didn't work out.  So, I'm still looking for other income streams.  Still hopeful to find a [desk] job closer to home.  Moving (dread) isn't really an option, as neither Tanya nor I currently drive, so we're stuck to the good ole foot-mobile or the public trans system.  And I really do despise moving.  I really like the place we're in now though.  It's nice and quiet, a three minute walk to the Subway/bus terminal, and there's no nosy neighbors and drama.  No drugs!  It's really a treat.

Hopefully you'll find something soon! You seem to be quite adept at Tech so I'm surprised there's not more out there.

[Senkusha]

A large problem with the job market today is:

1.  That companies are paying too low of a wage.
2.  Entry level jobs require a degree and/or 3 to 5 years experience.
3.  There are hundreds of candidates all looking for work.
4.  The job requirements are simply too lengthy.  I'm fairly good with tech, but the problem is that I don't know THIS and THAT and THE OTHER THING, and I don't have any certifications, nor do I have the financial resources to attain those certifications (not to mention the time).

[ZandraJoi]

A large problem with the job market today is:

1.  That companies are paying too low of a wage.
2.  Entry level jobs require a degree and/or 3 to 5 years experience.
3.  There are hundreds of candidates all looking for work.
4.  The job requirements are simply too lengthy.  I'm fairly good with tech, but the problem is that I don't know THIS and THAT and THE OTHER THING, and I don't have any certifications, nor do I have the financial resources to attain those certifications (not to mention the time).

That's interesting! Many places here (factory anyways) can't keep good workers because the 18 year olds want the same pay without the work as one who's been working for 20 years. Plus they were spoiled by the "free" money that was given out.
What about On the job training?

[Senkusha]

I firmly believe that "on the job training" left in the early 2000's.  Most companies now expect a new hire to completely understand how to do a job responsibility without question.  It's quite sad.  And then they wonder why they're mad because the employees don't do the job correctly?

[Senkusha]

I just saw this.  Incredible.  Let's hope that I'm safe and don't have to move anytime soon.  Otherwise, I'll have to just quit my job, because this is totally unaffordable!



Since my current rent is only $1,650 / month, in one of these listed cities, I should be making at least $4,950 / month, but I only make about $1,900 / month.  Which means nearly $31.00 / hour is what I need to earn.

[Henrywrites]

I am paying a lot for the house that I stay in at the moment and it was not funny. I want to build my home and ensure that I handle the other mini cost. Cost of rent is going high here and I am very sad about all of it and would want to have a change about it by building my home.

[ZandraJoi]

We moved here in 2014 & own our own home. I cannot imagine renting nowadays. Buying a house now is expensive. It's good though if you are the seller & maybe moving back in with your parents.

[Senkusha]

I'm just waiting for the huge crash that's coming.  Everybody knows that it's inevitable.  People just don't have the spending power anymore.  More and more people are using credit for basic necessities like food, and gas just to get back and forth to work.  That's not what Credit was designed for.  With each use, a person goes further and further into the hole of debt.  As credit scores start to drop, I think landlords are going to have to drop that aspect of criteria, because nobody is going to have a credit score over 500 soon!  Credit card bills are usually the next thing to go after cutting out anything non-essential (food, rent, electricity, transpiration).

[ZandraJoi]

I'm just waiting for the huge crash that's coming.  Everybody knows that it's inevitable.  People just don't have the spending power anymore.  More and more people are using credit for basic necessities like food, and gas just to get back and forth to work.  That's not what Credit was designed for.  With each use, a person goes further and further into the hole of debt.  As credit scores start to drop, I think landlords are going to have to drop that aspect of criteria, because nobody is going to have a credit score over 500 soon!  Credit card bills are usually the next thing to go after cutting out anything non-essential (food, rent, electricity, transpiration).

People have kinda laughed at me when I said we use cash & not credit cards. I didn't take it seriously; they do the same thing when I say I'm not fond of cell phones lol But, we don't have debt & don't have that looming over our heads. It's one thing to put it on a card & pay it off each month but the majority just keep piling it on & then they are only paying off the interest!
You know what's funny though, here's an irony. I as well as my husband were taught to pay cash. When we met & wanted to buy a house, since we didn't have credit, though we had 1/4 down payment!, we had to rent for a few months to "prove" we could afford the bills. Never mind we both had good jobs & again, that nice down payment we both worked hard to save up for! We didn't have a credit score & was advised to put stuff on credit cards, which we had to go out & get!