Wednesday, August 09, 2006

MIAMI = MONEY IS A MAJOR ISSUE

Blogging to: Nelly Furtado's Maneater

I've officially taken an offer with my company.
Doing what I'm doing now only with a much appreciated salary hike.
But amazingly enough, the salary bump will be almost invisible with taxes, rent, utilities, etc etc. MIAMI = MONEY IS A MAJOR ISSUE.

Why does Miami have to be so expensive? And why couldn't my mom have settled in Miami versus Broward? If I were working in Broward County, I'd be set with a free place to live, a minimal commute, and much more in savings.

I talked to my brother about it today and he placed it down to numbers.
If my cost of living (rent/house bills) amounts to $800...$800 x 12 mo. = $9600.
Ohmygawd. $9600 x 2 yrs = $19,200....Oi oi oi, that's like grad school tuition or a good deposit on a house?

I love living in Miami for obvious reasons--my friends are based here, more things to do, independence and establishing my own living space, etc. etc. but it's tough even with living with a roommate. I don't know how police officers, school teachers, and other working class folks do it.

Is living at home worth it? It's tempting and I know my mom would love to have my company.
Here are the pro's and con's

PROS:
1. No rent, utilities.
2. Having mom's company
3. Ability to save up for the future.

CONS:
1. Longer commute: 45-65minutes (depending on rush hr)*
2. Away from friends
3. Lack of personal space
4. No hi-speed internet/cable (tho' I could remedy that)

*the commute is the major hesitation factor here...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I def. feel for the situation your in...similar to mine, yet commute isn't a problem...but yes..cities like Miami, NYC, LA...these aren't the more affordable places to live in the US..quite the opposite

Anonymous said...

I feel you on Miami's high cost of living. It is the main reason why I went back to live with my parents. I love Miami but I was too broke to stay there. After I get my Physical Therapy degree, my ass will stay in South Florida...that is if I don't decide to move to LA or San Diego. In your situation, I guess it all depends on how long you decide to work at Miami Herald. If you're seriously on a low budget, eat rice and beans for awhile. If you love shopping for clothes, start going to thrift or vintage stores. It will only be temporary until you become more stable. I hope your financial situation gets better.