Moving To California With No Money
Moving anywhere with no money can be a pretty daunting tasks. Moving to a state like California can seem downright impossible if you do not have any money.
One of the more popular ways people come to this site is looking for information on how to move to California if you have no money. I have actually never blogged about this, I blogged about the advantages California has as a place to live, but I think it is a pretty interesting idea so I decided to actually write a blog post about it.
First let me say I think it is impossible to move anywhere with absolutely zero money. There are just cost associated with any move so you are going to need some amount of money, even if it is just to pay for the bus ride here. So rather than talk about moving to California with absolutely no money, I am going to talk about what would be the absolute cheapest way to get and live here.
I also want to address one other issue. Are you sure you want to move here? I have left and come back to California three different times so I am well aware of the advantages of living here. If you are planning on moving here with no money, it seems you are pretty desperate to move here and are probably running away from something not running to California. While I love living here, I have lived in many other places and would say that most places are livable. It is a much better idea to continue to live in your current area, save some money, and move to California when you have some means than to try and move here with nothing. Moving to California will not be some sort of magical cure that fixes all of life’s problems. In fact, moving here with no money will cause you a lot of problems that will probably be worse than almost anything you are now facing. It may not seem like it, but being broke in an expensive place to live is no fun either.
If you are still set on moving to California, keep reading. Be prepared to leave everything behind. I do mean everything. If you really have no money to move to California, you do not have the money to haul your stuff over here either. Not having stuff means you can save on moving cost and you can have a smaller place. It also means you can sell all your stuff and raise some money to actually get here. Put all your stuff on sale on Craigslist. If you own the computer you are reading this on, you should put it up for sale. If you own an iPod, you should put it up for sale. You might not get a great deal for your stuff but it will put money in your pocket and that is the most important thing right now.
So now you have nothing to burden you down and you (hopefully) have at least a few bucks in your pocket. The very first thing you have to worry about is not getting here but where you are going to live when you get here. This is your biggest problem. You have to have somewhere to live. It is not OK to come here and go live on the street. If at all possible, you want to find a temporary place to live that will not cost you anything. Why? Because to get a place to live you have to have a job. But to get a job, you often have to have a place to live. It is a vicious catch-22. Find or make a friend here that you can crash on their couch for a while. Find a long lost relative who might be willing to put you up for at least a month. Whatever it takes, you need to find a place where you can live for very very little money. This likely has to be with someone you know because no landlord is going to take you in with no job. Your only other alternative is to find a place where you can live week to week. There are many motels that you can do this at, but it is not going to be a pleasant, or even cheap option. If you can find somewhere you can live rent free, your life is going to be MUCH MUCH easier. Rent is by far the biggest expense that you cannot avoid. Eliminating this as an expense means you can go much longer on a lot less money.
An alternative is to scour the classifieds for work that will provide housing. This is often the case with nanny type positions. While looking after kids might not be your ideal job, it is better than living in the street. If you are desperate enough to move here without money than even the thought of looking after someone else’s kids should not scare you.
The next order of business is to get a job. If you have no money and no job options, it does not matter what type of job you get. Even if you are going to have to take minimum wage, do it. You need to have cash flow. You are in no position to hold out for just the right job. You have no money and are probably bumming off of people so swallow your pride and take what you can get. If the job pays minimum wage than it will not be a big deal to leave the job once you line up something else. But under no circumstances should you continue without a job. Even a minimum wage job at 30 hours a week will put about $200 in your pocket. That’s nothing to sneeze at when you have nothing.
Spend on nothing but the necessities. There are only so many things you actually need. You need to have a roof over your head but you should have taken care of that by now. You need to have food. That is pretty much it. Anything else, you need to cut out from your life. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a car. I know people in California who get by just fine, albeit inconveniently, on public transportation. Cars are expensive to maintain. You need to do repairs, pay for gas, pay for registration, and pay for insurance. This is not an option if you have no money. If you have a car, you should have already sold it by now to raise money. You do not need to have cable TV. You do not need to have a cell phone (you do need somewhere that you can be reached if you are looking for a job). You do not need internet access. Almost anything you think you need can either be cut or obtained some other way (use the internet at the local library). If something is not actually helping you to survive you do not need it.
After you have secured a job, you need to find a better job. You need to spend every waking hour doing something toward this goal. You should be searching job sites, fixing your resume, or obtaining skills or knowledge that will help you find a job. Searching for a job is a full time job. If you are not spending 40 hours a week doing it, you are not trying hard enough. This plus your day job means you are just working 80 hours a week. That is no big deal. Just do it.
While this plan may sound unpleasant or even frightening it can be done. My strong advice is to still not do it. If you can hold out, not move, and save money you should be doing that.
Work, Save, Invest. This is the formula for a successful life. I have used it to make a good life for myself and I hope I can share my thoughts and experiences to help you in yours.
Could be worse… you could be moving to New York with no money. I’ve had friends who did to pursue careers in the theatre. What’s worse is there’s not that much money in that business, but I guess if they’re doing what they love…
I just found your blog today while searching “what type of californian am I.” I am delighted to know that you also invest. I literally just started investing a month ago. I am looking forward to exploring “Cali” a little more before I make the move, but what can you tell me about Desert Palms? The place seems absolutely breathetaking.
Carolina Girl
Do you mean Palm Desert by Palm Springs? If so, I think it is a great place to visit but I don’t know if I would want to live there. It is hot as hell in the summer and can be pretty cold in the winter. Of all of the places to live in California, I honestly think San Diego has the most to offer. Close to the beaches, great weather year round, close to lots of things to do, and a place that actually has decent jobs.
Best of luck to you if you decide to move to california. I’ve left and come back three times, so I think i know all the reasons it is great to live here.
Dear Terrence,
Boy, did you hit the nail on the head! I am on the east coast, and want/need to run as far away from here as I can. And I want sun. Lots of sun. Sunshine & pleasent weather is the only luxury I can afford. This isn’t a rash decision, I’ve been thinking about it for over a year, after hearing people who lived there complain that there’s nothing to do in LA except enjoy the weather & farmer’s markets and flea markets (unless you’re famous, then there’s more to do.) All I want is the weather (and the distance from my family is a bonus. Big bonus.)
What would say is the minimum one should save prior to moving to CA? How difficult would you say employment will be? I am almost 3 semesters shy of a BA, and my resume includes hospitality, sales, and clerical work.
Nothing is beneth me–I’ll wash floors, dishes, take out trash, ANYTHING… I just want to have a roof over my head and occasionally eat.
In your opinion, will I be homeless? (That is not preferable.)
Thanks for any advice/comment you can offer.
Melissa,
Thanks for leaving a comment. I can’t tell you what to do, only you know your what is driving you to make such a big move in your life.
I love L.A. I think it is a great place to live. Like I said, I’ve left and come back three different times. There is more to do here than what you wrote about. I think there is more to do here than any other place I’ve lived and I’ve lived in all parts of the country.
But your situation sounds challenging. I do not recommend people move here and just take whatever job they can get. Having a bad job will set the tone for the rest of your life. My life is particularly good because I got my education and got a great job. Having a decent and well-paying job makes life just so much easier while having a dead-end job will hurt you in more ways than you can imagine.
So I would finish your eduction out and look for a good paying job before you come here. The California economy is a mess right now, and there is no guarantee you will find a job, even a bad job, if you move here with nothing.
I just found your blog today and thought I would go ahead and jump in. My husband and I own a moving company in Florida. (small company) We are looking to make that move for various reasons. Florida has become a negative, narrow minded place to live. We have the thought of coming out there and starting our company and leaving all of this horrible attitude behind. My husband and I grew up here, so we watched it go from very friendly people to blank stares and flat out unartistic. We are artists in multiple facets and media as well. We are looking for a more artistic community to feel at home. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the possibilities. (ie; no go for biz, no jobs, etc.) I am also looking now at the prices of licensing and a home for two others that want to join us in the journey. We will be trying to save as much moulah as possible, however, we have also thought we should visit out there for a couple of days. Here in Florida I have been battling a sinus issue I have never had before for two months now. And I was hoping it might be better out there. My problem allergy is mold. The entire state of Florida is one big mold spore I think. So anyway, I have talked with friends thy live or have lived put there and feel I have a decent idea of what we need to do, but, another question would be, which town would be best suited for a small customer service oriented moving company? Thoughts on any of the above would be appreciated. Thank You.
Raven,
I totally understand where you are coming from. I’ve left and come back 3 different times, so I know how other parts of the country are
California has some great diversity and may have what you are looking for.
Your initial thought of coming out here first to visit before a move is your best bet if you can afford it. I would caution anyone from just making a decision to move somewhere without knowing what they are getting themselves into. Lots of people think they will love it here and when they finally get here, California just rubs them the wrong way and they end up going the other way back.
As for where to live, I honestly have no advice for you about where you might have the best success for your business. California is huge, and depending on what you are looking for, you can find a community that suits you. I personally love San Diego and the Central Coast but will probably always live in Los Angeles.
I’ve lived in California for years. In 2000, we moved to Nevada and have been here for 9 years. I can not get back to CA fast enough! I miss so much about it, and feel like I’m home when I’m there. I have family and friends there, and so does my husband. He’s the one I have to convince in order to get back. He talks to people here and comes home with all the negatives. I get where he’s coming from because where he lived last in CA, I couldn’t stand. I lived in Huntington Beach, Riverside, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and other cities close by as a child. The schools are so very bad here. Our kids would be better off by far. He’s convinced we won’t make it there financially, but we aren’t doing well here, and he’d get paid more there. True, there’s state taxes, but the good far outway the bad. I have one relative here, and haven’t seen her in over a year, if not more. I don’t get out much because of the sickening heat. In CA, a.k.a. Home, I have relatives and extended family and friends that want to spend time with me, my family, and actually have a life like I did before! I miss the beach so much. My daughter and I spent a lot of time up and down PCH! I also miss the ability to head off to Disneyland at any time, even if it’s just to hang out at the resort, have a meal, ride the tram, and look around at so much! My mother in law is there, also, and I really get along with her very well! I would love to be able to see her as often as possible. I think that would be best for my husband as well.
I’m glad I found this site! Thank you.
Dawn
there are other options. california has beautiful national parks where you can camp out for a while for little cash. there are also hostels all throughout the state especially in cities if youre less of a outdoors person. finally, there is couchsurfing.com and wwoofing. wwoofing is great because many farms, barns, beekeepers, etc will provide free lodging and food (and sometimes a small stipend) for 5 hours of work a day. my final piece of advice is to be friendly and gracious to everyone you meet along the way: this alone can change your luck. travel does not have to be expensive, and there are alternative ways to do the things you want to do. if you want something badly enough, you can find a way to make it happen.
Hi to all above persons.
My Name is Genna and I have been reading the comments above. I live in Tiny New Zealand. Right in the middle of know where except a few hours flight from Australia. I am 24 yrs of age and have been considering moving to California but am trying to find out as much as possible, I have a husband who I met when I was 15 and have been married for 2 1/2 yrs now. He does have a great job on our Port here in Mount Maunganui and I also work there. He has been there for 9 years and started at the bottom and is now the Production Planner/Scheduler and I Supervise the Customer Service Dpt. I have been trying to convince my husband for years that a move/change would be nice. I have always wanted to do the work/travel thing and would like to do it before we have kids. I have always loved America and Cali is looking great.The thing is though we both didnt get very far in school. We both didnt make it through High School but have worked hard to get to where we are now.
So will that make it hard in getting jobs there as everything so far similar to what he does requires BA’s and good grades and all the rest. Cali is very different from New Zealand but if we are going to make a move,it wouldnt be to somewhere the same as home. We would like to get overseas experience in our jobs, especially my husband as he loves the Manufacturing side of things. Work hard, save hard but do some travelling round aswell. Our move wont be until 2011 as thats when our mortgage contract ends on our house and will sell and use the money from that.
Will it be hard to start out there and will people be very helpful/inviting???
Just hope we are doing the righ thing. NZ is so small so would like to see what America has on offer for us, if anything. Hopefully something for a few years.
Any advice??????
Genna,
Thanks for coming to my site and leaving a comment. I honestly do not too much advice for you on this one. If it were me, I don’t think i would do it. Living in California, as I write on this blog, can be quite expensive. You add on the fact that you would come here without a job and without a high school education and I think you would struggle here. Most people would probably overlook the fact that you don’t have a high school education (it would be assumed that you have it given your age and your work history) but any sort of white-collar job is going to ask if you have a college degree.
If you can secure a job before you come here, that would be a different story. But given the California economy is experiencing 10% unemployment, and it might be hard for you to do that from overseas.
But if it is your dream to travel and explore, than by all means go for it. As I often write, California is a great place to live, and I think everyone, if they can should do it. Best of luck to you and I hope it all works out whatever you decide.
Genna,
I say, “go for it”! On the one hand, California might be quite a bit of a culture shock to you, and I would not expect a lot of helpful friendliness, from complete strangers, but on the other hand, there are options! You can do a work/travel thing on farms/ranches/vinyards, depending on what part of the state you are visiting. Additionally, I know that this is not a great bit of advice, but you could always lie about your education. The public school system, in New Zealand, is much better than the public school system, in most urban U.S. cities. Therefore(and I feel I can ascertain this, simply by reading your articulate and grammatically correct post), you are likely much more knowledgeable and capable, than many U.S. college grads. As long as there is no obvious ignorance rearing its head, I am sure you can pass yourself off as a college grad. Probably, few employers will be likely to request transcripts from a New Zealand university, anyway, so just say you graduated! As long as you are applying for a job with a very small company, and the position is one that you possess all of the necessary practical skills to perform, you likely won’t get caught.
I know this is not the most honest thing to do, but hey, you do what you need, to get ahead, right? After all, this is America. That’s how we roll.
Thanks for posting this blog. It’s helped me out alot. I’m only 20 yrs old and live in Texas. I have it made here at home and am going to school but I feel like being here is a trap. Everyone I know who has grown up here, stays here. With this family, it’s just crazy. I always feel the need to go out and experience something crazy and new. I’ve always wanted to live in Cali and I know it can be done. I am currently trying to get a degree in Audio Engineering/ Music Production. I know that work in the music industry is extremely competitive…but it’s what I love to do. Everyone tells me I won’t make any money doing it and will never be able to move out there, but i know i can. Can you give me some advice on what goals I should put first? Like, I guess I should finish school here and save money. But part of me wants to just get the hell outta here and go to school there. But with the money I have now, that’s near impossible. Thanks ~Angela
I’m going to echo Raven’s comments below. Finish school. Life is so much more difficult without a college degree. It is a pre-req for almost any white collar job. It is possible to live an OK life without one, it is just a lot easier to do with one.
It is a bad idea to just drop out, move to CA, and hope for the best. Life should not be lived by “winging it”. You need to have a reasonable plan to achieve what you want and it is not reasonable to drop out of school and move to California with no money.
My answer *might* be different if you finished school and had some way to live in California without money (i.e. friends or family here). But short of that, it is a bad idea to move to a place as expensive as California in your current situation.
Angela. This is advice coming from someone that works in the film industry. FINISH SCHOOL FIRST. I understand being itchy and wanting to move. I want to do the same. But, all the actors I have worked with (newbies) all have the same dream. They moved there, and they are struggling big time. California is in a bad place financially and moving there would make matters worse on you than previous times. How much time do you have left in school? If you are going to a good school I would definitely finish there. Because not only is living more expensive there compared to Texas, but, the schools are more, the food is more, everything is more. SAVE SAVE SAVE. Have at least six months of basic living expenses saved up not including the costs of moving there and the deposits and such. Research, make sure you visit there before you rent to make sure you are getting into a decent area. I have a friend that lived there a long time ago and he won’t move back unless he has a years worth of living expenses. I do not want to be a downer, because I am not like that. But, I would rather give you the down stuff first. You can work hard and make it happen. Follow your dreams love what you do, And as long as you are passionate. You will succeed. Here is another reason to have so many months together. You will want to get acquainted with where you move to. And then I would look on craigslist to find opportunities to volunteer with what you do. Get used to how they do things out there. Get to know people, and be social. Network big time. If you are good you will get somewhere by not taking no for an answer. Hope this helped. If you want to ask more, please do. Good Luck.
Hello Everyone, from Southeast Wisconsin. It appears this is an old thread, not sure if it is still active or not. My wife and I were recently married in October 2009 and are planning to move to the LA area in the fall. I am 25 years old and have a BA in Supply Chain Management. I have been with the same company for almost 5 years including an Internship and have worked my way into the International sales department. I also work part time as a Banquet Captain at a hotel in down town Milwaukee, WI. My wife is an optician at a Vision Center and is going to school for TV and Video production. As noted above we are planning to move to LA in the fall. I am very excited about the idea, but very nervous as well. I have two very secure jobs that pay well, but do not enjoy either of them. I have been browsing job postings in LA for nearly a year just seeing what has been available and what I could apply for when the time comes. One thing that I am struggling with, is how to properly apply and be considered for a job from across the country. My wife and I are both very hard working, out going individuals and I am confident that we can both land good jobs if we meet the right people. Any advice for going about the job search from across the country?
I’ve actually done a job search across the country on 3 separate occasions. I’ll write a post about it which will hopefully help you out. Check back in a few days and I’ll post something on it.
Thank you very much! I look forward to hearing your input.
I noticed that you have a link to the Intercontinental Hotel on your home page. Do you have any affiliation with Intercontinental? My part time job is through the Intercontinental in Milwaukee and I may have some transfer options within the hotel chain. The Milwaukee location is also partnered with the Marcus corporation which potentially gives me more transfer options in the hospitality world, if I want to maintain a part time job as well. Again, just not sure which way to proceed with investigating this as I am concerned as to how the Banquet Manager at the hotel would react if she knew I was considering a move in the fall.
is 100,000 enough to move to LA and how long would it last me?
I’m 24 yrs old and saved up about 100,000 and i work at a hair salon. should i stay where im at or move to LA? its always been a dream for me to be in CA also. please tell me what u think of my situation.
First off I’m assuming you are talking about $100,000 U.S. right? If that is accurate, and you are indeed only 24, you are doing pretty well. Way ahead of me when I was the same age. How did you manage this with what seems to be an average job?
In any case, yeah, if you have this much saved you are pretty much set. Can’t imagine you going through that much money unless you like to live the high life. I could go years with that much saved, even if I wasn’t working. But that’s only because I carefully control my costs. If you do the same, you should be set.
Wow, who in the world has $100,000 saved up to move somewhere, not me! lol I’d travel the world with that kind of money. Anyway, your post was really helpful, it’s always scary thinking about moving somewhere. I’ve been wanting to move to San Francisco but I know absolutely no one there and heard it’s cold and crazy expensive. I currently live in Hawaii where my studio apartment is $1400, ridiculous. Are people in San Francisco nice or easy to find a job there? If you have any experience being in the SF area, please let me know what it’s like and how much money do you think I should save up to move, $10,000?
Moving To California With No Money Is A Challenge But Can Be Done. I Know Of A Few People Who Have Tried To Do This With Not Much Success.
Hey Terrence,
Currently I reside in Hawaii, and I am contemplating a move back to LA (lived there for a year back in 2000). I have enough finances to fly myself there and to ship my car there. I have family that I can stay with while I get myself situated, but definitely not more than a month. Upon arriving, I will have zero money; therefore I know the job hunt is on. I have a BA in communications as well as 15 yrs customer service experience. Do you think I have a good shot at a decent paying job that will afford me a decent rental? Thought about the move for over the last 10 years, but never committed. Worked various jobs in HI, but all dead ends. It would be ideal if I have money saved before I made the decision, but that is the same tune I sang before. In your opinion, do you think I should do it?
Hey Warren,
I’m not sure what advice to give you. I tend to be fairly conservative when it comes to things financial because I think people are too impulsive and don’t think through the ramifications of their actions.
On the other hand, I think some people are too conservative when it comes to taking certain risks in life. If you wait for the perfect time in anything, you will usually not get anything done. I don’t believe in getting stuck behind analysis paralysis.
The job market is tough in California. If you have a job now, I would say you need to think carefully before leaving it. A month might not give you enough time to find a job. Then what do you do after that? If your answer is that you don’t know, then I say you aren’t ready to move here. I’m highly qualified and have never not had a job if I wanted one, and even now, I can tell you that the job market is kind of tight right now. My boss who got laid off a year ago is still looking for work.
If you have a plan on what you will do if your job will take longer than a month, say it takes 6 months, than I say perhaps you can take the plunge.
Ok.. this all might sound a little unrealistic but I really want to do this and I’m gonna try it. Basically my current situation is that I’m 22, in a relationship, we live together in Ohio and rent is only $400 a month. I’m making enough to get by on basic needs and I have a 98 windstar that sucks up all my money with gas. LOL. I was born and raised in California during my childhood years until my mom remarried and then divorced and now we’re stuck out here. I used to visit my dad out in California but he passed away when I was in high school.
I have a strong desire to go back to California to live there and go to school there. My dream is to be a Marriage and Family Counselor and maybe even have my Masters by the time I’m 30. Almost done with my associates. Anywho… I’m currently saving for a car and I know your advice suggests against that if I plan to move to California with “no money” but I want a VW Beetle (which would actually go with the whole California idea.. lol) but seriously, they get good gas mileage and that’s all I care about. I’m sure if worse comes to worse I could manage in California by taking a bus depending on what job I’d get… but then again it’s been a while since I’ve been there but you could probably just get about anywhere by bus in Cali.
Anywho, let’s say if I wanted to up and move to California in about 9 months or so and managed to save about 1,800 from a new job I’m just about to be hired onto, and my boyfriend comes with me (so that could possibly work as a positive… possibility for 2 incomes coming through) do you think I’d have a good chance of surviving as long as I work my butt off to find any job?
I do have friends and family out there that I could crash at for a while til I got my stuff together. I just don’t know how that would work out with the boyfriend equation. I just wanted to see if you have any further words of advice because I know it seems like a dream that is out of reach and unrealistic but I live for the sole purpose of going back to California. Yeah… crappy Ohio is livable but I HATE snow/winter and my heart belongs to California. =D
I just came across this post and want to thank the OP for writing this all down for the people out there with this dream. I decided last march that I would take off to California with the little money I had saved up. I had about $4000. I had a lot of fun getting myself here as I made some fun stops along the way: hiking app trail, surfing east coast for last time, nashville, chicago, yellowstone, san francisco. I was lucky to have a friend already living here and a place to stay while searching for a new place. I was lucky enough to find a place to live and work within a month. That said, I think most of the people responding to this article are missing the message. There is no magic bullet. I did not forecast for how working a minimum wage job would affect me on many different levels. I have met many homeless people who take home as much money as me in disability every month, and they don’t have to pay rent to anyone. They seem happier than me on many days. In fact, I would encourage any of you who are young like me and California dreaming to research the many wonderful strategies for living without a home. Urban or suburban camping/van living seems to be fairly common around here. I only mention these things because for many people they are a much better alternative to forking over 600+ bucks every 30 days. Basically, to sum up my point, this has not been the best career move for me. I’m dealing with it. But I’d like to offer advice to anyone who thinks this is the answer to think really hard and have a plan (and by plan I mean good job or a lot of money). Lastly, to the girl who is a 24 year old with $100,000 saved up: Wow. thats awesome. way to go. Don’t blow it on moving to California unless you can line up comparable work before you get here. To everybody else: take a good look around you and really imagine your life without all the people and places you love. I bet there’s a lot that your own backyard has to offer that you haven’t even explored. Trust me the newness of a place wears off really fast once reality sets in.
I’ve been considering going to California for a year or two now. I love the music, weather and lifestyle (more laid back from what I’ve heard) The perfect opportunity is going to arise with grad school which I planning on taking advantage of. There are plenty of schools in Cali where I can get my business masters.
Now I haven’t visited California yet but I am going there this summer (either roadtrip or via plane) to visit Berkeley, UCLA and USD at least. What places should I go to get the greatest feel for living there (not 21 yet)? Anything I must do?
Thanks for the awesome posts.
-Oleg
Oleg,
At the end of the day, you can find pretty much anything you want in California in terms of living environments. Want hustle and bustle? Try Santa Monica or Hollywood. Want a more suburban feel? Santa Clarita and Irvine invented suburbia? Want the stereotypical California beach, can’t do much better than La Jolla or Malibu.
If you plan on going to one of those schools, my advice is to just visit them all and then go around the surrounding areas. There is no one thing you must do. Just check out the neighborhoods, see the sights, and figure out if this really is the place for you.
Hey can i crash at your place terrence?
I was in New York for a couple of years and then I moved back to Chicago. I worked in production for a couple of years, so I do have some experience. I have a bachelors degree and a masters degree. I recently got my bartending licence. Don’t have a lot of money or a car at this point. I am thinking about moving to California but not sure when. Do you have any advice?
As I’ve told others in this thread, I think you have to look very hard about your motivations to move to California. Moving here without money is extremely difficult so unless you really have something you want to do that can only be done in California (e.g. Acting) than the best strategy is to either find a job here before you make the big move or to save up enough money so that you can live in California for a few months while you look for work.
Hey, I am thinking of moving from New Jersey b/c I’d prefer the weather there and would love to organic farm there. Where in Cali do you live?
I live in the Los Angeles area.
I am 22 and live in arizona and my girlfriend is in california. she moved back there 2 years ago to live with her parents and go to school because we were losing everything. I had to stay here and work out some issues of my own. It has been almost 2 years now, and I still haven’t started school… I am working a dead end job making about 150-200 a week. Most of that money goes to house expenses and gas… I do live with my parents as well, but it is a world full of drama and irresponsible behavior… I feel the need to constantly help them out and when i get stressed out i just want to go hang out with my friends and forget about everything. I feel like it has been too long and I need to get to california before our relationship falls apart more than it already has. We love eachother so much and I can tell it hurts more and more every day I don’t do something. So I have decided that I am going to save up enough money to buy a vehicle that would get me to cali, and enough money saved up so I have funds for necessities… But I will live in that vehicle until I can get a job, and save up more money to start taking classes at school, and maybe stay at the dorms? I just need to know how much money I’d need to have saved before I drove. I am determined to get there and save us before we both break…. Weve been together 6 years, and she means the world to me… I need to do this. Please give me some advice. How much money will I need. I will take a descent job, I would have somewhere to shower and wash my clothes, but I have no problem sleeping in a car/ truck, whatever it may be…
I’m sorry it took so long for me to get back. I haven’t been blogging as much lately and so haven’t been able to respond back to people’s comments.
I can’t tell you a dollar figure that would make me comfortable in your situation. My advice to people is always don’t do anything hasty and have a solid plan. Part of that is having 6 months worth of savings so you can live in case things don’t work out. That clearly won’t work for you given your present circumstances.
I do not think it is a good idea to drive to California and live in your car. This is especially true since your prospects for finding a job that will sustain you is made worse by the fact that you will have no permanent residence and have no college education. This will cause a vicious cycle where you will struggle to make money because of the disadvantages above and you won’t be able to eliminate those disadvantages because you are struggling to make money.
So in short, I would find someway to get enough money where you can sustain yourself for sometime when you get here. If you read my post, it clearly states you need somewhere to live. Your money requirement is a lot less if you can find a place to live for no money as rent is the most expensive thing here. Solve that problem first before you do anything. If you can solve that, than you can probably sustain yourself for several months with just a few hundred bucks.
I have family in San Diego, California (close family) that I could live with for free.
I am about to start college, but I was going to do 1 year (or 1/2 a year) then move to California to live with them.
I’m doing this to pursue acting. And this plan has been thought out by multiples and myself for almost over a year.
What is your opinion? Finish my 4 year college and put California on hold… or go for it while I’m young?
Becca,
I have no idea what your level of talent is or what actually makes sense for you. For most people, it makes a lot more sense to finish college and then pursue your dreams so you have a fall back plan but that plan doesn’t work for everyone (and might be counter-productive as my post here states. http://www.doublejourney.com/2010/06/02/why-finishing-college-might-actually-hurt-your-career/)
That being said, if you can go to college in California and do it cheaply by living with family, that might give you the best of both worlds.
Terrence,
I’m 18 and pretty set on moving to Los Angeles. I could be going to Rutgers University for free this upcoming fall (I got a lot of financial aid) but instead I am choosing to pursue my dreams.
My parents think this is foolish of me and I mean, I can see where they’re coming from. It’s just a college degree really isn’t necessary to become an actor. Not only that, but I feel that if I do go to college and get a degree, I won’t even want to act anymore. This is because I’d want a real 9-5 job out of college and I wouldn’t be going to college for acting anyway; I would go for a back-up plan. But if I did get a “back-up plan,” I think that would only distract me from my true dream of becoming an actor.
Just because I don’t go to college doesn’t mean I’ll end up homeless on the streets…I have over $10 K saved up, and I plan on working obviously when I’m out there. I know I’d have to work a job such as waiting tables, but I’m OK with that.
If anything, maybe after living out there for a year or so, if I really hated it, I could just come back home and then go to college and get higher education.
Is this realistic? Can I support myself out there? Am I a complete moron for doing this??
Patrick,
Sounds like you’ve got the plan sewn-up. Keep in mind it’s never too late to go back to college if acting doesn’t work out. Keep your hopes up and you faith in lock. Best of luck.
Despite what college has done for me, I do not think everyone has to have a college education. In fact, I think most people are actually over-educated for the eventual jobs that they take.
If you want to pursue your dream, and that dream doesn’t require college, I think that is fine so long as you can reasonably take care of yourself. From the sound of it, it sounds like you can since you already have 10k saved up even before you head off to college.
Yes, you will have to take odd jobs and find work while you are out here, but if you find a half decent job and are careful with your savings, you could live here for a year and see if you can make things happen. If not, college will always be there later.
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Terrence,
Earlier you mentioned that you have done a cross country job search 3 different times and that you would write a post about it. Not sure if you ever ended up writing about it, but I couldn’t find it. I would love to hear your advice on the topic.
I’ve found that many employers do not even consider people from out of state. I’m 25, have a college degree, a good job and a good amt of $ saved up. I don’t plan on moving to San Diego until Aug 2012. By that time, I will have saved even more $. I do not want to move without a job, regardless of how much $ I have saved. I want to be able to use my savings for moving costs (if needed), furniture, emergencies, etc. I may or may not be able to transfer with my job, 2 years is a long time away. I would love to have my relocation costs covered, but this is not a necessity, as I want to move regardless.
I know how to look for jobs across the country, but I need help on how to land a job across the country. What worked for you in your job search and do you have any good tips or advice? Thanks!