N1cky

I certainly didn't feel that way after we made the move. Spent 6 months out of work, and doing all the mindless shit chores you mention. Never been so unhappy in my life.

Every now and again, is very different to every day.

sherbert

Basically, almost everyone who lives in San Diego is telling the OP to do it. Almost everyone who does not live in San Diego is telling the OP not to do it.

Bills, from this month, FYI:

Gas and Electric = 70 - 80 /month (was a bit more during dec/jan when it was cold)
Water/Trash = covered by landlord
Mobile = 80/month for 2 contracts (T-mobile)
Car insurance = 150 /month for 2 cars and 2 people
Internet = 60 /month
Petrol for me = 40 - 70 a month, for OH = 90 - 150 a month
Rent = 1750 (yes, it's high but as someone pointed out earlier, I obviously have 'issues' in regard to my abode scoff scoff)

We don't have cable or a land line. I spend about $50 every 6 months on a proxy that enables me to watch BBC. TV here is unwatchable anyway with all the adverts.

We had sim only contracts when we first arrived until we got enough credit history to go on a contract.

Almost ALL properties here in SD have water/trash included, especially the units that have multiple people living in them because they share a water meter.

sherbert

Well, I guess I came here knowing I wouldn't be able to work (ever) so perhaps this helped...

N1cky

Do you also not eat?

sherbert

Ho ho ho, no I subsist on a diet of air of course, along with sugar derived from all the saccharine comments that arise from this forum.

I didn't add food in there because it's completely arbitrary depending on a person's habits and preferences and where they shop. If you shop at the Mexican supermarkets your bills will be a quarter of the price than if you shop at Vons/Ralphs. If you insist on going to Whole Foods then you're going to pay a lot more than you should be paying. Good news is that most organic stuff here is barely any more expensive than non-organic.

If you want me to put a figure on it then I spend around 70/week on supermarket shopping (not including booze or eating out). I don't buy meat or fish as I am a vegetarian.

I also buy a lot in bulk at CostCo so, maybe $200 every 3 months at CostCo for washing powder/dishwasher stuff, cupboard staples, clingfilm etc.

Eating out - again, it depends on the person. We can eat a massive, good quality meal with leftovers for lunch the next day at our local Mexican for about $16. Other times we blow 70 + on dinner. Depends really.

Novocastrian

So, roughly $2300/M =~$28K/year in income after taxes and stuff on basics?

And, I note, "I" not "we".

RoadWarriorFromLP

As of March 2015, average apartment rent within 10 miles of San Diego, CA is $1790.

One bedroom apartments in San Diego rent for $1537 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $1946.

https://www.rentjungle.com/average-r...o-rent-trends/

__________

Rents paid by San Diegans rose by an average of $55 per month in 2014, according to new data from the online real estate company Zillow Inc...

The increase for San Diego was higher than the national average of 4.9 percent, or $26, but well below some of the extremes in California.

San Diego Rents Rose an Average $55 per Month in 2014 - Times of San Diego

__________

The vacancy rate is below 4%.

Low vacancy rates mean rising rents for San Diego | UTSanDiego.com

__________

Here's the basic situation:

-Rents have been climbing

-Vacancies are low -- supply constraints encourage above-average rent increases

-Not stated in those articles, but the new supply coming online tends to be high-end, which (a) doesn't help the OP and (b) encourages those with lesser properties to upgrade them and increase the rent (or to sell them to those who will)

This is not an easy situation. Don't assume that your rent will stay constant.

Aside from the obvious savings, one possible benefit of a roommate situation is that you may be able to find someone who has a unit with below-market rent. (Some smaller landlords can be especially reticent about jacking up rents on good tenants because replacing them takes time and money that can exceed the value of a rent increase.)

(Why the thought of a roommate would cause some people to melt down, I don't know. Just avoid moving in with someone who would enjoy your liver with fava beans and a fine chianti -- most people who share a place are just as normal as anyone else, and they may even help you to build your social circle.)

shained

Thanks for the breakdown that is very helpful!

In terms of TV/cable I am not that fussed as I do not watch much TV and the shows that I do can be found on apps such as HD cinema/showbox.

In terms of the 2 car situation that would only arise if my partner got a job which would then pay for itself.

From what everyone's posted I guess the summary is I am being screwd with pay.. I work for Sony PlayStation by the way which is why they can pay low wages... A lot of demand.

But it looks like with some stringent money watching, cutting out luxuries for at the least the settling in period the move would be doable.

I received a mail from our relocation team yesterday and on the form it did say they would start the permanent status process

Nutmegger

Wife or partner? You said wife before -- if it really is partner, that's a whole new ballgame.

sherbert

Which is different to the proportion of income that you would spend in the UK, or elsewhere, how?

No. We. Both. The two of us. There are not matching cupboards in the kitchen saying 'his and hers'. I buy all that stuff for the house, for the two of us to use jointly of course.

And basics...hmmm pretty much all a person needs to live on imho. And in SD there is so much to do for free because you can always be outside - with the exception of those ±10 rainy days a year. Beaches, hiking, street fairs in some town every weekend, free concerts. You really don't need 'holidays' for the first year you're here anyway.

sherbert

Take a look at Craigslist. There are plenty on offer in good areas for significantly less than the average if you steer clear of the high demand areas such as UTC, la Jolla and PB/OB. It's true that demand is high but nothing like it is in San Francisco.

My (private) landlord made it pretty clear that he as a landlord basically had no rights and we could move out with days notice if we wanted. He on the other hand had to give me at least a month notice if he wanted me out. He said that he has to make sure he really trusts the people moving in because getting people out once they are in if there are problems is very difficult.

Rental agencies in CA are bound by laws which mean they must offer the apartment to the first person who passes the criteria (credit check, salary check whatever it is).

Do you even live in California?

shained

Its partner as of right now. Will be wife before we move..... If we move

RoadWarriorFromLP

Assuming that (a) no one else is competing for cheaper units and (b) that everything on Craigslist is legitimate is naive at best.

I have little doubt that I have forgotten more about multifamily housing than you will ever know.

sherbert

I spent the first three months of my time here scouring craigslist for at least 3 hours a day, every day. I know almost everything there is to know about the housing market in SD thanks. With a large dog (so no white carpets - which dismisses 75% of rental housing outright), no credit history, a desire to live exactly in xyz neighbourhood and a 'certain standard of living' aka meltdown/issues according to you, you cannot imagine how many places I went to see during that time.

I went to many open houses minutes after starting time where the agent was refusing to take any more applications because he had 50 or so in his hands. So your assumption about *my* assumption regarding competition is quite amusing, as are all your other observations which you seem to be dishing out as if you actually knew me.

Not one of these places turned out to be fake. Yes, some were a little mis-sold in the ad but not once did I feel in danger or feel that I was being scammed. Of course you must be wary and walk away if you feel that what you are being told is bullshit.

RoadWarriorFromLP

Craigslist has plenty of scammers who advertise on it. They are trying to collect personal information and don't have anything to rent at all.

If the deal is too good to be true, then it probably is. Don't use those people for rent comps, as they have nothing to rent.