janj

How about looking for an apartment within walking/cycling distance to work for your husband? WOuld save a bundle if he didn't need the car for work? Don't know if you've researched car insurance yet Depends where he's based, of course. Traffic is always bad around Santa Monica - my daughter chooses to work from 6:30am to 3:30pm to avoid the worst, and she's only a few miles away in Century City. She says the traffic around the PCH makes it busy all weekend too. It is a beautiful spot though

mymatemarmite

Yeah that's our plan if we can afford it (according to craigslist it looks promising), when I said way down the thread can we be a one car family I meant in terms of him walking/cycling to work.

Reckon I'll get a few lessons here before I go, and might compare the price of learning too seeing as it can be so expensive - but then maybe one of those crash courses in a week mightn't be a bad idea. We'd like to try with one car initially at least

polishvisitor

I am not sure how much your husband will make a year before tax, but what I can say I am in San Diego working in IT as well and making 122k a year and consider it low, providing that this 1 income for both of you and kids I think you much better in UK, here is how I see it: 122K after taxes is between 1600 and 1800 a week, so lets say 7k a month:
2K apartment rental
2k 2 cars
1k food
1k + utilities and other expenses
Maybe 1k of savings left

I think people who work in IT in London but work on contract basis are much better off than working here, no to mention that IT fields is flooded by 3rd world workers who are brought here constantly for cheap slave labour
Goodluck

mymatemarmite

He's been offered $150,000.....

Rose tea

Congrats on the job offer. I know plenty of people who make do on 150K in LA, and even a lot less - but it's like people said, depends what kind of lifestyle you'll be looking for. You will find certain things much cheaper, and certain things much more expensive, in LA. Eventually you'll figure out the tricks of the trade when it comes to saving money, and once you do, your cost of living will drop quite a lot. (Hint: get a CostCo membership)

I think that if you just approach LA as being very, very, very different from London, you will have a better time settling in. It is a two car city (three or more if you have teenage kids who are driving), it is quite spread out, people don't just pop around for a natter like they do in the UK, many parents think children are at their best when they're scheduled all the time. If you've lived abroad, I'm sure you'll get it - but I think some people here are wary of any post that sounds like it remotely suggests the OP thinks the US is some sunnier version of the UK. Try not to let this offend you, we do get a lot of posts here from genuinely clueless people.

Good luck with your move!

mymatemarmite

Thanks so much, your whole post, especially the bit above, has been really helpful. Living abroad in developing countries is totally different to living in the UK so I just needed to get a sense of how different it would be going to another english speaking developed country - god forbid it would just be a sunnier version of the UK (what the hell would be the point in moving?!).

I'm also dealing with family and friends putting on a lot of guilt as this will be the first time we've moved abroad with children so we have a lot more to consider and want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit us, whereas we assumed when we lived in a mudhut in Malawi nobody would come out anyway, so I think my expectations of lifestyle are higher in moving to LA than going somewhere else, or indeed staying in London.

The costco tip is a great one - you're right, wherever you live you find the ways of living to bring down your general living costs don't you!

Sally Redux

$150,000 will be fine, if it's their first offer they might go higher anyway. Even with the Santa Monica rents you're going to be all right on that.

Rose tea

You're welcome. And yes, family are good at doing that. Mine do think I live in some sunnier version of the UK and still, seven years on, when they come out here, they'll say to anyone who will listen "well we don't do this in the UK!" It's embarrassing but I've learnt to live with it! Your friends & fam will love coming out to LA and will drag to you Disneyland and Rodeo Drive and all the other places in LA that you'll hate to go to You, meanwhile, will discover that your kids have fun playing on the beach in the morning when it's still quiet (cost of $0 to you aside from parking), that you can get pretty amazing ethnic food for $10 or less and that can last for 2 meals, that the warm sun on your skin feels really quite beautiful, and that there are worse things in life than feeling a little more laid back. Sorry, I happen to like LA You're also relatively near to fun places like Vegas for a weekend getaway (more kid friendly than it used to be), and beautiful Santa Barbara. You're also in a great position to venture out in the US Southwest, which is an amazing place to visit. I think you'll have a great time, once that initial culture shock thing passes.

mymatemarmite

Thanks, very reassuring!

Another question, rather than start a whole new thread, do rental properties tend to come furnished or unfurnished? Still negotiating the relocation package and we don't have much furniture to speak of anyway

Bob

Depends....as with everything.

Most tend to be unfurnished except holiday home type places or corporate apartments. They also tend to be a lot more expensive.

mymatemarmite

cool - just wondered because it doesn't seem to be stipulated when you look on craigslist etc

N1cky

If it is furnished it will say it's furnished, otherwise it won't be.

Likewise it will usually say washer and dryer included, washer and dryer hook-up means you will need to have your own washer and dryer.

Fridges are also sometimes in, sometimes not, again it will usually say in the listing.

omnebonumabalto

I just came in at the end so please excuse me not reading all the posts, but I do get the gist of it. At $150K you are going to be OK not super rich but comfortable.You will need two cars that work and have a/c. Just ask yourself Hubby is at work and little Patrick cuts his finger open? Are you going to wait for a bus?
Get a rental house for six months and see how you like the area. Rent furniture from a place like Rent a Center. Don't break your back getting all the details worked out now.It's all going to be different than you thought and in six months you will have made friends and know what's what.
The relatives come over and moan about the Americans having it so easy etc etc.You know why they do that? Because they can't let themselves fall in love with it, they have to go back. So don't ever expect a pat on the back, it'll be "well you have it so easy over here". Guilt is a weapon used to show their own fears about missing you. Get on with it and you will have a great time.

Bob

Don't rent furniture, it'll be cheaper to buy off craigslist and yard sales and getting the stuff like beds from a proper place than renting...the white goods like a washer/dryer might be worth renting if in a short term place that only includes hook ups and you find yourself moving into a place that'll likely include it in the future though.

mymatemarmite

Thanks. Just trying to start getting an idea of how much of our own furniture to ship