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- Thread starter Mtowncyclone13
- Start date
My wife and I have talked about this topic before. She grew up in a very different area of the United States. We are both in agreement that there is no way we will not ever live in Story/Polk/Dallas counties until retirement.
Both of our salaries could be doubled and we still wouldn't move to Wyoming or Kentucky.
Graduated college and moved to Texas for a job. Was single at the time and it was a good opportunity.
After a few years, moved to Houston for a better job (same company). Met my wife.
Moved again for her job (she does pretty specialized researchy type stuff).
After a few years, moved to Houston for a better job (same company). Met my wife.
Moved again for her job (she does pretty specialized researchy type stuff).
I am quite happy in West Des Moines. It would take a nice bump in salary and one of the following cities to relocate: 1.) Kansas City 2.) Minneapolis 3.) DFW 4.) Toronto. Otherwise I don't see myself relocating and that includes relocating for a woman.
I've already relocated twice for work so I don't have a very high threshold.
1. Location I like
3. Work that looks interesting
2. Compensation that's at least similar to what I have now
We lived in DC (well technically northern Virginia) the first two years we were married, before kids. Knew we would resettle back in Midwest. Figured if we wanted to buy a house there, it would take a very long time. It was something different before we settled down with a house and kids and we got to see a lot of the east coast while we were there.
Here is my experience. I grew up in Iowa, went to Iowa State, and then worked in Des Moines for 10 years. And then had an opportunity to move to Oklahoma to startup an office for my company. They gave me LOTS more money, more responsibility, etc. Being away from friends and family sucked. Starting over making friends in your mid-30s isn't super easy. No kids made it easier for my wife and I to pick up and move but we were bored at first before we developed some friends there.
Ultimately, we did 3.5 years there and had the opportunity to come back to Iowa and jumped at the chance. Iowa is home for us and being away from home was more difficult than we expected - I liked the work and the opportunity but socially was hard. But everyone reacts differently.
Ultimately, we did 3.5 years there and had the opportunity to come back to Iowa and jumped at the chance. Iowa is home for us and being away from home was more difficult than we expected - I liked the work and the opportunity but socially was hard. But everyone reacts differently.
I have been in central Iowa my entire life. Travelled quite extensively for work and play.
It would take an absolute perfect job fit and probably a relative boat load of money for me to consider a relocation. Even then, I would heavily consider area schools, as I have 2 kids. Uprooting them would probably be a huge factor, if not the factor.
It would take an absolute perfect job fit and probably a relative boat load of money for me to consider a relocation. Even then, I would heavily consider area schools, as I have 2 kids. Uprooting them would probably be a huge factor, if not the factor.
I left Iowa to move to Aspen, CO for a job. I was single and, Aspen! I eventually moved to Denver for more oppotunity. Moved to Austin for a lucrative job oppotunity. That job has now allowed me to work remotely, so I am moving back to Iowa to be closer to family and friends. Not a big fan of Texas, but happy to say I have experienced it and am ready to get back to Iowa.
I've lived in Central Iowa my entire life and all of my immediate family lives here as well, so I likely wouldn't leave for anything.
On top of that, my kids from my first wife are just minutes away on the North side of Ankeny, so I'm not leaving them for anything. Even after they are graduated and off to college, I'll probably stay in the Des Moines Metro area for my little kid as well.
On top of that, my kids from my first wife are just minutes away on the North side of Ankeny, so I'm not leaving them for anything. Even after they are graduated and off to college, I'll probably stay in the Des Moines Metro area for my little kid as well.
Is this a Midwestern thing, staying in an area to remain near to family?
Seems like people from New York or Chicago are much more willing to relocate. Or maybe that's just something that sticks out only to me.
I can't imagine leaving Des Moines unless it was for my wife's career. She makes the big bucks for us. Plus we're happy where we are. WInter months aside, it's a pretty good place to raise a family.
I've relocated for a new job too many times. Usually, it was for money, but sometimes, it was because the previous job ended. That's one of the reasons I've been at my last job for 24 years and will retire from there. I just got sick of moving.
I've regretted moving from job to job just once. I was in charge of a satellite office, basically a one-man operation (I had a secretary), and I answered to no one. It was a lot of work, more work than I'd done before or after, but the situation was ideal. I got a big fat mileage check at the end of every month because there was a lot of travel involved, short trips mostly (30 miles or less), but a lot of them.
My rent on a 3-bedroom apartment above a store was only $85 a month (it was a small town of less than 1,000 and it was 30 years ago) and my biggest bill was $100 electric during the dead of winter because I had electric heating.
The result was that even though I wasn't paid all that much, I had more money than I knew what to do with because my expenses were so cheap. My mileage check more than covered my rent and utilities every month. It was like getting an extra paycheck each month or living at home with your parents and not paying for anything.
I ended up moving to a different job after a friend called me and said he needed my help. The pay was only a couple thousand a year more (including the mileage check), but in reality, it was a lot less than I made at the previous job because my expenses also went up.
I vowed from then on never to move again unless the pay bump was substantial ... more than 5,000 a year. Luckily, there were a few of them in my career, and at my current job, I've had incremental raises, unlike previous jobs. So I've been perfectly happy with my situation.
I've regretted moving from job to job just once. I was in charge of a satellite office, basically a one-man operation (I had a secretary), and I answered to no one. It was a lot of work, more work than I'd done before or after, but the situation was ideal. I got a big fat mileage check at the end of every month because there was a lot of travel involved, short trips mostly (30 miles or less), but a lot of them.
My rent on a 3-bedroom apartment above a store was only $85 a month (it was a small town of less than 1,000 and it was 30 years ago) and my biggest bill was $100 electric during the dead of winter because I had electric heating.
The result was that even though I wasn't paid all that much, I had more money than I knew what to do with because my expenses were so cheap. My mileage check more than covered my rent and utilities every month. It was like getting an extra paycheck each month or living at home with your parents and not paying for anything.
I ended up moving to a different job after a friend called me and said he needed my help. The pay was only a couple thousand a year more (including the mileage check), but in reality, it was a lot less than I made at the previous job because my expenses also went up.
I vowed from then on never to move again unless the pay bump was substantial ... more than 5,000 a year. Luckily, there were a few of them in my career, and at my current job, I've had incremental raises, unlike previous jobs. So I've been perfectly happy with my situation.
Figure out what you DON'T like about certain areas (weather, culture, religious activities, etc) because that's sometimes easier to help figure out where not to go versus thinking about what you DO like. Sometimes a single dislike can overrule a half dozen likes.
First and foremost you have to get your wife's input. If she ain't happy....ain't no one going to be happy! My wife was pretty proud that I stuck to my guns and changed jobs as I tried to get my former employee to show me the money (I knew they wouldn't but kept the heat on them and just twisted the knife a little deeper and twisted it a few time. Felt damn good to be in control of that situation!) Took a new job with 30% pay raise and just got another unexpected raise a couple of weeks ago!
