Ok, so it has been a while since I last posted and there is good reason for this. See, I’ve decided fairly recently, to move to a new house. Let me go over this decision with a little more detail.
It started about a year ago. I’ve always liked the area where my brother lives, which is about 15km away from the capitol city. It is a nice neighborhood with good, smaller schools, all the amenities you need, it is secure, quite picturesque in some areas, and quite secure as well.
So, I’ve been thinking about ways to be able to move there because of all the things I mentioned above but there were considerations I needed to go through first. Very important considerations for a single mom of two kids.
1. Cost
Much as I loved my brother’s area, it was definitely more expensive than where I am currently living. It would take an additional 20k to move there. It would mean an additional amount for commute expense, an additional amount for rent, and for water. In dollars, that would mean an additional $466 a month. That is not easy to do since that amount is a little higher than entry level salaries for a lot of jobs here. I had to figure out how to make an extra 20k on top of the salary I get from my full time job.
2. Schools
My kids already have a school where we are now. It is just a preschool but, since my kids are only preschool age, it give me time to look around and budget for a big kids school. Schools in my brother’s area were more expensive and were fewer in choice but the chances of getting a school with a good reputation for good education is easier. Public schooling in my country generally is not so great. there are a handful of public schools that are considered very good so you can imagine what you need to do to get a spot there. Ironic huh? So, if you want to give your kids a good chance at making it in the future, you have to spend for schooling.
Those were the top considerations for moving to another area, specifically that area where my brother stays. Needless to say, I suspended that thought and set it aside, thinking that I would not need to go back to it for another year or so at the least.
Well, turns out my parents were looking to move as well and decided to look in that same area. Since it would suit all parties involved, we decided to join forces. Because of that, we were able to come up with a good enough budget to sustain a household.
So, important things to think about when scouting for a change of address (as I have come to know and understand it from my experience):
1. cost of commute and utilities- some areas, being farther away from the business district, cost more to get out of and back to at the end of the day. For the same reason, proximity to the capitol city, some utilities may cost more or less. So there has to be room in the budget for these considerations.
2. cost of schooling- this is important if you have kids. There is no use in moving to a place where you can afford the standard of living but not the schooling.
3. cost of food and shelter- this has to be considered because it is part of budgeting your cost of living.
All three points are not ranked in order of importance because I think they are all equally essential. Of course, I am currently in the process of moving so there are many things I am sure to learn as I go along.
I am interested to know what your considerations are if you think about making a move. Are they any different from mine?
I will do my best to track this journey and to note the budget considerations as I go along.
What things do you consider before moving?
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