Just moved from major metro area to rural America - observations

All in all, I prefer the city with all of its faults, its crime, filth and loneliness. Life out here is too simple. Boredom is setting in already and I've only been here a few weeks.

False Dichotomy ! Today's world is connected. You posted this thread from way out in the sticks. Technology transcends the antiquated constraints of cities. Or to put it another way we all live in the same city a virtual city so why live in a place full of crime, filth and loneliness?

Charlie wrote:

False Dichotomy ! Today's world is connected. You posted this thread from way out in the sticks. Technology transcends the antiquated constraints of cities. Or to put it another way we all live in the same city a virtual city so why live in a place full of crime, filth and loneliness?

Not everyone considers staring at a screen to be the same as interacting with actual people.

Actual Article wrote:

No it does not get you far. Yes you can obviously budget to live like a poor person if you want. Maybe you should move out of SF and see what it gets you elsewhere.

You have horrible reading comprehension. That is probably linked to your horrible financial management skills. I've lived in rural areas and am familiar with how much less things cost. But that is irrelevant to anything I said here. I do not understand why you brought that into the conversation.

I make 6 figures and budget my money. If you think only poor people budget their money, then you have proved my point that you have poor financial management skills.

0/10

Not funny.

Not clever.

Not interesting.

Not relevant.

Not really anything but a waste of electrons.

Grapes of Wrath wrote:

All in all, I prefer the city with all of its faults, its crime, filth and loneliness. Life out here is too simple. Boredom is setting in already and I've only been here a few weeks.

Loneliness? I've always found big cities to be much better places to make friends. Whenever I lived in small cities, everybody just seemed to go home in the evening and stay at home.

In my experience big cities in Europe and South America have so many more opportunities to be social than cities in the US. If I go to a climbing gym in the US, my climbing partners rarely want to hang out. In Europe, we'd be going to a cafe or bar at night. Maybe it's just me though. Asia, maybe a little more social than the US.

Yeah, but what about the poontang? Not one mention. You have more than reading comprehension and financial problems my friend.

There is no reason why people who live in large cities would want to go home. They live in cramp quarters, on noisy street, with no privacy and no large green lawns and trees. Even the rich people live in dinky places. Actually I feel bad for them never knowing the great joys of trees, space, quiet, views, extra house rooms, big garages and so on.

bigcityliker wrote:

Grapes of Wrath wrote:

All in all, I prefer the city with all of its faults, its crime, filth and loneliness. Life out here is too simple. Boredom is setting in already and I've only been here a few weeks.

Loneliness? I've always found big cities to be much better places to make friends. Whenever I lived in small cities, everybody just seemed to go home in the evening and stay at home.

In my experience big cities in Europe and South America have so many more opportunities to be social than cities in the US. If I go to a climbing gym in the US, my climbing partners rarely want to hang out. In Europe, we'd be going to a cafe or bar at night. Maybe it's just me though. Asia, maybe a little more social than the US.

I live on an estate wrote:

There is no reason why people who live in large cities would want to go home. They live in cramp quarters, on noisy street, with no privacy and no large green lawns and trees.

Even the rich people live in dinky places. Actually I feel bad for them never knowing the great joys of trees, space, quiet, views, extra house rooms, big garages and so on.

This. A lot of truly rich people have chosen to build sprawling country estates in the middle of nowhere (anyone been to Biltmore ???) and couldn't wait to escape to them. The really rich, through superior breeding, life experiences, and education are smart enough to realize that once you get past the city's flimsy facades of glamour, sophistication and excitement, (which only seem to beguile naive first-time visitors), urban life, with its mindlessly fast pace, traffic jams, rampant crime, noise and pollution, is actually an empty, soul-crushingly sub-standard existence.

I lived in Boston and New York - working in finance. Boston had a "small town" feel to it. I lived in the Back Bay which was very expensive, and rode the "T" down to South Station for work. Worst thing about Boston is the "T" where you got to smell the fresh powerful scent of urine first thing in the morning, and then again on the way home. Moved to NY, whose subway made the the "T" seem like luxury. I hated living in NY every day. NY is hell on earth - and I was lucky to escape in 15 months. The running in NY sucks compared to Boston where I could run along the Charles and thru neighborhoods in relative calm and safety. I could run to Central Park from my unit, but that grows old really fast - and is not as friendly to runners as it looks on TV during the NYC marathon.

Now live in the burbs west of Philly - in Chester county, Kennett Square area. This is freakin' heaven compared to NY and Boston. Lancaster is a short drive away, parks are everywhere for great running, and traffic isn't bad since I don't have to go into Philly for work. The people are nicer - and I don't have to smell urine on a T or subway each day. Plus the EAGLES are rockin' this year.

BIL of a slow mover wrote:

Grapes of Wrath wrote:

. Walking with him is almost like a tai chi kind of thing. Like you end up moving so slowly that the slowness itself becomes a challenge and not just walking off at a normal human speed requires great focus and restraint.

oh my god this was too funny. I'm definitely going to re-purpose this for something else. brilliant description., kudos.

I live in a town of 300, 70 miles from the closest Walmart, and 25 miles from the closest town with any store other than a gas station. Please, let's have a discussion about rural.

Oh, and being able to see the Milky Way clearly from my driveway (in the middle of town) whenever the sky is clear at night makes it all worthwhile. Screw large cities and your light pollution.

Banker wrote:

Grapes of Wrath wrote:

I made 80k in the big city and lived paycheck to paycheck.

If you live anywhere in the US and are living paycheck to paycheck on $80k then you have very bad financial management skills. No big city in the US is that expensive.

Obviously you’ve never lived in a big city.

Charlie wrote:

False Dichotomy ! Today's world is connected. You posted this thread from way out in the sticks. Technology transcends the antiquated constraints of cities. Or to put it another way we all live in the same city a virtual city so why live in a place full of crime, filth and loneliness?

You've never been to rural Alabama.

Has the quality of your running life improved?

I can't exactly say I'm completely rural but 50 miles north of DC. I lived in a rural for 10 years and loved it. At the same time I'm completely okay with a simple black and white lifestyle. Id rather hit up a trail on the AT any day of the week then be stuck in a congested city. I also tend to think city people are way too complex in their thinking when actually life is more simple then it is complex. They aren't surrounded by ridiculous politics that city people get all caught up in. I'm also more of an introvert.

Not a fan of someone coming on here and saying rural people are stupid. That couldn't be further from the truth. This kind of thinking is why Hillary lost the election. The people I was surrounded by either had college degrees or they had their own family businesses. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

I love the lifestyle and can't wait to go back deep in the country one day.

From my experience, I think you are on the point on a lot of things, but missed the point on others.

1) I've never lived on my own in the country so no comment there.

2) The town that I was near had just some typical burger joints, no fast food, a decent sandwich shop and good authentic Mexican.

3) I agree largely with the intellectual part. However, I have generally observed that they are not lacking in common sense. Particularly when it comes to practical/physical matters.

4) I have always thought the style just reflects what is most practical and easy.

As far as boredom, I can see that. There's a reason why rural people spend a lot of time and money in outdoor recreation.

perfect! wrote:

BIL of a slow mover wrote:

. Walking with him is almost like a tai chi kind of thing. Like you end up moving so slowly that the slowness itself becomes a challenge and not just walking off at a normal human speed requires great focus and restraint.

oh my god this was too funny. I'm definitely going to re-purpose this for something else. brilliant description., kudos.

Agreed. This is a marvelous description.

Banker wrote:

Actual Article wrote:

No it does not get you far. Yes you can obviously budget to live like a poor person if you want. Maybe you should move out of SF and see what it gets you elsewhere.

You have horrible reading comprehension. That is probably linked to your horrible financial management skills. I've lived in rural areas and am familiar with how much less things cost. But that is irrelevant to anything I said here. I do not understand why you brought that into the conversation.

I make 6 figures and budget my money. If you think only poor people budget their money, then you have proved my point that you have poor financial management skills.

It is very reasonable to make 80,000 a year in a big city and feel like you are paycheck to paycheck. You say it is just an inability to budget if somebody feels that way, but that isnt true. Saving anything meaningful would require living like a grad student: getting roomates and boiling rice and beans for dinner, never going in a vacation. But some people want to actually live.

80k minus taxes is about 55k. Minus 2500 per month in rent is 25,000, which is just over 2000 per month remaining after rent. If you want to eat well at home (I am into cooking), that is about 600 per month in a big city. Go out to eat once per week and that costs about 200 per month.

So now after food at housing, you have 1200 per month. Lets assume your car payment and taxes and insurance (I pay cash, but for budgetting, I amortize it out) is a relatively low 300/month (I buy used at around 50k miles and drive it to 150k), gas is another 100. Now you are down to $800 per month after housing, transportation, and food.

If you go on 2 weeks of vacation per year, half to somewhere away (weddings or by choice) half to somewhere you can drive, amortize out that $3000 (1000 and 2000 for local and tropical destinations, respectively) at 400 per month.

Now you are down to 400 per month if you live a basic middle to lower middle class budget.

This covers clothes (I buy most at the thrift store because I dont care about fashion), drinks, and anything else you do for fun.

Suddenly you are living paycheck to paycheck. The easiest way to make a significant cut is to move out of the city and drop your rent in half, but pay for it in the car.

Sdfsdfsdfsfgsfv wrote:

80k minus taxes is about 55k.

You should use some of your leftover money to find a better accountant. What person paying rent has an effective tax rate of over 30 percent?