When my husband told me he got a writing instructor job at the University of California in Santa Barbara, I immediately envisioned myself out on my California bungalow porch, watching the sunset from a front row seat: my hammock.
I was so excited about moving to California that about 10 minutes after he accepted the job, I was picking out mid-century modern furniture that would go nicely with the little built-ins I would undoubtedly have for book storage.
California dreaming
We had lived on a graduate student and copy editor budget for four years in Fort Worth, TX, and we were both craving some space in our lives.
Our one-bedroom apartment was charming, but I was growing weary of my desk being in the kitchen and holding conference calls while my husband tried to quietly prep his morning cup of coffee three feet away from me. We were looking forward to finally making more money and getting all the square footage that came with it.
After my husband accepted the job - and the major upgrade in pay from grad student to professor - we decided to casually browse some Santa Barbara rental listings to see what was available in the area. My eyes widened when I glanced over the listings. There were two-bedrooms listed for $3,000 per month, and studios for $1,500 per month.
Rent is how much?!
My husband and I are both from Oklahoma, where the average rent in our hometown of Norman is less than $1,000. My first apartment was just $300 per month with utilities included.
To say we had sticker shock is an understatement. When we found out how much we would potentially be paying per month, we were embarrassed to tell our parents because we thought they would try to talk us out of moving.
We also felt like we were behind schedule. Most of our friends back in Oklahoma had already started purchasing their first homes. We knew that a move to Santa Barbara could potentially set back a home purchase for several years, as the average home price in Santa Barbara is around $1 million.
An ever-expanding budget
Still, we pressed on toward our future. At first we said we would spend no more than $1,500 on rent so we wouldn't go above that golden rule of not spending more than 30 percent of your monthly income.
But when we saw what was available for $1,500, we quickly changed our minds. Though we adore each other, I saw no reason to test the waters by moving into a studio, and I had really wanted a separate office space for work.
Our budget then stretched to $1,800, and we finally landed on a two-bedroom condo near the university for $2,150 per month - just shy of $700 over our original budget.
The pros and cons
Our condo has a beautiful mission-style roof and stunning views of the mountains, and it’s biking distance to work for my husband. However, it's still a far cry from the amount of space and charm I thought we would get at our income level.
The condo has wall-to-wall carpet, some of the fixtures could use updating, and it's in the back of a doctor's office building, which is not exactly the dream neighborhood I'd imagined. Nevertheless, we've learned to manage and budget in an expensive market.
Life in Santa Barbara may be pricey, but it’s full of adventure with all the biking, hiking, surfing, and views it has to offer. Being able to bike to the beach is a luxury most people don't have, and I never want to take that for granted while we’re here.
Life’s a beach
After living in Santa Barbara for almost a year, we've discovered we spend so little time indoors that we can downsize back to a one-bedroom apartment to help save money for special trips and our future dream home.
In the South and Midwest, where we hail from, it's valuable to have a lot of space for friends and family to gather. But as we’ve discovered in our year in California, here it's all about living small indoors and living large outdoors.
So even though it may be painful to write that check each month, all I have to do to relieve the sting is grab my bike, head to the beach, and think, "Yeah. I'll pay whatever it takes to live here."
Related:
- RV Living in the City: Dodging the Rent Crisis
- 5 Ways to (Really) Save for a Down Payment
- Here’s Why Your Debt-to-Income Ratio Matters
via Zillow Porchlight http://ift.tt/2arLazJ
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