Because then, I lived in two different neighborhoods within the city limits. I moved to a rural location right outside the city limitations, in an apartment or condo complex right on the bike path where I could ride into town to grab a beer or an ice cream cone.
In autumn of 2017, my husband and I purchased our very first house in my small hometown-- a 50 minute drive to 3 major cities (select which direction you're in the state of mind to drive: north, south, or west), however absolutely a backwoods. The high school I went to was literally surrounded on all sides by cornfields. We live "in town" now, however that isn't saying much. There are also cornfields in the area.
THE PROS
One of my finest buddies lives a block away, and there is an amazing homemade tough cider place that's run out of the basement of a household home, and there are a couple of great local shops and dining establishments. There were likewise a lot of tradeoffs included with choosing to move out of the city.
I'm going to start with the pros list, the terrific things about where we live and why we picked to move here. When I lived in the city in a really popular area, every time I strolled my pet I would look up the information on any house I would see with a for sale indication out front. That's a big cost savings from a home loan in the city, and is significantly lower than our rent in the city or suburban areas.
Another pro is that we live closer to family. We live in the very same town as my parents, and are a short drive from my in-laws and grandparents. We have much more outdoor space than we could have gotten in the city on our spending plan, including a large, fenced-in backyard.
Creekin'
I grew up going "creekin,'" capturing amphibians, riding 4 wheelers, and having the day of rest school for the first day of hunting season. It was a truly excellent youth.
THE CONS
There is definitely a cost to moving out here, too. For starters, it feels like everyone knows everyone else! And often I just wish to go to the grocery store in my sweats for wine and cookie dough and not run into one of my former teachers or friends' parents, ya understand ?? Bear with me as I go through these cons; I'm not attempting to grumble (much), however the reality is that there is a lot to think about when considering moving from a city you enjoy to a lower expense of living location in order to save cash.
Perhaps one of the most apparent failures of living in a small, rural, low cost of living location is that it's far away from things. Many of my friends reside in or closer to the city, and it needs more planning and driving in order to see them. It's likewise even more from entertainment; there is a little choice of good dining establishments nearby. When I was in the city I might walk to many locations and drive to a practically limitless list of bars and restaurants. Cincinnati is a really foodie-friendly city with a remarkable brewery scene. I've stated this before and I'll state it forever: see here food is life. Places in my little town likewise close earlier. Now, I'm very little of a party animal any longer, but if I desire to be out behind 11 p.m. there is truly just one choice here. And it's terrific, however sometimes I wish to be out at a bar where I'm not visiting any of my former instructors, buddies' moms and dads, or anyone I went to high school with. When it concerns getting house safely, Uber and Lyft aren't a thing here. You need to discover a good old fashioned designated chauffeur, or walk. (As soon as, my friend who lives a block away and I got a bit toasted at the local red wine store and strolled 2 miles to get to the hard cider place. Fortunately we discovered a good friend from high school there with his moms and dads, who offered us a ride back. Advantages and disadvantages of understanding individuals everywhere you go.) When I lived in the city, an Uber would be offered to choose me up within minutes whenever of day, and it was an inexpensive trip anywhere, normally under $10.
Another challenge of living in this location is that close-by job potential customers are slim. I presently work for the only significant mental health provider in the county. I in fact work one county over (my company remains in two counties) and have a 30 minute commute. If I were to get a various task in my field, click here I would need to drive to one of the significant cities, at least about 40 minutes each method. I'm used to these type of drives, as I commuted 45 minutes to school throughout undergrad, however it does take a lot of gas and time in the car. There are fewer resources all around in my town. When I resided in the city, there were A LOT OF alternatives for mental health jobs, along with other resources including a number of grocery options, yoga studios, animal stores, etc. And not to sound too minor here, however the supermarket in my town doesn't offer the excellent brand of goat cheese that I like, and I have to drive thirty minutes to the nearest Kroger that does. THE HUMANKIND!
I liked living in a city filled with diversity and with a range of social and political views. There is a church on every corner, on your way into town no matter which path you take, and pretty much a stone's toss from any location you might take place to be standing in town. We went to a wonderful church in the city that I liked, and finding something that compares is important to me but it's something I'm still browsing for.
So, while I love my home and there are a great deal of things I love about my town, I do miss residing in the city. I do not see myself living in this town forever, and right now returning to the city remains in the medium-term strategy. For now, small town and low cost of living life is affording us the ability to pay off our student debt more quickly in order to get there. If you've made a similar move or have ever thought about it, let me understand.