Financial and Organizational troubles

[GlamSleazeGirl]

I just recently got back from visiting my fiance in Pennsylvania and we're having trouble deciding on where to go from here. I lost my job while I was out there because the store I was working at sold and is now under new management who laid off all our workers. I've applied for seasonal/part time jobs while back at home. Now I was hoping to go back out to PA in January but depending on who is moving where I might not be able to do that. If he decides on coming out here, I need to work through January to save up to $3,000 to (hopefully) get an apartment for him to live in. I'll also be setting him up in a temp agency out here as well as putting in applications wherever possible. The reason for his coming out here is that I want to go to college and him coming to California means my schooling is paid for by my family, which saves us money for rent, gas, groceries etc.

His idea was I move out to PA with him and we save money there, and come back to California when we have enough. The only problem is, I'm not sure if we could afford to do get back to California on PA's minimum wage. This also means we would have to find jobs for the both of us before we leave again, plus a place to live. I'm calling on those of you who have more experience in the matter. What do you think would be a safe plan for bringing him out here? Have you done this before? How exactly did you go about it? We're both impatient on closing the distance but we need to make sure we are able to make this happen before one of us gets frustrated and scraps everything all together. I'm overwhelmed. He's been sick to his stomach without me around, not knowing if I'll come back in January or not. Is there any advice out there for this kind of situation? Please, if you have any kind of clue as to how to make this easier it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[weetzie]

It's definitely cheaper to live in PA than CA, and that would have been my first suggestion, before I saw you mentioned school.

It's probably best for you to go to PA and save money, like you said. You'll have to try extra hard to make it back to CA but maybe you can make it! Good luck.

[thatgirllit]

Tuition is the most expensive figure in the equation. You need to figure out where you are going to school and how you are going to pay for it. For example, are you going to a state school? If you go to a UC school (or any other California school) you will get some aid and you have also indicated that your parents are willing to help you out. If you move to Pennsylvania, it will take at least a year for your to be considered a PA resident and qualify for in-state tuition. That being said, UC school are much better than state schools in PA. However, weetzie pointed out, the cost of living in PA is much lower....however, at the point that you think you will be working a minimum wage job, that still doesn't seem like enough of a difference to overcome the benefits of you going to school in California.

From what you have written, I would suggest you stay in California to finish your education and have your boyfriend join you.

[sardonis]

Finish your education above all other considerations. Period. You don't know what will happen to change your finacial stability, but right now you can do school, so do it so that later you can get a job to ensure financial security.

[lucybelle]

You need to go to school. If you can't go while in PA, stay in CA and go to school there. Everyone is impatient to close the distance, but you two seem too shaky to get it done right now. Neither of you have good jobs and it seems like neither of you have a good amount of savings. I think both of you need to save up money and when you can stand on your own two feet, then start planning how to close the distance.