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How To Survive In The Modern USA [1]

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Date: 2023-09-29  

There have been a number of personal hardship diaries here lately, stories of how difficult it's becoming to survive in the modern economy here in the US. So I am writing this as a sort of public service for those experiencing these types of situations. This is a hard won list of tips and strategies I have developed over the years from similar situations I have found myself in on more than one occaision. We all know that compared to other developed nations, our social safety net is manifestly inadequate. In truth, it's absolutely brutal, but there are ways to survive it. I am a homeowner and have used some of these strategies successfully both to save my home in tough times and put food on the table.

First a disclaimer. I don't consider myself an expert, just someone who has gone through some of the same situations and found methods of coping and surviving. These things are tried and true for me. Your results may vary. I can't gaurantee these strategies will work for everyone, every situation is different, but for those who can take advantage of these, they can make the difference between losing it all and not.

Before we get to specifics, a piece of advice. Be flexible! The goal is to survive and to do so without losing everything you've worked for. This is certainly not a panacea nor a get rich quick scheme. It is a set of strategies designed to help escape what may seem like hopeless situations and achieve at least a relatively stable footing. Compromises WILL have to be made! Nobody likes having to do that, but it beats the alternative. You must be able to adapt to a new reality, not just stew in the bad lot you find yourself in. When you are in a hole, you need to get out, not let yourself sink further or get buried. Some of these strategies are geared towards homeowners, but most can be applied to non-owners as well.

I see people so often just give up and let the bank forclose on their home after a job loss. I nearly went through that myself more than once. But I was determined not to let them take my home. So I had to make tough decisions. First, don't let it get that far. If your job loss situation is one that is caused by an overall difficult economy, such as was the case during the great recession, you need to face the reality that it could be a long time before you are able to land a job that will cover your expenses. In this case, my advice is to rent your house out. That's right, you have to leave your home and let someone else live there, but unless your mortgage is very recent, the likelihood is that the rent will more than cover your mortgage payment. Obviously you have to move out, and will have to move into a situation of reduced circumstances. But that beats letting the bank take your home. Keep in mind it's temporary, hopefully just a year or two. But it will give you the time and breathing room you need to return to normalcy.

If your local economy is too weak for you to find employment of the kind necessary to maintain your home, you may need to move to another area of the country where jobs are more plentiful and/or the cost of living is lower. Rest assured that for more than 90% of Americans there are other areas of the country where they will be able to survive if not even thrive. For example if you live pretty much in any of the populated areas of the West coast, or in a major city where cost of living is high such as New York, Boston, Denver etc. You will be fighting a losing battle if you try to stay.

While job markets may be good in these areas, cost of housing is astronomical, and wages while somewhat higher, won't usually be high enough unless you are a degreed professional with a skill that is in high demand in those areas. Were I in that boat, I would consider permanent relocation, but I would keep the house as a rental property and income source if there is a significant positive cash flow achievable. Otherwise, sell it and get out before the bank has a chance to take it. Because if they do, all the money you've paid into it will be lost forever. So if you are in such an area and have had your house for a few years, chances are you will sell it for more, perhaps a lot more than you owe. Take that cash and use it as a nest egg to start your new life somehere else.

I'm going to be retiring soon, like most Americans these days, I don't have anywhere near the literal million plus dollars financial advisors tell me I would have to have to be able to maintain my lifestyle after retirement. So as I live in an area that is extremely expensive, I already know I will have to leave, and probably reduce my lifestyle as well. To that end for the past couple of years I have been researching alternative places to live. I will have to sell out here in Denver and move across country. I've decided that while I could do ok just on Social Security plus my VA disability pay in some parts of the South, to me any red state is an absolute non-starter. My family will be coming with me and I won't subject my 20 year old daughter to that.

But if you don't mind living in MAGA land, I can make some recommendations. The Atlanta area is not terribly expensive and has an excellent economy. The Augusta Georgia area, is even less expensive but also has a thriving economy. Another area is central North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Raleigh-Durham, etc). Charlotte is also blessed with a good economy but rather expensive for those on a budget, nothing howver, like Denver or any West Coast city nor the Big North Eastern cities.

If you are a retiree, states like Alabama, Mississppi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and some of the more rural parts of Georgia offer a very low cost of living, even in some nice areas like Mobile. Imagine living near the beach on just Social Security. Not bad if you can manage life among the MAGA.

If you are like me, and just can't stomach the thought of living in a red state, there are some blue and purple state options as well. If you are of working age, consider the Twin Cities area of Minnesota (Minneapolis-St Paul). This area has an excellent economy and a reasonable cost of living. Of course there is the cold to deal with. Climate change or not, that area is brutally cold in winter. You need to be able to deal with that. But if like me, that climate is a deal breaker here are a couple other options. Central Illinois (Peoria, Springfiled, Bloomington, Champaign) this area has a good economy and a reasonable cost of living. Property tax is very high there, but property values are fairly low, so the tax isn't as big a hit as it would be in a place like Chicago. Another option (and one at the top of my own list) is Pittsburgh, PA. Although once considered a rustbelt city in decline, Pittsburgh has emerged as a thriving metropolis. Cost of living is very reasonable and the job market is good.

The above are areas that I have personally done deep research on in preparation for my retirement. I'm sure there are many others, I suggest using some tools like Zillow and Youtube to learn about these areas. A word of caution though. Don't just watch the videos about the places you are interested in, pay close attention to the comments these videos receive. This is particularly true of videos with titles like "Why is everyone leaving..." or "Don't move to...". There are a lot of highly opinionated people with axes to grind out there. Virtually every city of any size will have both positive and negative videos about these places. My experience has been that the most negative of them are usually very much overstated and often not just biased but downrignt inaccurate sometimes. The city's real residents are only too happy to chime in on the comments sections to give you the straight dope.

Other Tips



On Cars:

If you have a new or nearly new car, get rid of it and look for a good used car at least three years old or more. Unless you pay cash for it, a new car is the absolute worse investment one can make. Modern new car payments are often well over $600 a month and rope the buyer into many years of payments. That is an awful lot of money for someone in difficult economic straights. You can find really good reliable used cars 3-6 years old with very low mileage. When I was young, 100,000 miles was considered by most to be about the limit of the lifetime of a vehicle, but modern vehicles enjoy better technology and much longer useful lifespans, usually at least 150,000 miles befor major issues begin to crop up. I personally drive a 10 year old car with only 64,000 miles. I expect to keep this car at least another 4 or 5 years. Sure I'd love to have a newer car, who wouldn't? But my payment is only about $100 a month, and for someone nearing retirement that is quite attractive.



On Shopping:

Try shopping in ethnic markets (Latin, Middle-eastern, Asian, Indian, Russian/Ukranian). Americans in general tend to be rather xenophobic. Not a good way to be if you are on a budget. It's important to break out of the "white bread" world from time to time (remember flexibility and adaptability). These types of ethnic markets often have very high quality foods for a fraction of the price you will find in big American supermarkets, particularly if they are located in corresponding ethnic neighborhoods. An added bonus is that since these markets import foods from all over the world, you can often find foods that are out of season here in the US. For example, here at a local Korean market I found Mexican watermelons at 49 cents a pound when the major supermarkets were charging nearly a dollar a pound for local watermelons.



You will also find clothing, repair services, and a lot of other stores in ethnic areas that sell at greatly reduced prices compared to similar goods and services in what my wife calls the "gringo areas". Try to expand your comfort zones to include these places, it can save you a lot of money.



On College:

Americans have become used to the notion of sending their kids off to some incredibly expensive college in some far away place to get a degree from a prestigious school. To me, that's insanity. If you live in a major metropolitan area, it's likely that there are quality public colleges right in your area. My daughter communtes to college in Downtown Denver. Her Pell grant pays for most of her tuition. We don't spend a dime on dorm housing or expensive campus meal plans. She takes most of her classes online so only commutes two days a week. Get out of the notion that you have to go to "X" school to study "Y" subject because it's impressive on a resume Believe me, unless it's an Ivy League school, most employers won't care that much which college you went to, they mostly care whether you went, not where. Sure there will be some exceptions, but once you have a few years of professinal experience under your belt, THAT is going to be the main focus of their interest. As a hiring manager, I personally have rejected candidates from pedigreed schools in favor of candidates who started at community colleges and finished at local public universities because they impressed me in the interview and/or with their professional experience. I'm not unique in this regard, I promise you.



On Alternative Employment:

When I lived in Colombia during their civil war, times were very rough. I used to take Taxi's almost everywhere. Many a taxi driver I met was an out of work professional. Dentists, Lawyers, Engineers. You name it. None were too proud to do what they had to do to survive. Like it or not, we have a large "gig" economy in the US today. If you are unemployed, get out of the notion that a gig type job like Uber driving is beneath you. The name of the game is base survival. It's putting food on the table while you look for a "real" job. I know, no benefits, lousy pay, etc. Still it's pay and for many it's enough to keep the lights on until better days. The chief advantage of some of these gig jobs is they are easy to get. I am a software engineer by trade. During the Great Recession, I couldn't find anything at all in my field, I even tried getting a job delivering pizza. Nobody would hire me even for that. I was overqualified, they were afraid I would quit as soon as I found a job appropriate to my skillset. And they were right, I had no intention of being a permanent delivery boy in my late 40's. Gig jobs on the other hand don't care, most don't even ask about that. A few years later after getting laid off, I drove for Uber and Lyft. I didn't have to interview, didn't have to even worry about competition.I filled out the online forms, got my car inspected, jumped through a couple minor hoops and presto, I had a job. No I wasn't making a king's ransom, but I was able to pay the bills. I had to work 80-90 hours a week to earn less than half what I made before, but it was enough to eek by. Don't be too proud, again be flexible and adaptable. That's a hands down requirement when times get rough.



In Conclusion:

I really hope this helps some people. I realize these tips may not address every situation or be helpful to everyone, but if I've been able to help even one person, it will have been a worthwhile endeavor. I strongly encourage others out there who have developed useful coping strategies to make note of them in the comments section. There are a lot of Kossacks out there hurting right now, as a community we should do what we can to help.



Postscript:

Please note, I am not advocating for acceptance of the awful status quo we deal with here in the USA. We should still continue to work for the improvement of our social safety net here with all the vigor we can muster so that we don't have to resort to these kind of measures. But until we succeed at that, we still have to survive.

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