4 Tips To Make Moving To A New City A Lot Easier

I’ve spent the better part of the past year on the road in some form or another. Almost a year ago, I relocated to the Philippines, and upon returning to the States, I spent most of the next few months shuttling between New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, upstate New York and a few other places. As of right now, I’m living in Chicago, spending my free time shoving furniture up the four flights of stairs to my shiny new apartment.

This move has been by far the most stressful, since I’m relocating here semi-permanently (unlike with the Philippines) and I don’t have a car or know anyone within the city who has a car. While I have a few good friends in Chicago, I don’t have a well-developed network, unlike the places I’ve moved to before. I’m also too old for the hipster ruin lifestyle. I like being able to shower every day and sleep indoors.

While traveling is romanticized by both idiot college dilettantes and cubicle drones in this part of the Internet, the reality is that moving around a lot takes a toll in just about every fashion: mentally, emotionally, financially, socially. I’m not against traveling, but I also don’t want men reading my articles and thinking that the life of a “digital nomad” is all sunshine and blowjobs. Here are some tips that will help you weather the storm of moving.

1. Pack light

materialism

What do you need to bring when you move to a third-world country? I assume half of you are thinking I brought an entire house worth of crap with me to the Philippines. In fact, I only brought one little suitcase that was small enough to stash in the plane’s overhead compartment and a computer bag. That’s it. If I couldn’t fit it in either bag, I left it home.

As trite as it sounds, the things you own will end up owning you. The more stuff you have, the bigger a pain it’ll be to move from place to place. From having to keep track of it when you hit the road to having to pay to transport it (either in gas for your car, moving vans, or checked baggage on planes) to freaking out over forgetting something, all having a lot of stuff does is create headaches.

Take my advice and just dump most of your crap. You don’t need appliances, towels, wine glasses or any of that junk; you can buy new necessities when you get to where you’re going. For example, when I moved to Davao last July, I ended up having to furnish my apartment with towels, silverware and other necessities that I had to throw out when I left for Manila. With this Chicago move, I only added one bag to the two above: a checked suitcase that contained my book collection. And even that was probably too much to bring.

Travel light, take only what you need, and watch your worries fade away.

2. Have a good friend (or two)

friend

While lacking a strong network is definitely a problem when you move, sometimes you don’t need a network so much as you need one or two solid guys who have your back. For example, when I relocated to Chicago, I was almost immediately able to rent a room from one of my friends, saving me from the ignominy of sublets and Airbnb rentals. From there, I was able to find my own place unburdened by having to talk to realtors from a whole time zone away.

While you don’t need to have a million friends in a city in order to make it there, you need to have somebody. When I lived in Davao and Manila, I had a few readers living in both cities who were able to help me adjust to the local culture. Even if you can handle basic living issues (finding an apartment, moving furniture etc.) on your own, you need friends in order to fulfill your basic need for social interaction.

3. It’s better to go without than to overpay (in some cases)

furniture

As I write this, I’ve just moved into my new apartment and the only furniture I have is a bed, a nightstand and a dresser… and the only reason I have the dresser is because someone else in the building threw it out. I’m picking up a desk and a couch tomorrow, and I’m currently in the market for a coffee table and dining table, but I haven’t found any good Craigslist deals yet.

I could go to the store, buy a bunch of furniture and have it delivered, but I’d also be spending three times as much as I would if I just waited. Additionally, if I have to move out, I won’t even come close to recouping my investment when I sell my old stuff on Craigslist. Ultimately, I can go without a coffee table for a few days or whenever I find a good deal.

While you obviously don’t want to cut corners on necessities, blowing money on new furniture is completely unnecessary and a waste of your funds. If you pay attention to Craigslist and keep on the lookout for deals, you can get the necessities of life at a fraction of the cost. For example, I paid just $10 for my couch.

4. Don’t rush it

relax-blocks

The very act of moving is stressful for obvious reasons. Human beings were not meant to spend their entire lives going from point A to point B in a short period of time; indeed, keeping that lifestyle up requires a degree of psychological isolation that most people can’t manage. If you’re going abroad, you also have to deal with culture shock, which will take an additional toll on your psyche.

My advice is to just slow down and don’t try to overwork yourself. Don’t rush anything, whether it’s buying furniture or signing a lease, and throttle back on other stressful activities to keep yourself from going insane. For example, my writing output both here and at my blog has gone down in the past month, because if I tried to keep writing while juggling all these balls, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown.

Ultimately, moving or traveling abroad is going to tax you mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s not a decision you should make lightly, but if you approach traveling with the right mindset, you can minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive ones.

Read More: Is It Easier To Get Laid In Poor Countries?

83 thoughts on “4 Tips To Make Moving To A New City A Lot Easier”

  1. “…you can minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive ones.”
    => No, you can’t. => Economics 101

  2. Women on the other hand, they constantly need to be surrounded by crap to satisfy their “nest” desire. We men are much more efficient in this aspect, showing our adventurous and risk taking nature, which made humankind advance.

        1. That’s good; this is our house though, so we insert ourselves anywhere we please on here. If taking a knife to a gunfight is your thing, have at it.

        2. Why? She wouldn’t know what the fuck to do there. Marty Mangina buys her something to eat all the time anyway!

        3. Doesn’t matter. He was talking to you, which is more important. Now you listen to me: Beat it asshole, and stay gone————–> Look! Over there! Free Donuts!!——————>

      1. Beat it. You are one of the a-holes posting that “make money on google” garbage.

        1. Typical bitch tries to make money off us followed by insulting our intelligence. If that was her pic she wouldn’t even be here. Sure she’d have customers, but not from a cheap outfit like Google.

    1. Indeed!
      3 of my 11 moves in the last 8 years were with a woman. Here’s a difference for you:
      When it was just me, it was 2 – 3 pickup truck loads and I’m not talking “stuffed to the top with leaf springs bent backwards” either.
      With her it was an entire U-Haul or Penske truck, like a 24 or 26 footer, FILLED TO THE FUCKING TOP. AND a loaded pickup truck.
      I used to be able to move no problem. Since 3 “stuffageddons” with her, I get anxiety at the thought of moving, even though it’s now back down to my own shit.
      I swear. Women want to be like men? They should fucking prove it and learn to get rid of shit they don’t need. I’ve been through my ex’s shit – she still has everything she had packed in her bedroom when she was like 12. FFS.

    2. Because a woman knows that with whatever hardship she faces, either Daddy, Sugar Daddy, or some thirsty Beta mangina schmuck will clean up her mess after her. So why SHOULD she take something like showing up to a job or paying her cell phone bill seriously at all?

    3. A man will spend $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will spend $1 on a $2 item she doesn’t need.

  3. I have moved 11 times in 8 years.
    I don’t own any furniture and it takes less than 40 bucks getting some at Goodwill. And when it’s time to move, I take it back or scrap it. 3 duffel bags hold all of my clothes.
    Tools I have. Right now I’m thinking of putting everything in a small trailer. If I can put my tools in a small trailer, I can put all my other stuff in my truck. Save for the extra vehicle I keep, I would be able to move everything I own in one trip.

    1. Yes, Goodwill. Yes.
      I have thousands of dollars of antique furniture from 2 months of shopping at Goodwill and Craigslist. I paid about $500.

    2. I rent one U-Haul trailer, 29.95 per day, and can load all of the stuff I need to move (basic furniture, electronics, dishes) into it within 1 day. Drive to new place, unpack in 1 day. Relax for a week before starting new job.

  4. To this day, I have no idea as to why anyone would consider moving to a city like New York. Just like any other metropolitan city such as London or Paris, the city has become overcrowded and expensive. Factor in the fact that you will be competing with more people than you can count, for jobs that are very limited and at the same time, will be paying somewhere around $3000-$5000 per month to live in a carboard box in the slum parts of the city with some of the worst room mates you will encounter in your life, one truly needs to evaluate his/her life when deciding to make the move.
    As I have said before, there are millions of people making the grand move to the city in an attempt to capture “the dream.” But in reality, that dream will manifest itself into a nightmare, for living in the Big Apple is not what it seems to be like in the movies or television shows. The people are fake, narcissitic and live with delusions of grandeur, thinking that they can replicate some character from “Friends” or “Sex and the City” and think that life will be a wonderful parade. Then the cold world will chew them up and spit them out to experience a world of pain and brutality, when they figure that they cannot pay this month’s outrageous rent thanks to a job layoff, rents going up to obscene rates, or simply that mommy and daddy can no longer support them. Then that so called “best friend” will one day disappear from your life, to end up moving back to the old hometown, without even saying goodbye.
    People need to truly find an alternative industry in another part of the country, if people want to save their money and have a higher standard of living and better quality of life, because cities like New York, will prove to be a tough and bitter pill to swallow when people start to see what life is truly like in the city that never sleeps. Thats why you are starting to see a huge exodus of people moving out of cities such as New York and London, in an attempt to make a real living where they can keep most of what they make.
    The city that never sleeps- more like the city in which you can never sleep because of the daily pressures and unreasonable costs of living.

    1. I’ve moved around a lot and lived in big cities like D.C. My favorite places by far are cities around or under 250,000 people, e.g. Bangor, Hartford or Anchorage. I find them to be friendlier and cheaper and still have enough people to support culture and jobs.

      1. Those places sound a little boring and mono-cultural, like you’d spend all your evenings at the local bar talking “’bout the game…”

        1. Where in the U.S. Can you find a monocultural cty? Even my boring, high end, sunny, roomy, great income area has a lot of different people in it. German, Irish cultures mainly sprinkled with enough Greek, Asian and stodgy old English to make it interesting. But I’d wager you’d call it “monoculture” if you came here.
          Too much diversity equals a lack of social cohesion, a lack of shared traditions a general lack of respect for any niche but your own and leads to atomism in my experience.

        2. I think rewarding one group at the expense of another causes a weakening of social cohesion. I have to say, I have not noticed any significant lack of social cohesion in diverse countries such as the United States or Great Britain unless it was as a result of serious government crimes.
          I find the US generally to be very monocultural. Sure I appreciate there are some people with German, Irish, Italian ancestry but lets be honest. These people you refer to are American. I have been to Germany, Ireland and Italy. The people there are nothing like what you will find in Middle-America.
          But yeah I have hung out in small cities in America. BORRRRRRRINGGGGG! Give me horrible NYC, Miami or Chicago any day, if only for a weekend.

        3. I understand that Europeans are not Americans. But Europeans who came to America did contribute their culture to the general culture, such that if the people of Irish descent in my neighborhood are not speaking Gaelic, their ancestors influenced the speech, accent, music, artistic, vocabulary, cuisine and drinking culture of this area greatly. Same with all the others.
          America is “monocultural” as you view it in the places where there is the least “diversity”. Head to the major blue hell hole cities and they are as “monocultural” as a refugee camp during a war.
          It’s not just “small city” and NYC here, btw. Plenty of mid sized cities that are fantastic, livable, lots of room, nice people and plenty to do, without the general grime, grunge, loose rats, crime and violence of the giant blue cities.
          Small cities can be quite fun, but if you’re just looking to get ten types of Asian food and bang multiple zombie eyed no personality “HB 10!” types, you might miss it. It’s more nuanced, insofar as you start to explore the surrounding areas, the local festivals, and hook up with groups that like to hike, ride, explore, etc. It’s not for everybody, but it’s not boring by any stretch.

        4. Yeah I get what you are saying but “meh”! Small cities. I grew up in one, lived in several and worked in several. And it was always dull. I think if you are into whatever that “mono-culture” is in to, it will be fine but if you are not, it can be painful.

    2. For those who can be frugal, they can make a large amount of cash in a short span of time. Assuming that they can leave that life and lifestyle within a few years.

      1. True. But it is getting harder to do that.
        Inflation and living costs are spiralling out of control and are putting the road blocks infront of minimalism and frugality. Also, factor in the fact that most people are idiots and complete asses, that saving is not a priority for these people.
        Afterall, its all about “YOLO” or any other stupid rule to follow, that the concept of saving and investing goes right out the window for the masses.

        1. Easier than you’d think. A lot of the jobs that would bring you to London or NYC have a huge workload, so you won’t be spending much money outside of what you need for basic accommodations and good suits for work.

        2. Actually, you’d be surprised how many people I have met who earn high six figures, and blow 80% of their income on rent, food, getting hammered and the other insane bullshit that comes along with the high life.
          As John Mcafee perfectly stated in an interview: “anyone can make money. Keeping it, not everyone can do that.”

        3. Actually I wouldn’t be surprised. Finance types in particular have a reputation for making huge amounts of money and then blowing it on luxury spending.
          It’s kind of like not being fat. Just because most people lack the discipline to avoid it doesn’t mean it’s particularly difficult. There’s a lot of things people can do to cut costs such as minimizing the drinking, living somewhere that is somewhat less “cool” but cheaper (like living in NJ near the path train) or using asian-made MTM suits over “prestigious” brands. Admittedly most are too caught up in the bluepill consumer mindset to do these things.

        4. Saving and minimalism is indeed, all about discipline. But with all the great temptations that surround us, one must learn to use the breaks when necessary.

        5. NYC ranked DEAD LAST for “time spent at the office.”

    3. I have lived in London for 11 years. Its utterly fantastic. I have made a lot of good friends and I enjoy variable and unique experiences every weekend. Accommodation is affordable and one of the best things is the variety of cultures in this city. Add to that the wide range of food from various countries that you can sample, the constant festivals, fetes and carnivals to enjoy. And there is no shortage of activities.
      Living here is convenient with access to travel links, other countries quite easily, and food readily available.
      If you can only find “fake” people in London, that says more about you than London. I don’t know any fake people.

      1. There are plenty of fake people in London. Have you been to Los Angeles, New York or even Sydney? There are plenty of weirdos and freaks, with delusions of grandeur living in the main metropolitan cities.
        Also nothing justifies the insane costs of living. There are people in London and New York who earn high salaries, and still cannot make ends meet or have a tough time saving up money due to the high costs.
        Accomodation is not affordable. It is a rip off. In fact, from what I have read in the English newspapers, there are now shoeboxes and cupboards being put on the market for between £1600 to £2000 per month in some of the worst parts of the city such as Tower Hamlets. You are clearly delusional if you believe that London is the great city that it makes itself out to be.
        Also, last time I was in the United Kingdom, you had people doing the exact same thing that most people were doing in other cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol etc- people going to the same retail stores, same chain coffee shops etc.
        And despite all the same activities that most people can do in other parts of the country, you have the urban trendies screaming to go to London and New York because its “the place to be man.”
        So yes, there are indeed fake people living in London, just like any other metropolitan city.

        1. I have been to NYC many times and many other American cities. I have met relatively few “fake” people. I don’t know any fake people in London. I know only good hardworking people. I am sure you can find fake people here if you look for them.
          If you have a high salary in London and cannot make ends meet, well, that is your fault. I don’t consider my salary to be high and I am fine.
          I wouldn’t believe what you read in the papers. I have lived in Tower Hamlets and it’s fine, as are many other places in London.
          Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am deluded by having a nice secure home, with pleasant neighbors, good transport links within and without the city, the ability to up and leave any weekend to visit Europe, or by being able to have a great night out almost any night of the week with my friends, or to enjoy a nice quiet meal at an ethnic restaurant.
          I have lived in small towns btw. Frankly, I think you are more likely to find “fake” people there.

        2. “I have been to NYC many times and many other American cities. I have met relatively few “fake” people. I don’t know any fake people in London. I know only good hardworking people. I am sure you can find fake people here if you look for them.”
          -The crazies are always present, especially in places like Times Square. You’re telling me you have never met the great number of delusional people outside Leicester Square or the great number of drunks and scumbags outside Picadilly Circus or Soho on a Saturday night?
          “If you have a high salary in London and cannot make ends meet, well, that is your fault. I don’t consider my salary to be high and I am fine.”
          -I’m doing fine thank you very much. I have properties and a huge amount of savings and investments in gold and silver. Can’t speak for others though. People are getting ripped off in London and the South East of England in general, even with whatever salaries people earn. Which is why there is an exodus of British people leaving London to make a better life elsewhere.
          “I wouldn’t believe what you read in the papers. I have lived in Tower Hamlets and it’s fine, as are many other places in London.”
          -I don’t believe anything the papers tell me unless there is substantial evidence to corroborate their claims. Which in this case, is true. London rents are spiralling out of control with people having to spend more than 60% of their income on rent. Also, Tower Hamlets is a third world ghetto with a high crime rate (as to be expected in parts of London.)
          “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am deluded by having a nice secure home, with pleasant neighbors, good transport links within and without the city, the ability to up and leave any weekend to visit Europe, or bybeing able to have a great night out almost any night of the week with my friends, or to enjoy a nice quiet meal at an ethnic restaurant.”
          -Yep. You are indeed deluded because you are in your own world. Most people who live in London don’t go out all the time. They do what most people do in every other part of the country- work, go home tired, eat, surf the net and sleep. London is not an amazing place as you make it out to be. Which is why it got voted the number 1 crappiest place to live in Britain in “Crap Towns Returns.”
          And it does not surprise me either. No amount of theatres, restaurants, music venues and designer stores can convince me or anyone else that London is the greatest place to be because the reality is- its not. As one man perfectly once told me that when people visit Europe, they only stay in London to change flights or catch the train.
          “I have lived in small towns btw. Frankly, I think you are more likely to find “fake” people there.”
          -Perhaps. Jackasses are to be expected everywhere, but the massses and hordes of them will always be found in the metropolitan cities.

        3. You exaggerate my friend. There are drunks to be found everywhere but really, even in the places you mention there are not that many. You will find more of them in the provincial towns such as Reading and Bracknell. Those places are dire. In any case, I do not hang out in those places you mentioned. London is bigger than Leicester Square.
          Who are these people leaving London? All my friends have lived here for years with no intention of leaving. Where are these people going to find a better life?
          Rents spiraling out of control? Not where I live. And please, do not exaggerate. As I said, I lived in Tower Hamlets. Hardly third world.
          I don’t go out all of the time. However, when I do, the streets are teeming with people. Strange given you say most people in London don’t go out all of the time. From whence are these people coming from?
          The man who told you that people only stay in London to change flights is full of shit. London is one of the world’s premier business and tourist destinations and is often considered the culture capital of the world. This is fact.

        4. “You exaggerate my friend.There are drunks to be found everywhere but really, even in the places you mention there are not that many. You will find more of them in the provincial towns such as Reading and Bracknell.Those places are dire. In any case, I do not hang out in those places you mentioned. London is bigger than Leicester Square.”
          -I don’t exaggerate. Britain is one of the biggest drinking nations on Earth, but in particular, London has a high concentration of alcoholics.
          http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/7616405/Britain-is-the-binge-drinking-capital-of-Europe.html
          http://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/feb/02/drugsandalcohol.greaterlondonauthority
          “Who are these people leaving London? All my friends have lived here for years with no intention of leaving. Where are these people going to find a better life?
          -Reading material for you:
          -http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-21511904
          -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2281941/600-000-decade-white-flight-London-White-Britons-minority-capital.html
          -http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9888310/Lets-talk-about-the-exodus-of-600000-whites-from-London.html
          -And forget race, people are also leaving simply because the cost of living is out of control. So all those high paying jobs mean nothing if the cost of living outstrips salaries. And where are these people going to find a better life? How about countries like Switzerland and Germany? Or even nations like Australia because if I can remember, the place was packed with British people.
          “Rents spiraling out of control? Not where I live. And please, do not exaggerate. As I said, I lived in Tower Hamlets. Hardly third world.”
          -More reading material for you:
          -http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brixton-squat-now-costing-3k-per-month-for-flat-shows-how-out-of-control-rent-is-in-london-10144135.html
          -http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/02/we-need-rent-controls-solve-londons-housing-crisis
          -http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jan/25/london-tenants-forced-to-share-rooms
          -http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-housing-crisis-forces-young-professionals-share-bedrooms-1503869
          -Tower Hamlets is one of the biggest pieces of slum infested wastelands I have seen in my life. Did not like the place, nor would many outsiders. Again, to most people, London is the tourist places such as Westminister and Buckingham Palace. Places like Tower Hamlets would definately give them a shock to their system.
          “I don’t go out all of the time. However, when I do, the streets are teeming with people. Strange given you say most people in London don’t go out all of the time. From whence are these people coming from?”
          -How about EU migrants, tourists and Northerners coming to visit the place? The last time I checked, most Londoners who I know, were too tired to come out after a hardworking
          day at their jobs.
          “The man who told you that people only stay in London to change flights is full of shit. London is one of the world’s premier business and tourist destinations and is often considered the culture capital of the world. This is fact.”
          -I don’t disagree with you here. London is indeed the financial capital of the world and a tourist destination for some. But at the end of the day, it still does not change the fact that there are too many problems attached to the city. Also, most British people are deeply attached to their national sovereignty, that they reject the notion of being identified as being European. Also, when most people go to Europe, they talk about France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Not so much about the UK.
          This will be my final response to this pissing contest. You clearly are emotionally attached to your city, which is understandable. So there really is no point in engaging further on this issue.
          All the best.

        5. You clearly are emotionally attached to your city

          That’s a weak cop-out my friend. There is no emotionalism here. I am simply telling you how my experience does not match your opinion. I might say you are emotionally attached to your arguments as you frequently seem to be.
          Your links do not back up your conclusions. One refers to Britain as a whole (and actually backs-up my argument) and the other is 11 years old!
          On people leaving London, your links are opinion pieces focusing on one ethic group from which some people moved out of London. Hardly an exodus.
          Similarly your newspaper links (didn’t I tell you not to believe everything you read in the papers?) are non-scientific opinion pieces on how rental values are increasing – which a good thing if you own property. To say they are spiraling is pure hyperbole. And actually you now look like a socialist by basing your arguments on such drivel. For the record, Socialism is the Mother of Feminism.
          Meditate on that.

        6. How does he sound like a socialist? There is no cop out on his part. He simply stopped wanting to engage into a pointless argument with you. And he’s right- you are emotional. He was simply explaining how shit all the metro cities around the world are and why they are no longer great places to live. And you start getting into a hissy fit about how he is fake, simply because he doesn’t like the main big cities like New York and London.
          Truth is telling the truth. London is a fucking shithole. I left that cesspit years ago and glad never to live there again. You want to talk about socialism? How about your city’s fucking bankers return my money after being bailed out or how about your fucking polticians return all that tax money they get for their ridiculous salaries. London is the epitome of socialism. Welfare leeches, politicians, gps, bankers etc. Not to mention all the radical religious nutjobs and the amount of people who speak no English.
          All of my former co-workers transferred to cities like Brisbane, Toronto and New York, simply because they are fed up with the shit lifestyle afforded in London.
          I would rather trust his sources than believe your pure baloney on how London is so great.
          Why don’t you go suck on that.

      2. I agree and disagree with you at the same time! London is actually a nice place and you can have a wale of a time but it’s getting a lot more expensive and it’s getting flooded with people so more wierdos. To Americans they might seem to be weird because they come from different cultures.
        On the other hand, for someone used to driving 20 min to a hypermarket in a clean and sunny neighbourhood in the US then London is fucking strange; tube and trains everywhere, dear subway sandwiches and accommodation is most likely shared.
        I’m afraid there is no cheap apartment in Hackney or a dirt cheap room in New Cross, where you can pop down to Amersham Arms and bang a couple of Goldsmith musician sluts (they’re feminists now).
        As for the people, there’s always gonna be a few that’ll do your nut in, but I like non-conventional peeps.

        1. I used to live in one of those clean and sunny neighborhoods in the US. I have to say, I hated it!

        2. Then there is something wrong with you. You would prefer to live in a trash infested metro city with litter and vomit all over streets and concrete, ugly buildings everywhere?
          Seems strange…

    4. Best reason to move to New York:
      You have a job offer with >200k there.
      Since I’m a top 15 MBA student getting ready to enter a high paying finance gig, already have some family and friends from earlier in my life moving there, and make enough to pay for rent The downsides don’t impact me as much. The “salary premium” so that those entering top business roles can live to a decent standard is very real in NYC and I obviously won’t be depending on silicon narci-cunts for sex or companionship.

      1. Its fine if you have secured a high paying job and have the family connections. But you need to also take into consideration the following:
        -New York income tax bracket: 6.85% for $205,850
        -Average rent in New York for 1 bedroom: $3039
        Also factor in the rest if they are applicable to you:
        -Student loan repayments
        -Transport costs
        -Utility bills
        -Food bills
        -Property taxes
        Plus, six figures is not worth what it used to be:
        http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.ae/2015/04/what-six-figures-means-today.html
        Also, most of the investment banks and accounting firms in New York and London treat their employees like shit. I’ve heard horror stories from guys that worked at JP Morgan, Deloitte and Morgan Stanley.
        I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, but I’ve seen and heard enough lies, exagerations and other bullshit throughout my entire life to realise how fake and pretentious people can really be. Not saying you are. You may indeed be very successful with your life.
        But be careful when you find yourself in a circle of bullshitters as you will find plenty of them in the finance sector. Good luck with your new job.

        1. Which is why you recruit for smaller firms first. Better treatment and better experience for the same or better pay.

      2. You’re getting hustled. You can get the same standard of living on A THIRD, yes, A THIRD of the salary in another part of the country. You will be getting raped by rent, federal taxes, state and city taxes, food, among other things.

  5. Most travel now is done just to brag anyway. When you suck and fuck for all of your pricey items and travels, you’re more apt to brag about it when not even asked to people who don’t want to hear why you think you’re so cool. Me, I just smack the nearest piece of furniture and rudely walk away.
    Fuck travel braggers, man.

  6. Matt-Check out freecycle.org for the useless stuff around the house. Chicago has a huge community. There are hoarders who just snatch things up but you will find quality items as well. FYI-you have to give something before you can begin taking.

  7. Rule number 1:
    Thou shalt not have more shit than can be packed and loaded into a trailer, in 1 day.
    Lose the useless shit.

      1. City is better for a young man. Country an old man. I prefer country but often it seems people who never left a small town are missing something.

  8. Moving was easier when I was younger. Moved to France to study in my early 20’s. Everything important I owned at the time could be put in an army duffel bag. Had just left the military. Did not know anybody in Strasbourg France, just had me letter of acceptance to university. Arrived in the center of town at 10:00 AM. By 5;OO that evening, has a place to stay that I could afford. (Very cheap).
    From there, moved to Japan the same way 2 years later. Except then I had a temporary place to stay. Miss travelling.
    But travelling light is best.

  9. a checked suitcase that contained my book collection.

    Really? My book collection fits in my pocket. I am surprised given your advice that you don’t have an eReader.

      1. I disagree with both. An actual paper book is a hassle, takes up space, cannot be read with one hand or no hands, gets easy dog-eared and otherwise easily damaged, easy to lose your page, not easy to annotate or highlight… stop me when we get to the satisfying part.
        As for easy on the eyes? What? How so? A eReader is optimised for human eyes. Greyscale paper is not especially in low light.
        Sorry mate, you have not sold carting around a suitcase of books to me.

  10. I’m all for traveling… it’s great to get away sometimes and experience the same things in different places (hehe)… but I never got the whole moving all the time thing? Personally I prefer the home base/castle/bat-dungeon approach. Somewhere to call home and always come back to without needing to put up with unnecessary gypsy style problems.

  11. Having lived in major cities around the world (NYC, London, Paris, São Paulo) I can totally relate to this article. My advice to anyone reading it would be to remain minimalistic when it comes to personal belongings. Easier said than done for sure especially if you stay a couple of years in a city. Always keep in mind that if things don’t go as planned, you must be able to go back to your home country quickly and easily.

  12. It would be helpful to many of us that travel frequently if you could post your general packing list. What do you bring as opposed to what do you expect to buy at your destination?

    1. This is such an open question and depends on the purpose of travel…
      But the basics are always the same, Toiletries which you can use at the airport/in the field, minimum clothes that you can layer, couple of protein bars for those times when no food is around, ID and any electronics if you need them. Oh yeah, quality EAR PLUGS and an EYE MASK for sleeping anywhere, anytime. Everything else is dependent on circumstances and if you can’t take it, you can buy it (once again, depending on circumstances… there might be no shops with the stuff you need for example so plan ahead, or who knows, you might be out of cash because you lost your card).

  13. Moving to London next week, I will certainly bare these tips in mind but I was thinking about just using a new start as an opportunity to put my all into smashing out the gym for a few months. I don’t know that many people there and without the distractions that come from being surrounded by comfort and people you know I can be a lot more productive in certain aspects of my life.

  14. Terrific post! I absolutely agree with you that you should decide what you need and to dump the rest! Most of the moves are difficult because people just take too many things with them! Of course there are families that are moving house and they have really much stuff that they need. 🙂
    Thanks for sharing with us!
    Greets, Man with Van Grove Park Ltd.
    visit website

  15. I moved 90% of my stuff with Ship2Storage, it saved me I don’t know how much on transportation costs. I didn’t have to get a truck or visit a storage unit, they picked up my stuff and then shipped it to my new place later. Saved my life

  16. I am moving to a big city, and I am both excited and scared. I have always lived in a small town where I knew everyone, and people were always willing to help me. I will probably just pack light and go without a lot of stuff, because I don’t know anyone, and I don’t assume that I will have a lot of help moving my furniture in. I need to find a friend before I move there. http://www.freedom-movers.com/

  17. People often describe moving house being as stressful as divorce and it’s no wonder. In a way you part pays with you home, your neighbourhood your friends and your whole way of life. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to move to another country. So far I’ve only moved in the UK and London mostly. And since London alone is so huge you can safely assume a certain area would be more suitable for your needs compared to a different area. At the moment I live in Hounslow and I’m very surprised as to how different it is compared to Chiswick or Feltham. I’ve been living in Hounslow for about a year now and have moved two times within the area. Each time it was somewhat stressful.
    You are right though, humans were not meant to move this often. However with the current economical state we’re in I don’t see things changing for the best any time soon.

  18. Tip number three is what stuck with me and is something that I will implement into our next move. If it’s going to be more expensive to move the couch there, why take it? I think there are a lot of things that can be replaced. Nonetheless, we always have a ton to move and the more help the better. http://www.motionxpres.com/services/moving/

  19. For success of any move, even if it is carried out by experienced professionals, it will
    be useful to know a few rules that will help you simplify the
    organization of this event.I work in a moving company and I know how important it is for people to give the right advice. By performing them, you will avoid many
    of the pitfalls associated with the moving organization and protect
    yourself from unnecessary difficulties.
    1. Mostimportantly, prior to starting an office or home moving make an
    inventory of the property which will be sent to a new location. A
    complete list of all the things written in the notebook helps you
    keep track of moving process and focus on all stages of the move.
    2. Pre-visit thenew site and decide where your furniture will be located when moved.Thus, you accelerate the process of installing it and avoid
    unnecessary inconvenience.
    3. Moving a home is a tough event, so plan it on the day when you will not be distracted by other things. Then you can relax a bit after the end of the
    process.

Comments are closed.