As an out-of-state transplant to Houston, do you save more money now than you did in your previous state?

[descovy]

I'll bite...

For our situation, our dollar goes further here than where we come from before (husband & I both grew up in WA state, lived in MT for 2 years as a married couple too)

My husband is the main breadwinner (I work p/t retail)... his career and schooling is as a city planner. Here, he can work for an outside engineering firm, doing essentialy the same work for more money.

Do we save more now? Well not really. We've added 3 kids to the mix since we moved here 10 years ago. But in the PNW we wouldn't be able to afford a house, minivan, car, food and clothing for 5 nearly as easily on a city planner's salary. (there he would be paid less, but housing, etc... would cost more!)

Heck, do you have any idea how much I have saved in the past 9 years in not buying new snowboots and snow pants for 3 growing kids? Winter wear is way more expensive than cotton tee shirts! And snow tires? We used to have 2 sets of tires per vehicle... studded tires are not cheap either!

Living near the city (vs small towns) we drive less. Even with having a suburban commute to work... it is nothing like the long drives that were the norm in the PNW (50-80miles one way) for shopping, doctor appointments, etc... Now, if it can't be found in Houston, we don't need it!

For example, newly married, we needed a new mattress... we checked out the 2 stores in our current town, drove 40 mi away one weekend to check out another store, and yet another 60 mile trip to a different town the next weekend to find one that suited us. Compare that to Houston where you can just drive along I-45 and visit 10-15 mattress stores on one Saturday!

[sbhubbell]

We definitely save (stash in the "bank") more money since we moved here. Our lifestyle is not more extravagant since we moved, but our dollar goes much farther, lasts MUCh longer here. So we have been putting money away and investing hand over fist. We know that someday we may have to move back north and may need to cut back a bit, so no reason to go nuts now just because we can afford it.

[Oildog]

Seems I'm able to bank more here as well. I dont have lots of shiny stuff though.

[ymbd]

I make more here; however, I have more expense here then back home in NY. So that leaves less savings.

[Zhang Fei]

Originally Posted by ymbd

I make more here; however, I have more expense here then back home in NY. So that leaves less savings.

What expenses are these?

[Lildevited]

My parents and I just moved from North Carolina. We spend A LOT more here. $1200 for a 3 bedroom apartment, which would have been $900 in NC in a nicer area. But we think it's worth it :]