+27 votes
by (350 points)
I need advice.  Please be kind.I need advice. Please be kind. Background info: -Consumer debt free (only owe on student loans) -Payed for house where we live now -Hubby and I are teachers Prior to Covid-19, my husband and I planned to move to Florida. We thought the pay was similar but we recently (last week) found out that it was not. I would be making $15, 000 less while my husband would make about the same as he does now (I have more years and more degrees). My husband got laid off at our current school due to grants not being renewed that paid his salary. He just got a job offer in Florida. I haven’t received one yet. It’s likely that I will being that I teach Special Education but it may not be an ideal situation at first. My parents are no longer moving but my mom is making me feel guilty about not wanting to move. What do you all think? If we move, we have to rent or buy a new house. We currently only pay utilities because we paid off our house years ago. I love Florida but if it’s adding this much stress could it be worth it? Even if my husband doesn’t get another job where we are now, we are still able to make it on my income. I know what I want to do I just hate disappointing my husband  **Edited to add we would be moving to Marion County (Ocala area). His pay alone would not be enough for us to rent or buy but if I found a job we could rent at least. Average rent is around $1200-1600 I believe.  
I need advice.  Please be kind.

25 Answers

+4 votes
by (1.9k points)
 
Best answer
I would 100% move. You’ll get money for selling your house that you can put down on a new home.  
by (8.4k points)
@legation agreed . and I’ve noticed moms do the guilt trip ALOT . I say go for it . My mom does it to me all the time ; and i plan on moving no later than 2022. Ultimately I don’t want to live with the what if . If it doesn’t work out I’ll come back ; but I’ll never know if I don’t try
+10 votes
by (1.8k points)
I think you need to figure out if you can only live off his income in Florida since you don't have a job lined up yet. Also could you go visit the area? I know some people loved living in Florida and some not so much. They say it get a really crowded in the winter when all the old people are down there. Keep that in mind when your looking for housing and the distance to your Hubby's job
0 votes
by (570 points)
I agree with @encephalon ❗️ I would move and rent for 1-2 yrs but rent the house were y’all living now so that’s gonna be a lil more income
+12 votes
by (1.4k points)
I left Florida and moved to Indiana because the pay is better and COL is cheaper. I lived in Florida my entire life until 2018. I lived in Sarasota, FL. If you want any more info lmk.  
+12 votes
by (2.2k points)
So a few things. Each county in Florida pays teachers different. Some are A LOT higher than others. Where in Florida would you be moving to? The cost of living in Florida also varies a lot by area.  
by (2.2k points)
I also agree with what @neophyte13 says and try renting for a little bit to see if you like it. But again, rentals vary from each area. The house we are currently in rents for $1600 but the same house 45 min away would be $2000 and 3 hours away would be $2500
+1 vote
by (4.4k points)
I know a lot of people moving OUT of a Florida because it is nothing as it seems. I would stay put for awhile. Especially with all this pandemic stuff going on and all the bills you don’t have right now is a major plus!  
0 votes
by (1k points)
Where are you teaching now is you don’t mind me asking
by (350 points)
@majestic We currently teach in Kentucky
by (710 points)
How strong is your Union in Kentucky? Florida is an income tax free state which is a benefit.  
+8 votes
by (1.4k points)
Depends on where in Florida. I taught in Florida and lived there from 2011-2019 & I’m currently moving back to teach but it really does heavily depend on the district.  
+8 votes
by (460 points)
I live & teach in Florida and love it! But I do recommend renting for a year first!  
+14 votes
by (4k points)
I live in Florida. The pay for teachers is not great, but I believe that’s probably industry wide for education. I honestly make decent money in accounting but I also have a LOT of debt. Depending on your lifestyle and what debt you do have (you simply said no consumer) then I think you could do just fine down here in Florida. Additionally with the nice weather, a lot of activities are cheap so there’s a lot to do like go to the beach or springs, etc, without adding costs that way. It does depend where though as the retirement sections and south Florida can be more costly and expensive
+13 votes
by (10.9k points)
We want to move to Florida eventually. If he has a job offer - sometimes you have to make the leap!  
+5 votes
by (7.2k points)
Is this a dream you and your husband had together, or is it just because he got a new job? I think that if you have been planning on this, I would go for it. You'll make it work! Yes, budget has a lot to do with it, but sometimes you've got to take the budget part out of it and go with plans/dreams. It sounds like you are smart with your money and things with fall into place for you!  
+1 vote
by (300 points)
Not sure if this has been said, but something to look into and consider is, I don’t think Florida has an income tax like other states. Which would put more money into your take home amount.  
+6 votes
by (370 points)
I live in St Augustine but when I was younger my stepdad was a coach/special education teacher at Lake Weir (sp? ) highschool. He had two masters and ended up moving to Jacksonville because Marion County is so low on the teacher pay scale  that was 15 years ago sooooo not sure how much that helps BUT I would look into private schools vs public. Also - good luck! Trying new stuff especially moving can be hard BUT it grows you :)
by (350 points)
@sonstrom that’s where his job offer is. It’s so much lower than where we are now. And we currently get a good raise every few years. There pay scale doesn’t really give you a good one the entire time. Thank you! Did he like working there?  
+9 votes
by (430 points)
Make sure to weigh other costs in Florida too. I’ve lived in central Florida most of my life but many people says that car insurance is increasingly high here compared to other states. Depending on the type of home/apartment you rent, utilities can be crazy high. Electric in the summer can run $300+. If you can get a job and it’s really where you want to be then do it. I don’t know if I would personally make that kind of jump if I didn’t have a job secured.  
by (1.4k points)
@cath this is true. I paid $100/month more living in Florida for car insurance. My utilities were running us about $700/month in Florida. In Indiana we pay less than $200/month for utilities.  
+1 vote
by (350 points)
Florida has always been a dream of ours. My mom owns a house in Ocala (but lives where we live now) which is why we have been searching for jobs there. I think it just scares me to have kids and take them to a place where we do not know anyone. I think now that we have been so good about paying off debt (over $40, 000 in 15 months) and focused on not going back into debt it has me afraid to bite the bullet. Houses in our area have not been selling (some on the market for years) so we worry about that too. Thank you all so much for your input! It’s been so helpful!  
+25 votes
by (2.1k points)
Florida doesn’t have income tax, correct? Are you taking that into account?  
0 votes
by (3.5k points)
Just moved from that area. The cost of living isn't horrific. One reason we moved (native FL here) is that salaries are just not where they should be. Especially when it comes teachers. I work in higher education, and even with moving to a state with an income tax, I make significantly more. My best friend has been teaching in orange county for 15 years and is still only making about 50k a year. Just things to think about.  
+6 votes
by (3.1k points)
I believe I'm within the rules as I'm not self-promoting but there is a FB group called Taking the Florida Plunge. I would highly recommend joining. Many of these questions and then some have been asked and answered. If you review the posts there they will give you a sense of what to expect should you decide to move there. I've found it to be extremely informative and helpful. FL realtors and teachers are also in this group and can gladly answer any questions you may have.  
+11 votes
by (5.6k points)
The move sounds bad, in my opinion. If it was dream for you guys, I’d keep saving so you can make the move and not be strapped financially. You are in a good place right now with no debt. Don’t jeopardize your hard work to fall into debt. Especially, the older you get! You are just going completely backwards, it sounds like, moving! Best of luck on your decision!  
by (350 points)
@gelignite that’s how I feel. The idea sounds great but looking at logistics I’m worried. We have been pretty good with money for the last little bit and I don’t want to go backwards after putting so much work in.  
+11 votes
by (4k points)
I teach in Florida and have many close friends who are also teachers and Florida is one of the worst paid states for educators. It’s terrible, we’re also one of the worst states in the country for education in general
by (350 points)
@innuendo842 that’s my fear! I am almost at $60000 and will be well over that in 2 years (ten year pay raise) and I wouldn’t make anywhere near that in Florida. And the COL where I live is pretty cheap. I don’t want to move and regret it.  
by (4k points)
@laceration cost of living here is crazy high too, at least here in Tampa. The average house is between $500k and 1 million
+2 votes
by (1.2k points)
I grew up in this area and Marion county has a consistently low teach pay scale (even for teachers with Masters degrees, tenure, etc. ). The area is more expensive to live in than surrounding areas (like Inverness). I would really weigh your pros and cons of committing to moving to FL, in general. If you can make it work where you’re at, it may be worth waiting until you both have job offers and comparable pay to what you are making now.  
+13 votes
by (380 points)
Hi @laceration! I actually live in and teach in Marion County. I do agree that our teacher pay scale is low, but I made thousands of dollars more last year through bonuses, extracurriculars, and trainings so there are ways to boost your income. If you want to DM me feel free. I’m happy to answer any questions you have!  
+15 votes
by (4k points)
It seems like a bad decision to me to move since your house is paid for & you can make it with your salary alone. He can keep applying & try to get another position. It seems like you’re giving up security for many unknowns. And if you can’t support yourselves in Fl with his pay alone why do it? I’d sit down with him & have a serious conversation about this. Would he really be disappointed in not moving? Why? Can it be postponed until you have time to plan it better & both have jobs in FL?  
+12 votes
by (6.3k points)
Florida isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’d stay put in the south, but that’s just me. A Florida resident for almost 15 years whose looking to get out.  
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