OT: Moving to Portland Maine EDIT: NOT moving

[One-If-By-Sea]

Just trying to find a place I can actually pay for. The first couple months at my job are gonna be "probationary" which means enforced part time, and thanks to being unemployed for 3 years "financial reserves" are a funny joke to me.

After that I can go to full time, but there's a money and time gap and I'd rather not lean on the old folks more than I can help.

also if I go cheap i might be able to reduce the humor factor of that joke a bit more easily.

Did you look west of Portland? You do not have to drive nearly as far as getting to Lewiston for the rents to drop.

 

[Hyped]

Try looking on AirBnb......could find a temporary place to try different areas/commutes as you settle into the job. AirBnb folks are seeking long term tenants now because of COVID...you could secure a one month term possibly.

 

[Simpelton]

Try looking on AirBnb......could find a temporary place to try different areas/commutes as you settle into the job. AirBnb folks are seeking long term tenants now because of COVID...you could secure a one month term possibly.

Didn't think of AirBnB. I'll have a look.

 

[Simpelton]

Did you look west of Portland? You do not have to drive nearly as far as getting to Lewiston for the rents to drop.

I actually did, and I've been sending out dozens of emails but so far I haven't heard back from anyone. All I can do is keep trying different things on the chance that one of them will work

 

[Simpelton]

The more I look at this problem the more convinced I am that this isn't going to work. My initial probation period is capped at 16 hours a week for the first 90 days, which means that if I rely on that job to pay for things my maximum income, is less than 1k a month before taxes.

If I go conventional and get a cheap studio apartment, the cheapest I can find is 1.2k and I'm guessing the cheapest apartments are craptacular slums, and I can't even really afford that for the first 3 months of this job. I can't work the grapevine network because I don't know people in Portland and nobody's responding to my messages on sites like Craigslist or Roomster or Facebook Marketplace for roomshares.

At this point I've shaken the tree about as hard as I possibly can and nothing's falling out. At this point I have to ask the question in my mind, is it even worth it to do this.

 

[Simpelton]

So I've just realized why I'm not hearing from people. I'm trying to make contact smack in the middle of the Labor Day weekend.

I swear, sometimes I think there's an extra hole in my head.

 

[Simpelton]

Throwing in the towel. Two different landlords straight up told me that I was wasting my time and was a bad risk to rent to because my income to rent ratio was too low. I've had enough. Gonna keep digging trying to find work from home opportunities instead

I hate being poor. I especially hate the catch-22 where you can't stop being poor unless you do things that all cost money. Why does life have to be pay to win...

 

[Hyped]

Throwing in the towel. Two different landlords straight up told me that I was wasting my time and was a bad risk to rent to because my income to rent ratio was too low. I've had enough. Gonna keep digging trying to find work from home opportunities instead

I hate being poor. I especially hate the catch-22 where you can't stop being poor unless you do things that all cost money. Why does life have to be pay to win...

Alternative strategy....

1.) Sign up for 24 hour fitness membership so you can shower every day...and also work out (if gyms are open in Maine).
2.) Make your car a "house" and live in the car for 3 months.
3.) Start driving for Uber as a side gig to make ends meet for 3 months (or any of those meal delivery services or InstaCart Shopping).

Once you finish your probationary period, you'll know Portland better...maybe even know people seeking a roommate...and be earning more money then...

 

[BTTA]

Alternative strategy....

1.) Sign up for 24 hour fitness membership so you can shower every day...and also work out (if gyms are open in Maine).
2.) Make your car a "house" and live in the car for 3 months.
3.) Start driving for Uber as a side gig to make ends meet for 3 months (or any of those meal delivery services or InstaCart Shopping).

Once you finish your probationary period, you'll know Portland better...maybe even know people seeking a roommate...and be earning more money then...

Car might be kinda rough in Portland during the last month of that experiment. But I appreciate the creativity here.

@Simpelton have you put your predicament out on Craigslist and Nextdoor pretty much like you spelled it out here..."trying to get out of the unemployed rut but the barriers are difficult...this is what I need for 6 months to make it work..." Sometimes people will read those authentic pleas and respond. Also, an add offering yourself as a responsible housesitter over the winter/early spring, while a snowbird is away is an option.

 

[Simpelton]

Alternative plan I'm working on now: Get a work from home job to supplement my income then see if the employer in Portland still wants me in a couple months.

 

[Hyped]

Car might be kinda rough in Portland during the last month of that experiment. But I appreciate the creativity here.

I used to sleep overnight in my car at ski resort parking lots before skiing in the early AM to save $$$ on a hotel. I simply used a sub-zero sleeping bag....opened the windows a crack to get some air circulating....got in the sleeping bag...drew the draw strings all the way around my face. Plenty warm enough....slept a few nights with temps in the low 20's.

But yeah...90 days of sleeping in a car....no bueno....

 

[Bill Lee]

Alternative strategy....

1.) Sign up for 24 hour fitness membership so you can shower every day...and also work out (if gyms are open in Maine).
2.) Make your car a "house" and live in the car for 3 months.
3.) Start driving for Uber as a side gig to make ends meet for 3 months (or any of those meal delivery services or InstaCart Shopping).

Once you finish your probationary period, you'll know Portland better...maybe even know people seeking a roommate...and be earning more money then...

Now I know why the last Uber I was in stank so bad, the car was also the driver's house! Maybe the app should have a "driver lives in car" checkmark?