I moved to New York. The city’s vibrant culture and energy have been exciting to explore so far. Since I was a kid, undoubtedly due to watching a bunch of movies, I’ve always believed New York City is where you move to “make it happen.” New York City is a place where you can make or break your career. New York City is a great place to start your career in entertainment, business, or writing.
I have never wanted to live here. I would rather explore the world and see different cultures. I told my friend Allen that I would never move to New York. Life has a funny way of leading you in unexpected directions, and here I am, living and loving the city. Too busy. Too loud. Too much. It was always a fun place to visit.
I fell in love with it after traveling here 7 times in a year. I didn’t want to go anywhere else for a vacation again. I was sucked in by the speed that turned me off. New York is a great place to live. It attracts people from all over the world. It’s got you once it gets you. It won’t be easy for you to break free.
It got me. After more than a few discussions with my wife we decided to make the leap and move to New York City both for her career and so I’d have the opportunity to launch my Financial Freedom book in one of the top media hubs.
Moving to NYC… sucked
It would be easy. It would be easy to make the change. We went to New York to look for apartments after putting our home on the market. We were looking forward to exploring all that New York City had to offer. Everyone in New York uses the same website to find apartments, which makes it extremely competitive. Prospective tenants need to act fast in order to get the apartment they want. We were luckier than most and found an apartment on our first trip, but it was only because I reached out to the real estate agent just 20 minutes after the apartment was listed. It felt like a stroke of luck that we were able to move in so quickly.
I found an apartment with a private roof deck on the Upper West Side for just over $3,000 a month. It is the most affordable apartment I could find. I am getting a lot for the money where I live, even though $3,000 is not a bargain. I’m confident that my investment will pay off in the long run. I got a great deal on renters insurance when I flew to New York. I will be moving into my new apartment in New York City.
The move was one of the most tiring things I have ever done. When the process was done, I was relieved. I have moved many times in Chicago, but never to the biggest city in the United States. New York City is a vibrant and diverse place. It turned into a beast of a move, including being expensive. It took a lot of planning and coordination to make the move go off without a hitch. Moving sucked.
Everything we own weighs 4,872 pounds
We shipped everything to New York City. It took an impressive amount of time to move the cargo. It felt good to get rid of a lot of stuff, but we still have a lot of stuff. We have made a lot of progress, but there is still more work to be done. I think we have less stuff than an Average American couple.
Most of the weight came from our big collection of books, records, kitchen stuff, and a new desk we bought for the move. We were surprised that our truck was able to fit so much. The furniture cost about $1 per pound even though we didn’t ship much. It was a surprise to find out how much the furniture cost us.
We ended up not being charged for the extra weight because the quote we got underestimated the weight of the stuff, so we ended up getting lucky. Maybe one day I will own a moving company. I’m going to do everything I can to make my dream a reality. Owning a moving company can be a great side hustle – a guy I knew in college paid for almost his entire tuition running his own moving company for students.
One of the most profitable industries in the world is the moving industry. As more people move to different parts of the world for work and leisure, it has seen a steady growth in demand. Many of the world’s billionaires have shipping empires. It is a lucrative business venture for those with the necessary resources and access. I expected the moving company to take most of the burden because I did the packing with my wife. The moving company was reliable and everything went smoothly. It was still a lot of work and they did not.
Everyone who lives light and keeps it simple has a huge respect for me. When we focus on the things that matter in life, we can find true happiness. While I don’t have the desire to carry around everything I own in a backpack, or live full-time out of my VW Camper (although this is always tempting!), I intend to keep it light. I will focus on experiences and memories over material possessions. This move felt particularly hard, even though I know moving always sucks. I’m not looking forward to the process of moving into my new home.
I felt some things for the first time. It was a completely new experience that I had never experienced before.
The pull and passing of time
I’ve written a lot about how money is not the goal, time is and I’m grateful for all the time I’ve had over the past year to grow and also realize that success to me really isn’t about money, it’s about peace.
Every feeling I have now is something I listen to and try to understand. This practice has made me better at navigating my emotions in a healthy way. I look at feelings closely instead of ignoring them. This helps me to better understand, process, and accept them. I had a lot of feelings while moving, like leaving Chicago, where I have lived for most of the past 15 years, and leaving an apartment where I had so many amazing memories. I felt excited and nervous about starting a new chapter in my life. You know the feeling of moving. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it’s exciting to start a new adventure.
I didn’t think there was a new one. I realized how much I had to be thankful for, and I was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of those around me. I had never felt the passing of time in my body before. I felt like I was being pushed forward by time. I was unable to move as quickly as I anticipated. I realized that I had to find a different way to accomplish the task. It took a little more time for everything to feel a little harder. I had to dig deep to keep going. I am not in the same shape as I was when I last moved, but this was deeper than that. I wanted to prove that I could still do it with the help of my friends and family.
I felt it in my bones the next day. I had to take better care of my body in order to avoid this feeling again. I hurt my knee for the first time in my life while I was still able to move. I had to accept that I had to take better care of myself. I can’t stay up as late as I used to because I feel the first pull of aging. I’m trying to make the most of my life while I still have energy and enthusiasm. It was a tough move, but it also made me stop and appreciate what I have. I’m thankful for the experience and the lessons it has taught me that I will carry with me throughout my life.
Self Care
It has given me a renewed commitment to stretching and taking care of my body. I spent my entire 20’s taking it for granted, but I can’t anymore.
I feel like the mind has gotten more time and love than my body over the past year. I’m trying to give my body the attention it deserves. When I was recently at a conference, a friend who I hadn’t seen for a full year, said “You look like you’ve lost quite a bit of weight.”
It was the first time in a long time that I was self conscious and I took it as a compliment. I didn’t pay much attention to my appearance lately, so I was surprised that they said nice things about it. After moving to New York, I noticed a shift in my health and feel like I am doubling down on my health. I want to feel better about myself and maintain a healthy lifestyle in the city by focusing on my nutrition, exercise and mental health.
While most feel the pull of time increase as you get older, I am committing to focusing more on the body in addition to the mind. I want to create a sense of balance in my life by taking care of my physical health and wellbeing. I am going to be listening to my body more, just like I have been listening to my emotions. I will be aware of how my body is feeling and adjust my lifestyle accordingly.
Welcome to the Bad Apple
The first person I talked to when I arrived in NYC was my editor. She gave me some tips on how to make the most of my stay in the city. She welcomed the Bad Apple. “We have a great selection of beers on tap, so come on in and grab a beer!” New York is complicated, but I didn’t understand it. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the size of the city. It’s not the same as visiting for a week or a long weekend. I’m happy I decided to live in this city for an extended period of time. I have lived in New York City for 3 months.
I feel small, but in a good way. The landscape reminds me that I’m only a small part of something bigger. There are millions of people doing their own things and living their own lives. At times it can be overwhelming, but at the same time it’s amazing to see how many people there are. It feels like 9 million people are surrounded by each other. Despite the large crowd, there is a sense of isolation.
You are put in your place by New York. New York has the power to make you feel like you belong. It reminds you that you are not the only one in the universe. The world around you can be impacted by your actions and choices. This can be frightening and freeing at the same time. It can be interesting to embrace the unknown. The city is like a jazz drummer. The notes of the music fill the streets with a unique and vibrant energy. Sometimes it sounds good, but other times it’s too loud, messy, and confusing. It’s part of the beauty of music. There is something happening all the time. There is always something happening in the world.
I have already met some of the most passionate people in my life. I have been inspired by these people to never give up on my dreams. I love that. I like passionate people. I believe that people who are passionate about something can make a difference. It doesn’t matter what they are passionate about. They pursue their passions and try to make them a reality. I love people who are passionate. Their enthusiasm is infectious and they always have something interesting to say. I like weird people who do their own thing. I think it’s admirable that someone has the courage to be different. I am excited to meet more people in New York.
Everything is 30% harder in NYC
It takes a lot of time. When things take longer than expected, it is important to be patient. I went to the local Walgreens to get some stamps, but they no longer sell them. I was able to find a post office that still sells stamps. The convenience store I tried down the street had stopped selling stamps. If I need to mail a letter, I’ll have to find another place that sells stamps.
There was a line of 40 people at the post office because the kiosks were broken. I was stuck in the line for over an hour. I had to walk home in the rain after waiting almost 40 minutes to get a book of stamps. It was a long journey back home. It took me almost an hour and a half to buy a book of stamps. I was surprised that it took so long since the post office wasn’t that far away.
That is one example of many. If you look hard enough, you can find plenty of opportunities. I thought things would be easier in Chicago because everything is so close. I didn’t know how wrong I was until I tried to use the public transportation. It ends up taking at least 30% longer and being 30% harder than anywhere else I have been and sometimes it ends up being 30% more expensive than Chicago. It’s important to plan ahead in order to maximize your time and money in Chicago.
30% More Expensive…
In terms of finances, everything is about 30% more expensive than Chicago. I needed a new mop and it was more expensive than in Chicago. I had enough money to purchase it, so I didn’t have to worry about the cost. I calculated that the yogurt I eat is 30% more expensive. It would be cheaper for me to make my own yogurt at home. It is possible to eat in New York City cheaply. A variety of delicious cuisines from around the world offer great value for money. It has been one of the biggest surprises so far.
I have a hard time keeping my expenses at $50,000 per year because I am doing everything I can to keep my expenses low. I want to reach my financial independence target without having to drastically reduce my expenses.
The baseline is how much money my wife and I spend each year in Chicago and how much we expect to spend in New York City. Living in New York City will likely increase our expenses, but we are confident we can make the necessary adjustments.
I live in New York City, so am I still financially independent? The answer depends on how much money I can save each month and the cost of living in New York City. That is a good question. New York is a difficult place to calculate how much money you will need for the rest of your life since it is more difficult to estimate the impact of inflation here.
I don’t want to stay here forever. I want to find a job somewhere else.
The $70,000 expense target will allow me to save and invest more as the money continues to grow. I want to have financial stability and freedom by the end of the year.
What’s Next…
It’s officially 90 days until my book Financial Freedom launches so I am ramping up my book launch efforts, as well as planning for a tour next year.
I just bought a new Volkswagen Westfalia camper for the book tour and will be modifying it over the next few months so it will be ready for The Road to Financial Freedom Tour next spring. I can’t wait to share my story with people across the country. I am going to take this camper on the road. I can’t wait to meet new people and hit the road. I’m looking forward to the unique experiences that life on the road will bring.
As for New York City?
Last week, after complaining to a friend who lives in NYC, she warned me that I will definitely cry at some point and threaten to leave at least a few times during my first year. I’m determined to make the most of this experience and try to stay positive.
Our waiter nodded and said to give it a few years. Soon enough, this restaurant will be the talk of the town. It will take some time.”
I plan to do that.
