Opportunity to relocate to another country - California

[Stanger00]

If you dwell on that kind of stuff it will eat you alive. You can’t get away from the taxes, ever. I pay more in taxes than my wife earns. I just enjoy my life here and make the best of it. There’s so much to do year round here it’s unreal. As “bad” as it is here I’m just not ready to leave this place. Honestly as much as I think I’d like to leave this state I’m not sure I ever will. I know what it’s like outside of here so I’m not just imagining what life if like outside of here. For what I do here in California for employment (a water company in the desert), I have looked into jobs in Colorado, Washington state and Texas. I can’t leave this place. It’s literally a $60-80k a year pay cut and 4x the work. Here I’m just a pipeline distribution mechanic. Outside of here in other states or smaller water agencies. I’m the mechanic, electrician, instrument tech, meter reader and the water operator. The cheaper cost of living elsewhere outside of California doesn’t make up for the pay cut. We pay more in taxes here ya but it’s flat out worth it.


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The water district has my attention. My neighbor does something for our local water district and it's hands on related/construction type work. He literally built his own pool, formed his own concrete hardscape, leveled his lot. It took him about 7 months but did it mostly on his own. I don't have interest in that but I checked into jobs and I qualify for associate planner level positions with them or if I want to go back to wrench turning I can apply for mechanical level jobs. The pay is comparable to my current job but commute would be a fraction of what it is now.

I looked into other enterprise asset management system analyst positions and the pay cut is not worth my time leaving California. My wife would take a small pay cut if she transferred to Dallas. There isn't anything that pays me my current wages near Dallas.


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[Coiled03]

I don't understand your perspective, it seems. The suggestions I mentioned are a couple ways to reduce taxes. I am far from a financial advisor, just a run of the mill guy.

You're wanting to NOT pay taxes?

They are a necessary evil, and a direct reflection of success (usually, i.e. more successful individuals tend to pay MORE in taxes). There's nothing that can be done about it, so why waste so much thought / effort on it. Just pay what ya gotta pay and move on. In California, you're just paying to outlaw straws.

Atlanta we're paying for CONSTANT highway development / construction. It seems sections of 285 / 75 / 575 have been under construction for the better part of 10 years.

Everywhere is the same.

Well yes, ideally I'd pay zero taxes. But I understand that's not realistic.

Our difference in perspective is that you think everywhere is the same, and I don't. If I don't want to do something, why would I voluntarily move to an area where I have to do MORE of said thing? Yes, taxes can be minimized. The point is, the baseline at which you're starting is much higher in some places.

 

[Zemedici]

Well yes, ideally I'd pay zero taxes. But I understand that's not realistic.

Our difference in perspective is that you think everywhere is the same, and I don't. If I don't want to do something, why would I voluntarily move to an area where I have to do MORE of said thing? Yes, taxes can be minimized. The point is, the baseline at which you're starting is much higher in some places.

Again....every problem has a solution....

So you DONT want to live in California, so don't?

OP Has an opportunity to move, obviously has looked into these things, and doesn't mind it.

I don't understand the problem?

I would move to California tomorrow given the opportunity. Others would not.

Different perspectives.

Everywhere has taxes.

Taxes are different.

Everwhere, tax money is used for stupid shit.

 

[barstowpo]

I left SoCal 11 months ago. I miss all the great race tracks. I bought a welcome to MT AR and walked out with it in about a half an hour. It came with a 30 round magazine. My medical insurance went down $1500 a month. Gas is $1 a gallon cheaper and I can get no ethanol premium. People are much nicer here overall. It is all about choices.

 

[IronSnake]

I've just now started doing analytics at my current position, so I wouldn't be doing that right off the rip at a new position.

Pursue the hell out of that.

I started in cataloging, they found I had a knack for analytics so I started looking at inventory reports and sales.

Now i'm second down from the President of our business unit.

Analytical positions that sound like "Supply Chain Logistics Analyst" or "Business Analyst" or whatever.. that's where the money is at and the demand is very very high.

 

[Zemedici]

Pursue the hell out of that.

I started in cataloging, they found I had a knack for analytics so I started looking at inventory reports and sales.

Now i'm second down from the President of our business unit.

Analytical positions that sound like "Supply Chain Logistics Analyst" or "Business Analyst" or whatever.. that's where the money is at and the demand is very very high.

That's what I'm doing now, its a slow but steady rate of learning. Business Analyst would be my dream gig.

 

[Stanger00]

Yes, the payroll taxes in California are absurd. Kiss a large portion of your check goodbye. State tax and state SDI are two different things, both are taken from your CA check. State tax can possibly get money back. SDI is long F'ing gone.

Another exaggeration.

I wouldn't call it absurd amount. It's a PITA to pay it but it's not a LARGE portion of your check.

I don't even think about the tax money they take from my checks. Not much I can do about it but vote when it's time to vote.


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[Zemedici]

Another exaggeration.

View attachment 1517859

I wouldn't call it absurd amount. It's a PITA to pay it but it's not a LARGE portion of your check.

I don't even think about the tax money they take from my checks. Not much I can do about it but vote when it's time to vote.


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Thank you, this is the information we need. From people living IN California.

 

[RedVenom48]

Enjoy your fantasy Stanger. Ill dig up an old paystub.

I guess my time in California from October 2007 to March 2017 doesn't count for anything.

 

[Zemedici]

Enjoy your fantasy Stanger. Ill dig up an old paystub.

I guess my time in California from October 2007 to March 2017 doesn't count for anything.

Jesus Christ, I feel like @zhisel and I are speaking Portuguese to you people today.

You and I literally had a discussion a few pages back, whereas we determined California was not a good fit for you, correct?

That does not mean it wont be a fit for someone else, same shit I'm explaining to coiled above.

 

[Stanger00]

That's what I'm doing now, its a slow but steady rate of learning. Business Analyst would be my dream gig.

Yes, do this. It's what I did. I run analysis with he companies asset management system to identify trends for peaks and valleys for scheduled maintenance and smooth them out. We also go a little further to identify root cause failures for spikes in maintenance using this same system.

I use some of the tools I learned from college level business intelligence, operations management, managerial accounting course with my current job.

Get strong in excel. Our enterprise system doesn't support strong BI front end dashboards so we have to manually perform these types of things by exporting data to excel and then manipulate the data to answer our questions. Very time consuming but rewarding when you find the issues and present them to the higher ups.

Thank you, this is the information we need. From people living IN California.

No problem. It's a manageable tax not going to put you in the poor house, unless you're already in the poor house.


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[Zemedici]

Yes, do this. It's what I did. I run analysis with he companies asset management system to identify trends for peaks and valleys for scheduled maintenance and smooth them out. We also go a little further to identify root cause failures for spikes in maintenance using this same system.

I use some of the tools I learned from college level business intelligence, operations management, managerial accounting course with my current job.

Get strong in excel. Our enterprise system doesn't support strong BI front end dashboards so we have to manually perform these types of things by exporting data to excel and then manipulate the data to answer our questions. Very time consuming but rewarding when you find the issues and present them to the higher ups.


No problem. It's a manageable tax not going to put you in the poor house, unless you're already in the poor house.


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I'm currently working with Excel daily! Its insane how many people cannot use the program for the life of them....

And bolded part sums it up perfectly.

 

[Stanger00]

Enjoy your fantasy Stanger. Ill dig up an old paystub.

I guess my time in California from October 2007 to March 2017 doesn't count for anything.

Didn't say it didn't. I just disagree with you perception of CA income tax being absurd. Yes, it's a pain but not breaking me.

I checked mine. My first check in January I paid $167. My most recent pay stub I paid $263 in CA income tax. Between January and today I earn $13 more an hour. The extra $100 I pay per check to CA takes 8 hours at $13 an hour. A small price to pay for a pretty good promotion/raise.


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[Zemedici]

Didn't say it didn't. I just disagree with you perception of CA income tax being absurd. Yes, it's a pain but not breaking me.

I checked mine. My first check in January I paid $167. My most recent pay stub I paid $263 in CA income tax. Between January and today I earn $13 more an hour. The extra $100 I pay per check to CA takes 8 hours at $13 an hour. A small price to pay for a pretty good promotion/raise.


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And see I just looked up my most recent pay stub, I paid 9%

not much different at all.

Situations are what you make of it.

 

[VegasMichael]

I lived in Alameda, south of Oakland. I actually liked it. Mild weather, some nice rainy days. If I was to move to CA I would live far from a big city, though. Somewhere between LA and SF, or somewhere far north of SF. Less people and more cloudy days. I've been in Vegas too long so am tired of the sun.

I'm not a gun owner and will likely not modify another car in my life so those are non issues for me. CA is actually on my ever shrinking list of places to go when I leave Vegas in 2021 for one primary reason: When I leave here I'll be 57 and I can teach in CA and be vested in their pension plan in five years, retire, and start drawing a monthly check immediately. Their rules for drawing a pension state you must be 62 with at least 5 years of service. If nothing else, the math works out perfectly for me.

 

[Coiled03]

Again....every problem has a solution....

So you DONT want to live in California, so don't?

OP Has an opportunity to move, obviously has looked into these things, and doesn't mind it.

I don't understand the problem?

I would move to California tomorrow given the opportunity. Others would not.

Different perspectives.

Everywhere has taxes.

Taxes are different.

Everwhere, tax money is used for stupid shit.

I give up. No, every problem does not have a solution. You can't divide by zero. You can't not pay taxes. You can't prevent tax money from being spent on stupid shit.

I have no problem if OP moves to CA. I just explained why I think it's a piss poor idea for anyone to do it.

 

[Zemedici]

I give up. No, every problem does not have a solution, e.g. you can't not pay taxes, you can't prevent tax money from being spent on stupid shit.

I have no problem if OP moves to CA. I just explained why I think it's a piss poor idea for anyone to do it.

-because they have ungodly taxes (that were shown above to NOT be as drastic as you're making them out to be, only marginally higher than I pay now actually)

-because you don't want taxes spent on stupid shit (this happens everywhere under the sun)

Got it.

Op should DEFINITELY heed this advice.

you say 'I don't want to pay taxes'

so don't? Move somewhere that doesn't have taxes?

I gave you two ways to reduce your taxes.

What more would you like me to do? Pay your taxes for you?

 

[Stanger00]

I lived in Alameda, south of Oakland. I actually liked it. Mild weather, some nice rainy days. If I was to move to CA I would live far from a big city, though. Somewhere between LA and SF, or somewhere far north of SF. Less people and more cloudy days. I've been in Vegas too long so am tired of the sun.

I'm not a gun owner and will likely not modify another car in my life so those are non issues for me. CA is actually on my ever shrinking list of places to go when I leave Vegas in 2021 for one primary reason: When I leave here I'll be 57 and I can teach in CA and be vested in their pension plan in five years, retire, and start drawing a monthly check immediately. Their rules for drawing a pension state you must be 62 with at least 5 years of service. If nothing else, the math works out perfectly for me.

I'm a CalPers member also. Hopefully, you have a good pension from your current job because 5 years gets you vested and after 62 you get 2-3% which translates to 2-3 multiplied by years of service. So if you did 5 years and you have 3% at 62 you would get 15% of your base pay average over the last 3 years.

Medical vesting is what you really want but that gets vested after 15 years now instead of 5 years like it used to be.

I give up. No, every problem does not have a solution. You can't divide by zero. You can't not pay taxes. You can't prevent tax money from being spent on stupid shit.

I have no problem if OP moves to CA. I just explained why I think it's a piss poor idea for anyone to do it.

It's a dumb move if you can't have a comparable life. Not disputing this at all.


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[Stanley]

Change the percentages in the chart to 0 and

-because they have ungodly taxes (that were shown above to NOT be as drastic as you're making them out to be, only marginally higher than I pay now actually)

I don't pay any state income tax so to me it is a drastic increase.

 

[VegasMichael]

I'm a CalPers member also. Hopefully, you have a good pension from your current job because 5 years gets you vested and after 62 you get 2-3% which translates to 2-3 multiplied by years of service. So if you did 5 years and you have 3% at 62 you would get 15% of your base pay average over the last 3 years.

Medical vesting is what you really want but that gets vested after 15 years now instead of 5 years like it used to be.

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My pension from NV is good. I will have done the full 30 by 2021. Enough to off the rest of my life. Good COLA's too. 75% of my highest three year salary average.