Aww... the simple life

Making a change like you are proposing is very stressful and creates alot of anxiety. Relax as best you can, come down in the summer, and after a stay revisit your plans and see what you can do. It may only be a matter of simplifying your life and expectations to do very well here.

Bookeeper on STT you will be booked solid at $20 an hour no problem . What about schools though the public schools are ROUGH. So private school tuition is something to think about unless they are younger.

Good luck.

Angel, sounds like you almost live in Los Angeles. Fortunately, having my own business close by helps not making crazy drives at the wrong hour, although I don't think there are any good hours anymore.

I'm a guy here like to be sarcastic, but I read your message with a bit of dismay. I think it's absolutely appropriate that you visit, explore and see the possibilities. Even if you decide not to move, you'll have a great vacation.

I'm not a financial advisor if but if I remember, you're suppose to have about 6 months of income saved if you were going to give up a job and get into a new field. Absent that life could be very precarious and it will be more expensive living on STX or even STT.

Just my humble opinion.

You indicated a desire to "get out of the rat race" but the truth is you'll still have to do all those same things here in the islands, unless you are independently wealthy (which you indicate you are not). Living in the islands doesn't get you out of the race, it's just a different race.

The only way to really know if island life is for you is to make a pre-move visit. When you come this summer plan to stay in a housekeeping unit rather than a resort. Do things that approximate your daily life like commuting to "work", grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, daily chores, putting the kids to bed, etc. This way you'll get a feel for what island life is like. Remember living and working on an island is far different from being there on vacation. Use the time to check out living accopmodations to see if they meet your budget. Read through the hundreds of post on this forum and you'll get a feel for cost of living items like rent, utilities, food, internet connection, gasoline, vehicles and vehicle insurance> Get a copy of the Settler's Handbook, it a must read for anyone contemplating a move to the islands. There are so many facets of island life that it's difficult to sum them up in one short response. Only you can decide if island life is right for you - no one on this forum can make the decision for you.

Thank you all for your responses. Afriend... what did you mean by stay at a housekeeping unit? We have discussed our visit this summer and it will mainly be to look at places to live, visit local establishments, grocery shop for the week and drive drive drive. We ordered a copy of the settlers handbook and it should arrive any day now. A Relocation Package from a tourism place, I have posted my resume online and having jobs available in our fields delivered to my email address. I even ordered the daily paper. We hope to be able to talk to any locals that will spare us a second. I have done the budget comparisons, ie rent, gas, ins, groceries etc from the website here. The only thing is seeing the properties for ourselves, the areas etc. My husband wants to start a small plumbing company (ideally) or find work at an existing company and I will work to supplement the budget. Hopefully that will be part time as we want to homeschool our kids. Or me full time and him part time. I dont know.. But we are willing to do whatever it takes to make a living and support our family. I understand what you mean by it is just a different rat race. But from Houston Texas it will be an unbelievable difference. Hey at least I'll get an extra 2 hours a day to spend with my family! And man think of the savings in Gas! And the 700 savings in private school here. Not to mention the peace of mind I think we would get from a slower pace.
Sounds like a win win situation.. I guess my mind IS really made up huh? I just need to be patient now to get the kids out of school for the summer and head that way for our visit!!!

By housekeeping unit I meant something like a small efficieny motel/hotel room or perhaps even a basic condo that has a small kitchenette and maybe even in-unit laundry facilities. Think about declining the daily maid service (unlesx you have a full-time made at home) that way you'll have to make the beds and do a little housework. Ideally the unit you stay in would not have lots of resort amenities. The idea is to approximate daily living conditions as close as possible rather than present a vacation athmosphere. To get the a real feel for island life you want to spend your time concentrating on daily routines. If you do these simple things you'll come away from your PMV with a good understanding of what living on an island is really like. From what you said in your latest post it sounds like you have a well thought out and realistic plan for your PMV. Many people in your situation make the move - some stay only a short time others end up calling the island home. From my observations, the ones that fail to adjust are those who's expectations exceed reality of island life. Remember, living on an island is not better or worse than living in Houston, TX is just different.

Angel,

Without sparking a debate about the merits of the public school system here, I just want to point out what "Local" alluded to. On St. Thomas and St. John, there are a couple of private schools that statesiders and locals alike send their children to.

One (Antilles) is about $1000/month per child. And I've heard (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken here) you have to pay that $1000/month *every month of the year*- even when the kids aren't in school.

You mention "kids" (plural)- so 2 kids at $12,000 a year = $24k/yr.

While you may save on gasoline since they islands are only so big, remember that gas can be expensive here, and so are costs of living. Moving can take a LOT of money, and as Island Ed mentioned, can create a lot of anxiety.

Your family (kids especially) will have to adjust to a different culture, different way of life, being far from friends, giving up some conveniences, etc. The beaches are beautiful and the lifestyle is generally more laid back, but it is "real life" here- working, shopping, driving, dealing with stuff.

Please do look around the board some more, read people's moving stories, etc.

Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Best,

LR

Angel,
As far as saving towards your move...your best bet is to cut all of the non-essentials...which many people deem as essentials! You can save by cutting cable, changing or reducing phone service, doing your manis,pedis, & waxing.
I recently turned off my phone service since my son & I both have cell phones & rolled my dsl into my cable..the savings is starting to add up. It is just the little things...also remember you can go thru all of your old stuff...and have a sale...get creative..there are tons of ways to save money ;0)
Oh yes, good luck!