How much do you think I would have to save to move to Houston TX?

I am currently a 24 year old resident on the eastern shore of Maryland. The economy here is almost impossible to live in. My skills right now are few. I have been in a family painting business now for about 11-12 years. I am also a Martial arts instructor / student for Traditional Karate. I drive to New York on the weekends for a seafood company as a part time job , and I am also working on getting a side job at wal mart. My Job as a painter has gone down in the years simply because the building here where I live has kinda come to a halt do to the bad economy. We get by with touch ups and redos . Renting here is pretty ridicules. As of now I live in a run down trailer ( making the move home with the rents because I just can't afford it ) for 400$ a month. The heat would cost me around 5$ a gallon. So for a 200 gallon tank... they tell me it would last maybe a month and half. . . . not going to work for me.
A decent apartment around here runs 700-800$ and that isn't terrible except the job market here is terrible. I want to go to college , but I can't really afford it , I went for a few months , failed a class and lost my financial aid. ( Kicking myself for it ever since) . But well .. . I guess life isn't perfect.

I heard Texas was a nice place to live. I had a friend in Houston , so I decided to scratch up my wallet and go down there for a few days.I loved the weather, and the town. The people were extremely nice ( unlike here ) and had a lot of positive things to say. Someone down there even told me they knew people who lived on their own and got by with a job at Jack in the box ( btw was the First time i ever seen a jack in the box ) and did fine on their own. I always wanted to do law enforcement , but there are no opportunities here where I am at. Does anyone think I could get in that field down there? I would even be willing to do a Security Position. Then of course I paint , and teach Martial arts. I guess I am willing to actually do anything to work my way up to something ... I guess i would say well paid ? Anyway I Rambled on enough , I was just wondering if anyone else had this kind of experience and about how much it costed you for the move to get started.

Also , any other information /advice would be greatly appreciated.

Whew .. alot for my first question.... Thanks!

~Cazwik

You'll be fine here, and they're right. A lot of people do get by working minimum wage. I think with your painting experience you'll do well to look for a job with a contractor.

Try Craigslist, Yahoo Hot Jobs, the Houston Chronicle job links, etc.

The police department is always looking for new recruits and last I heard they were offering pretty hefty signing bonuses. As far as I know, you just need a diploma or GED and they will let you get your TCLOES certification (a must in TX), and you will just start on a lower salary than an officer already certified.

Stay with your friend if it's an option, that way you can save up.

If not, try Craigslist again and look for people searching for room mates. With the economy the way it is, a lot of people are renting out spare rooms pretty cheap.

In short to answer your question it depends on where you live or want to live & how much you want to pay for everything: food, fun, bills, etc!

Good Luck!!- Seriously
Try Craigs list or the green sheet--+ HPD is always hiring

Only problem with being a painter here is that most of it is done by illegals. You would quickly price yourself out of the market.

Unless you have no extra bills, getting by on a Jack in the Box wage (unless you were a manager) would not be possible. There are plenty of security jobs here, but most pay minimum. Someone else suggested the Police Academy. That's a good idea, and HPD is hiring.

P.S. Please ignore Mizzzzzzzzhollywood. She has no idea what goes on in any city, ESPECIALLY New York.

Check out the Houston Police's recruiting website. They're coming up to Michigan and going to San Diego soon. You might want to look into the NYPD too, it might be closer to you. Isn't Baltimore looking for cops too? Look around, you might find a law enforcement job is closer to you than you think.

Well, Houston is sure full of opportunities. HPD is always hiring. It would be real hard to live on what you earn from Jack in the Box. See if your friend is willing to help you out for 6 months or so until you can save every penny to earn for your own place, car (A MUST IN HOUSTON---INSURANCE), deposits for utilities, etc. You'll owe your friend BIG TIME, so be ready to reciprocate if there's ever the need. Remember to look for employment around the area in which you live. Houston is 600 square miles in size and traffic can be horrendous. That being said, this is a wonderful place to live.

before i first moved out on my own i was working two part time jobs and going to school full time and taking care of a newborn baby. i saved $40 out of each every week(i got paid every two wks from each job but got paid opposite weeks so it worked out).i put the money in an envelope and NEVER touched it. i placed the money in a bible and it was out of sight. i told myself the money didnt even exist anymore. after a year i had saved enough to pay my deposit, application, first month and bought some furniture. even though by that time i had finished school and had been working full time for two months, all my moving money came from the moving fund. ive been on my own ever since. i was determined and it worked.

A painter job should be easy to find with all of the Ike Repairs. The Police Departments are always looking for good officers.

If it were me, I would ask my friend if I could come stay with them and find a job then get your apartment.

Here is a local website that post jobs daily.
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/be...

Houston is a great place to live and there are plenty of employment opportunities as well as painting. Also, our sheriffs deparmtent and police department always seem to be recruiting as well as prison gurds in nearby cities. I don't think you could go wrong with a move to Houston!

Still a pretty decent employment economy right now in the Houston area. Depending on what area you want to live in as to how much you will need to get settled. Most Apt. require a deposit, you water will usually be included in the rent but your electricty, cable and phone are up to you to pay. Depending on if you have had electricity/cabel in your name before as to whether you have to put a deposit down on these utilities. If you have had them in your name before, get a letter from your current provider that shows how long you have been with them and that your bills are current (not oweing them money). Houston has the Houston Community College system which you can get trained in a lot of areas, also the police department is looking for more good men to serve. You can find both at these links:

http://www.houstontx.gov/

http://www.hccs.edu/portal/site/hcc

Best of luck to you.

Not much in my opinion. Houston is cheap living, because it's not in demand like other places such as NYC.