Where do You Want to Retire... and Why?

tick said:
I do know that folks out there drive enormous distances without thinking a thing about it. My in-laws would drive from Maeser, UT to Rangely, CO just to go to church. Good that 85 octane is so cheap.
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Where I live now, we have one grocery store, an Ace Hardware, a couple of gas stations, a health food store, some fast food near Interstate 5. Everything else is either in Bakersfield 45 minute drive, Antelope Valley 1 hour 1o minute drive, or Santa Clarita a 1 hour drive. You think differently when you choose to live "remote". You plan more, you shop less, you store more. The pay off is you get more peace and quiet, can pee off your front porch, and can actually see the stars at night. The disadvantage is you plan ahead if you need immediate things. Otherwise there is Amazon Prime.
 
Mikie said:
Where I live now, we have one grocery store, an Ace Hardware, a couple of gas stations, a health food store, some fast food near Interstate 5. Everything else is either in Bakersfield 45 minute drive, Antelope Valley 1 hour 1o minute drive, or Santa Clarita a 1 hour drive. You think differently when you choose to live "remote". You plan more, you shop less, you store more. The pay off is you get more peace and quiet, can pee off your front porch, and can actually see the stars at night. The disadvantage is you plan ahead if you need immediate things. Otherwise there is Amazon Prime.
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I’m going to have to learn some of these skills next year when we move to Prescott. I’ve been no further than 1 mile from a grocery store my whole life and we’re 15+ minutes from one out there. I think I could handle a tiny town okay if it had an abundance of areas to participate in whatever hobbies or activities I did in my free time. Using MTB riding as an example, I don’t want to drive long distances to ride on a regular basis so a small town like Fruita or even tiny Oakridge could be okay. Prescott is even a larger city than I preferred but there are tons of trails and my wife loved it so it wasn’t a difficult decision.
 
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More than likely Redmond, OR for me. Most of my family lives there and several longtime friends. Plenty of areas to ride including nearby Bend. Housing is affordable and my niece has offered a place to stay until we get settled. Idaho is another option but not sure where though. Less than 4 years to go!
 
mtbMike said:
I’m going to have to learn some of these skills next year when we move to Prescott. I’ve been no further than 1 mile from a grocery store my whole life and we’re 15+ minutes from one out there. I think I could handle a tiny town okay if it had an abundance of areas to participate in whatever hobbies or activities I did in my free time. Using MTB riding as an example, I don’t want to drive long distances to ride on a regular basis so a small town like Fruita or even tiny Oakridge could be okay. Prescott is even a larger city than I preferred but there are tons of trails and my wife loved it so it wasn’t a difficult decision.
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Grocery shopping is different outside CA. Meat and canned goods are generally cheaper, but the quality of fruits and veggies in small town grocers is abominable. We noticed some quality drop vs CA even in Highlands Ranch. Not bad in Carbondale but the prices are back to CA levels.

I guess they expect you to buy everything canned or frozen, on your once a week trip to town.
 
tick said:
Grocery shopping is different outside CA. Meat and canned goods are generally cheaper, but the quality of fruits and veggies in small town grocers is abominable. We noticed some quality drop vs CA even in Highlands Ranch. Not bad in Carbondale but the prices are back to CA levels.

I guess they expect you to buy everything canned or frozen, on your once a week trip to town.
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Country folk are presumed to have a garden.
 
tick said:
Grocery shopping is different outside CA. Meat and canned goods are generally cheaper, but the quality of fruits and veggies in small town grocers is abominable. We noticed some quality drop vs CA even in Highlands Ranch. Not bad in Carbondale but the prices are back to CA levels.

I guess they expect you to buy everything canned or frozen, on your once a week trip to town.
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"Food deserts" as they say. I want a small town, but I also want Whole Foods. And seafood tacos.
 
I lived in Crestone, CO while I was in HS. Look it up. No, not in the "city" itself, but 3 miles away. Graduated in a class of nine.

Small town/no town remote living ain't too bad. No interwebs back then, just them there corded telephones.

Sushi? Sure, if you caught it out of the creeks.
 
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Nice to be able to view the wildlife while making my morning coffee :)

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The in-laws (fled Big Bear after 20 years) and brother in-law family (life long CA residents) moved to Heber UT in August of 2019. Think 45 minutes from SLC Airport and 20 minutes from Park City or Provo. Many areas are still smallish out there but with the Jordanelle Ski Development https://www.forbes.com/sites/everet...ew-billion-dollar-ski-resort/?sh=5df7d5157a72 and mega homes planned it will get more crowded for sure.

We drove up a few weekends ago and enjoyed temps from 61° to 2° over three days. Different but not a deal breaker. The one "thing" that really grabbed me was the grade school life. The neighborhood kids ride their bikes to the elementary school and board buses to middle and high schools as needed. ALL of the bikes are simply laid down on the grassy corner lot of the school. No bike racks, no locks, no guards, nothing. The neighbors we've met couldn't remember the last time anyone's bike was taken.

I miss that childhood freedom.
 
Seems like sometimes being 50 years behind is actually being ahead. Fortunately/unfortunately my family is here, so no choice (but probably wouldn't want to leave anyway).
 
BonsaiNut said:
My wife and I will be prioritizing a location once our kids get settled. But one thing's for sure... it won't be California. Far too expensive - and just getting more so with every "temporary" tax increase that becomes permanent. And if you know anything about finance, our state pension time bomb makes Illinois look like chump change.
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It's weird for me to go back and read this post from 3.5 years ago... now that we live in North Carolina. At the time I wrote this post, moving was a very vague idea. And yet, here we are!
 
BonsaiNut said:
It's weird for me to go back and read this post from 3.5 years ago... now that we live in North Carolina. At the time I wrote this post, moving was a very vague idea. And yet, here we are!
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It's always fun to go back and bask in a successful journey. I'm not sure about you situation, but State pensions should be left at the door and be buried with the employee.
 
DangerDirtyD said:
It's always fun to go back and bask in a successful journey. I'm not sure about you situation, but State pensions should be left at the door and be buried with the employee.
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My situation is solid :) I have always lived within my means, been self-sufficient, and been fortunate in life and in my selection of a spouse who thinks the same way I do :)

I cannot change the world, but I can take care of myself, my spouse, and my children. And when I lived in California, I paid to take care of six other families and send their children to school, etc. I wish that all could do as well as I have managed to do, for if we could all take care of ourselves, the role of government would be pretty basic, would it not? I have always thought of government as "what I cannot do by myself". But unfortunately, for many people, that is a pretty low bar.
 
mtbMike said:
This is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Those workers earned their pensions and have every right to live where they want like everybody else. Don't bag on them for being smart enough to jump off the sinking ship.
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The deckhands pay it genius, and that's dumb.
 
BonsaiNut said:
My situation is solid :) I have always lived within my means, been self-sufficient, and been fortunate in life and in my selection of a spouse who thinks the same way I do :)

I cannot change the world, but I can take care of myself, my spouse, and my children. And when I lived in California, I paid to take care of six other families and send their children to school, etc. I wish that all could do as well as I have managed to do, for if we could all take care of ourselves, the role of government would be pretty basic, would it not? I have always thought of government as "what I cannot do by myself". But unfortunately, for many people, that is a pretty low bar.
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Have additional opinion, but I’m afraid to post it on the internet.
 
DangerDirtyD said:
The deckhands pay it genius, and that's dumb.
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You have no idea how much money many employees pay into their own pensions....and on top of it pay the same taxes you do. If you think it's such a sweet deal, maybe you should look into it and get in on the action.

I retired from the City of San Diego (zero state $$) and get a pension. Should I be forced to live in the city for my entire life?
 
mtbMike said:
You have no idea how much money many employees pay into their own pensions....and on top of it pay the same taxes you do. If you think it's such a sweet deal, maybe you should look into it and get in on the action.

I retired from the City of San Diego (zero state $$) and get a pension. Should I be forced to live in the city for my entire life?
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If you expect the City to supplement your contribution plus capital gains, then damn right.
 
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