simplifying life in the process of simplifying my life, esp in terms of material possessions. not that i have that many, mainly my books, clothes, and a few other things. aside from spiritual reasons, possible relocation this upcoming summer is why i am doing this. as i don't drive, i need to be able to travel light and live light. i am thinking Seattle, Portland (Ore). Roanoke (VA), or Asheville (NC) or a town nearby. i know that those are disparate areas but those are my preferences. of course, i'm open to almost anywhere, if i can find a comfortable place with good folks and friends around. any suggestions on where to live and how to get there? i'm on SSD and will be getting ~14.00.00. i'd like a place where i can get a good doc. k

classifieds reveal cost of living. Check out the classifieds in , and of the local newspapers in the areas you're interested in. I believe the classified ads of a community will tell you a lot about life in that community, if you know how to read between the lines. Check real estate. How many houses are for sale? What's the average price range on a standard family home? How does it compare to other areas? Check the rental section (I'm assuming you're going to rent) - how many apartments are available? Are they in your price range? Do they look nice or like dumps? Generally, where housing is cheap, jobs are tough. However, if you have an income you can bring with you, it allows you to take advantage of these really great housing opportunities and maybe get a standard of living that's better than what you've had to cope with. On the other hand, if housing is expensive, it's because people have money and they're competing for housing. Where is the money coming from? Is there an industry? A corporate culture? Does that lifestyle suit you? Next, check out the for sale section. What are people selling? Is it a lot of Ikea? Antiques? If there is a lot of cheap furniture for sale and the prices are high, it's another indication of the standard of living - if times are tough, people want top dollar for the crappiest stuff. If there's an abundance of ikea furniture for cheap, you'll have an easy time furnishing your home. If there's a lot of old non-ikea furniture, like couches from the 70s & 80s or older, it's a community where people hang on to stuff - another indication that times may be tough there - but the good news is that these areas have salvation army's or goodwills or church bazaars that will have a lot of functional stuff to start a home with. Compare the prices of the furniture for sale in areas you're interested in. Keep an eye on the papers for a month or so. You'll notice trends in certain areas. Ask yourself why these patterns occur. It's an interesting social exercise, I do it for fun in places I plan to visit, then test my theories by talking to locals when I go there. It's utterly unscientific, but it can yield a lot of useful information.

Oh, I forgot. Check the help wanted section. This will help tell you where people are getting their money from. What does a secretary get paid in one town as compared to another? What types of places are hiring? Are there a lot of "work wanted" ads or "housing wanted" ads? These can be indicators that finding a job or an apartment is really tough. Investigate the causes and have a plan before you move. My sweetie & I learned a lot when we dumped most of our stuff and moved across the country last year. Since then, I've seen many people move here after us and leave because they can't find work, or there isn't enough to do in the winter, or their aren't doing well in the underfunded school, or they can't find an apartment and end up living out of their vehicle.

OH! And public transit is another thing to investigate. If you can get by without a car, you can afford more in housing. K & I were shocked how helpless we are in farland without a car. We'd planned on doing without until our first spring, but we only made it a couple of months. If a car is a necessity, make some s and find out how your insurance rates would be affected by the move. Also, check out the municipalities' websites, and look for business association websites. The things that concern business associations often affect every citizen, like an aging water/sewer system that is expensive to replace, that will drive up the hydro bills for everyone. Rising property taxes will translate into rising rent.

AICPA Website has a cost of living calculator www.aicpa.org

i suggest ashville. its by far the cheapest place u mentioned HOWEVER if it were up to me, I'd go with a town a 45 min train ride from portland.

one with lots of femmes?

Suggestions... Research general cost of living, research reasonable housing and employment opportunities, research access to medical facilities... then plan your options. If possible, make an extended visit to your proposed destination before making any moves. Good luck, kylin!

I am from the Asheville area Hey there, I live about x min from Asheville and Love it!! I will be in Hawaii at the end of the week if you maybe want to get together and talk? Cat