Two coasts is too much!
My husband and I have been living bicoastal since last October. He found a great job with great pay in Charlottesville, Virginia, after graduation, and we both agreed he couldn’t pass it up. I’m still in Portland, Oregon, with a good marketing job making $50,000 a year. We’re trying to get out of debt. If I join him now, I won’t have a job and we won’t pay off our debt as quickly. But being apart is so difficult. Should I go ahead and make the move now?
Dear Dave,
My husband and I have been living bicoastal since last October. He found a great job with great pay in Charlottesville, Virginia, after graduation, and we both agreed he couldn't pass it up. I'm still in Portland, Oregon, with a good marketing job making $50,000 a year. We're trying to get out of debt. If I join him now, I won't have a job and we won't pay off our debt as quickly. But being apart is so difficult. Should I go ahead and make the move now?
Danielle
Dear Danielle,
If he's making great money, and you guys can make it on one salary while you look for another job, then I'd say go for it. There are things in life that are more important than money, getting out of debt in a certain amount of time, or a particular job.
Have you talked to your company about the possibility of doing your job remotely? If that's not possible, maybe you could do some consulting on a remote basis. Even if you weren't a traditional employee, they might float some projects your way.
Talk to them about these ideas, and start shopping for a position in Charlottesville. It's a university community, if I remember correctly, so there are probably lots of opportunities in your field.
Go be with your husband, Danielle. You guys have been apart way too long already!
-Dave
Dave Ramsey is America's trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
because a river that empties into Tampa Bay runs behind my home. Currently, I’m paying $1,070 a month for flood insurance. My house is worth $325,000, and water has only come up into
the yard twice in over 20 years. Since I’m doing pretty well financially, do you think I need to keep my flood insurance policy?
Trudy
Dear Trudy,
From what you’ve told me about the history of your property, it sounds like your biggest concern might be if a hurricane caused a backwash in your area. Insurance is already pretty
tough in Florida when it comes to those kinds of things, but you don’t want to run the risk of your house getting mowed down and losing everything.
If I were in your shoes, I think I’d like the protection of flood insurance. What you’re paying for the policy is such a small percentage of your world, compared to the value of your
home and your income. Keep the coverage, Trudy!