Cost of Living in L.A., Long Beach, Future etc..?

Question

Ive got some problems and I may have brought them down upon myself but that is behind me now and I have to look ahead. So in a nutshell, I graduated this june, moved out to vegas to live with some relatives, originally for free but my uncle insisted I pay him (my other relatives were against it) I was fine because I had to be an adult and pay rent to live in someone elses house. Ive moved out here and for three months sucessfully work three jobs and hopefully am getting a salary job soon. Now I moved out here to go to UNLV but cant afford it right now with the out of state tuition fees so plan to work a year and get as much money as I can for next year. Here is my problem: Right now it just isnt working living with a family member who 1. didnt want me here in the first place, 2. changes the rent on a whim 3. finds every excuse to critisize me. Which I can understand, im a very open minded hard working kind of person so I need to plan to move out. I moved out here because I knew in missouri I would find no acting jobs which is my passion and what ive done my whole life. I think LA or long beach would be a better town for that career field but I need to make sure I can sustain myself out there first. I have a strong work ethic and graduated with honors from high school, so I know I have to potential I just need to know how easy/hard it is to land a job and sustain myself. Now, the bulk of my question: what is the cost of living bare minimum, ive lead a very comfortable life and have my essentials clothing, shoes, etc and do not plan on selfish spending except for internet and phone, and only spending money on things I need.

Please any information, advice or experiences with situations like this I would be so appriciative for. I am looking for advice on this scenario. If anything happens I can always go back home but I feel I need to "grow up" and take it like an adult. If I go back I will be stuck there forever. Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

Hmmm, interesting post. I have a few comments:

-June is really not the best time to move to Vegas. This is the hottest time of the year, as you have found out. It might be adding to the aggravation, is what I'm saying. And if you can hang in there for just a little longer, the weather will cool down. You'll need to save some money, which requires some patience.

-You know what it sounds like to me? You couldn't wait to get out of MO, maybe even had a bit of trouble back home. You came out here, and my guess is that you're a typical late teen: No vision, no concrete goals ("I wanna be an actor" is NOT a concrete goal), basically going nowhere. Your uncle gets tired of you sitting and chilling around the house and not helping with the chores. I don't know for sure, but that's the usual pattern. Don't get mad, I'm just trying to get a sense of both sides of the picture. I've seen it many times before. Kid graduates high school without a plan, takes up space with relatives, and wonders why they are upset. Relatives feel like the kid is sponging off them, and don't care for it. How open minded are you now?

OK, here's the plan:

-First off, check out how much rent you would have to pay for a pad there in LV. My guess is that it's a LOT more than you are paying now.

-That being the case, I would stop complaining about the rent. Or better yet, get your rent in writing. Write up an agreement that specifically outlines how much you pay per month, and what you are expected to contribute around the house. That's the adult way of handling it. Besides, that way your uncle can't raise the rent. Get a 1 year lease.

-Deal with the situation. Analyze it. So, your uncle didn't want you there in the first place. Maybe that's true, maybe not. But it's irrelevant. If you start to act more like an adult, he might change his mind. What's he critical of? Have you actually tried to accomodate his requests/demands? Have you taken the criticism under consideration, or just blown it off as the rantings of an old guy? Think about this: If you get the expectations down in writing, there's not a lot he can say about you.

Here's how I dealt with my own kids: Once they graduated, they were expected to contribute to the household if they still wanted to live at home. Chores were specified, and financial arrangements were made: They were part of our cell phone plan, but only got so many minutes per month. That way they could afford a cell phone. If they went over on minutes or texting, they had to pay up.They also had to contribute for Internet access, since I upgraded to high-speed Internet.

Out here in LA, you can expect to pay $1200 for a 1 BR apartment in a decent area, give or take a couple hundred. Electricity can be a real bear, especially in the summer. Try to live in the city of LA, since LADWP is much cheaper than Edison.

Set yourself up with a budget ahead of time. Start saving money as if you were paying rent in LA, and you can save up enough to move out here. I don't recommend moving out here unless you have $5000 minimum saved up, as well as a job lined up.  

Answer 2

I'm not sure why you would want to move to Long Beach to pursue acting. There aren't any film or TV studios in Long Beach. There are some very small theatre groups, but you can find those in any city. The main industry in LB is the port and the Boeing C-17 plant, not entertainment. Traveling from Long Beach to where the studios are can sometimes take over 2 hours driving or taking mass transit.

Only New York City costs more to live in than Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.  

Try to find a roommate(s) on craigslist.com in order to not live in a c**p part of town.

I'm sure you have found out that moving from Mizzou to Nevada has not changed your problems. Well, the same thing will happen if you move to LA. Just because your scenery changes doesn't mean you will. Seriously, there is nothing less fun than being broke in a very expensive city.

Answer 3

Where to start, Mike.  Under Additional Details, I found promise in what you wrote.  As we know, our country is in a severe recession and you can see it in everything; Los Angeles is no different.  As well, it's not cheap living here and if you go to a bad area there are close to 80,000 gang members to greet you.

I am curious why you kept mentioning Long Beach?  

I have lived here for a very long time, been in the film industry for a long time.  Whether you decide to break into acting or just bank some money the best way is to land a food server job at a decent restaurant.  You should live in the San Fernando Valley, which is right over Laurel Canyon from Hollywood.  There are many who live along the Ventura blvd sector; lots of apartments.  They are not cheap but they are affordable, especially if you find a roomie.  You will meet lots of aspiring actors in the food server business.  If you went to Micelli's Restaurant in North Hollywood you'd see the servers singing and acting as they bring the (well to do, some famous) clients their food.  All hope to be discovered, some are, but all make great money.  You'll get the feel after living in the Valley a couple weeks.  You have Sherman Oaks, lots of apartments and again, Hollywood is just a ride over Beverly Glen Canyon.  Punch up a map of Hollywood and the SFV and you will see the demographics.  

So, here it is...get a bachelor apartment somewhere near Ventura blvd, talk to people about the many restaurants on the blvd., you'll have choices.  And if you want, check the ads for someone seeking a room mate, but be careful, the people here are slick, trust no one.

Anything I missed, email me and I'll give you the 411 as best I can.  You'll have to be strong, but you do sound determined.  Best of luck.  Mike.