Budgets only work when you have the whole picture. Crystal ball aside, anticipating every aspect of a cross-country move is dubious at best. Between on-the-road moving expenses, getting settled into a new home somewhere new, and the usual suspects that want my money like Verizon and State Farm, it has been difficult to budget these first few months in San Diego.

I did a great job on establishing a proto-budget for my move to San Diego. I did online research and anticipated where the substantial increase to cost of living expenses would affect me. As it turns out, food cost and household necessities are not as bad as I thought they would be. I foresaw a lot of the costs and challenges before moving and was ahead on many of the hurdles, but of course, a few unanticipated expenses came out of nowhere and served my wallet a punch.

I did not consider that registering my new truck would cost so much since I just paid taxes and registration fees to Georgia before moving. Albeit aware of the housing crisis in California, I am still flabbergasted at the cost of housing. I will say this is one of the very few things I find wrong with California. Renting in San Diego, you will pay at minimum $1,000.00 a month per 500 square feet.

Regardless, my salary here provides for me a budget that works and I am learning how to navigate the local housing market. I am happy with the move to San Diego. I do wish they would find better resolutions for the housing crisis. I understand that everyone wants to live here and there is only so much space. California’s economy is the 5th largest in the word. It supersedes most developed nations in gross domestic product. Now that I am here and settled, it is time that I move forward and build my dream.