thechadmaster wrote:
I originally posted this in Work and Finding a Job subforum, i deleted it from there to post here. I believe this is just relevent to aspergers enough to fit in here.
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Let me give a little background first. Im going to be 25 in January, I still live with my mother and I have decided its time to get out of the rut im stuck in and get busy living. I have a full time job that pays 70 cents over minimum wage, no car and no drivers license. I am single. I live in central maine about four hours north of Boston, MA, in a city with a population of about 32,000.
My goal is to move to Boston and secure a room and a job by myself. My mother has graciously offered to help in any way possible, but i want to take as little as possible from her, i want this to be my initiative. I am willing to accept a loan from family (which has been offered), but i will not let them "do everything" for me. Upon leaving my current job, i will have my normal weeks pay plus vacation time totaling about $750 in addition to my vested 401k balance which is between $800 and $1000. It is my understanding that for amounts under $1000, you can legally take that money out instead of rolling it into a new 401k. I intend to do this early next year after recieving my tax refund which i estimate to be around $700. My start up fund, provided i can utilize my 401k money would be roughly $2500. According to ads in the Boston Herald, rooms in the city along transit lines range from $100 to 150 per week.
What I need advice with is this:
What do i secure first? Job or Housing.
With no drivers license and no intention to get one (dont ask), what is the best way to move? I can take Greyhound, but im limited to two duffel bags and no furniture (which i could probably do without)
Is my "start up fund" sufficient?
Most landlords require references, without a rental history in my name what are my chances of securing housing and are there agencies that can help me get established?
When it comes to functioning in society, my mother has described my Aspergers as being much more severe when i was a child, and nowadays, only a mental health professional would likely recognize me as having it, she says its almost non-existant now. I have no concerns about living in a big city. I feel like i should already know the answers to these questions, like the countless "unwritten rules" i have encountered, but im stuck.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
ps. please dont tell me not to go through with it, ive faced enough discouragment to last a couple lifetimes.
I would say get a job first. In this climate it is hard for anyone to get a job (unless you need the push to motivate you and can fall back on parents if it doesn't work out).
You can only learn from doing it. Your parents/someone could drive you there with stuff, that's what I did for university. Your Mum did say she could help.
Can you get some personal references and say you have not rented before? I've never needed references. Have you looked into specific adverts rather than speculating about references? The situation/rules may be different once you start looking.
It is easy to burn through money, not sure about Boston specifically as I live in the UK. It was expensive when I visited.
Another option would be to try a smaller city that is possibly cheaper. You could do this in stages, I'd be careful of overwhelming yourself as it would be a big change to your routine. It would be a big change for anyone. However if you did it you would probably feel stressed for a while, then eventually adjust if you're anything like me.
To be fair you don't really need a car in Boston.
Good luck!
02 Nov 2011, 8:00 pm
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