Author Topic: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?  (Read 5596 times)

Slow2FIRE

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We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« on: March 28, 2017, 12:49:04 AM »
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« Last Edit: April 11, 2017, 07:48:41 PM by Slow2FIRE »

Vindicated

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2017, 06:37:20 AM »
$45,000 x 25 = $1,125,000.  That's your 4% safe withdraw rate.

You say you can save $100k/yr and have $200k currently.  To save another $925,000, you'd have to work for another 9.25 years.  That's not counting any market growth.  If the market averages 7%, you can hit your $1,125,000 mark in 6.5 years.

On the other hand, if she stops working, your $100k/yr savings drops to what?  Next to nothing?  She makes $100kish?  We don't need to run the numbers to see that $0/yr savings doesn't get you to FIRE.  Ever.

We all have dreams.  I hope the two of you both achieve yours.  However, there is a risky way to pursue them, and a safe way to pursue them.  How much risk you're willing to take is all up to you.

MarioMario

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2017, 10:31:09 AM »
Do you want to move to LA?  My sister lived there (and still owns a 1000 sq foot million dollar house). 

They enjoyed themselves while there but they ended up moving back to the heartland.

Nick_Miller

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2017, 11:05:49 AM »
I hate to state the obvious, but this is a really (really) really risky "plan." I mean, it basically destroys any hopes of FIRE.

I know her "clock" is probably ticking, as I'm not sure what the demand for 40+ y/o actresses is in LA, but you just don't seem anywhere near financially ready to tackle this.

Could you maybe talk her into grinding for another 2 years or so? At least that way you could have around $400K saved up then by your mid-40s, and then even if you couldn't save much during the next 10 years, you could possibly land at a $800k mustache, assuming 7% returns and rule of 72, by your early/mid 50s.

Mel70

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2017, 11:23:59 AM »
Your budget for renting is too low unless you are looking to live in the outskirts of the city meaning more driving, hours spent on traffic, etc.

You can make a modest living as an actor working in commercials, voice-overs, etc. Of course everyone wants to be a movie star but... breaking into the movie business is tough. You need a special agent to do this, and generally they are difficult to book. Working as an actor requires you to have a free schedule. That's why a lot of aspiring artists work as waiters, baristas, etc. Babysitters are expensive, and child-care is even more expensive. How are you planning to pay for this if she is out and about at random hours to audition and work on films?

Mel70

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2017, 11:32:52 AM »
Membership to SAG/AFTRA is a one-time fee. You need to qualify first, working in at least three projects covered by the union. You'll get "pink slips" that will qualify you once you get the number required. After you enter the union, annual fees will vary depending on income. It won't be as expensive unless she makes the big bucks.

therethere

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2017, 11:34:47 AM »


My wife has been wanting to leave our current employer for about 2 years now.  Initially, she had an idea that would cost $200K-$300K and involve an additional 8-10 years of school and training until she realized that she wants to raise babies just a little bit more than pursue that career.

Did I read something wrong? The only dependents seem to be teenagers from a previous relationship. Did you give up on having your own children or will this desire creep up again? It would be awful to plan on this huge life upheaval and then have those baby pings come back.

farmerj

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2017, 11:40:28 AM »
Aren't you guys also working on having children? May be better to delay a little bit until that is resolved and the kid is older - I suspect wherever you live now isn't as polluted and crowded (and stressful). Plus children in a place like Los Angeles are pretty expensive, and bigger savings basically mean one can afford a less terrible school district.

New York City has significantly worse weather but does offer public transit to distant (cheaper, less crowded) suburbs and acting opportunities, and these might be less competitive for someone in your wife's older-than-usual niche. I would guess more of the potential competition for middle-aged female roles would still be around LA than NYC, but I have very little knowledge to base this off of.

I remember your previous posting, you remember some of the advice/concerns that were posted there, so I'm not going to rehash any of them.

patchyfacialhair

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2017, 11:42:20 AM »
Yeah what's that about the "raise babies" thing?

We have one on the way, and short of a 500% increase job offer to a short list of awesome places, we ain't moving.

Unless she's absolutely miserable in her current situation, going to a very HCOL area in middle age with no guarantee of income would probably not even be in the cards for most folks on this board. If you give up your FIRE mentality, knock yourselves out, but most folks can't have their cake and eat it too. If you make the move, do it because it's more important than FIRE.

natb2347

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2017, 06:44:46 PM »
Echoing others here that this is a very risky plan.  I lived in LA for several years in my twenties. It's fun but it is wildly expensive.  I can't imagine making a move to a city like that in my 40's unless I didn't care about FIRE or having children or owning property in the area.  But if you do go, there are a few things I suggest:

1. Use the trains and live near one (outside of biking and walking which you can do year round).  They are building trains right now that run through major parts of the city.  It is very spread out so you may still need a car but if you put your mind to it trains, biking and walking should cover you most of the time if you work from home. 

2. Don't go there to follow an acting dream.  And just because you live there doesn't gaurantee you anything.  Go because you want to live in that city and call it an adventure with a time limit.  Lots of talent there, very difficult to break in and it could be a long time - if ever - before you actually make any money doing it.  On the other hand, I know people who have made some nice side cash as extras on sets and game shows.  Maybe network and meet people there and everywhere - one chance meeting could get you everywhere in LA.  Echoing the scarcity of work for women in their 40's across the board - careful!!  Maybe have her get somewhat of a current resume going before you leave.  Local shows and such??

3.  At one point downtown LA lofts were priced better than popular places like Santa Monica, Hollywood etc.  Not sure if that is the case now but I would start there or maybe Silver Lake.  You could always live in the valley and travel into the city whenever you get any gigs which I suspect will be few and far between for a while....no trains there though.  Roommates would also help with funds although I wouldn't do it personally at that age given your situations with kids etc.

4.  Craigslist is very easy to use out there and I used it quite a bit.  People are always moving in and out of the city (very transient) and they practically GIVE things away - nice things.  Brand new furniture, cars you name it.  I sold my own car there right before I left to move back home and it sold within hours for asking - easiest sale ever.  I made lots of money on there over the years too selling odds and ends.  Also you can get next to brand new clothing, shoes and other goods at any number of resale shops in town - designer goods for a fraction of the price (Wasteland, Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill even!!).  There is so much money in that town and young people who are fickle and spendy that they buy something, wear it for a few months and sell it for funds to keep up their fashion habit and keep up with the latest trends. 

5. Don't keep up with the Jones's.  Living in the city rubs off on you.  You start to think things aren't expensive because you see them everywhere.  Aston Martins, designer everything, gas, meals, rent, Urth Caffe runs, real estate, day trips to Catalina, or weekend benders to Vegas and the list is infinite.  If you can stay focused and get used to seeing people throw around massive boat loads of cash and having fun all around you then good for you! (Hard to do in your twenties I will admit! 40's? maybe not so much?)

One thing I can guarantee is your cost of living will go up.  It is a difficult transition to make coming from anywhere else because it is so vastly different than living anywhere else.  It takes about a year at least to get your bearings with a neighborhood you like, a few normal friends and settling into a nice routine on things you like to do in the city (especially for cheap).  BUT - I love LA and if you can move successfully it can be a very energizing, exciting place to live.  Natural beauty all around you and good people if you look hard enough.  I would probably visit a bunch of times and get the lay of the land before making the leap though. 

I could go on but that's a start.....

Mezzie

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2017, 07:09:15 AM »
All the people I know who became successful in Hollywood did so behind the scenes (which, honestly, sounds more fun to me). I've known several who have come out to become actors. You might see them in employment orientation videos or Scientology ads... Though some have made TV and film appearances, you won't notice them, even if they get one line. And this is after a decade or two of work.

This doesn't mean it's hopeless, but it is far from easy to get a big break. There are also groups who will offer you roles, then say it's for exposure, not pay. Run far, far away.

LA itself can be a pretty fun place. I've lived here all my life, though, so the prices aren't as shocking to me as they are to newcomers. Also, the pollution sucks.

frugaldrummer

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2017, 07:53:13 AM »
Relationship alert!
I may be wrong, but there's a lot of red flags for Midlife Crisis here (MLC).
Milestone birthday (you said you guys were 40) - check.

Unhappy with current career/ life situation - check.

Feeling like she missed out on something (oops I forgot to have kids; I coulda been a famous actress).

Looking to make a major financially risky life change to "find that missing something".

I have a lot of experience with MLC. Usually some degree of depression and fear of aging / death and dying involved. The person in MLC goes looking for something to make them feel better. It can be excitement in the form of new hobbies or, often, an affair. It can be making major life decisions that make no sense (have a baby AND become a star at the same time? Really?).

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for following your dreams - but if this has been her dream, why hasn't she been pursuing it ( community theater? Local print ads?) before now?

I advise that you do some reading on MLC and be very observant. This might be a huge threat to your marriage in the long run. Don't make any financial decisions that would leave you financially devastated if she runs off with an acting teacher.

Also - just a question - if your job is so easily portable, have you ever considered moving close to the kids you already have? Being a summertime dad is not optimal.

And L. A. prices? Expect to pay twice the rent for a boring two bedroom apartment. Commuting is horrible. And breaking in in your forties? Extremely unlikely. If she wants to act she should pursue activities closer to home, get a lot of experience, achieve FIRE then maybe look for work as an older character actress in L.A. But I suspect her dreams are less about pursuing a craft and more about unrealistic fame.

frugaldrummer

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2017, 10:18:48 AM »
1) A book that I haven't read but that comes highly recommended is Women in midlife crisis- Jim and Sally Conway
I learned most of what I know through participating in the divorcebusting.com online forum while my ex-husband was going through his MLC.  Also a generally great book on relationships (not specifically about MLC) is the Five Love Languages by Chapman.
But the general outline of a MLC looks something like this:
Depression and/or career disappointment or frustration and/or death in the family and/or "milestone" birthday sparking fears of aging or death and dying  leads to trying new things to feel better (new house, new job, new hobbies, new boobs, excessive spending....)  - then when that doesn't relieve the depression, sometimes the "high" of an affair temporarily does.
Not saying that every MLC leads to infidelity - but it's definitely a high risk period for marriages.

2)  Good luck with your fertility treatments.  FYI, undiagnosed celiac disease/ gluten intolerance or undiagnosed or undertreated thyroid disease are common causes of "unexplained" infertility.  Perhaps her desire to run off and become an actress stems from disappointments in not getting pregnant?

3) I'm sorry your ex is in Germany with the kids.  My brother was a summertime dad not by choice either, and he hated it.

Nick_Miller

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2017, 12:25:53 PM »
OP,

I wanted to chime in again about your wife's new dream. I'd be really wary, because LOTS of people have the "dream" to act, or paint, or write, etc., and some people do get paid to do such things, but typically only after paying their dues over a number of years of struggling and/or working a "boring day job" to keep themselves afloat.

For example, I'd love love love to be a novelist. I have a lot I'd like to say, and I excel at creating interesting characters, settings, plots, etc. But guess what, millions of other folks have similar talents. It's about who's willing (or able) to put in the work. Who's willing to grind it out. At this point in my life, I can't give up my job (or take a PT job) to devote more time to writing. It's just not feasible. Maybe in a few years, if we build the stache, but the numbers have to work.

I don't see much evidence that she's willing to do the grind. Why isn't she doing local theater, or even like a community production or something? The safest path is a long slow path where she slowly transitions to acting, but only after establishing a track record of making some money doing it.

And you mention her "other" idea that apparently involved lots of additional education (sounds technical and/or medical?) and that sounds like the polar opposite of becoming an actor. It's like she's wailing around, swinging wildly/randomly, trying to strike a moving target (happiness).

des999

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2017, 06:19:55 AM »
move to Wilmington NC.  I hear it's the Hollywood of the East, lots of movies are made there.  Also, it's just a wonderful city, close to the coast, and a lot more affordable.  LA is cool, don't get me wrong, but it sounds like it would be a tough transition.  If you go for it, great, and good luck.

Just my 2 cents.

Heroes821

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2017, 07:15:38 AM »
move to Wilmington NC.  I hear it's the Hollywood of the East, lots of movies are made there.  Also, it's just a wonderful city, close to the coast, and a lot more affordable.  LA is cool, don't get me wrong, but it sounds like it would be a tough transition.  If you go for it, great, and good luck.

Just my 2 cents.

Yeah know I just realized that I could add to this thanks to what you said.  I have a friend who does electrical rigging for a ton of Hollywood movies and popular TV shows (like Breaking Bad) and he lives in Santa Fe New Mexico where almost all of his work happens.  Tons of filming for "LA" projects in Santa Fe with way way lower cost of living.

That being said I just moved from San Antonio to a small LCOL town in South Carolina and just moving our junk for 2 adults and 2 children came in around $13-14,000.  LA might cost even more for a moving company and if you have an infant you'll probably have more baby stuff than regular kid stuff to move as well.

Laserjet3051

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2017, 09:37:58 AM »
How can you keep costs down? Simple, dont move to LA!

Even if you move to Burbank, which is ground zero for where the majority of filming studios are located, what happens when your SO gets a call for a shoot located in Long Beach? Do you realize what kind of monumental drive that would be from Burbank? You might as well fly from Van Nuys airport to Long Beach airport for that gig!  Then the next shoot is scheduled in Riverside due to some fancy schmancy mansion located there that the director just has to film in. Again, the drive would be insane, and one could literally fly from one LA airport to another to get there. Burnout would occur very rapidly.

NextTime

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2017, 09:52:28 AM »
move to Wilmington NC.  I hear it's the Hollywood of the East, lots of movies are made there.  Also, it's just a wonderful city, close to the coast, and a lot more affordable.  LA is cool, don't get me wrong, but it sounds like it would be a tough transition.  If you go for it, great, and good luck.

Just my 2 cents.

Yeah know I just realized that I could add to this thanks to what you said.  I have a friend who does electrical rigging for a ton of Hollywood movies and popular TV shows (like Breaking Bad) and he lives in Santa Fe New Mexico where almost all of his work happens.  Tons of filming for "LA" projects in Santa Fe with way way lower cost of living.

That being said I just moved from San Antonio to a small LCOL town in South Carolina and just moving our junk for 2 adults and 2 children came in around $13-14,000.  LA might cost even more for a moving company and if you have an infant you'll probably have more baby stuff than regular kid stuff to move as well.


Wow! I'd imagine we could rent a trailer U-haul, and replace everything else we had to sell/give away for $13k - $14k.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2017, 10:05:58 AM »
This is a horrible idea, but you already know that.

Heroes821

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2017, 10:12:31 AM »
move to Wilmington NC.  I hear it's the Hollywood of the East, lots of movies are made there.  Also, it's just a wonderful city, close to the coast, and a lot more affordable.  LA is cool, don't get me wrong, but it sounds like it would be a tough transition.  If you go for it, great, and good luck.

Just my 2 cents.

Yeah know I just realized that I could add to this thanks to what you said.  I have a friend who does electrical rigging for a ton of Hollywood movies and popular TV shows (like Breaking Bad) and he lives in Santa Fe New Mexico where almost all of his work happens.  Tons of filming for "LA" projects in Santa Fe with way way lower cost of living.

That being said I just moved from San Antonio to a small LCOL town in South Carolina and just moving our junk for 2 adults and 2 children came in around $13-14,000.  LA might cost even more for a moving company and if you have an infant you'll probably have more baby stuff than regular kid stuff to move as well.


Wow! I'd imagine we could rent a trailer U-haul, and replace everything else we had to sell/give away for $13k - $14k.

Hopefully not derailing the thread, but yeah that was a 10,000 pound move? Beds, bookcases, books, were most of the weight right there. Also anything oversized like a grill, lawnmower, kid play things for the back yard, etc. If it doesn't fit in a box its a $50-100 handling fee on top of the charge for weight.  The moving van itself which included packers and unpackers (for insurance reasons) was $12500.  The rest of the cost was a U-Haul trailer for the car because I had to move 2.5 months ahead of the family and gas and hotels for the travel.  Luckily if it is for work you get to deduct that whole number from your taxable income for the year so yay.

I wish that we had less stuff to move, but I had less than 3 weeks to make the decision to move and most of it was haphazard.  If you are more minimalist sure it should be cheaper.  We probably could of drove a huge U-Haul and packed our own stuff and moved for $7000? Maybe, but my wife couldn't do that with two kids under 8 by her self while I was in another state.  We even left over half of my library of books and floor to ceiling bookshelves in a storage unit. Definitely makes you realize the importance of getting rid of stuff...speaking of I need to work on that this weekend. 

I just wanted to point out that without driving through the Rockies or going across the entire country we had a bill that crazy.  To move all the way to LA from perhaps the east coast could be significantly more expensive for using professionals. 

galliver

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2017, 01:47:05 PM »
Wowww everybody.

First off, OP, I'm not super tuned into the movie business here (LA area) but the impression I've gotten from various news/media/podcast sources is that much of the filming is actually moving to (Atlanta) Georgia and Vancouver (BC, CAN) because LA is too expensive. And apparently also Wilmington, NC. Basically, if your wife does want to take this leap you should both *really* do your homework about where the business actually *is*. Granted there are still a lot of studios in Burbank...if I understand correctly the industry still exists, it's just not growing...

I live in Pasadena on <$2k in basic expenses (it does climb over that in trips and buying stuff I could strictly do without and so forth) Our 1BR is $1250/mo but we saw some 2BRs around $1500 when we were hunting; I'm sure you could find something quite nice for $2500 (this isn't San Francisco) as long as you avoid Santa Monica and other trendy locations. And good school districts. I feel like people overestimate how expensive the LA area is; but then, so did I. Incidentally, Pasadena is like 20-30 mins from Burbank if you can beat traffic. And you can take clean, civilized Metro to Hollywood in like an hour, or DTLA in about 30 mins.

Besides rent/real estate, and services provided by people who need to pay rent (like haircuts and restaurants), things aren't that mind-blowingly expensive. You can find some really cheap groceries. You can go to the beach. You can walk around your neighborhood admiring the spring blooms.

It's not my favorite place to live and I don't necessarily think your plan is great; but the "OMG you'll spend ALL YOUR MONEY" perception of LA is grossly inaccurate. Frugality works everywhere.

seathink

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2017, 07:29:23 PM »
Okay, I am going to chime in with my 2 cents as someone who's been living the "LA Dream" for a decade.

You can definitely find good housing for your budget in safe neighborhoods. Given your current home, I'd definitely say look at the Valley.

Your jobs sound great because of the mobility. You should do well, but yeah, that $100,000 a year will disipate.

A much better way to live the dream? Find a novel, or short story, or a news article, with a character that she would kill to play, a story that is older, and probably cheap. Secure the rights to that novel and hire someone to adapt it. Take your vacation time and the money you think you would have spent to move and make the movie. Hire an editor. Apply to festivals. Something like In The Bedroom. Get young filmmakers involved. Really be a film actor.

surfhb

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2017, 10:26:00 PM »
I love Orange County and hate LA.   I also drive 50 miles one way from Huntington Beach to Burbank and live well on $25k a year.    It can be done :)


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havregryn

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2017, 12:04:43 AM »
Okay, I am going to chime in with my 2 cents as someone who's been living the "LA Dream" for a decade.

You can definitely find good housing for your budget in safe neighborhoods. Given your current home, I'd definitely say look at the Valley.

Your jobs sound great because of the mobility. You should do well, but yeah, that $100,000 a year will disipate.

A much better way to live the dream? Find a novel, or short story, or a news article, with a character that she would kill to play, a story that is older, and probably cheap. Secure the rights to that novel and hire someone to adapt it. Take your vacation time and the money you think you would have spent to move and make the movie. Hire an editor. Apply to festivals. Something like In The Bedroom. Get young filmmakers involved. Really be a film actor.

That sounds like an awesome idea.

This will also tell you how serious your wife is about this idea and if it's really a dream or just a way to try to shake things up. If this will feel like too much work and too much money to spend at once, well, then go back to reading about MLC and try to gently talk her out of it as it can backfire in more ways than it can turn out to be a dream come true.

GhostSaver

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #24 on: April 01, 2017, 12:38:50 AM »
I lived in LA for a while. I've got an old friend who is a well-known leading man, several friends scraping together a living in the music and theater business in various ways, etc. I also have friends teaching theater, doing community theater and improv, and getting gigs as extras outside of LA.

The advice that you've gotten about doing LA on the cheap is good. You can manage your real estate costs to some degree if you don't care about your commute or your school district. And it isn't SFO or NYC level expensive. Crime isn't a big problem in all but the sketchiest neighborhoods. Pollution isn't nearly as bad as it was a couple decades ago. Traffic is abysmal and public transit is limited for a city of that size, but if you don't have a commute, that might not be a big detriment for you.

The advice about living in Atlanta or somewhere as an alternative for starting an acting career is very bad. These state and local governments throw big subsidies at the film studios so the local politicians can pose with the Hollywood big shots. It's quite the waste of taxpayers' money, but that's not really my point. My point is that the movie flies in with their actors and their crew to film. They cash the check and then go back home. They will get some local extras and/or other cheap labor, but pretty much anyone with their name in the credits is getting flown in from LA. If you want to try to "make it" in show business, you need to be there or maybe in NY.

But breaking into that kind of acting for a woman over 40 is basically unheard of. If it's your wife's dream and trying will make her happy, by all means do it. But know that your odds of winning the lottery are better than her chances of breaking into Hollywood acting at her age. Staying put, doing community theater, or putting together your own indie film are all much more practical ideas. Working locally might be more fun and less soul-crushing for her in addition to being more financially responsible.


pk_aeryn

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2017, 02:19:50 PM »
I live in LA, work in TV.  Cannot agree more with Ghostsavers advice:

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But breaking into that kind of acting for a woman over 40 is basically unheard of. If it's your wife's dream and trying will make her happy, by all means do it. But know that your odds of winning the lottery are better than her chances of breaking into Hollywood acting at her age. Staying put, doing community theater, or putting together your own indie film are all much more practical ideas. Working locally might be more fun and less soul-crushing for her in addition to being more financially responsible.

This, totally this.  Your income is high enough you could live in LA but if the only reason you're moving is to get on TV... she'll be just as unhappy.  If she has the acting bug loves it and doesn't want to live without doing it, act locally.  I'm sure you know this but if she's wanting to act for the love of acting, she doesn't need to go to LA.  If not, she actually has the fame bug and that's not a statistically achievable goal unless your wife genuinely has the looks and charisma of Charlize Theron, and even then, extremely unlikely.

I wish you luck trying to reason this with your wife however, in my experience people who have a desire to be famous don't often operate much within the reason spectrum.

sjlp

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Re: We want to move to Los Angeles, how can we keep costs down?
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2017, 05:41:12 PM »
Now, she is on to one of her next "dream job" ideas.

Is this a phase that will pass? I ask as someone who loves to fantasize and plan about other careers. A lot of people never truly follow through on them, but it's a great idea to take inspiration and try to build those interest into life (i.e., rather than quit job and incur a ton of debt for nursing school, do data analysis for hospitals and volunteer with the elderly). You're so supportive. I mean, once you're financially independent, you can do what you want, but you don't seem to be there yet. I recommend the book Designing Your Life about trying out life changes before diving in completely. Frankly, it seems like it would be so much more rewarding to be a big part of local community theater rather than some extra in a Hollywood movie or commercial.