DH wants to move to Montana or WY

**momof2joys** · 04-29-2009, 10:02 AM

Okay, last night dh and I were talking he said how he would like to move and just get away from here, I am all for it, but I still want to be closer to family!! Keep in mind that all of my family lives in South Dakota and all his family lives here in Iowa! The only one that would be close to us if we moved is dh's bio. dad that lives in WY.

Our kids are young enough that we don't have to worry about any school changes and such, but still that's quite some move from here!!

Of course we can't move until we get a LITTLE more out of debt, so we are looking at about a year or more, but it just took me by suprise and has me really thinking.

I would love to move and get away from all the bs with his mom and step dad, and so would dh, but I don't want to leave my parents and my sisters who live here in the same town as me. Dh has a brother that lives down by Sioux City, but as dh says "moving to somewhere with snow and my brother will come"...LOL!! (our family really enjoys snowmobling)!!!

Plus, I don't know anything really about Montana or WY, what the schools are like, price of living, cost of different things, etc.

I know we will have over a year to think about it, but it really has had me thinking and wondering if I really want to move or not. I just needed to write it all out and get it off my chest, and I figured you guys would be the best ones to vent too...LOL!!

Thanks for listening and if you have any ideas for me let me know!!

**JerryG** · 04-29-2009, 10:17 AM

I grew up in MT and lived several years in WY. I think they are really beautiful states. Depending on your occupation, it might be a struggle to make a living (it was for us).

I live in a large metro area now and both MT and WY cost of living is MUCH cheaper than here.

Personally, I'd move back in a heartbeat, if the employment aligned.

Good luck - I think you should go for it. If it's a ways out, take some travel time through both. You won't be disappointed.

**WV_mom_of2** · 04-29-2009, 10:32 AM

My only piece of advice is to do it before the kids are established in school. I moved ALOT as a child and it is so hard on kids once they are in school! I would no sooner make good friends then we'd up and move again.

**mauimagic** · 04-29-2009, 12:13 PM

We love to visit our friends in western Montana - absolutely beautiful!!! DH says he would like to move there, but I don't really know. I moved a lot as a child also and it can be a challenge if overdone, plus i was an olnly child.

If you don't like it you can always move back. Found it better energy to move if you are moving towards something instead of away from something.

Keep us uptodate as you go through you thinking process!!

**SerenaNY** · 04-29-2009, 01:59 PM

Never been to WY (always wanted to go) but Montana is pretty stunning, depending on the area. Cost of living is also considerably lower than the national average (I once researched it for a grad school application, although that was a few years ago), but I imagine careers might be harder to come by as well, unless you telecommute.

Good luck!

**cab54** · 04-29-2009, 02:10 PM

Can I come? LOL. Our kids were already established in school when we visited MT and WY, and I saw how beautiful they are. I used to bug dh to move there, especially when his toxic family would drive us nuts.

We stopped at a campground in MT years ago, and the boys went swimming. The towels dried in about 20 minutes!! Every time I hang out clothes in MI or OH, they take HOURS to dry. I have complained to dh "This wouldn't be happening if you'd moved us to MT!" LOL!

Not to mention the scenery in MT is mind-blowing....

**pinetree** · 04-29-2009, 03:13 PM

I grew up in Wy. We tried moving back there a few years ago, and just couldn't do it. The stores up there have the same prices as here in Co. and people up there make 1/2 the pay.

I still have alot of friends up there, and they still drive down to Ft. Collins, or Denver to find deals. ( from Casper thats along drive).

If I were you I would check out the housing and jobs online and see what you can find out. Finding a good paying job is raelly hard to find, where we were looking at, but I have friends that moved up North around gillette to build houses because its booming right now. I'm not sure if its for the coal mine or not.

Thats my two cents. I would move there in a second if I could afford it.

**bonnotsm9** · 04-29-2009, 03:21 PM

I lived in Wyoming several years ago. My mom and her husband own a ranch there. In some parts of both WY and MT real estate prices have gone up quite a bit. Housing used to be super cheap there. Now both states are places where celebrities and wealthier people like to buy vacation homes. In some places- Jackson Hole, Missoula- it has really driven up the cost of living.

Groceries were higher than average when I lived there. I was in a small town, which may account for part of that.

Oh, and the wind blows ALL THE TIME!

You will find lots of places to snow mobile and cross country ski.

**stinkbug** · 04-29-2009, 08:41 PM

Dh grew up in MT.....we'd be there now if there were any jobs in his field. He had to move out of state after he graduated from college to find a job. We've been here 17 years...I guess ID is the next best thing

You need to seriously look at the job market/pay verses cost of living before you think about such a drastic move.

**patticakes** · 04-30-2009, 01:28 PM

If you can work out an acceptable job situation and living arrangements, I say move. If it doesn't work out you can always move back or move on to somewhere else.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Why wonder "what if's" if it's do-able?

**BlueEyes** · 04-30-2009, 01:33 PM

So true, you should allow kids to get established in one school. It's so hard to move kids around in school and have to make all new friends.

Good luck in you decision.

**momof2joys** · 05-01-2009, 10:41 AM

Right now we are debating on how fast we can get our debt paid off, other than the house of course!! It is both something that we want to do, Dh has been looking on line for some jobs, hasn't really found anything that is too promising, but he's still looking!! Thanks to everyone for their advice, ideas, and support!! Everything you guys have said are going to be playing into our decision, so thanks again!!! I'll keep you posted!!

**thefrug** · 05-01-2009, 12:49 PM

Everything I've read from others who are living in that area, on other message boards, suggests that you'll have to become rather self sufficient in growing and preserving food and such to make it through the winters up there. Alternative means of heat ( woodstove) and fuel(chopped wood), is advisable apparently. Now, I'm talking about outside of large cities of course. But, it seems to me that , that would be where you'd like to be in order to do the winter sports the family likes. And having more than a postage stamp size yard would mean being outside of cities.
You have to really sit and think what you want. Country with some land or city with the people and conveniences.

**stinkbug** · 05-01-2009, 05:47 PM

MT is not the wild west....they do have larger cities and plenty of ammenities. But, you can be a stone's throw from the *city* or in the city and have plenty of land. You can have it both ways! I don't can and we don't have wood heat and we've survived so far.

We live in a city of 200,000 (in ID...not that much different) and live within the city with land and plenty of room to garden, etc. Yet we are 15minutes from the city center, 10 minutes to pretty much anything we need, and 1/2 hour from the ski resort. And less than an hour from most other activiities - boating, hiking, snowmobiling, rafting etc.

I think it's the job issue that is going to be the sticking point....depending on your dh's profession. I cannot see that the cost of living in Missoula (dh's parents) is much less than it is here. But the wages are way less for my dh's profession in MT than in ID. (there are virtually no jobs for him....in areas that we would consider)

**bonnotsm9** · 05-01-2009, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by stinkbug

I think it's the job issue that is going to be the sticking point....depending on your dh's profession. I cannot see that the cost of living in Missoula (dh's parents) is much less than it is here. But the wages are way less for my dh's profession in MT than in ID. (there are virtually no jobs for him....in areas that we would consider)

My sister and her family lived in Missoula for years. The wages are lower but the cost of living isn't. It was really hard for her to get by living there, especially after her divorce.