You may have seen my comments in other HN discussions about living in lower cost of living cities that still have decent tech scenes. Consider this exhibit A: the fully customized wheelchair-accessible 1600 sq.ft. condo I bought for my parents (in trade for their house) didn't break six figures. My sister bought a smaller condo in the same complex for under $40k. Literally, buying outright in their neighborhood is comparable to paying rent for a year or two on similar places in or near SF.
You can live a lot more luxurious than they do and still come out way ahead financially, and be ready to retire at 45 or 50, making an ordinary developer salary and not taking any unusual risks. You can make low six figures in Colorado or Texas or Georgia, pay off your house in 5 years, and have a family living on 25% of your take-home pay from there on out. It's not the right choice for everyone, but it's the right choice for some people -- find a place you love to live with low expenses, and you create a lot of flexibility and open up a lot of possibilities you wouldn't otherwise have.
> You can live a lot more luxurious than they do and still come out way ahead financially, and be ready to retire at 45 or 50, making an ordinary developer salary and not taking any unusual risks. You can make low six figures in Colorado or Texas or Georgia, pay off your house in 5 years, and have a family living on 25% of your take-home pay from there on out. It's not the right choice for everyone, but it's the right choice for some people -- find a place you love to live with low expenses, and you create a lot of flexibility and open up a lot of possibilities you wouldn't otherwise have.
I can't second this enough. I'm moving from Chicago (high cost of living) to Tampa, FL. Real estate is roughly 40% cheaper, and I can work remotely, paying off our new place in 3-5 years (we're ~30). It'll allow me to spend a lot more time with kids we plan on having soon.
You may have seen my comments in other HN discussions about living in lower cost of living cities that still have decent tech scenes. Consider this exhibit A: the fully customized wheelchair-accessible 1600 sq.ft. condo I bought for my parents (in trade for their house) didn't break six figures. My sister bought a smaller condo in the same complex for under $40k. Literally, buying outright in their neighborhood is comparable to paying rent for a year or two on similar places in or near SF.
You can live a lot more luxurious than they do and still come out way ahead financially, and be ready to retire at 45 or 50, making an ordinary developer salary and not taking any unusual risks. You can make low six figures in Colorado or Texas or Georgia, pay off your house in 5 years, and have a family living on 25% of your take-home pay from there on out. It's not the right choice for everyone, but it's the right choice for some people -- find a place you love to live with low expenses, and you create a lot of flexibility and open up a lot of possibilities you wouldn't otherwise have.