Moving to a place where you're not as financially secure

[Anonymous]

Next summer we're moving to Newport, RI for three years, and to be honest, I'm a bit concerned about living somewhere where...well, where we'll be among the less well off. If you've made a move like this, did you find you were still able to socialize? Did the drastic differences between your HHI and most others' cause issues? I know this sounds silly, but we're rural southerners at heart, and while I can mimic regional cultures well, the money thing isn't something you can fake.

[Anonymous]

Naval War College?

Don’t worry. There is the summer vacationing crowd and a few people still connected to old Newport, and some quiet RI money. But most people in RI are down-to-earth. The area is beautiful and they’re used to people coming and going- you’ll be fine and have a wonderful time. New England money is not what you’re expecting- you would never guess at the resources of the richest people I know in the area unless you saw their property and house. And even then, the cat hair and chickens would throw you off. They’re the types that don’t care about flashy events but will 100% show up at every single town meeting to discuss the tiniest detail to death.

The people I know who had teaching stings at the Naval War College had a really wonderful experience. Be sure to enjoy the beaches during shoulder season when tourists are gone, enjoy the special Christmas stuff in the mansions, and visit the rest of the state. We really enjoy the area around Little Compton and of course Providence.

[Anonymous]

*stints, not stings. Also, be sure to eat seafood while you’re there!

[Anonymous]

It can depend on why you are moving.

College professors do this often. My BFF from college is a prof and currently teaching at a school where both the students and the surrounding community are very well off. Her husband is self-employed and she makes a standard salary for a humanities prof. I think there are some challenges, but because there are many other professors in the same boat, the school does offer some help with housing to facilitate living in a HCOL area on a lower salary, and the community itself respects academia and the professors at the university, I don't think it's intolerable.

The main challenge seems to be managing her own feelings. It can be hard to be surrounded by people who all have expensive, large, perfectly appointed homes and designer everything if that is not something you can afford. It's not even jealousy, exactly, as just a feeling of inadequacy and a heightened awareness that you are of another status. Friend loves her job so that helps, but long term I think would like to move to a job in a college down with more of a middle class culture. But for a few years? Not a problem and actually kind of an interesting cultural study if you have that attitude -- a way to see how the other half lives for a bit before returning to an environment where you are closer to the mean.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, well I'm a multi-cultural foreigner, and have lived in several countries, next to people richer and poorer than me, so the idea of someone from the US south feeling weird about moving to the US northeast because of perceived income differences seems... minor. After all, you know that there are plenty of very wealthy families in the southern US.

Everything will be fine. The best way to make friends is to be friendly and open-minded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, well I'm a multi-cultural foreigner, and have lived in several countries, next to people richer and poorer than me, so the idea of someone from the US south feeling weird about moving to the US northeast because of perceived income differences seems... minor. After all, you know that there are plenty of very wealthy families in the southern US.

Everything will be fine. The best way to make friends is to be friendly and open-minded.

This is a little naive of you- there are separate countries in Asia and Europe that have more in common with each other in terms of customs and culture than parts of the south and parts of New England. And wealth and status and their language and trappings are different everywhere! Unless you mean new money- new money is the same around the world.

[Anonymous]

You have not met cheap until you have met Nee England cheap. Brace yourself, OP! Old money is money for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have not met cheap until you have met Nee England cheap. Brace yourself, OP! Old money is money for a reason.

Ha! Fair enough.

And thank you all for the lovely responses. I was actually pretty excited about the move except for this one part, and I feel a lot better about it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, well I'm a multi-cultural foreigner, and have lived in several countries, next to people richer and poorer than me, so the idea of someone from the US south feeling weird about moving to the US northeast because of perceived income differences seems... minor. After all, you know that there are plenty of very wealthy families in the southern US.

Everything will be fine. The best way to make friends is to be friendly and open-minded.

This is a little naive of you- there are separate countries in Asia and Europe that have more in common with each other in terms of customs and culture than parts of the south and parts of New England. And wealth and status and their language and trappings are different everywhere! Unless you mean new money- new money is the same around the world.

Just no. To this entire post. As someone who's lived in the north and the deep south, it's not that different, and certainly more similar than similar countries in Europe (eg, Germany/Austria etc).

[Anonymous]

I have friends who live there and their hhi is probably 100-125k (non profit and musicians ). Somehow they manage and have lots of interesting friends.

[Anonymous]

I love Newport lots of freaks there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, well I'm a multi-cultural foreigner, and have lived in several countries, next to people richer and poorer than me, so the idea of someone from the US south feeling weird about moving to the US northeast because of perceived income differences seems... minor. After all, you know that there are plenty of very wealthy families in the southern US.

Everything will be fine. The best way to make friends is to be friendly and open-minded.

This is a little naive of you- there are separate countries in Asia and Europe that have more in common with each other in terms of customs and culture than parts of the south and parts of New England. And wealth and status and their language and trappings are different everywhere! Unless you mean new money- new money is the same around the world.

Wut

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have not met cheap until you have met Nee England cheap. Brace yourself, OP! Old money is money for a reason.

So true! Love those 1980’s Volvos!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have not met cheap until you have met Nee England cheap. Brace yourself, OP! Old money is money for a reason.

So true! Love those 1980’s Volvos!

80s Volvo is my dream car! -person wearing a cardigan sweater with holes, who also reuses paper towels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have not met cheap until you have met Nee England cheap. Brace yourself, OP! Old money is money for a reason.

So true! Love those 1980’s Volvos!

80s Volvo is my dream car! -person wearing a cardigan sweater with holes, who also reuses paper towels.

Haha. One of the richest people I met wore poorly fitting cardigan sweaters.