Quality of life making 45k in Virgina Beach?

[pciscott]

I have 3 friends that are 52 and fully retired with 30 years in California Law enforcement. They went strait in out of the military. They get 3% full pay per year in for retirement. 90% pay and retired at 52. Sometimes the pay is on the backend and there can be other factors to consider. They do all moonlight as armed security because there free time cuts into their budgets. Can you imagine retirement at that young an age, can make up for some of that poor pay.

 

[TylerS]

Whenever you make a decision like this you need to convince yourself that your making the best decision you can with the information that you have.

Take a hard look at the pay difference. Figure out how your life changes when your pay is 1/2 what it is now.

I found this article which was interesting.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/map-happiness-benchmark_n_5592194.html

You need to try to make $75k or more in VA for the household.

 

[Clayalaleona]

I honestly think you should stay. I am all about dreams but one has to be realistic sometimes.
Without the additional income and without family things might get difficult. Most problems are small when you can afford to fix them. Lets say you move to VA and get that dream job... what do you do if there is a storm and that takes out the roof of your house? You get in an accident? God forbid you total a car? You get sick or hurt? What if your girl gets pregnant and cant work? These issues are a lot easier to fix on 85k than they are at 45k. The financial aspect can also lead to more stress when things come up.
I totaled my car a couple months ago. In that time I've had my insurance soar, had to purchase a new car and got sued by the company of the people that HIT me AND the bulkhead on my fish tank cracked. All this would have been horrible if I had a budget that was already stretched thin.
Sometimes dreams have to remain dreams for them to be fun.
If you feel that is your passion why don't you volunteer on the weekends or get involved in programs where you help the people affected by crime? You can participate in a lot of activities that help the community without pursuing criminal justice and it would be the more financially responsible thing to do.
My dream is to own an LFS or even an online shop but it wouldn't be financially responsible of me to drop my studies to do that or quit my job and pursue that. Moreover, I've grown accustomed to nicer things, I like to vacation every three months, I like to be able to buy things without worrying if my card will bounce or not, I like having just enough wiggle room so that if something catastrophic happens and everything comes crashing down I know I will be fine for at least six months.
We have to consider all of this before we pick up and leave to chase a dream. I don't want to be a debbie downer, I just want to make sure you know exactly what you are getting into and that it may negatively affect you in the long run.

 

[Retro Reefer]

For what it's worth I had a bunch of relatives move to va beach 25+ years ago, one was a ranking member of the va beach PD when he retired.. There all back here in northern Va today, can't remember all the motivating factors involved in there decision to move back to the area.

 

[jaws789832]

I cant tell you what to decide or which way to go but I can relate to the dilemma. 22 years ago when I was 32 I had the same problem. I was working for a well established construction company and making over 100k a year, but I felt my calling was to be a firefighter. I applied to several departments around the country and finally got my opportunity but it came at a huge paycut. I went from making 100+k to 18k. It was a hard decision but I made it and stuck with it. Fast forward 22 years, now making 80k. Have a retirement that will last for the rest of my life, great healthcare that will last for the rest of my life. I can retire anytime I want but I still love my job and am still at it. Looking back it was the best decision I ever made. Life isn't always about the now, and there are a lot of factors the weigh into a decision like that. I was able to cut my costs and live within my means (with a few hiccups of course) and in the end I don't regret a thing. Yeah that 45k might not be 45k but you will have all the things that you will need when you get older. The first years can be especially tough and you probably will have to pickup side jobs to make ends meet (I stuck with side construction jobs for the first 7 years in the department until I made enough that I didn't have to anymore). If your GF is a teacher she probably won't have too hard of a time picking up another job, wherever you go but it too will probably be a paycut. Anyways good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[lwmnfrvr]

Clayalaleona has offered some very sound advice. Her suggestion to become a reserve officer in the jurisdiction you live is a very good option. I'm a retired LEO (28 yrs. of service)) and had the opportunity to work with many fine reserve officer's that came from different walks of life. I.E. Doctors, Lawyers, Airline pilots and High Tech professionals.
By becoming a reserve officer you will be able to pursue your dream with out sacrificing your current employment, or life style.
If you find that you still want to become a law enforcement officer, having been a reserve officer will look very good on a resume.

Good luck on your decision.