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| Posted on Friday, December 13 @ 00:00:18 PST |
Laura Glasser Follow Dec 13 · 7 min read
A budget guide for living and enjoying life in the city of Angels.
Los Angeles Skyline Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay I grew up in a small town in a mostly agricultural state. There were a lot of advantages to this life like I knew almost everyone in the city, my relatives (on both sides) lived nearby, and the scenery was amazing. It was peaceful and fun.
We never traveled far from home, vacations were spent at the beach, camping, or staying at a friend’s cabin at the lake. Weekends were spent on the back porch with family and friends. We hung out with friends at the mall, the movie theater, or the bowling alley.
After High School, the expectation was that you would attend the local community college, get a job, go to church, and get married. When applying for the community college, I was asked if I wanted to be a secretary or a teacher, I remember wondering if that was all there was.
Today, I live and work in the film industry in Los Angeles. If you asked me how I got from my small town to being an Assistant Director in the DGA, I would tell you that I seized every opportunity. If you asked my naive 18-year-old self the same question, she would say it sounded fun.
In truth, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I was very good at knowing what I didn’t want to do. And sometimes knowing that is enough to keep you going in the right direction.
What landed me in Los Angeles was a job opportunity.
A few years earlier, I met a costume designer from Los Angeles at my local community theater. She was at the theater visiting a friend and doing some research. I was volunteering painting sets, working on costumes, and acting in the play. She was only there for a week, but we became fast friends. We continued to communicate over the next few years.
After I graduated from community college, she called and offered me a job as a personal assistant. She and her husband lived and worked in Hollywood. Their lives had gotten busy, and they needed some live-in help. She was designing costumes for 2 hits TV shows, and he was making a name for himself in IT for film and television. The offer included room and board, living expenses, a fuel allowance, and $300.00 per month cash. Yep, $300 buckaroos.
My Dad pointed out that all my needs were covered, that the cash would go a long way. Plus, he added, I already knew her, and she would help me learn to navigate the city.
I stayed at that job for 3 years — I loved it.
The point is that I can make $300.00 go a long way in LA.
Living in Los Angeles is expensive. Rent is expensive. Cars are expensive. Parking your car is expensive. However, people who live in LA love to have fun, being on a budget does not stop them from exploring every nook and cranny of the city.
Beaches are FREE!
Venice Beach Photo by David Potaczala on Unsplash Los Angeles has miles and miles of beaches and they come in every shape and size. And they are really beautiful and each one is uniquely different. You can ride the bike path, surf the waves, life weights, do yoga, boogie board, paddle board, skateboard, roller blade, walk your dog, feed the homeless, listen to the bands, watch the performers, play volleyball, walk the boardwalk, walk the pier, play basketball, swing on the swings, or just spend the day people watching. There are jugglers, dancers, artists, musicians, surfers, drum circles, and new events every weekend.
Parking is expensive, but if you are willing to walk you can park a block away for FREE!
Hiking Trails are FREE!
Griffith Observatory Photo by Cameron Venti on Unsplash LA is home to an extensive array of hiking trails in the canyons, hills, marshlands,around reservoirs, and in some of the inner city parks.
You can hike trails made famous in movies, television shows, and music videos. You can visit Griffith Park Observatory and hike the trails — an added bonus is that the view from the observatory is breathtaking.
Sign up for The Weekend Sherpa and discover all of the outdoor activities going on in Los Angeles.
Many Museums are FREE!
Getty Center Museum Image from Pixabay Los Angeles is home to many, many, many museums — and most are free. Those that are not offer free days every month.
The Getty Center is always free admission. Parking is not.
There is no neighborhood parking, however, here are some options for parking nearby and taking a bus, a shuttle, or Uber/Lyft.
Here is a link to other free museums in the Los Angeles area.
An added note, Los Angeles museums can be busy during the week with schools on field trips…arrive after 2pm when the buses are departing and it will be less crowded.
Tourist Attractions that are FREE!
Hollywood Sign Photo by Nathan DeFiesta on Unsplash Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Mann’s Theater, or hike near the Hollywood sign.
Find parking in the neighborhood — make sure to read the parking signs — and walk down Hollywood Blvd.
Here is a link to other free tourist attractions.
The only thing limiting you is your imagination — so go out and explore the city.
Los Angeles is HUGE!
Los Angeles is HUGE! It is a massive sprawling metropolis. The biggest expense is driving. It takes hours to get from one side of the city to the other without traffic. There is a myth floating around that you can save money by living outside the city and driving in to work. Maybe that works in New York, but not in LA.
Because of Earthquakes, LA was built low to the ground, many of the older buildings are only 2 stories high. Unlike New York City where they can stack people and businesses on top of each other, LA is spread far and wide.
LA is also a clustered mass of 158 smaller towns. For example, in Los Angeles, I live in Culver City which is about 5 square miles. Los Angeles is over 500 square miles. The big white circle represents all of Los Angeles, the marbles the towns within the city/county limits.
Because it is HUGE, you will save money if you live near where you work . You might find cheaper rent in one area and be willing to drive, but you will spend a small fortune paying for gas to get to and from work. You will spend hours sitting in traffic just burning up fuel so save yourself the stress and live within a few miles of where you work.
New urban planning is creating areas where you can live, work, and play without having a car.
Where to live.
As I mentioned earlier, every area of Los Angeles has good and bad areas. Before you sign a lease, drive around and explore different areas. Or explore them virtually online.
This Thrillist article explains a little about a few of the more popular areas to live and gives a cost estimate of rental prices.
Many people want to live in Santa Monica or Beverly Hills, but can’t afford it. Angelenos know to look in areas that are ‘neighborhood adjacent’. Often you can find a place to live that costs less, but is only a little outside of your area.
Land a job before you move here.
This tip is less about having income and more about traffic, location, and commuting time.
Yes, I got lucky and was offered a job before I loved here. But, the tech and film industry continue to grow at exponential rates. Google, Amazon, and Apple are expanding in the Culver City area you can do a job search on their websites and apply online.
Take time to understand the main areas of the city and find a place to live within the area or nearby. The main areas of the city are the Beach communities, the West Side, Downtown & Dodger Stadium, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Miracle Mile, area, the Valley, Bel Air and Beverly Hills, the Palisades, and many more.
Each of these areas is a group of smaller towns. For example, the beach cities include Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Marina Del Rey, Play Del Rey, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, etc.
Each area has its pros and cons, good and bad areas, and freeway access.
Los Angeles has the best weather.
“ When its 100 degrees in New York, it’s 72 in Los Angeles. When its 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it’s still 72†— Neil Simon
I am not exaggerating when I say we have the best weather in the entire world. It is beautiful here. The sun shines year round. The weathermen know a hundred ways to say, “It’s sunny and 70â€.
“We live in Los Angeles because of the intoxicating energy of new beginnings that permeate the city†— Marianne Williamson
Some people follow their dreams and some people follow their instincts — I did the latter. That first job as a personal assistant was a long time ago, since then I have built a life and career that I could never have imagined back then.
Oh, I forgot to mention the bands, the music, the night life — I guess I’ll save it for another article.
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