How Much Is It To Live In Hollywood
Living in Los Angeles can seem like a never-ending money making machine. There are always new restaurants to try, new entertainment venues to visit, and even newer neighborhoods to explore.
If you’re already living here, then you know how expensive it can be at times. The cost of living has skyrocketed over the past few years due to skyrocketing real estate prices and fees for services such as utilities and cell phones.
It is totally normal to feel stressed about paying your bills every month, but there are ways to lower your costs without sacrificing too much. This article will talk you through some strategies that can help you afford to live in L.A.
Reminder: If you make an average salary per year in the United States (around $30,000), then you can definitely survive living in California! Most people living in more affluent areas of LA have very high income levels. {Source}
This article will focus on finding cheaper places to stay, eating out less, limiting cable or streaming service subscriptions, and using public transportation instead of owning a car. All of these things can save you significant amounts of money each month.
How to Save Money By Finding Cheap Accommodation
Surprisingly, staying in a cheap hotel does not mean sharing a bathroom with other guests. Many hotels offer their “cheap” rooms as discount rate cards from sites like Priceline or Hotels.com.
Get a good job
If you want to live in this expensive area, then you have to make an investment into the community. You will need to be able to afford a monthly rent or house payment, along with utilities, groceries, and other daily expenses.
Hollywood is known for its celebrities, so getting a position as a writer, actor, or singer can help you financially. Many people are aware of how much it costs to live here, but some don’t know what positions pay well.
It’s easy to get inspired by actors and singers and desire to do something creative, so try going into a mall during late night hours and see if there’s anything opening up. Or you could check out online opportunities for writers and agents.
Pay your bills
Living in Los Angeles costs money, even if you’re just starting out as a filmmaker. Even having a small budget doesn’t mean you can’t live like a millionaire here!
Living in LA is expensive no matter what kind of budget you have. Rent is the biggest cost, but there are also food, transportation, and entertainment expenses. Add all that up and it can quickly add up to more than what you make.
Most people don’t realize how much things cost until they actually spend money while living here. Fortunately, most areas of town are very accessible via public transport or bicycle so spending cash on these isn’t too difficult.
Also, eating cheap isn’t fun so why not invest in some groceries once in a while? There’s always something new at Costco or Trader Joe’s you haven’t tried before so why not give them a go? If you find yourself buying lots of junk food every time you visit those places then maybe it's time to cut back.
Avoid expensive habits
Living in Los Angeles can be very expensive, even for people with full-time jobs. Consistently eating at restaurants is an unnecessary expense unless you know how to budget smartly.
Many of us have spending sprees during our days here in LA, whether it’s lunch with friends or going out for coffee with colleagues.
If you make a habit of this, then your wallet will take a hit later when you want to eat at home.
You could also find yourself buying drinks or snacks while performing tasks like editing next week’s episode or doing office work. You may not realize it, but these small costs add up over time.
It’s best to establish a budget early so that you are not constantly having to go into debt to live well.
Budgeting apps such as Mint and Google Wallet help track all of your money efficiently, which is another way to ensure proper savings.
Save for a house
Even though you don’t need a large house, living in LA requires a substantial amount of money if you want to be able to afford all of the amenities that are included with this lifestyle.
Most people start thinking about buying a house when they have their first child. While it is nice to have some kind of base, having your own home isn’t always necessary for happiness.
If you want to stay in LA, you’ll need to consider how much money you will need to save up before you can buy a place.
There are lots of ways to make money in Los Angeles, but most aren’t easy or straightforward. Starting off as an assistant in TV or film is great, but not everyone has a chance to work in those fields.
Finding employment in any field beyond writing and marketing is tough, so saving up now could mean missing out on opportunities later in life.
Get a credit card
A lot of people will tell you that living in LA is expensive, but having a ton of fun can easily counteract that cost. If you want to have some fun, there are many ways to do it!
Living in Los Angeles comes with its share of expenses, which are very high due to the nature of the city. Rent is super expensive, especially if you’re looking for a one-bedroom or smaller apartment.
Utilities are also pretty significant because most places don’t offer discounts. The average person uses around 600 kilowatts per month so make sure you look into potential billing surprises.
A lot of things require a smartphone these days as well, making it easy to be connected at all times. Cellular data plans are also relatively expensive.
It’s important to have a good amount of money saved up before moving here because there are lots of unexpected costs.
Obtain health insurance
Even though your agent will likely tell you that healthcare is expensive, living in close proximity to top-ranking hospitals and medical facilities can reduce the cost of care for you as an individual.
You should definitely look into coverage through your employer or find affordable health insurance online. The more dependable sources of income you have, the easier it will be to pay bills if necessary!
It’s also important to know what kind of benefits you have. For example, are you given free checkups at the doctor’s office? Are there diagnostic tools like blood tests that help determine the cause of symptoms?
If so, make sure you take advantage of them because this costs money! Also, do you receive prescription medication or wellness programs such as fitness classes? If so, see how much less expensive these are per month too!
There are many ways to save money by being aware of all of the services your company provides and whether they are included in employee discounts, social security taxes, etc.
Learn to be creative when shopping
Living in Los Angeles can get expensive, very quickly! Luckily, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to live like a celebrity.
You can enjoy all the perks that being famous brings without having a huge income. Many people who are successful share their secrets with others via YouTube or blogs, so by learning these tricks, you will too!
People pay thousands of dollars a month to use private gyms, hire personal trainers, and invest in fitness equipment and gadgets, but what most of them don’t is the key element to staying fit - exercise.
By simply walking every day, you’ll feel better about yourself and contribute more at work and home. Plus, there are plenty of free outdoor activities around where nothing costs a lot of money unless you bring your own gear.
There are also various ways to reduce food expenses. Foodie sites and apps help you find new recipes and learn how to make the best uses of foods you already have.
Think of the experience instead of the things
Living in Los Angeles is not like living anywhere else in America, and it’s not like most other major cities in the world either.
It’s quite difficult to compare costs of living here with those in your home town because there are so many differences in what you get for your money.
Living in LA may be expensive but it’s that sense of well-being you enjoy after spending your hard-earned cash on something You Get More Out Of It than what you put into it.
And while cost of living calculators exist to help us work out how much we spend per day, week or month, they don’t always take into account the psychological value of What You Give Up To Stay Here.
So rather than focusing on how much coffee you buy or how much cable TV you watch, try thinking about all the cool stuff you’ll be missing if you have to relocate.