Originally Posted by permanentvacation:
I know that Frederick is not a cheap area. When I go to visit my daughter, I make a point to check out the area. We usually get something to eat at a different restaurant each time, sometimes we'll go to a 'real' restaurant, other times go to a fast food restaurant, go to a park, walk through the local shops, and every once in a while, go to the grocery stores, clothing stores, and other 'regular stores' so I can get an idea of prices in the area. Keep in mind that my daughter is a college kid who has to watch her expenses too. So she has learned of the 'affordable' restaurants as well as found the more affordable places to shop for necessary items like groceries, clothing, etc. So, she's shown me how to afford to live in Frederick and still enjoy your life.
The little apartment that I would like to move into cost the same as the 3 bedroom and full basement townhouse I currently live in. But the area is safer and overall nicer. I did find some cheaper apartments in a lower section of Frederick. I think, after living in Middle River, I can handle living in the 'lower section' of Frederick. I would be much safer there as a little old lady than I will be here.
I am also taking into consideration that it will just be me, not my daughter and I. So, my groceries, laundry, cooking, electricity, etc. will be less expensive than I am paying now for the two of us.
Plus, if I can get to the point that I either rent a home or buy a home that allows me to do daycare in, I would get paid much better for daycare there than here. I would think that if I move there and keep a full-time job as well as a part-time job for a couple of years while I pay off my debt and fix my credit, once I have no debt, I should be okay.
There are a few really nice, safe, parks there that I would enjoy spending time at for free. There's a main street that my daughter has taken me to a few times in the middle of Frederick that has little shops and restaurants. I like just walking there and 'sight seeing'. I have never felt the need to buy anything in the shops, I like just looking around. You can go hiking in the mountains there, which is free. The apartments that I would like to move to has a swimming pool, tennis court, and basketball court; all of which I enjoy. I think I would be able to occupy myself and enjoy myself for fairly low cost there.
I have looked into the cost of houses there. A nice house in the nicer section is most likely always going to be out of my reach, but there are smaller single family houses and townhouses in the 'okay' area of Frederick that are the same prices as homes in Middle River.
I think, if I learn to handle my finances well, I will be alright in Frederick. But I know I need to get a good handle on my finances in the next 17 months or I won't be able to live in Frederick or anywhere for that matter.
My daughter's boyfriend's mother lives in Walkersville. I don't know anything about the area. I did drive through it and a couple of other cities close to Frederick one time just to see the what was near her, but I have not spent any real time in any of the other cities. I haven't even met his mother and they have been dating for 3 years and living together for the past 2 years. I just think I should have met his mother by now. But that's another story.
The section of Main street with shops is the ok area ( I used to love eating at a few places there)... they light it up at night for the Holidays.
Walkersville/Woodsboro/Liberty is more country but pricey... lots of new shops on 26/94 have shot up in the last few years as you leave Frederick city heading out that way ( I shopped at Wegmans for the first time 2 weeks ago). Hood is a good College... took a few classes there when I lived on Key Parkway (too rich for my blood now lol). Thurmont is a cute town. Cunningham Falls has a great lake for swimming & fishing, but it's on national/state park land about a mile from Camp David (RT 77 in Thurmont). You pay by the car to get in and there is no cell service for obvious reasons... we use to watch the helicopters fly over on weekends when we were there; lots of picnic space too...