Editor: Crass Cash
On my vacation I decided to stop by Portland, OR to see if all of the stereotypes were true. If you've watched the show Portlandia hopefully you've seen the opening video where they say that it's where 20-somethings go to retire.
I don't want to say that I found this stereotype to be true, BUT I don't think it was far off. Portland according to a tour I took has a very high unemployment rate among the younger population. Apparently a lot of them hear about how awesome it is (yes it is) and then move there without a job lined up and then can't find one. They've actually encouraged people to not move there because of this. If you're ever there and you want a free tour check out: http://secretsofportlandia.com/ (technically it's free, but they work for tips)
So how are the young people able to "retire" in Portland? Well as we both know there are two components to retirement: income and expenses. They obviously make little to no income so their expenses must be drastically reduced. They've found an amazing way to strip away everything that isn't a necessity. Food, water (free), shelter, and clothing appear to be their only needs.
So how are the young people able to "retire" in Portland? Well as we both know there are two components to retirement: income and expenses. They obviously make little to no income so their expenses must be drastically reduced. They've found an amazing way to strip away everything that isn't a necessity. Food, water (free), shelter, and clothing appear to be their only needs.
The transportation issue is solved with bikes. This was a common site everywhere I went. Contrast this with Orlando where I almost NEVER see anybody else's bike at the bike rack. On good sunny days 20% of the population will ride their bikes to work and on bad rainy days it drops to over 6%. This is phenomenally higher than other cities! With how cheap bikes are today, riding is practically free. Portland also has a wonderful public transportation system. You can ride it anywhere and all day long for just $5 a day. If you're going to be doing it consistently it's even cheaper to get a longer term pass.
Judging by the wardrobe of Porlandians I'm thinking that Goodwill does a great deal of business there. I saw some huge Goodwill shops as well. Goodwill clothes are very cheap, they keep the money in the community, and they reduce pollution. My $4 Dunder Miffln Goodwill shirt was a big hit there.
Water in Portland is free. No not the stuff that goes into your house, but there are glacier fed public water fountains all over the place that were put there 100 years ago. They recycle around 60% of their trash, so water bottles are discouraged. Drink up!
Hungry anyone? If you're looking for an abundance of cheap food than look no further than the plethora of farmers markets that are on every day of the week there. Like Seattle, Portland has a temperament west coast climate that allows for food to be grown year round. The saying goes that you should go to the markets hungry because there are so many free samples you'll leave full. And since they cut out the middle man the fruits and veggies are much cheaper than grocery stores.
The only insurance you need when you're broke and have no net worth is health insurance. Before they probably went without, but now they can get it paid for through Obamacare.
So there you have it. If you're young and want to retire, move to Portland!
Judging by the wardrobe of Porlandians I'm thinking that Goodwill does a great deal of business there. I saw some huge Goodwill shops as well. Goodwill clothes are very cheap, they keep the money in the community, and they reduce pollution. My $4 Dunder Miffln Goodwill shirt was a big hit there.
Water in Portland is free. No not the stuff that goes into your house, but there are glacier fed public water fountains all over the place that were put there 100 years ago. They recycle around 60% of their trash, so water bottles are discouraged. Drink up!
Hungry anyone? If you're looking for an abundance of cheap food than look no further than the plethora of farmers markets that are on every day of the week there. Like Seattle, Portland has a temperament west coast climate that allows for food to be grown year round. The saying goes that you should go to the markets hungry because there are so many free samples you'll leave full. And since they cut out the middle man the fruits and veggies are much cheaper than grocery stores.
The only insurance you need when you're broke and have no net worth is health insurance. Before they probably went without, but now they can get it paid for through Obamacare.
So there you have it. If you're young and want to retire, move to Portland!
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