Moving Without a Job? 7 Tips to Get Your Budget and Career on Track

If you have your heart set on moving to a new city but the right job opportunity isn’t available, it’s still possible to make the leap. Whether you’re a new graduate or a corporate veteran ready for a career shake-up, moving somewhere without a steady income might seem nerve-racking. Thankfully, there are some strategic steps that can make the process of moving without a job smooth and efficient.

To avoid burning through your savings, commit to making your job search your top priority throughout the moving process. As long as you’re fully committed to saving, prioritizing your job hunt, and you don’t mind living below your means, you’ll be able to handle your decision.

Even if you don’t consider yourself financially savvy, moving without a job requires you to at least learn budgeting basics to make your plan work. It’s definitely possible to get a job in another state and make important career contacts in the process. Below, we’ve outlined how to approach relocating while avoiding stressful blunders throughout the moving process.

1) Be Realistic About The Home You Can Afford

Don’t overestimate how much you can spend on accommodations in your new city or town. If possible, stay with friends or family to avoid paying rent while job hunting. Then, once you start apartment or house hunting, you need to be honest with yourself about what you can afford. If you’re planning on renting, a rent budget calculator is an invaluable free tool.

2) Build Your Savings As Much As Possible

To justify moving without a job, it’s helpful to have a solid safety net of savings. Set aside at least six months of living expenses before you move. You’ll want to be able to sleep at night without stressing about not having an emergency fund. It’s never been more important to be prepared to live without consistent earned income.

3) Become a Budgeting Guru

The first thing to do upon arrival in your new city is to calculate your monthly expenses. Essentially, you need to make sure your future projected income will be able to support your lifestyle. Your rent or mortgage payments, groceries, utilities, and other essentials will be key factors. When you’re trying to limit spending, zero-based budgeting is often a practical choice. Regardless of the budgeting method you choose, it will feel great to take full ownership of your financial situation.

4) Earn Extra Cash Through Several Side Hustles

While you’re on the hunt for a full-time position, it’s helpful to have the security of earning some additional cash from side hustles and passive income ideas. It’s worth researching which types of online side gigs you can manage since they’re usually the most flexible and prevalent. When you have multiple streams of income through low-effort work online, you won’t panic about paying your bills and won’t rush the process of finding the right career for you.

5) Research Employers With an Open Mind

Moving without a job waiting isn’t necessarily irresponsible or far-fetched, but you can’t expect a job to appear without putting in the work. Most importantly, be flexible and keep an open mind when researching employers and specific positions. Even if you don’t get your dream job, it will be useful to have a steady source of income sooner than later.

6) Upskill While You’re on the Job Hunt

Use any downtime between applying for full-time positions and working on your side hustles to upskill and get new certifications. Make yourself a more attractive candidate in whatever way you can. This will ultimately help you increase your earning potential, too.

7) Become a Networking Pro

Since in-person networking events likely won’t be up and running any time soon in your new city, take full advantage of networking online. Through your digital networking, be sure to optimize your social media profiles, consider attending virtual career fairs, and use all the best practices for online communication. Build your professional network and social currency on the web, and make the best of it to open as many future opportunities as possible.

Navigating the job search process isn’t always easy. It can feel especially challenging when you have the pressure of needing to find something fast after moving. Remember, even if it’s tough, it’s totally possible. Check out some pointers below for conquering the job search process after relocating.

Moving without a new job can be a challenge whether or not you have ample savings. You may need to make some sacrifices, but with the right budgeting app to support you, anything is possible.

You may end up needing a roommate, renting an apartment that isn’t in your ideal neighborhood, or living on a bare-bones budget for your first year in your new city. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Ultimately, if you are passionate about living there, you’ll make it work and you’ll have a new job before you know it.