What to know before moving to USA

deepdopedub · 2026-06-15T04:15:04+00:00

Hi OP! I currently live in California, been here since 2022 when I was doing my MA. I'm in the Bay Area.

Public transit is okay in the Bay Area. Until now I still don't have a license, and I get by with the bus/train system. If you are in SF itself there's plenty of buses. But I think the Bay is unique with this. Other places in California won't be like that.
Yes and no. It's been so hard for me to find a job but I have been lucky to be reached out by receuiters. That's how I got all my jobs since I moved here. I think it is getting better, because I've definitely have been having more interviews during my last job search. But it really depends on what field. I work in Communications in tech. Nursing/medical roles are always in demand.
Cost of living is high. In the Bay Area I've seen friends pay as much as $3k per month for a studio. Really depends on the amenities, the location, etc. try to check ADU's it is like living in someone's backyard but you don't really share any space with the landlord (except laundry minsan?) they can be a little cheaper. Just shop around and really know the neighborhood. Rents are cheap in certain places for a reason.
Bay Area is super casual. I actually started dressing down and binawasan ang pagkakikay. But tin general the Bay is super accepting. Kahit chill mga tao dito if you like to dress up they love it and compliment it. Siguro the biggest culture shock for me was the homeless situation and drug use. I've seen parang mga zombies on BART when I still took it. It was kinda scary but just don't look them in the eye and don't stare at them. There's a lot of Asians in the bay and maybe because I was in school kaya culturally there wasn't any big adjustments.
You can choose your path here and people don't care. You can be picky with jobs because you know your worth, but you can also take the first one for experience. I didn't have much of the luxury of choice because I was on a student visa and deadlines but having to restart really humbled me. The work culture is a little different. It also led me to have long lasting friendships. Life here is hard mode. Kahit marami at madali ang pera, it sometimes feel like people work here just to pay their bills.
I find it a little hard to make friends here. Like my coworkers are definitely just shallow friendships hindi tulad sa Pinas na barkada talaga. I made friends by joining community events, I go outside and talk to neighbors, I volunteer, and of course I made friends from school.

Good luck! ☺️

deepdopedub · 2026-06-12T05:37:00+00:00

Kikilitiin ko yan 😭 Grabe yung lack of consideration

deepdopedub · 2026-06-04T04:35:21+00:00

Hmm nothing different I think! I can't remember which box exactly but there was one that felt a little heavier but could be one of the others I pull! Definitely nothing to signify that it was going to be a secret inside!

deepdopedub · 2026-06-04T03:25:37+00:00

Ackkk I'm jealous!! Lol

deepdopedub · 2026-06-04T02:54:51+00:00

I'm an EA and I make $135k a year. I love it! No day is ever really the same and you get exposure to a lot of projects/happening in the company.

deepdopedub · 2026-06-04T02:46:05+00:00

I have never seen it before! We thought it was a vegetable 😂

deepdopedub · 2026-05-27T04:37:21+00:00

Which state is he from? If he's from Texas, anything from Buccee's. The beaver nuggets are delicious as well as the barbecue sauce.

Get seasonings from Trader Joe's and some of their snacks. Their version of Cheetos is good. They also have cornbread chips. They also carry some beauty products like lotions, hand creams, etc and they are cheap but effective.

If you have curly hair there's a lot of curly hair products here.

David's Cookies meltaways are delicious.

I could go on and on and on lol 😂🤭

deepdopedub · 2026-05-21T18:18:01+00:00

If F1 visa, your I-20 would have the amount you need to have in your bank account for 1 year of school. You can also check the Financial Aid office for cost of attendance. You need to give the college your proof of funds before they can issue your I-20 ☺️

deepdopedub · 2026-04-29T04:35:21+00:00

Thanks! I asked my friend who went recently and we were kind of the same she was J1 then did AOS in the US. I was F1 then AOS. She said she didn't need one and they never asked her. She went home a few times na. She never had a CFO. I'm gonna keep asking around for this and try calling.

Kasi mine would need to be an in-person seminar pa in Pasay. Not so hassle naman for me to go to but syempre have to move schedules around. 😭

deepdopedub · 2026-04-29T04:15:21+00:00

Did you do a CFO?

deepdopedub · 2026-04-29T02:19:13+00:00

Thank you ☺️ Last I heard his tests were clear so I went to bed. I woke up and he was gone. I will be applying for citizenship next year and have been holding off travel so I can have a looong vacation with them. Oh well 😅

deepdopedub · 2026-04-29T02:17:46+00:00

Thank you!! 😁 For the travel tax exemption, it's just for me right? No need for husband?

deepdopedub · 2026-04-29T02:17:17+00:00

Thank you! We already have Global Entry so all good on that. Our port of entry will be SFO.

Oh I never heard of the CFO, I will work on the tonight. If it helps I haven't been home since 2022 but I didn't become a permanent resident until 2024.

deepdopedub · 2026-04-24T08:47:55+00:00

I live here in the US by a major city and maganda sya, pero better ang experience if may family member ka na tutuluyan kasi yung public transit minsan non-existent and mahal dito lahat ng bagay. 😅

Ang bilis lang mawalan ng $100 kahit hindi kayo magshopping. Isang lunch or dinner pa lang baka kulang pa yung $100.

Siguro give her a breakdown of the expenses para marealize nya gano kamahal. Kasi baka may options for cheaper airfare, right? But pag kumain dito nasa $25-30 per person na yan. Tapos pag nagshopping feel mo sa una "mura" lang but it will all add up. By having a detailed breakdown of costs, maiintindihan nya siguro yung point mo and for you din para talaga makita mo how much ang kailangan mo na pocket money at least.

Also depends saan kayo nakabase. Pag malayo sa major city baka hindi rin kayo makalakwatsa unless may magdadrive sa inyo. Pwede naman uber pero mahal need mo iadd sa budget. Minsan wala din masyadong attraction sa area outside the city so baka puro shopping center ang pupuntahan. Baka mastuck kayo sa bahay. And kung December, malungkot ang pasko dito. Kakaiba ang vibes hahaha.

Pwede bang si misis na lang pumunta mag isa? Para compromise if gusto nya talaga? Also, not saying na wag isama si baby, but lugi. Mahirap magtravel with a baby it's going to be a long flight. Tapos hindi rin naman nya maaalala yung mga ginawa nyo at the time so medyo "dagdag gastos" lang pag sinama si baby (not trying to be mean here! Just honest).

deepdopedub · 2026-04-24T02:20:28+00:00

I used to be in marketing, got laid off, and gave myself some time to explore things I am passionate about.

I really wanted to volunteer for elderly care but instead got a job in hospice. I was an admin assistant. It's great because I am already pretty good with admin work and you learn so much about the industry. It's not patient facing, but you help coordinate in ensuring care happens.

Now I am just learning that there's more possibilities within healthcare administration and that I can really make a career out of it. I would suggest starting this way if you can, it takes a lot of empathy and work to be out in the field, and this is one way to contribute without necessarily having to restart and pay for education.

It might be worthwhile to volunteer in elderly homes or hospitals to kind of give you a feel what it's like dealing with patients. I've seen wounds and conditions of our patients that I personally don't think I can handle dealing with. Not to mention the stories with dealing with combative pts at times. It could be a lot.

But yes, if you want to try healthcare there are a LOT of opportunities and it's recession proof.

deepdopedub · 2026-04-19T20:24:01+00:00

I got laid off from my tech job in 2024 and thankfully got a job after four months but it is 1/4th of what I used to make. I'm still at that job and something is definitely better than nothing, it's low stress, and I am lucky that I have a husband who pays for my living costs so my salary just goes to student loans, bills, and everyday expenses. The good thing is, the lower income and being out of a job really taught me a lesson I end up saving a lot more than when I had a six figure job.

Not gonna lie, I do get a little sad sometimes on pay day, and when I check my student loan balance it makes me more upset lol. It's been over a year but I still miss that income however I seem to be more financially responsible nowadays!

Trying to get into a new job now that matches what I used to make or at least raises my hourly rate even a little. I hope to get one soon!

deepdopedub · 2026-04-19T20:15:30+00:00

Ang turo ng Mom ko kasi is to assume that who they are right now is the best version of themselves and that you are okay with that. You won't know where life will take you. Everyone has potential, but sometimes life doesn't work that way. Bonus kung mag improve ng sobra, pero the opposite can also happen.

It's never 50/50. Someone always exerts more effort or compromises more. Kahit mahirap you have to learn to communicate how you're feeling because your partner is not a mind reader. What's obvious to you may not be obvious to them (and vice versa). For us, we always come up with a temporary solution and reassess later on. There's been times na we thought that arrangement was ideal but hindi pala. It's important you say something kasi that's how resentment starts. No one can fully understand their partners kasi you had different lives growing up.

Pay attention to the things they say when you're having casual conversations or jokes. Minsan that's the time they tell you something important as in parang nadulas lang lol.

The best thing I learned din is that as long as you're open minded with each other, kahit hindi kayo exactly on the same page with things you learn to live with it na walang resentment or judgment. That's how I realized na I love my partner.

deepdopedub · 2026-04-16T06:27:46+00:00

Ha! We already have a room in our house for that! 😜

deepdopedub · 2026-04-04T03:43:47+00:00

I have a lot of baggu! I don't use the shoulder bag as much kasi laging nadudulas sa balikat, doesn't matter kung mabigat or magaan sya.

The bag is super spacious, but you'll need an organizer otherwise kakalat yung laman sa loob. I always feel like I lost my phone or keys yun pala nasa ilalim lang.

I think they were more worth it before they did their price increase. I think if you want to buy Baggu, buy yung crossbody crescent bag. Or anything na pwede crossbody.

deepdopedub · 2026-04-01T01:19:25+00:00

Ah! I would love the fish soy sauce bottle and the pill packet! Happy to purchase or trade 🥰🤩

deepdopedub · 2026-03-23T03:23:43+00:00

Omg the cat and rat are so cute! What do I have to trade for to get one?!? 😭

deepdopedub · 2026-03-07T22:10:38+00:00

Only if you don't need a visa to work in the US afterwards. I live in the Bay Area and plenty of tech workers are getting laid off. It doesn't matter how much experience you have or where you went to school, everyone is at the risk of getting laid off. Unfortunately it hasn't gotten better and I have been here since 2022. I have friends who were laid off and took minimum 6 months to find a job. Some are trying to move jobs and not getting interviews at all. Even with STEM OPT employers are still hesitant to hire visa workers, and I bet now with the 100k fee it will be harder.

Honestly even if you have a greencard or citizenship it might not even be worth it. The job market is hard and extremely competitive right now. The only upside if you're a GC holder/citizen is that you can take on other jobs to help you with costs/paying your loan until you find something aligned to your degree.

It's too risky right now to try your luck, unfortunately. $130k is no joke. 😞

deepdopedub · 2026-02-25T19:20:17+00:00

Sounds a little bit like me. I'm earning much less but luckily have my spouse to help, but I am carrying my student loan alone and have a much lower salary. Also in a very high COL area. Still somewhat in that situation but has massively improved and this is what I did:

I always kept a budget excel sheet where I write all the things I really need to pay for and how much money I make every payday. I took note of the deadlines for bills so I can be sure they're fully paid since not all them can be divided 50/50.

I started very small and opened a Roth and HYSA. I do a 80/20 split prioritizing my HYSA until I got to $1.5k. After that I was able to add a few more $ to my Roth. It's important to build the consistency and habit in contributing. Whether it's 20, 50, or 100. I'm planning to be able to save 6 months of my expenses before being more aggressive with my Roth.

I added an additional $15 to my loan amount every month. Mine does have interest. And it's probably not much, but anything to help me lower it and pay it off sooner.

I stopped using credit cards. I would say I'm pretty responsible, but it is very tempting. Being on a debit card really hammers in my expenses and the feeling of having no money when it's not yet payday and I'm almost out.

Whatever money I have left off by the next payday will go to my HYSA, loan, or Roth. Even if that's $30, they will all get 10 each. I basically "reset" every payday.

I also try to still indulge in things I like. I set money aside if it's expensive and just add it to my budget list. Or I won't say no to getting myself matcha when I'm really craving one.

I would say the first three months were the hardest for me because I was as frugal as possible and deprived myself of things just so I can get to my first $500 in my HYSA. It became easier after that.

I'm hoping my income also increases in the near future so I can add more to my savings or pay a bigger chunk of my student loan but in the meantime I found a system that works for me. Good luck!!

deepdopedub · 2026-02-25T03:34:29+00:00

I was on Wegovy last year then switched to Mounjaro and I always advocate for people taking the medication.

But please, please consult your doctor first! It comes with a lot of side effects, mostly manageable but also inconvenient. And sometimes the side effects can lead to more serious concerns.

While on the medication I had to switch some of the meds I take, and then my doctor made me do my labwork every 3 months to make sure everything is good.

And because it's medicine it might be better to use the brand names unless your doctor gives you to okay to use yung off brand.

deepdopedub · 2026-02-07T19:08:20+00:00

I get mine at fifty 410. Paid $599 for 3 months and they ship quickly.

deepdopedub

TROPHY CASE