• Danielle-Ann Kealohilani Rugg moved back to Hawaii to care for her family during the pandemic.
• She balances event work, a tax business, and family life amid Hawaii's high living costs.
• Despite the challenges, she finds beauty in Hawaii but would return to Oregon for lower living costs.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Danielle-Ann Kealohilani Rugg, a 39-year-old entrepreneur and event staff professional who relocated from Oregon to Hawaii. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I have an ever-evolving career. I balance my event work with Aloha HP, running a successful tax practice, and caring for my family on Oahu in Hawaii.

My path has been a mix of culinary aspirations, entrepreneurial ventures, and family-driven decisions. I was born and raised on Oahu. In 2005, when my twin daughters were 1, I moved to California, where I lived for six years before settling in Oregon. Oregon became home for most of my children's lives, spanning the last decade.

I've been back on Oahu since the pandemic, and while it's gorgeous, the high cost of living is challenging.

My professional life began with a passion for food

I moved to Oregon after a divorce to help care for my grandparents, and I fell in love with everything about the state. I had always seen the different seasons in movies and TV shows and longed to experience them, and that dream finally came true. The other amazing thing about the state was the absence of sales tax.

I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland to pursue my passion for baking and pâtisserie. After completing the two-year associate degree program, I worked in various roles, from baker to cashier to server.

Each position taught me invaluable lessons about customer service, multitasking, and time management, especially when catering large events. It wasn't just about bread and coffee cups but about creating memorable client experiences.

My family always came first. Wanting to be closer to my children, I became a lunch lady at their high school. Surprisingly, this was one of the most fulfilling roles I've had.

I continued my side hustle while in Oregon

I shift gears every February and dive into tax season with my mother. We've been running a tax prep business since my early 20s. We realized the hard work we put in for someone else's business could be channeled into something of our own.

The time zone difference was challenging while I was in Oregon, but we made it work. Depending on our clientele for the year, we make $50,000 to $75,000 annually.

My mother and I get along very well. Our relationship is not perfect, but we've found a good balance between our professional and personal lives.

The only downside I experienced in Oregon was the limited places to swim

The ocean was about an hour and a half away, but the water was always freezing. Although it was beautiful, going to a beach and being unable to jump in dampened the experience.

There were lakes, but they were freezing because all the freshwater came from the mountains. We also had a few facilities we could go to, but that would involve getting a membership, and not all of them were indoors.

When the pandemic hit, my family had to make a change

In 2020, as the world was grappling with the onset of COVID-19, my mother suffered an injury, and she needed help. She lived in Honolulu, and despite the comfortable life my children and I had built in Oregon, I needed to return home.

It wasn't an easy decision, especially during my kids' junior year in high school, but sometimes life demands hard choices. The transition was tough, but ultimately, it was the right move for my mother's well-being. We also moved my grandmother back with us, who has dementia.

Back on Oahu, I found a job with Aloha HP, a Hawaiian staffing company. Aloha HP allowed me to keep up with my business while maintaining an open schedule to care for my family, which was a relief.

I'm primarily involved with event staff work

I do anything from setting up for weddings and banquets to serving guests. These gigs can last four to nine hours.

I average about 80 hours of work a month and earn between $1,350 and $1,900. It's a dynamic way to work, and I enjoy its variety and challenges.

I've learned my self-care cannot be an afterthought. I always carve out two days during my hectic workweek just for myself.

Now that I'm back in Hawaii, the downsides are clear

The cost of living is one of Hawaii's biggest downsides. When I lived in Oregon, my rent for my three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage home with a yard was $1,500. Electricity was, on average, $250, and my water bill was around $80. Car registration for both of my cars totaled $275 for two years. Groceries cost us around $500 a month.

Now, my rent, which my family helps with, is $3,550 for a slightly larger home than I had in Oregon. Our electricity is almost three times the amount I paid in Oregon, running on average $660 and up. Water is around $220, and car registration is $445, but only valid for one year.

The grocery stores here also have inflated prices. I may earn more money in Hawaii, but it's offset by the cost of living in Hawaii being much greater than in Oregon.

It's still paradise

Living in paradise is amazing; don't get me wrong. I'm close to my family, the ocean is nearby, the sun almost always shines, and even when it doesn't, the rain is a nice, cool temperature — not freezing cold.

Still, if I had to choose between the two places, I would move back to Oregon, only because the cost of living here is so high.

I've realized, though, that Hawaii is and always will be home. Despite the changes in times and technological advancements, living on an island still offers so much beauty. Just being here is a gift in itself.

Even though I once said I'd never move back, life has a way of leading you where you need to be.

• Co-living company Common is accused of negligence in a new lawsuit.
• The lawsuit alleges Common housed a man with a "dangerous" roommate who was later charged with murder.
• Common disregarded safety concerns and requests for relocation, the lawsuit said.

Common, once North America's largest co-living operator, has been accused of housing a recent college grad with a "dangerous" roommate who was later charged in the serial killings of four people— and ignoring the grad's repeated pleas for help as he feared for his life.

In a 15-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, William Castagna said that Common breached its duty to him when the company placed him with a roommate it knew to be "dangerous and unfit" and "ignored and denied" his requests to be relocated after he raised concerns about his safety.

"This is a case about a co-living real estate company that willfully disregarded its most fundamental role — to secure safe homes for its paying consumers," the lawsuit said.

Common, a New York-headquartered startup, was founded in 2015 and offered residents private furnished bedrooms in shared apartments. The company, which once operated about 7,000 units across more than a dozen US cities, filed for bankruptcy in late May 2024. At that time, Common announced that it would cease operations because it could not pay its debts.

Castagna said in his lawsuit that his housing ordeal began less than a year before the company filed for bankruptcy.

The lawsuit said Castagna's concerns over his housing situation started on his move-in day in August 2023 after Common placed him in a shared four-bedroom unit at the Los Angeles apartment complex, Common Elmwood, where Jerrid Powell had already been living.

Powell, 34, was arrested and charged later that year with four counts of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of three sleeping homeless men in Los Angeles and the fatal shooting of another man at a home in California's San Dimas. Prosecutors say the killings spanned a four-day period in November 2023. Powell, who remains held without bail pretrial at a Los Angeles jail, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

"At the time Common offered a lease to Mr. Castagna, Common was already aware that Mr. Powell had exhibited abnormal and alarming behavior and had not paid his rent for over a year," the lawsuit said.

Representatives for Common and attorneys for Powell did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Business Insider for this story.

Castagna alleges months of living in fear

Castagna said in his lawsuit that during his roughly three months of living with Powell, his roommate displayed "erratic behavior," repeatedly made threats, including one to "slap the shit out of him," and stole his food. The lawsuit also alleges the torture of a dog inside the apartment.

In the lawsuit, which only names Common as a defendant, Castagna accuses the company of negligence and a breach of warranty of habitability.

"Common made absolutely no effort to try to investigate the complaints, to do any sort of safety assessment," an attorney for Castagna, Carrie Goldberg, founder of the Brooklyn-based law firm C.A. Goldberg, told BI.

Castagna said in the suit that Common forced him to "endure an untenable and unsafe living situation that continued to escalate in severity."

On move-in day, Powell "forcefully asserted" that he owned Common and later claimed he owned Nike and BMW, the suit said. Powell also claimed to be God, Castagna alleges in the lawsuit. With shards of glass scattered around the floor, it appeared that a mirror had been punched, shattering it, the lawsuit said.

A note was later posted on the apartment's front door stating that Powell owed nearly $18,000 in back rent, the lawsuit said.

Common tried to profit from Castagna's desperation, lawsuit said

Shortly after moving in, Castagna began contacting Common to raise his concerns about his living situation, the lawsuit said. He contacted the company for help on how to proceed with his "seemingly unstable and unpredictable roommate," but received no response, the lawsuit alleges.

Within a week of moving in, the lawsuit said Castagna contacted Common a second time, explaining that he felt unsafe within the apartment, but no one responded to him until days later.

In that email to Common, the lawsuit said Castagna reported that Powell was playing "extremely loud and disruptive" YouTube videos of goats in the middle of the night. Castagna said in the suit that when he asked Powell to lower the volume, Powell said, "What are you going to do about it?"

Castagna said in the email that he feared for his physical wellbeing, the lawsuit said.

Following repeated emails from Castagna asking to transfer units, the lawsuit said Common eventually told him there would be an up-to-$500 transfer fee and an additional security deposit.

Castagna had moved to Los Angeles for a new job at a biosafety lab in a children's hospital and did not have disposable money to pay additional fees or a higher rent, the lawsuit states.

The company treated the situation as "nonurgent" and told Castagna there would be a 30-day waiting period before a transfer would be possible, the lawsuit said.

In the meantime, the lawsuit states that Powell "became increasingly menacing."

LAPD called after 'piercing sounds of animal distress'

On November 24, 2023 — just days before Powell's arrest — the lawsuit alleges that Castagna overheard "piercing sounds of animal distress" coming from Powell's bedroom, prompting Castagna to call the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD records obtained by BI show that a 911 call was made on that date to the Common Elmwood complex for a report of animal cruelty.

The lawsuit said the LAPD knocked on the apartment door, which Powell answered, and police could not gain access.

"Mr. Castagna later saw an injured dog in the common area of the apartment with a prolapsed anus," the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit said Castagna contacted Common about the matter, and Common emailed Castagna the following week and said, "These allegations about Jerrid's treatment of the dog are false. There is no further action for our team to take."

Powell was arrested in connection with the killings on November 30, 2023, about six months before Common filed for bankruptcy.

The lawsuit said that it was not until LAPD officers broke through the apartment door on the day of Powell's arrest and briefly handcuffed Castagna "simply because he was living in the same apartment as an accused multiple-murderer and thus treated as an accomplice" that he was "freed from this endless loop of disturbance and fear."

"However, the emotional impact and psychological scars still remain very present and real in Mr. Castagna's life to this day," the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and a trial by jury, said.

• Shawna Lum moved to Barcelona from Los Angeles after several failed relationships.
• She said the dating scene differed in Spain because men were "more emotionally available."
• The 31-year-old has now been married to a European she met in Barcelona for three years.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shawna Lum, 31, of Barcelona. She runs a company that offers advice to would-be expats. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I sustained neck and spine injuries when I was doing CrossFit a few years ago. They still cause me a lot of pain. My Spanish husband, Dan, 31, goes out of his way to try to ease the symptoms.

We'll be in a long line at a grocery store, and he'll gently massage my back because I've been standing for so long. He's always kissing me in front of people on the street. He's not afraid of PDA.

Most of the men I dated in the US before I moved from Los Angeles to Europe eight years ago were uptight about it. One brushed my hand away when I reached over to hold his hand in a restaurant. Another was clearly uncomfortable when I ruffled his hair.

In the US, the guys I met were uptight. If I wanted to bring up something emotional that happened in my life, they weren't available to talk about it. Three out of four of my serious boyfriends ended our relationship by text message.

The other dumped me while I was grieving the loss of a beloved aunt. He distanced himself because he was clearly not comfortable with consoling me. In 2016, I started to get depressed that I was never going to be in a relationship that worked out.

I'd spent part of the previous year in Spain as part of my college degree, and I felt happy and carefree. I decided to quit my traineeship as a manager for an oil and gas company and enroll in a master's program at a business school in Barcelona.

I got to know people at Meetup events

I mostly wanted a challenge and a change of scene. Still, my motivation was partly fueled by my search for romance. I thought it would be fun to meet some European guys.

Dating felt less forced in Spain. Instead of going to a flashy place for dinner, I enjoyed doing more adventurous things with people, like cycling or hiking all day.

Meanwhile, I turned to Meetup, a website that organizes trips and events. At events such as volleyball tournaments, yoga workshops, and ceramics projects, you mingle with like-minded people. It's a great way of making connections, whether friendly or romantic.

Another difference between dating in Spain and the US is that more of the guys I dated seemed ready for commitment. If I dated someone and it became an ongoing relationship, they'd call me their "girlfriend" because it was exclusive.

I met Dan, who was born and raised in Malaga, on the Costa del Sol, when I was riding my bike in 2017. I was impressed because he was fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. We played ping pong, went dancing, and meditated together. He was open and talked about his emotions in a way I'd never heard from my ex-boyfriends.

We moved in together, and I got a "partnership visa" in 2018. I employed a lawyer, but it was relatively easy to obtain once I proved cohabitation. I switched from teaching English to freelance work in digital marketing, mostly building websites for American clients.

People from different generations spend time together

Dan, a DJ and music producer, and I got married in October 2021. Sadly, my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness during COVID. Dan supported us throughout. He prioritizes family and community — a common theme in Spain. The different generations mix well. One of the nicest things is seeing kids, young people, and older folks strolling together along La Rambla or gathering in the plazas in Barcelona.

My relocation experience inspired me to set up my company, MoveOverSeasNow, focusing on Europe and South America. I coach Americans on everything from obtaining citizenship by descent to navigating health systems and financial planning for their move.

I deal with many couples but plenty of singles, too. Many of them are inspired by tales of finding romance. While I can't guarantee they'll meet the partner of their dreams in their adopted country, I tell them they'll have fun looking.

Do you have an interesting story to share with Business Insider about moving to a different country? Please send details to this reporter at [email protected].

• Business Insider looked at the purchasing power of a six-figure salary in different Texas cities.
• We adjusted $100,000 for Texas' 25 metro areas using cost of living data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
• Based on 2023 data, the purchasing power of $100,000 would be $102,438 in the Austin metro area.

One of Texas' big draws for the thousands of Americans who move there each year is its relatively low cost of living.

However, purchasing power isn't the same across Texas metros. If you had $100,000 in Austin, it wouldn't have the same value as in Longview, Corpus Christi, and other places in the state.

To compare people's purchasing power depending on where they are, Business Insider calculated what $100,000 means for each Texas metropolitan statistical area when adjusted by its regional price parity. That gives a sense of how much $100,000 at national average prices would actually buy in those cities based on their local cost of living.

Most of the 25 metros in the state had regional price parities below 100 in 2023, data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed. That means their price levels were less than the national average.

"Whether you are considering a job offer in a more expensive city, looking for an affordable place to retire, or are just curious about how price levels compare between different parts of the country, our regional price parities can help," Vipin Arora, the director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, said in a December post.

Texas has long been an attractive state for movers. Census Bureau data showed Texas had the largest positive net domestic migration — or the biggest number of people moving in from elsewhere in the US minus people leaving Texas for another state — from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, among states.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that many kinds of healthcare workers make over $100,000 on average in Texas. Ship engineers, postsecondary business teachers, and management analysts are a few of the other jobs that make over $100,000 on average in the Lone Star State.

The Dallas metro area had the highest regional price parity among the 25 Texas metros. Given the regional price parity for Dallas was 103.3 in 2023, that would mean the adjusted value of $100,000 at average national prices equals around $96,800 in that city.

Below is what $100,000 is worth in cities across Texas, ranked from lowest adjusted value to highest. We also included the 2023 regional price parity for each metro in Texas.

25. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

Regional price parity: 103.293

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $96,812

24. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land

Regional price parity: 100.220

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $99,780

23. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown

Regional price parity: 97.620

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $102,438

22. Midland

Regional price parity: 94.761

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $105,529

21. San Antonio-New Braunfels

Regional price parity: 93.727

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $106,693

20. Tyler

Regional price parity: 92.386

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $108,242

19. Odessa

Regional price parity: 92.056

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $108,630

18. Sherman-Denison

Regional price parity: 91.804

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $108,928

17. Killeen-Temple

Regional price parity: 91.761

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $108,979

16. Corpus Christi

Regional price parity: 91.306

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $109,522

14 (tie). San Angelo

Regional price parity: 90.869

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,049

14 (tie). Lubbock

Regional price parity: 90.869

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,049

13. Amarillo

Regional price parity: 90.812

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,118

12. Waco

Regional price parity: 90.786

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,149

11. College Station-Bryan

Regional price parity: 90.701

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,252

10. Victoria

Regional price parity: 90.631

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,338

9. El Paso

Regional price parity: 90.241

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,814

8. Beaumont-Port Arthur

Regional price parity: 90.238

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $110,818

7. Abilene

Regional price parity: 89.849

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $111,298

6. Wichita Falls

Regional price parity: 88.914

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $112,468

5. Longview

Regional price parity: 88.417

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $113,100

4. Laredo

Regional price parity: 87.786

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $113,913

3. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission

Regional price parity: 85.555

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $116,884

2. Texarkana

Regional price parity: 85.308

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $117,222

1. Brownsville-Harlingen

Regional price parity: 85.183

$100,000 adjusted by RPP: $117,394

• US News & World Report released a list of the cities with the best quality of life for 2024-2025.
• Cities with outdoor activities like beaches and mountains ranked higher.
• Ann Arbor, Michigan, was named the best city for a high quality of life.

Quality of life is one of the most important aspects one should consider before moving to a new city.

US News & World Report created a list of the country's most livable cities, weighing factors such as affordability, healthcare quality, and residents' overall happiness.

For its ranking, US News & World Report used data from sources such as the US Census Bureau, the FBI, and the US Department of Labor, among others.

Here are the top 15 cities with the best quality of life in 2024-2025, ranked.

15. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,010

Median household income: $70,165

Median home price: $281,646

Median age: 33 years old

Known for: Located among the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is an outdoorsy town that's known for its friendly residents, love of college football, and local favorites like a deep-fried catfish sandwich.

14. Richmond, Virginia

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 240,938

Median household income: $68,814

Median home price: $321,874

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Richmond is a historic city founded in 1737, but that doesn't mean it's old-fashioned. A thriving downtown scene with art galleries, concert halls, and trendy restaurants meld the city's rich history with the modern times, and Richmond's more than 100 local parks offer plenty of outdoor recreation for residents.

13. Hartford, Connecticut

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 118,273

Median household income: $46,377

Median home price: $214,546

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: While the population of Hartford skews older than some cities on this list, there's no shortage of buzzy restaurants and corporate offices for those looking to grow their careers in the Connecticut capital. The Bushnell Theater brings Broadway shows to town regularly, and The Mark Twain House and Museum is a popular destination for literary buffs.

12. Greenville, South Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 77,387

Median household income: $76,193

Median home price: $393,809

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: College football is huge in Greenville, which is home to Clemson University, but there's a thriving art scene, too. Outdoor activities also abound in this Southern city, thanks to multiple hiking and biking trails.

11. San Diego, California

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 1,404,745

Median household income: $109,765

Median home price: $807,264

Median age: 38 years old

Known for: San Diego residents enjoy outdoor activities, from surfing to boating and volleyball on one of the city's over 80 beaches. The city is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and is known for its authentic Mexican cuisine.

10. Asheville, North Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,353

Median household income: $69,429

Median home price: $400,587

Median age: 42 years old

Known for: Set among the Blue Ridge Mountains and defined by a thriving farm-to-table food scene, brewery culture, and a focus on local artisans, Asheville is an easygoing city with a lot to offer people of all ages, whether visiting or putting down roots in this creative Southern city.

9. Boston, Massachusetts

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 673,264

Median household income: $95,674

Median home price: $744,221

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: One of the most historic cities in the country, Boston offers many exciting cultural activities, including walks along the Freedom Trail and performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Fine dining and buzz-worthy restaurants abound, as do historic taverns and bars, and two Boston chefs were nominated for the James Beard Awards in 2024, Eater reported.

8. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 460,069

Median household income: $96,805

Median home price: $358,477

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Virginia Beach boasts 38 miles of coastline, offering plenty of activities from swimming to fishing, kayaking, and waterskiing. If you're not outdoorsy, however, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, museums, and taking in the local cuisine.

7. Portland, Maine

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 68,430

Median household income: $77,286

Median home price: $449,949

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Portland, Maine, has quickly become the New England city to watch, thanks to its thriving food scene, plethora of outdoor recreational activities, and exciting music and nightlife scenes. However, the cost of living in Portland is rising steadily, leaving the city at a crossroads of how to create more affordable housing while retaining Portland's small-town feel.

6. Madison, Wisconsin

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 269,692

Median household income: $79,166

Median home price: $367,653

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: As the capital of Wisconsin's Dairyland, Madison has a thriving food scene built off local cheese and breweries. The city's lakes and bike paths also make this city a great place to live in the warmer months.

5. Raleigh, North Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 469,960

Median household income: $87,708

Median home price: $382,677

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: Raleigh-Durham is quickly becoming a premier destination for great food and entertainment with a second-tier city feel. Home to some of the state's top universities and colleges, as well as more than 20 craft breweries, shopping centers, and local museums, this region of North Carolina is a great place to lay down roots.

4. Honolulu, Hawaii

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 408,930

Median household income: $103,096

Median home price: $869,639

Median age: 45 years old

Known for: Honolulu is a slice of paradise on Earth with stretches of stunning beaches, fine dining establishments, resorts, a diverse local culture, and shopping destinations. History buffs can also visit sites relating to the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor, including the USS Arizona Memorial.

3. Boise, Idaho

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 277,498

Median household income: $85,886

Median home price: $422,080

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Boise's stunning natural surroundings are just one reason to move to this up-and-coming city. In addition to more than 180 miles of public trails for hiking, biking, and running, artistically inclined folks can take in a show at one of the city's theaters, while sports fans can root for the Boise State University Broncos.

2. Boulder, Colorado

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 122,362

Median household income: $97,017

Median home price: $854,424

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Boulder is known for its more than 60 parks and 155 miles of hiking trails for nature lovers. The city's downtown area also abounds with restaurants, cafés, and bars, while the outdoor Pearl Street Mall is a popular shopping destination.

1. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Quality of life score: 7.7

Population of the metro area: 125,664

Median household income: $86,628

Median home price: $456,578

Median age: 34 years old

Known for: Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor combines a small-town feel with the benefits of a bigger city.

According to US News & World Report, more than 90% of Ann Arbor residents live less than a 10-minute walk from a public park, which gives them access to hiking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing. The city's downtown is also a thriving hub for shops and restaurants, as well as craft breweries and distilleries.

• I'm 67 and am still working 5 days a week. Many of my friends have retired, but I can't afford to.
• I regret not investing in a pension offered to me earlier in life.
• Now I'm planning to move away from my grandchild so I can work less and enjoy a lower cost of living.

I am 67 years old and when people ask me if I've retired yet, my knee jerk response is, "No I haven't! What's retirement?"

I am a Psychologist, was formerly a teacher, and have worked and paid taxes all my life. I am well paid for the work that I do. I have paid my mortgage off and have no outstanding debts. In spite of this, I am now faced with the prospect of living on a state pension, which is just not possible, continuing to work or, as I have now decided, selling up and moving 200 miles away from my only granddaughter so I can live in a location where house prices are lower and I can afford to work less.

This wasn't the plan

It didn't start out this way. I once imagined that somehow I would make such a success of my life that I would be able to retire at 50 or younger, enjoying being a lady that lunches, going on cruises, and doing the odd spot of volunteer work. But I didn't actually have a plan.

I started my working life as a teacher, got married at 30 then found myself to be a lone parent when my children were 2 and 5, with no family support. I was not well advised and ended up with the children, the mortgage, no pension, and an ex-husband who tried his best not to pay anything at all.

Around that time I decided I needed a career change, and started to train as a Psychologist, a long and very expensive process. I'm not quite sure how I did it, but I managed to work, study, and raise children — all on my own.

I was proud of what I accomplished, but had nothing at all in the way of savings; life was a constant struggle to make ends meet. I still did what I could and at 40 I started to pay £100 (about $127 USD) a month into a private pension. Now I know that I was badly advised and if I were to take it, this would only pay me around £1,500 (about $1,905 USD) per year —nowhere near what I would need to live on.

The thing I never did with my money still haunts me

The obvious question is, why didn't I pay into the teacher's pension offered to me earlier in my career? Why indeed.

Not taking advantage of this is one of my greatest regrets. But when I was in my early 20s we didn't have any financial education. Even the teachers' unions didn't send out advice about pensions. To me, it just seemed like a large monthly outgoing from an already meagre salary, so I opted out and didn't give it another thought. Now I know that money would have made a big difference. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I needed to make some tough decisions

I realized around 5 years ago that the only way I could even contemplate retirement would be to downsize and move to a cheaper area in order to have a reasonably substantial nest egg to help me eke out my twilight years. Most of the advice I have read claims that to have a comfortable retirement where I live, one needs a gross annual income of around £40,000 (around $50,802 USD). I have calculated that with my state pension, bits and pieces for my writing, and interest on the surplus when I move, to reach that £40,000 I will still need to work at least one day a week. Not perfect, but a lot better than the five days I have been working.

With this in mind, I put my house on the market. Then my eldest daughter, who lives nearby, announced that she was pregnant. Fantastic as that was, I could no longer imagine moving away, so I carried on working five days.

I'm now more than a year past the typical retirement age and most of my friends seem to be enjoying a fruitful, active retirement. Meanwhile, I'm becoming more and more exhausted, suffering from frequent low-level infections, and becoming increasingly resentful.

Change is coming

Now, my house is back on the market. I will be moving to Derbyshire, where my younger daughter lives and where house prices are around half of those where I live now.

It will be a massive wrench, especially leaving my granddaughter, but I need to do it while I'm still fit and healthy. I have lived in my current house for 38 years and expected to leave it in a box. I've worked out a solution, although not ideal. I will have enough income to work one day a week, more time to focus on my passions, I'll be able to travel and get involved in the local community and still be able to visit my granddaughter every 6 weeks or so.

My advice to young people now? However distant it seems, don't leave it to chance. Make a retirement plan and start paying as much as you can into a good pension. The years fly by and it will be here before you know it.

• The Too Good To Go app aims to help consumers save money and reduce food waste.
• I tried it for a week to see how much I could save.
• I found it was most useful for fresh produce, but the pastries weren't always great.

Everything is expensive right now. It's rare that I ever leave the grocery store having spent less than I wanted to.

I've heard of apps like Too Good To Go, which sell surplus food at a discount, but never gone much further than signing up.

To test it out, I spent a week in early December only buying food from the app. I wanted to see if it was a viable way of saving money, sticking to a budget, and learning to be a bit more flexible with my cooking.

I also want to be more mindful about the groceries I buy and, unfortunately, sometimes waste.

Too Good To Go's CEO, Mette Lykke, told me in a recent interview that the app now operates in 19 countries across North America, Europe, and Australia, and covers 170,000 stores.

Lykke said the company hopes to inspire people "to make that the first step in a journey toward having a more responsible relationship with food."

"If we look at the state of the planet and the climate crisis, then it's pretty clear that something needs to change," Lykke said.

It was fun trying out new places in my city, London. While the pastries I received were hit-and-miss, the fresh produce from local stores was a real highlight.

Monday

Monday was largely spent figuring out the platform. I found that its map feature was the best way to find local cafés and stores.

I saw that an expensive café on my local high street offered pastries, so I opted for that — £3.90 ($4.95) for a blueberry muffin, chocolate chip cookie, and slice of banana bread.

After the sugar rush I was still hungry, so I chose a bag of sandwiches and pastries from my local Costa Coffee for £3.50 ($4.44).

I got a slightly stale pan au raisin and two sandwiches — one seasonal turkey feast, and a BLT which my boyfriend took for lunch the next day.

In total, I spent £7.40 ($9.39) on items worth at least £22.90 ($29.08), so the week was off to a good start.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I switched things up by trying out fresh produce from a couple of local stores. They offered "surprise bags" of groceries for £4 ($5.08) each.

While I was slightly overwhelmed with what to do with it all, it was an absolute hit with my boyfriend, who is always thrilled to be met with a culinary challenge.

One of the bags had Padron peppers, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, radishes, and beets. I also received three packets of pita bread, a sourdough baguette, a fruit bar, some buttermilk, and fresh herbs.

The multivitamin patches were a curveball, which I have to admit I didn't try.

In the other bag, I got a melon, some Greek yogurt, lettuce, butter, rainbow chard, and sausages.

The sausages went in the freezer, but almost everything else was used to make a pasta sauce, roasted peppers, sauteed mushrooms, buttermilk pancakes, and basil oil. The beets got pickled.

The only thing we ended up having to waste was the watercress, which was already looking past its best.

In total, I spent £8 ($10.16) on items worth at least £24 ($30.48).

Wednesday

Tuesday's groceries went further than expected, so I bought another pastry bag to satisfy my snackiness during the day.

I'm not convinced the sourdough loaf and pastel de nata (which I squashed) I got for £4.09 ($5.19) truly had a full sale value of £12 ($15.24), but they were both pretty good.

The server recommended putting the loaf in the freezer and toasting the slices, which was a great tip that lasted me the rest of the week.

Thursday

I knew I was out for dinner with friends on Thursday so I picked up some Starbucks pastries on the way. This was the biggest letdown of the experiment.

Throughout the week, I realized that several cafés don't offer anything until quite late in the day, by which time the food has been sitting out for hours. This makes sense from their perspective, but it does mean that some of the food isn't at its best.

But for £2.50 ($3.18), a muffin, cookie, cinnamon bun, and cheese stick is certainly better than nothing.

In total, I spent £2.50 ($3.18) on items worth at least £7.50 ($9.52).

Friday

I'd been eyeing up a nearby Bangladeshi restaurant all week, so knowing I had a night in alone on Friday, I went for the £4.09 ($5.19) curry bag they were offering.

I got a few bhajis, some chicken and rice, two veggie curries, more rice, some okra, and what I thought was probably cabbage.

It was all good and spicy, though the bhajis were slightly stale.

In total, I spent £4.09 ($5.19) on items worth at least £12 ($15.24).

The results

For the whole week, I spent £26.08 ($33.11) on £78.40 ($99.54) worth of food.

Not every bag felt like amazing value. But some, especially the grocery bags, were genuinely impressive.

The experience taught me a lot about how to be flexible. I'm now committed to focusing less on "use by" dates on food and sticking to the safety assessment Lykke taught me — "look, smell, taste, don't waste" — before throwing things out.

My advice for anyone downloading Too Good To Go is to use it with foresight. The app is great for saving money for those on a strict budget who are OK with some compromises.

Too Good To Go is available in huge stores in the UK (such as Asda) and the US (including Whole Foods), so there are plenty of places to try.

Lykke told me the nice thing about Too Good To Go is you don't have to give anything up, and she's right. From a quick scan of my area, there is bubble tea, ice cream, Turkish food, burgers, doughnuts, and more. You don't get to choose exactly what you want, but as long as you don't mind a bit of a surprise, it's worth a try,

"You actually get good food, it's a good deal, and you do something good," Lykke said. "It's win-win for businesses, for consumers, and for the planet."

• Ten of the 15 most expensive metros based on regional price parity data for 2023 were in California.
• Miami and New York were two non-California metros with higher prices than the national average.
• Some of the least expensive areas were in Arkansas.

The most expensive US metros are commonly found in California, while many of the least expensive ones can be found in the South.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently published regional price parity data for 2023. The figures for states and metros show how price levels of goods and services compare to the national average.

The metro area of Seattle had a regional price parity for goods and services of around 113 in 2023. That means prices were 13% more expensive than the national average, making it one of the metros with the highest regional price parities.

"Whether you are considering a job offer in a more expensive city, looking for an affordable place to retire, or are just curious about how price levels compare between different parts of the country, our regional price parities can help," Vipin Arora, the director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, said in a post.

California was 12.6% more expensive than the national average in 2023, making it the state with the highest regional price parity.

Several Golden State metros had the highest regional price parities among the over 380 metro areas in the US. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles was roughly 11% more expensive than the national average, and prices in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley were 18% higher than the average.

It's also especially pricey in the Seattle, New York, Miami, Boston, and Honolulu metro areas, rounding out the non-Californian metros with the highest regional price parities in 2023.

Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was around 20% less expensive than the national average, making it the metro with the lowest regional price parity in 2023. Arkansas had the lowest regional price parity among states last year.

Several other metros in Arkansas were among the least expensive areas in the US. Most of the 15 metros with the lowest cost of living were in the South.

• In recent years, remote work and affordable housing drove young Americans to move to rural areas.
• Places like Dawson County, Georgia, are seeing growth among young people seeking space and savings.
• It reverses a decadeslong trend of movement into cities.

Chase Voss, 36, moved this year from Hawaii to rural Georgia to be closer to family.

His new home, Dawson County, is one of the fastest-growing counties in the US for young people, amid a wave of movers into rural areas that's reversing a decadeslong trend toward cities.

We want to hear from Americans about their financial goals for 2025. Are you looking for a new job? Planning to retire? Applying to college? Tell us all about your goals and the hurdles you may face trying to accomplish them by filling out this form.

Voss, a real-estate agent, said many younger and middle-aged families have moved to Dawsonville from out of state for job reasons. Though there aren't many jobs in Dawsonville itself, which has a population of just over 4,600, some work tourism or nature jobs in the nearby mountains, while others commute the over 50 miles to Atlanta or work remotely.

"Dawsonville is far enough away where they can feel that remoteness but still close enough to the city that they can have access to everything," Voss said.

In recent years, younger professionals have been bucking a longtime trend of their age group: moving to cities. Now, with flexible work arrangements and high housing costs, many are forgoing more densely populated areas in favor of rural America. Those areas bring bigger houses, lower prices, and a different pace of life — and their own new challenges.

Where younger people are moving

A recent analysis of Census data by Hamilton Lombard, a demographer at the University of Virginia, found that 63% of rural counties or counties in small metros experienced increases in their populations of 25- to 44-year-olds between 2020 and 2023, compared to 27% between 2010 and 2013.

Northern Georgia, the Mountain West, and New England were rural regions with particularly strong population growth among young Americans. The 10 counties that saw the biggest influxes of younger adults were largely rural; the most populated of all of those areas is Hays County, Texas, in the suburbs of Austin, which had a population of around 280,500 in 2023. Musselshell County, which is the least populous, had just 5,308 people as of 2023.

That's a big shift from pre-pandemic patterns: From 1980 to 2020, white-collar workers increasingly moved into densely populated areas, per Lombard's analysis. That trend was expected to continue — until the pandemic and the rise of remote work. Since 2020, Lombard found, rural areas and smaller cities have attracted that younger workforce at the highest rate in nearly a century.

Jeannie Steele, a real-estate broker in Townsend, Montana, has seen an influx of young people. Broadwater County, with about 8,000 residents, was the third-fastest-growing county for Americans ages 25 to 44, Lombard's analysis found. Townsend is located about 30 miles from Helena, though Steele said many commute to Bozeman or Three Forks.

Steele said she previously considered her area a retirement hub. However, the construction of a new elementary school starting in 2019 brought many younger families, particularly some working in construction, mining, or medicine. Many are moving from Washington, California, and Minnesota, Steele said.

"We have a lot of people here that come and have this vision of homesteading," Steele said. "They want to grow their own food. They want to have chickens and gardens. Interestingly enough, though, all those things in our environment are difficult."

In Custer County, Colorado — the area that's seen the highest net percent increase of 25 to 44-year-olds — 28-year-old Arrott Smith has seen many more nice cars driving around as younger, well-off remote workers move into town.

"For the most part, that's kind of a weird juxtaposition because it is a very working-class county," Smith said.

Smith, the manager and a roaster at local haunt Peregrine Coffee, said that the area has traditionally skewed older — but saw a big influx of younger workers over the last few years. Smith said that the area's newer residents are buying homes even as costs have gone up.

"To me it's more like the people that are moving here have a romanticized version of what it is to live up here," Smith said.

Going rural can be challenging

Economist Jed Kolko said that, with the proliferation of remote work, Americans moved out of bigger urban areas into nearby suburbs or smaller towns. But headwinds in some occupations might slow down the influx of newcomers.

"If unemployment rises, particularly in the kinds of occupations where remote work is more common, employers might be more able to insist on workers spending more days in the office," Kolko said. "Even if that doesn't cause people to reverse the moves that they made during or after the pandemic, it could still slow down that trend in the future."

Meanwhile, in areas that have seen a rush of new residents like Townsend, Kolko said it's key for housing to keep up with demand. If not, affordability challenges from big cities could spread out.

New challenges confront the residents reshaping these areas. Steele said many people moved to her part of Montana after the TV series "Yellowstone" aired, though she's seen many younger people regret their moves. She said many don't anticipate the challenges of living in a more remote part of the US, such as navigating storms, buying goods in bulk, or dealing with isolation.

Recently, rentals have gone really fast, Steele said, adding that rents, on average, have increased from about $750 in 2019 to well over $1,000 monthly. A more stark comparison is some of the county's single-family homes, many of which were built in the late 1970s and early 1980s; while they sold for about $100,000 in 2017, they range from $390,000 to $400,000 today, Steele said.

Housing affordability pushed Solitaire Miles, a Gen X musician, to move from Chicago to northwestern Indiana in 2013. Miles and her husband lived in the Chicago area for about 13 years. While they were gainfully employed, she said, they weren't earning enough to live comfortably while renting. They couldn't afford a home in Illinois, especially with high property taxes. But in Indiana, they found a home with three-quarters of an acre of land just 50 miles from Chicago for under $200,000.

Miles loves having the space. A quieter pace of living has helped stimulate her creativity and her at-home border collie rescue — they currently have five of their own dogs.

But the area has changed over the past few years; the pandemic also fractured her community.

"After Covid, everything just kind of went downhill. So many people died, a lot of elderly died, or they left and they moved south," Miles said.

She's glad they ended up buying out there, and if and when they choose to sell, they'll make a tidy profit. Even so, though, the move came with its own struggles.

"It was hard. I had the gym that I loved and the spas and my beauty salon and the restaurants — all of our friends," she said. "I mean, I did make friends here, but it took time, and I had to go to places where I knew they would be."

For Voss, the real-estate agent, it took him time to acclimate to the South. As a gay man, he noticed more hostility toward his community, though he said many in Dawsonville have appreciated his advocacy work. He's enjoying rural Georgia for the time being but anticipates splitting his time with Hawaii in a few years.

"Georgia is beautiful, I love it. It's so great for so many people," Voss said. "But for me, because of the mentality of the people here, I just don't see myself staying full-time."

Have you moved to a rural area and regretted it (or loved it)? Contact these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

• New regional price parity data showed the varying cost of living in the US.
• California and Washington, DC, had the highest cost of living, largely driven by housing costs.
• Most of the states with the lowest relative cost of living were around the middle of the country.

Many states have a lower cost of living than the national average, but the West Coast and Northeast are still pricey.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis published new regional price parity data on Thursday that showed how expensive it is to live in different areas of the US.

"Regional price parities measure the differences in price levels across states for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level," BEA said in a news release.

The new 2023 data showed 16 states and Washington, DC, had more expensive goods and services than the national average. The states with the lowest cost of living were mainly around the middle of the country, including some states in the South.

The following map shows overall regional price parities, where a value over 100 means it was above the national average. Hawaii's figure of 108.6 means goods and services were about 9% more expensive than the average.

California had the highest relative cost of living; the state is 12.6% more expensive than the average. California metros also made up the majority of the top 10 that had the highest all-items regional price parities in 2023. The metro area of San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley had the highest at 118.2, meaning it was almost 20% more expensive than the national average.

Washington, DC, had an ever-so-slightly higher figure than California in 2022 but fell short of California's in 2023. DC was 10.8% more expensive than the average. New Jersey ranked right below DC.

Relatively high housing costs contributed to the overall high regional price parities in those two states and DC. BEA said rents are usually "the main driver in differences in RPPs." DC, California, and New Jersey had the highest regional price parities for rents.

Arkansas continued to have the lowest regional price parity and was 13.5% less expensive than the national average in 2023. Alabama, West Virginia, and South Dakota were among the 10 states that were at least 10% less expensive than the national average.

• In 2017, three older women built and moved into a compound near San Antonio.
• Its residents are two sisters and their longtime friend, who liken themselves to the Golden Girls.
• They share meals, split bills, and — most importantly — care for one another as they age.

After Christina Guerra and her sister Michelle Douthitt lost their husbands within months of each other in 2012, they decided to turn their grief into an opportunity for a fresh start.

Together with their longtime friend Muriel Lanford, the women chose an unconventional path: They sold their homes and used the money they made to purchase five acres of land in Fair Oaks Ranch, a small town just 30 minutes north of San Antonio, for $175,000. Their goal was to build a compound where they could grow old together.

"A lot of people gave us strange looks when we talked about our plan," Guerra, a 68-year-old retired agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, told Business Insider. "I guess they thought we would implode."

But despite the doubters, the trio — who liken themselves to the strong-willed, sharp-witted women of the iconic television series "The Golden Girls" — forged ahead with their plans.

They enlisted Felix Ziga, the owner of San Antonio-based Ziga Architecture Studio, to bring the vision to life. Ziga teamed up with his friend Jimmy Sikkink, owner of Triple R Custom Homes, to design and build their one-of-a-kind compound.

In 2017, the trio moved into their compound, which they call Tierra de Dios, or "Land of God." The compound includes a 2,378-square-foot main house, which has a private wing for each sister, and a separate 1,902-square-foot home for Lanford.

The project cost about $1.2 million, including the land purchase, which the women split equally.

However, for these friends — who share meals and split utility bills — the sense of security and community they've gained is truly priceless.

"I used to work in the ER, and we saw countless elderly patients who had fallen at home, only to be found days later because their children couldn't check in. I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I hope that's not going to be me,'" Lanford, a 68-year-old retired nurse, said. "Now, I have peace of mind. If someone doesn't hear from me for a couple of days, I know they'll be asking, 'Are you OK?'"

Take a look inside the compound and read on to see how they make their experiment in communal living work.

The three women took out a mortgage together and used it to build the compound.

Instead of forming an LLC or corporation, the three women opted for a general partnership, making them equal co-owners of the compound.

One of their biggest challenges was convincing the bank to approve a loan with all three names on it.

"You'd think it would be straightforward, but the bankers were confused," Guerra said. "They couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that it was three people, not a couple or an individual."

In the end, the women secured a mortgage for the home. To protect their individual investments, each has a will that outlines how their share of the property will be distributed in the event of their passing.

The women sold their homes to buy land and finance the compound's construction.

Each woman earned at least $200,000 selling their Texas homes, and they used the proceeds to equally split the $175,000 cost of the lot.

The property, formerly a dairy farm, sits in a floodplain, which gave them leverage to negotiate down the original asking price of $195,000.

The trio hired a local architect who understood their vision for communal yet independent living.

The women were committed to supporting a local business owner when selecting an architect and homebuilder for their project.

"We didn't mind paying a little extra if it meant working with a high-quality small business rather than a big-box company," Guerra said.

The Tierra de Dios compound was Ziga's first project of its kind.

Though Ziga had never taken on a project like this before, he had read about communal living and aging in place.

Ziga's wife, Adriana, an interior designer with the studio, said the entire process was an exciting adventure.

The entire project took 12 months to complete, including permitting.

Having so many stakeholders involved meant carefully weighing the pros and cons of each decision and coming to a consensus, Ziga said.

"They had their own meetings, separate from ours, to get on the same page about what they wanted. Then we'd incorporate their decisions into the design," he said.

Ziga likened the process to designing for institutions like churches, where there's often a building committee and multiple voices to consider.

Ziga designed spacious, custom homes tailored to the women's needs.

The total gross square footage of the compound, including garages, porches, and patios, is about 7,954 square feet.

That includes a 12-foot observation tower, which offers stunning views of the area's lush woodland.

Ziga integrated the natural landscape of the property into his design.

Considering the land's natural topography, Ziga positioned the far end of the guest-house home, where Lanford lives, on a nine-foot foundation.

"This served a triple purpose of keeping the finished floor elevation outside the floodplain, keeping everything on one level, and giving Muriel the treehouse vibe she was going for," he said.

The women live in separate sections of the compound.

The main house features an open living, dining, and kitchen area, along with three bedrooms and three bathrooms — one for each sister and a guest room that can be used for caregivers in the future.

Each of the sister's bedrooms has a private patio. The house also has a small front porch, a large rear porch, a laundry room, a mudroom, a craft room, and a two-car garage.

The guest house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen space. Lanford wanted an open loft concept, with her bedroom, bathroom, office, and workout area all in one large space.

This part of the compound also has a small front porch, a large rear porch, a laundry room, a mudroom, and a two-car garage.

Each of the women had specific requirements for her individual space.

Lanford, a nature lover, wanted her part of the compound filled with windows so that she could easily connect with the outdoors.

In contrast, Guerra, who is sensitive to light, requested a meditation room and a bedroom with a sliding door outfitted with blackout shades for nighttime.

Meanwhile, Douthitt asked for a doggie door so her pup could come and go freely.

"I think the trickiest part was coordinating the wants and needs of all three of them," Ziga said. "In a traditional custom home with a husband and wife, one person usually defers to the other. But with this project, there were three people to consider."

Each woman's wing also has some of the same features.

Accessibility was a key design theme for the compound, as the women intend to age in place.

The home features minimal steps inside and out and a gently graded walkway between the driveway and front door. Both front porches are level with the main floor.

The homes do not have carpet, and light switches are lower than usual for ease of use. The bedroom closets and the laundry and pantry rooms are spacious enough for wheelchair access.

The bathrooms are also designed with ample space for wheelchairs, and have grab bars and shower benches installed for safe and comfortable bathing.

Communal spaces were just as important to the women as their private ones.

It was crucial for the women to feel connected, but also to have moments of privacy when needed, Ziga said.

"The challenge was creating a design that honored community and personal space," he added.

To achieve this, he designed each bedroom with its own private patio and yard, providing a sense of visual seclusion.

When the women want to come together, they can gather in communal spaces like the "oasis" — an outdoor area of the home where they keep their bird and squirrel feeders — or the shared nature overlook.

The overlook is a two-story outdoor patio located between the two houses.

The large rear porches are connected at the same level, with the first level of the overlook having a covered patio feel and the second level featuring the lookout tower.

The overlook is a favorite spot for the women. There, they enjoy looking for wildlife and watching sunsets and sunrises through the towering oak trees around their home.

Ziga also designed the overlook with accessibility in mind. If mobility becomes a concern as the homeowners age, an exterior lift can be added for easy access to the view.

Each woman plays her own unique role in the home.

Lanford is the master gardener — though Douthitt loves to help — and she's also the handyman of the home, even making minor roof repairs when needed.

"She puts together a maintenance list for everything — like how we maintain our septic tank and soft water system. She handles all of that daily," Douthitt, 62, a volunteer with a human trafficking organization, said.

Lanford also manages the compound's split finances and pays the bills. "I'm a bit of a numbers nerd," she admits.

As the designated bargain hunter, Guerra negotiates and shops around for the best deals for the compound. "I'm the one who argues, debates, and tries to find better prices," she said.

When she's not working with local appraisers to ensure the compound's property taxes don't increase, she occasionally cooks for the women.

The women split the compound's utility and other bills.

Regardless of their individual roles, they split the home's bills evenly.

Each person pays about $30 a month for water, and their electricity bill tops out at $100 per person during the peak months of August and September.

Living with a sibling be difficult, even when you're older.

"I'm the youngest, and living with my oldest sister has had its challenges, but that's family issues," Douthitt said. "The benefits far exceed anything, and I don't feel like it's a sacrifice."

The compound is a designated butterfly sanctuary and a wildlife habitat.

"We are a Monarch butterfly way station," Guerra said. "That wouldn't be the case if we didn't live here, so that's pretty cool."

They also care for other wildlife that visit the compound. Their oasis features bird feeders, squirrel feeders, and tubs of water for the animals.

"Michelle loves to name the creatures that come by to get fed and hydrated, so she knows them all personally," Guerra added.

Guerra, the only one with grandkids, loves having them visit the compound.

"The youngest, who's nine, was especially excited," she said. "He was so proud because he brought four of his best friends for an adventure out here, and they talked about it for days afterward."

The women have enjoyed living together and building a community.

A major factor in the women's decision to pursue communal living was the transformation in their own lives and the changing nature of the neighborhoods they had lived in for decades.

"The old neighborhood I lived in was very close-knit," Lanford, who is divorced, explained. "I had a lot of close friends there, but I was the last person standing. The neighborhood was changing, and what I missed most was my community."

At Tierra de Dios, the women have found the sense of community they were missing, spending time together and supporting each other during times of need.

"It was the ideal situation during COVID," Guerra said. "We cooked together, streamed movies together, and played games together. We didn't really feel the lockdown as much because, for the most part, we enjoyed being here and had each other for company."

• Mercer released its annual Quality of Living City Ranking in December.
• The ranking assesses the practicalities of daily life for international workers.
• Seven US cities made the top 50.

In early December, consulting firm Mercer released its 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking.

Using New York City as the base city, Mercer researched and compared the practicalities of daily life for international workers in 241 cities across five continents, looking at factors such as housing, crime, cultural scene, travel, and access to education.

Western European cities like Zurich, Vienna, and Geneva dominated the top positions in Mercer's list, with just seven US cities making the top 50.

Here's a closer look at the ones that made the cut, using the most recent data from the US Census Bureau and Realtor.com:

1. Boston

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 32

Population: Around 654,000

Median sold home price: $780,000

Median household income: Around $89,000

Known for: The largest city in New England is big on sports, colonial history, and seafood (think buttery lobster rolls and creamy clam chowder).

But Boston might be best known for its higher education offerings, with over 30 universities and colleges, including the likes of Harvard and MIT, having campuses there.

2. San Francisco

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 36

Population: Around 809,000

Median sold home price: $1.5 million

Median household income: Around $137,000

Known for: Only around a 40-minute drive from Silicon Valley, San Francisco is a global hub for tech and innovation.

It also has a vibrant cultural scene and is dotted with iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge.

3. Honolulu

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 39

Population: Around 342,000

Median sold home price: $620,000

Median household income: Around $83,000

Known for: The birthplace of former US president Barack Obama is brimming with stunning beaches, lush green hiking trails, and crystal clear waters.

The Hawaiian capital is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the US.

4. Los Angeles

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 44

Population: Around 3.8 million

Median sold home price: $1 million

Median household income: Around $76,000

Known for: Los Angeles is one of the US's entertainment hubs. Besides being the primary residence for a long list of Hollywood stars, the city has a world-class food scene, countless shops, and beautiful beaches.

5. New York City

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 45

Population: Around 8.3 million

Median sold home price: $708,000

Median household income: Around $77,000

Known for: The birthplace of late-night television, the Big Apple is best known as a concrete jungle of skyscrapers and the center of the US financial sector.

The city has a diverse population, an eclectic food scene, and a seemingly never-ending nightlife.

6. Portland

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 48

Population: Around 630,000

Median sold home price: $530,500

Median household income: Around $86,000

Known for: Portland, Oregon, is known as a haven for creatives, foodies, and small business entrepreneurs. The city's many parks and walking trails make it a sweet spot for those who like a city that blends urban areas with nature.

7. Washington, DC

Mercer's 2024 Quality of Living City Ranking: No. 49

Population: Around 679,000

Median sold home price: $695,000

Median household income: Around $102,000

Known for: The nation's capital and home of the sitting US president, Washington, DC, is full of landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, and the Washington Monument — to name just a few.

• Victoria Blinova worked in Dubai for four years at a boutique marketing firm and later at Nestlé.
• She grew up in Cyprus and moved to the UAE in 2013 to attend NYU in Abu Dhabi.
• Expats don't pay taxes, but Blinova found saving in Dubai hard because of the luxury lifestyle.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation and emails with Victoria Blinova, 30, about living in Dubai and moving to London. The below has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Cyprus and moved to the UAE in 2013 to study at New York University in Abu Dhabi.

While there, I studied Arabic. A significant part of my day-to-day was being immersed in the culture. I wanted to stay in the region after graduation to continue my immersion.

I spent four years in Abu Dhabi, and then I worked in Dubai for four years. Initially, I worked in management consulting in a boutique firm. Later, I got a job at Nestlé and worked there for a couple of years before moving to London.

In Dubai, people are very transient. Everyone's an expat. By my fourth year, most of my friends had left the city. I felt like I needed to explore somewhere new.

Dubai has amazing work opportunities, and I plan to return at some point. There are so many complex and exciting projects you can work on. People are so generous, open to learn, and hungry for opportunities.

For entry-level jobs, if you are at the right company, Dubai is one of the most lucrative markets.

At Nestlé, back in 2019, I was making a good salary tax-free.

When I left Dubai, I had saved around 30% of my salary over four years. But I was constantly biting myself thinking I could have saved even more.

It's easy to get sucked into a glamorous life in Dubai

A lot of people in London are like, "I'm going to move to Dubai. It's like 40% to 100% more salary."

But I had a period in my life where I spent a lot more in Dubai than I spent in London. In London, you can be very thrifty, and that's not frowned upon.

When you're in Dubai, it's not part of the culture. Luxury is very affordable. Because of that, everyone automatically opts into that luxury.

I very often went overboard.

I remember clearly booking a five-star hotel to treat myself randomly for 200 dirhams, which is $54. I'd do stuff like book a five-star hotel for one night, and that's quite normal.

It was also very common to go to yacht parties. I've been to so many.

In 2021, I remember paying £80 for a yacht party. When I told this to my friends in London, and they were like, "But that's 80 pounds?" I responded that it was cheap for a day on a yacht.

Bottomless brunch is also very common. You would spend every weekend going to very luxurious bottomless brunches. It would be like £100 to experience something unforgettable.

In Dubai, if you go out, you're not just going to go to a cheap little place around the corner. There are more expectations on gifts.

You can't walk outside your house in Dubai and not spend a significant chunk of money.

Whereas in London, I feel like everything is so unaffordable, you end up not spending. The lifestyle in London differs because social plans can be going on a walk or spending a day in the park. You're not expected to drop £100 on a dinner. You don't have spend money to enjoy your weekend.

Saving choices like getting a roommate or buying a used car weren't the norm

I was renting for 70,000 dirhams a year ($19,058) divided by two. I had a flatmate, which is not very common in Dubai.

I remember my Nestlé colleagues in Dubai asked me, "Why do you live with a flatmate?" They weren't bullying me, but they thought it was a bit weird.

I also drove a used Nissan Juke, which is a nice car in London. But in Dubai, people would ask, "Why are you not driving an Audi?"

My response was, "I'm 25. I'm not going to buy a Mercedes or an Audi, especially I'm not going to buy it new."

I didn't club, and if I did, it was very rarely. Clubbing is a big deal in Dubai, and lots of people spend a lot on it. I also didn't spend money on luxurious brands, clothes, or handbags, because I didn't really care for them.

My mindset is that if I have money to spend, that means I have money to save.

But I'd say 80 to 90% of my surrounding peers, even the smartest people I knew, would literally live paycheck to paycheck. People opt into luxury automatically because it's relatively cheap.

It becomes part of your lifestyle, and this is when you spend all your money. I found it an ongoing problem.

If you're a family, I think it's easier to spend less. You're probably more accustomed to staying at home.

As long as you're staying at home, I think you can make Dubai work and make it very affordable.

But if you're in your 20s or your early 30s, and you're single or a young couple, and you like going out — prepare to spend a lot more than you ever imagined.

• Nic Lim, a New Zealand author, uprooted his life in New Zealand to become a school teacher in Japan.
• During his four years there, he weathered a pandemic and dealt with cultural and language barriers.
• There are three things people interested in moving to Japan should be aware of, he said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nic Lim, an author from New Zealand who moved to Japan for four years to work as an English teacher. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his employment history.

In 2019, fresh out of university, I left home in the thick of winter. After a long plane ride, I found myself sweating in the heat of a blazing Japanese summer, en route to what would be my home for the next years.

Before I left home in New Zealand, I'd lived in the same house, in the same city, for my entire life.

I won't sugarcoat it: I wanted more opportunities, and to go out into the world and see what it had to offer.

I've always loved manga, anime, and other aspects of Japanese culture. And having graduated with a media degree, I felt Japan was the place for me.

So, when I was 21 and fresh out of college, I decided to move. I applied for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, which brings foreign graduates to Japan to work as assistant English teachers.

I was accepted to the program and moved to Koshigaya, a town in the central Saitama Prefecture.

There, I was suddenly exposed to a new culture, a new city, and a new language.

Here are three big lessons I learned from my four years living and working in Japan.

You're going to have to adjust to your new life, and fast

When I got to Japan, I noticed how limited the use of technology was in the classroom.

For example, our morning meeting notes were always printed on paper. Some of my fellow teachers didn't know how to use email, and that was one of the things that prevented us from switching up the system from printed meeting notes to digital documents.

On top of that, we were using ancient computers that were still running Windows 7. Some of the data was still stored on floppy disks.

Also, the scenes you see in manga where kids draw on blackboards are accurate. In the school where I taught, blackboards were the norm. I developed a hatred of having chalk on my fingers because it'd end up staining my suit with white smears.

The way people work at school was also a cultural gap I had to bridge.

Teachers in Japan also behave very differently from how I did, having grown up and gone to school in New Zealand. More traditional teachers conduct themselves strictly, and go by the book.

Meanwhile, I liked chatting in the hallways with the students, and my style of building rapport with the kids caused a bit of friction with some other staff members.

But I'm proud to say that my students began to trust me, and think of me as a friendly face they could approach. I think it's because people are more willing to mess up in front of their friends than they are in front of their teachers — and, by extension, more willing to learn.

Being proficient in Japanese before you leave for Japan is a major plus

Before I went to Japan, I did not know a lot of Japanese. I had a basic grasp of hiragana and the numbers, and in my part-time job at a sushi shop, I would count the pieces of sushi in Japanese to try to practice.

But that was about the extent of my proficiency.

Obviously, one of the advantages of being in Japan is that you're surrounded by Japanese people. It's a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the language — and I tried my best to learn as much of it as possible when I got there.

But my first language struggle hit pretty early on when there was a typhoon. While the government did a good job of offering information in English, at certain points, my phone would light up, an emergency alert would pop up, and it would all be in Japanese.

I'd look at it and think: "Do I need to run?"

It was daunting, being bombarded with emergency alerts that I just could not understand at all.

I also happen to have an extensive list of dietary restrictions. I'm allergic to wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, and fish.

If you know anything about Japanese cuisine, eggs, wheat, and fish are core culinary components. When I first got to Japan, I couldn't read the food labels in shops.

So that was rough — because I had no idea if food would potentially kill me without looking it up on a translator.

You may think you know Japan from the touristy photos people post on Instagram. You don't.

I think the image that a lot of people have of Japan is what you see in the media — the glitzy streets and neon lights of Tokyo and the shrines and red torii gates of Kyoto.

Beyond Japan's most romanticized elements, there are regular towns where people just go about their lives in their suburban neighborhoods.

I've also traveled to places off the beaten track. I've hiked to the source of an onsen on Mount Adatara in Fukushima, and seen some of the more rural parts of the country that tourists don't often think to visit.

Some days, I would take my bike, pick a direction, and ride until I couldn't go any further. It was intensely freeing — and I encourage people to leave their comfort zone, and go on adventures like this at least once.

Living in Japan inspired me to write a book, "Gate at the End of Summer." I wanted to capture the feeling of the best days of one's high school life. It's rooted in the idea of enjoying one's youth, as best as one can — and not wanting summer to end.

I'd go back in a heartbeat

Of course, life in Japan wasn't perfect — no country is perfect — but I take the good with the bad. But what's stuck with me since I left in 2023 were the great experiences I had there.

I spent a lot of energy trying to make sure that my students could make the most of their time at school, and leave with happy memories. But I came out of it with beautiful memories of life in high school, too.

My teaching contract has ended, but I'd love to go back — if I ever get the opportunity to do so.

• Pamela Shields, 67, unretired to supplement her Social Security income with part-time jobs.
• Many older Americans say monthly Social Security checks aren't enough to pay their bills.
• An analysis found that about 13% of retired baby boomers on LinkedIn returned to work in 2023.

Pamela Shields is one of many older Americans who "unretired" because she couldn't live solely off her Social Security checks.

The 67-year-old splits her time between caring for older neighbors and working the night shift at her local grocery store. It can be exhausting, but she feels like it's her only option to pay the bills.

"I really want to be retired and not have to do all this stuff to make a living," Shields told Business Insider. "But I don't see myself doing that."

Shields lives in Fort Worth, Texas, on her $1,470 monthly Social Security payments. She supplements that income with the roughly $600 she earns each month from her grocery and caregiving jobs. Between them, she often works seven days a week.

Shields hoped she'd be done working at this point in her life. She had a long career in customer service and human resources, and she built a 401(k) account with some retirement savings. But after two divorces and unexpected medical expenses, she's doing her best to keep her family and herself financially afloat.

Shields' experience underscores a larger American retirement crisis. Business Insider talked with more than 50 baby boomers who primarily rely on their monthly Social Security checks to get by, and many said that wasn't enough to cover essentials. One in five adults 50 and over surveyed by AARP and the University of Chicago's NORC research firm in January said they didn't have retirement savings. Those who do have savings worry they'll outlive what's in the bank.

With financial woes in their golden years, some older Americans have returned to work. LinkedIn's Economic Graph said it found that about 13% of baby boomers on the platform returned to the workforce, or "unretired," in 2023, a five-year high.

We want to hear from you. Are you an older American with any life regrets you'd be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form.

Social Security isn't enough for some to live on

Shields wanted to work until she was 67 but ended up retiring at 59 after injuries from a car accident prevented her from working.

She unretired when she realized her monthly Social Security payments wouldn't be enough to support herself or her family. Medical bills and delays in receiving her disability payments also led her to drain her 401(k).

Shields said she sometimes has to sit down during her shifts at the grocery store "because my feet hurt so bad."

Working two part-time jobs is how Shields can put food on the table. She's been a single mom for over a decade, and while her three children are adults, Shields said she still provides them with some financial support. One of her daughters lives with her because of health issues.

Shields shoulders many of her family's expenses on her own. She said that Medicare covered most of her healthcare needs but that housing costs, utility payments, and cellphone bills stretch her tight budget. She also chips in on her grandson's marching-band fees and helps with one of her children's grocery bills when she's able. "I try to help as much as I can," she said.

Shields isn't sure when she'll be able to fully retire. She said she didn't expect her retirement expenses to be so high and didn't save enough money to offset the unexpected costs of medical care, her divorces, and parenting. She advises others to learn about finances early in life and give their children a strong financial education.

"Life has dealt this hand to me," she said. "I'm not really happy about it, but I'm doing the best I can."

Have you had to return to work after retirement? Are you comfortable sharing your experience with a reporter? If so, reach out to [email protected].