Tony's Home

Settled In

Well, it's finally happened. I've settled in to my new home in Missouri. After four months of living and working here in the St. Louis area, I think it's finally hit that this is home.

Do I miss Dallas? Not at all. I miss a lot of the people there, but I'm doing just fine without the city itself. Moving from a city of around 5 million to a town of about 250 was a positive move. The only down side so far is the cost of working here compared to Dallas. Not the cost of living (bills, etc.)...the cost of working here. First of all, there's the union dues that I'm required to pay here that were not required in Dallas. That's 2.25% of my paycheck. Then there's state income tax, which also did not exist in Dallas. That's another 3.57% of my check. And to top it off, St. Louis itself charges me income tax...not because I'm living in the city, using their services and such...but because I dare work in their city and pump money into their economy. That's another 1% of my income. So overall...that's a 6.75% cut in pay...just to work in St. Louis...no added benefits on the work front. I'm doing the same job for the same company. Oh well. I guess that's the sacrifice for putting my family in a more optimal living environment.