The author and their fiancé relocated from DC to Bentonville, Arkansas, seeking affordability and a better lifestyle. However, upon arrival, they quickly realized that while rent was lower, other expenses remained high, especially for items like coffee. The lack of job stability for the fiancé added financial strain, pushing the author to seek community through local events and social clubs, despite the unexpected costs. The move highlighted the complexities of urban to suburban transitions, including social and economic compromises they hadn't anticipated.
I never imagined that change would come in the form of Arkansas, but my fiancé had a job lead in Bentonville, I had remote work, and we figured our money would go further there.
We arrived at our new home, sight unseen, in May 2024. The illusion cracked quickly. My fiancé's job never came through, leaving us with my decent corporate salary and his hourly gig work.
Moving from urban to suburban always requires compromise, but I found that Bentonville is priced like a boutique bubble.
For example, a latte at the award-winning coffee shop, Onyx, costs $7. Of course, there were cheaper options, like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, but in general, I found that a decent cup of coffee cost me as much as it did in DC.
Collection
[
|
...
]