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More than 80% of young people say they want to live in New York City, according to Time Out New York. I can understand that. . Of course, NYC is amazing. But I have also lived for about ten years each in Chicago, LA, and Boston. And now I live in Madison, WI. And I can tell you with certainty that anywhere you live requires you to give up some things.
NYC has the most extreme benefits to it, but it also requires the most extreme concessions in order to get those benefits. This makes sense. It's how most of life is. So in order to understand how good a fit you'd be in NYC, you don't need to look at the benefits & we all want the benefits of NYC. What you need to look at is what you give up.
Here are three questions to ask yourself. You need to answer yes to at least two in order to be a good fit in NYC.
1. Are you a maximizer?
Optimizers are people who are always looking for the best of everything. You know if you are this kind of person because you are never complacent. You are always trying to find if there is something better. It could be a someone who cuts bangs better, a better pickup basketball game, you keep trading up boyfriends, maximizers are always looking for something better, and they usually get greatness in their lives in many aspects. Non-maximizers can be satisfied with what they have. Each of us falls somewhere on this spectrum. .
This is because you can find pretty much the best of everything in NYC. (Yes, maybe there are some things, like the best ski slope, that you cannot find there, but if that's what you want most, you probably shouldn't be in NYC.)
I know you have heard that NYC is expensive. But you will never really know how insanely expensive it is until you live there.It's like having children. Everyone will tell you having kids is really, really hard. Harder than anything they've ever done. And everyone will also say that after all those warnings, they still were not prepared for how hard it was when the baby came. This is what money is like in NYC & you absolutely cannot imagine how expensive it is there until you are there, living day to day.
So New Yorkers constantly have to ask themselves: What am I paying so much for? What am I suffering so much for? Life in NYC is very hard (here’s
on that), and if you go to any city in the US, there is a bond that ex-New Yorkers have because they know they each understand how hard life was.
I say this to tell you that the only way to justify the cost and hardship of NYC is because you're an optimizer. You appreciate having access to the best of things. Not everything & you probably have a few things that are really important to you. And you're willing to trade off a lot of comforts to get it.
2. Do you want to be at the top of your field (or marry someone like that)?
In many cases, people have to work in NYC in order to rise to the top in their field. (Or, they want to marry someone like this & NYC is a
but only because women recognize that the pickings are superior: Maximizing knows no bounds.)
Wanting to be at the top of your field is not for everyone. Business Week reports that eighty percent of generation Y thinks they are in the top ten percent of all workers. So a bunch of you are overestimating your capabilities, right? But the truth is that NYC is very, very competitive, because it’s a magnet for ambitious, strong performers, and if you are not in the top, you will probably not do very well there. So if you do not go to NYC thinking you will work your way to the top of your field, you probably don't need to be going there for your work.
And, of course, you do not necessarily have to live in NYC to work in NYC, but in order to get a substantially lower cost of living, you would have to move pretty far from the city. This is why New York has the
of anywhere in the country. This is a fine line to walk, though, because
to one's ability to be happy. So you are probably better off paying to high price to live closer to work if you want to get to the top of your field.
3. Do you value an interesting life over happy life?
New Yorkers are not known for being happy. In fact, , and they don't care.
On balance, New Yorkers understand that most people who are happy are complacent & they like the status quo. And people who like what they have do not do innovative things to change the world. They like the world just fine how it is. This is probably why 95% of New Yorkers voted democrat in the last presidential election. Republicans are typically happier with their lives than democrats. And most New Yorkers are maximizers, and .
New Yorkers think an interesting life is more important than a happy life. What you really pay for with the exorbitant cost of living and the hard lifestyle is to be surrounded by strong performers, huge ambitions, and constant need for change and innovation. To live in New York City, you have to trade happiness for this. To most New Yorkers, it's a no-brainer. They would take that trade any day. To most people outside of New York City the trade-off is crazy.
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Quistic is my newest startup, and it’s a place to find online courses that will help you in your career.Contracts are, by definition, legally binding, therefore it’s difficult to cancel without financial penalty unless you can prove breach of contract. In many situations however, such as buying goods from shops, you are able to cancel the contract and get your money back. But unless the goods are , this is not an automatic right, and you must refer to the individual shop or supplier’s returns policy.
Under certain circumstances, you are given the right to cancel over a specific period of time. This is referred to as your cooling off period and the duration of this period depends on what you bought and the manner in which you bought it. The following are situations in which the cooling off period applies
Buying online from shops or suppliers
The purchase of goods and services over the internet, by phone or by mail order generally is subject to the. One of the most important implications of these regulations is a cooling off period of 7 days during which you have the right to cancel. You must provide notice of cancellation in writing and it must be posted to, left at, faxed or emailed to the business address of the supplier, and you must ensure this is done no later than 7 working days after receipt of goods. Contracts for financial products sold by distance means are subject to different rules, see below for more on this.
Something else worth mentioning is that the supplier must have sent you written confirmation of your order no later than the time of delivery of the product or performance of the service. If they did not, then your 7 day cooling off period will not begin until they do, and may be extended by a further 3 months.
If you have commissioned a service under a distance selling contract and the work begins before the end of the 7 days cancellation period, then you must give up your right to cancel, but this must be clearly communicated and with your express agreement.
Does the right to cancel apply for all goods bought by mail order?
There are obvious exceptions and you will not have the right to cancel with the purchase of the following goods:
Goods made to a personalised specification
Perishable goods, such as foodstuffs and flowers
Audio/video recordings or software where the seal has been broken
Newspapers, magazines or other reading material (not books)
Gaming, betting, lotteries
Buying from a doorstep seller
If you have bought something costing more than ?35.00 from a trader as a result of a visit to your home or place of work (whether or not the visit was requested by you), you will be protected by the
– or to give it its proper title: The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008. These regulations give you a cooling off period of 7 calendar days during which time you have the right to cancel and get a full refund. Just as with the Distance Selling Regulations, you must have been provided with a notice of your cancellation rights, otherwise the agreement may be legally unenforceable
Buying away from the trader’s normal place of business.
You may also invoke your 7 day cancellation rights for items over ?35.00 where business is taking place away from the trader’s HQ or shop. This may include any of the following:
Your place of work
A trade fair
A one-day fair (such as a wedding fair) or a marketing presentation (such as overseas property)
It is also the case even when contracts are concluded at a later date, back at the trader’s shop or office – the fact that you have made your offer away from here is the important thing.
Timeshare agreements
There have been numerous problems to do with consumers who have signed contracts while under pressure from sales reps in the UK or as a result of a ‘free’ holiday provided by the company. For this reason, the Timeshare Act 1992 gives you the benefit of a cooling off period of 14 days if contracts are signed in the UK. If you sign abroad you will be subject to local laws, although most European member states have a cooling off period of 10 days. Check before you sign, although the company must provide you with the same notification of your rights as doorstep sellers.
Credit Agreements
You will only benefit from a cooling off period if the credit agreement was made in one of the following ways:
For agreements signed away from the creditor’s normal business premises – i.e. at your home, place of work or at an exhibition stand
For agreements made at a distance (online, by phone or by post)
For agreements which fall under (1), you will have a cooling off period of 5 days, which begins from the time you receive the second copy of the agreement (containing the cancellation form). For contracts which fall under (2) and (3), you benefit from a 14 day cooling off period. Unlike the cooling off period for goods bought under the Distance Selling Regulations (DSRs), the creditor may make a reasonable charge for any service (such as insurance cover) which was operating during this time.
There are specific guidelines on how you should cancel the contract, which must be notified to you by the creditor before or immediately after the contract is made. If the creditor does not make this information available to you, then your cooling off period will not begin until this happens.
Financial products and services
Financial products including banking, credit, insurance, personal pensions and investments, sold by distance means are subject to a 14 day cooling off period (this is 30 days in the case of life insurance and personal pensions). This includes renewals for insurance where the agreement has been sent by post. This 14 day cooling off period also covers situations where you bought a financial product from an intermediary or a broker, even if it was discussed and signed face to face. You must be sure to follow correct procedure for cancellation (see below). The insurer or broker must refund any monies paid by you within 30 days, although they have the right to deduct a reasonable admin charge, and a sum proportionate to the number of days cover you have had. If you have any related credit agreements, these will also be cancelled.
Extended warranties
These are effectively insurance policies and have a 45 day cancellation period with the right to a full refund if you have not made a claim in this time. Any cancellation after this time will entitle you to a
pro-rata refund. See our
for more in depth information.
The correct procedure
With any contract or sale which is concluded away from the trader’s normal business premise, you must be sure you have been presented with clear written notice of your right to cancel, at or before the time the contract is made. If you have not, the contract is legally unenforceable. This notice, which cannot be in the form of small print, or otherwise disguised, must also provide a cancellation form and advise you on how and to whom a notice of cancellation is to be made. You can use the cancellation form provided or a simple written notice, as long as it is clear of your intentions. And as long as you have posted your notice of cancellation before the end of the cancellation period, it doesn’t matter when it is actually received. For this reason, it is always advisable to send it recorded delivery.
The supplier must reimburse you within 30 days of cancellation, without charge, unless you have been informed that you will be liable for the cost of returning the goods. If you have any related credit agreements, these will also be cancelled.
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