Here are a few tips:
- Housing
- Purchase. Urban or rural? Most of Vermont is rural (tiny towns - some, like Waitsfield near sky areas gets 8,000 visitors a week during ski season). Then redefine urban (Burlington, VT has about 42,000 people). If you relocate from a large city then Burlington takes some adjusting to because it is not only much smaller but has fewer services.
- Rental. The rental market is tight in Burlington as it is in many places in the U.S. However, apartments and condos are available for rent - allow time to find what you would like. Realtors, will, for a fee find you a place to rent or go to craigslist Vermont to search for rentals.
- Medical. It took me three-four months to find a practice (internal medicine) that would take my husband and I on. Most practices were closed. Plan in advance of your move to find a doctor. Ask your realtor and everyone else you know to recommend a doctor. Look at healthgrades and yelp online for comments.
- Dental. Dentists are hard to find too. Everyone has their favorite dentist - try them out for a consultation and see what you think. If you are used to top dental care shopping for a dentist can take some time, but you go armed with what your expectations are of dental care and see if the dentist measures up. Be warned: services such as dental implants are about double here than, say, in Chicago.
- Food. Shopping for food in Vermont is expensive (20-50% more expensive than the rest of the country). It is ironic that this state that promotes organic farming and buying food from nearby farms makes food purchased from farmers so expensive. I am told the reason food in the grocery stores is so expensive is that it is at the end of the supply route.
- WalMart has inexpensive milk, other dairy but no vegetables, buy cereal and other staples there - it is much cheaper than the grocery stores.
- Join Costco in Colchester (close to Burlington) has reasonably priced fruit and vegetables.
- There are three grocery large stores in Burlington: Shaws, Price Chopper and Hannaford. Shaws is like the Jewel in the Midwest, Price Chopper (shop the specials, canned goods can be more expensive than Shaws or WalMart). Hannaford has no discount cards, but has a wide range of items - it is also more expensive than the others on most items.
- City Market. Organic/not organic. Great little store but, again, it is more expensive than the regular grocery stores. You can buy a membership in City Market and during the year you receive back a % of money spent in the store. They do offer a card, and if you are a senior you can enroll in their program for 5% discount any time.
- Shopping. There are malls in Burlington: University Mall, Church St. (lovely cobblestone pedestrian street with shops on either side), Macy's near the Church St. mall, Chicos, Clays (Blue Mall -women's clothing), J.C. Penny, Sears. However the items the larger stores carry basic items (Sears does have a Lands End section). Barnes & Noble is on Dorset St. Phoenix Books opened on Church St. (they have a bookstore in Essex Junction as well).
- Auto. Beware of curbs. Getting front bumpers hooked on curbs is very common in Burlington. Gas is about average in price. There are a lot of places to get your car repaired.
- Insurance. Insurance (auto, renters, homeowners, health) is generally cheaper in Vermont. Hint: get a Costco executive membership ($100 a year) for Costco rewards checks AND an Amex card (which will also be your new Costco card). Go to Ameriprise (via Costco) and you receive discounts for all insurances. The Amex card also gives you rebates on groceries/gas/travel charged to the card.
