Blackmanfinance:
As you walk through getting your visa to relocate to the USA, there are several things you should consider and plan for once you arrive in the USA. There are three core things you need to consider when you are moving to the USA; Accommodation, Transportation and Food

Accommodation:
Most of us stay with relatives or friends when we arrive in the USA. Hence, you need to think of ways to support the relative or friend with whom you are staying. I would advise you support by buying grocery or paying some of the utility bills. Keep in mind the average rent in the DC/Baltimore area could be between $1000 and $2500 so supporting your relative with paying for utility and grocery will be appreciated.
If you decide you would like to stay on your own the below sites are good resources to search for accommodation to rent:
https://www.trulia.com/
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/search/apa
https://www.apartments.com/
If you are a student, join the school groups on LinkedIn or Facebook and enquire if any one is looking for a roommate (This is a cheap route to finding accommodation). Most often, students need fellow students to room with to help reduce their cost of living.

Transportation:
Based on where you will be living, you might need a car. If you are buying a car, craigslist is a good place to start for low budget cars ($1000 to $1500) or also through Auction. You can also check cars.com or auto trader. Your major take away from this should be, if you do not see the car DON’T wire the money. For additional steps on ensuring you get a good car you can DM me on IG @blackmanfinance.
If you are staying in the City, they will probably have a good transportation system. You can look up the metro transport in that city for cost and bus/train routes.

Food:
Not sure there is much to talk about here but shop according to your budget. And there are a lot of African stores in the USA (Not sure about Alaska) but you will always find something comparable. Have a monthly food budget and stick to it. Try to prepare your own meals as opposed to buying from outside.

Making Money:
In America, side hustle is your friend. As you are waiting on your VISA to be approved continue to develop and refine your skill-set so you can make some money while you are in school or applying for a job. See some side hustle ideas below:

• Photography
• Catering
• Wedding planner
• Make-Up Artist
• Hair stylist
• Uber driver
• Playing Instruments
• Freelance – Coding (Fiverr/Ifreelance)
• Baby sitter
• Dog walker
• Teaching Online
• Pizza delivery

You can DM me on IG @blackmanfinance if you would like to discuss ways to execute your side hustle.

The below are a list of sites to find jobs:

https://www.linkedin.com/
https://www.indeed.com/
https://www.careerbuilder.com/

Let me know if there are topics relating to finance you would like me to write about. Also feel free to email me at blackmanfinance@gmail.com with questions.

Nednwoko:


Hahahahaha I tell u. When I went to America I regretted Sha. Not because I didn't like the country but because I ended up staying in the most unsafe neighborhoods in America (Englewood,in Chicago). There was always a shooting/killing on the streets everyday. When I see/hear our Naija people complaining about crime in Nigeria on social media I laugh because they ain't seen anything yet. In Englewood just by looking at a black male suspiciously on the street can put ur life in danger. There was always a drive-by shooting/murder everyday....

maisauki:
oh America, d overrated America