Originally Posted by
Climb150
Chicago would be one of the few cities where travel to and from the airport is 24 hours and relatively cheap.
New York and Jersey is expensive to live if you are within a few miles of major airport. A bit further out and the price drops a lot. This usually means getting a car or paying $10 each way for a train to the airport.
Two people getting by on just your wage is possible even if you only make min guarantee. One piece of advice I will give is start building your credit score ASAP.
100% this. Get as many secured credit cards as you can when you get here. Also see if your Australian bank has ties to any US banks where you can transfer to an American credit card, such as HSBC or AMEX. Credit defines you over here, it's insane.
For anyone interested, this thread on the Whirlpool (technology/computers) forums has been very valuable over the few years I have been subscribed. Has a lot of generic info regarding the E3, consulate interviews and general living. Its definitely worth a scroll through from the beginning.
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/thread/9mvnjpr3