Start by looking at the newspaper or on-line to see whar rent is in a area you want to live in. Know where you want to go, don't just move at random. Los Angeles is too big of a place for that. You must have a realistic idea of rent costs. You need that number to start the budget.
You will need to be able to pass the credit check or have a cosigner, You can't escape that. You will need first & last weeks rent plus the security deposit to rent. You will need a deposit to get utilities. You might need renters insurance. You will need enough cash for a motel/hotel until you find a place. You would be wise to have 6 months of reserves, since you have no way to know how long the job hunt will take & if it will pay enough to cover the bills.
Remember, moving doesn't change your life. It only changes where you live.
Anything is possible with money, which you won't have a lot of. Living in CA is very expensive, especially the popular or warm spaces - if you think you're going to get anything decent near a beach for the amount you pay for housing in OH, think again.
Employment is another concern - you can probably get any service job there, but again, your rent will be a lot and you might end up working a lot to pay it. And to start, you'd want to have enough to sign a lease - at least a few months probably if you move there without a job.
Start estimating rents where you'd like to live and consider how you might be able to make that money - if you can, consider that a lot of what your fantasy of Cali might be is inaccessible or impossible to enjoy if you're working 60-70 hours a week just to pay the bills.
while it's possible to drive cross country in a nearly new and dependable vehicle, once you get to CA life is super difficult to start up, to live there, to stay living there, and if you spend all your money on rent (which you couldn't even get a rental there because they are as scarce as hen's teeth but they cost an arm and a leg even for those with MBA's and earning $125K a year). Get your MBA in technology "before" you leave Ohio and get some experience before applying to work for some tech company there.
If you don't do that you'll get there penniless, not be able to come home and end up on skid row living on the streets with all the druggies and that'll be the end of your life, they'll find you toothless in a box not breathing.
Son;t just show up in California with your baggage in hand, your likely to end up living on the street or being victimized in some unspeakable way. Without being established, getting an apartment or a job will be a lot harder. Getting a first job out of school is always harder.
The unemployment rate in Ohio is 5.1% it's 7.1% in California, again with no permanent residence there it would be a grater challenge for you to make a living.
Hang around Ohio and get some practical 2 year technical degree that will make you more employable, make preliminary contacts with employers in California before moving there, maybe take a job hunting trip there before committing to moving.
Moving To California With No Money
http://www.doublejourney.com/2009/04/mov...
Some success stories from 8 years ago, by people with a bit more life experience and employment history.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/californi...
Cost of living in LA area 136.4% of the average
Your town is 93.8% of the national average
You might find a basic apartment in L.A. costs $1500 a month.
http://www.infoplease.com/business/econo...
Start by bankrolling $10,000 - for first, last, and deposit on rent; setting up the apartment, time to find a job, time before you get your first paycheck,,,, and enough to move back home again (sorry).
Why do you want to move to "Cali"? Are you familiar with it? It's ain't like on TV.
