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good point. I don't even know how to completely describe a comfortable life. Lol. Maybe being able to afford a house, save and have some left for little fun.
My husband and I are currently in the process of selling our house to move to Kauai. We figure the two of us can live comfortably, yet frugally, for around $40,000 a year. We have no debt and will pay cash for a car.
Only you can decide how much money YOU will need. Do you want a big house, fancy car, lots of stuff, and eat out all the time? Or do you want to embrace a simpler life and let go of material objects? After basic living expenses, you decide what it will take to live somewhere.
$40k for two people, no way. Unless your idea of embracing a simpler life is living like an ascetic in a straw hut.
My salary is $37k. With furloughs that became $35k. After taxes, insurance, etc, I get $11.35 an hour. I'm depending on debt until I can get a better paying job, which probably won't be in Hawaii.
"Embracing a simple life" is not going to make gas cheaper than $5 a gallon. It's not going to make your electric bills lower. It's not going to make your rent cheap. It's not going to make food cheap. It's not going to reduce the state and local taxes.
Last edited by winkosmosis; 04-26-2011 at 03:28 PM..
My husband and I are currently in the process of selling our house to move to Kauai. We figure the two of us can live comfortably, yet frugally, for around $40,000 a year. We have no debt and will pay cash for a car.
Only you can decide how much money YOU will need. Do you want a big house, fancy car, lots of stuff, and eat out all the time? Or do you want to embrace a simpler life and let go of material objects? After basic living expenses, you decide what it will take to live somewhere.
I don't understand this mindset. Everyone wants to go to Hawaii and live like a peasant. $40,000 pa is less than the US average household income, and you are going to a place that is expensive - very expensive.
My husband and I are currently in the process of selling our house to move to Kauai. We figure the two of us can live comfortably, yet frugally, for around $40,000 a year. We have no debt and will pay cash for a car.
Only you can decide how much money YOU will need. Do you want a big house, fancy car, lots of stuff, and eat out all the time? Or do you want to embrace a simpler life and let go of material objects? After basic living expenses, you decide what it will take to live somewhere.
$40,000 a year is not out of the question if you can live on it based on your needs. But when you say that to others looking, you may want to mention what your level of comfortable is. There are people living on 1/3 that and appear comfortable but a blue tarp tent on the side of Farrigton probably isn;t what people are thinking about when they say "live". That guy under Nimitz near the airport probably only makes $5,000 a year and his tent is decent, but i dont think people are looking at that as living comfortable. So please give a bit more detail so others can figure out where in the picture that $40,000 falls.
Here's a simple technique. Always replace the word "frugal" with "poor". When you catch yourself thinking "frugal", correct your thought and repeat it 5 times with "poor" in place. That will overcome the natural optimism a lot of people, including myself, have about moving to a new place and get you in the right mindset for Hawaii.
I looked around a little more on Zillow. Average house price in Kihei is $468k. At the height of the bubble it was almost $800k. How do all these people afford houses? The average Hawaii household income is only $66k. And yet I see plenty of homeowners. What is their secret?
I looked around a little more on Zillow. Average house price in Kihei is $468k. At the height of the bubble it was almost $800k. How do all these people afford houses? The average Hawaii household income is only $66k. And yet I see plenty of homeowners. What is their secret?
There are lots and lots of really poor people that used to work cane and pineapple living is poor areas.
I looked around a little more on Zillow. Average house price in Kihei is $468k. At the height of the bubble it was almost $800k. How do all these people afford houses? The average Hawaii household income is only $66k. And yet I see plenty of homeowners. What is their secret?
lots of folks live multi generational in homes here. many bought their homes when they cost 150 to 350 thousand. most people that live here have two jobs
Just asked my uncle this question(lives on Oahu, not Kauai) and he said that the number one issue that he sees people having is if they don't own their house outright and have either a mortgage or are renting. Both are very expensive in Hawaii. He told me that IF you don't have either, then the cost of living can be pretty low, IF for your entertainment you take advantage of Hawaii's natural resources and don't eat at restaurants. He also added that if you have kids, there are many hidden expenses that can sink you. However, I would think that part is true no matter where you live.
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