Is it really that much more expensive? I just don't understand (how much, employment)

[mauidude]

For most people that is not realistic at all. After working 8-10 hours a day I don't have the energy to go scavaging for food.

You could live in your car for free too but I doubt many would want to do that.

[Frangi914]

Hawaii IS cheaper to live for us Living and working in New York has always been an expensive pain in the rump, but now that my husband and I are moving to Maui, I look at it as more of a blessing. We own our home outright in Westchester County (suburbs 45 minutes outside of NYC and one of the most expensive places to live in New York.). We pay $22,000 a year in taxes alone (this is cheap compared to what some of our neighbors pay), utilities are $600 a month and our water bill is over $1,800 a year. Yesterday I bought a 12oz bag of Granola Cereal at the grocery store for $6.00 (average food bill is about $300.00 a week for three adults). In Manhattan, a sandwich alone can run you 10-15 dollars without a beverage. To get to work, it costs me 2,500.00 a year to get into the city (for the railroad) and I pay $1,000 a year for parking my car near the railroad station. It you can walk to your job after getting off the railroad in midtown your fine, if not an additional cost for the subway (which I hate and just don’t bother with anymore cause of all the tons of people stuck together underground– just horrible) so I grin and bear it and just walk the 26 blocks to work, in all kinds of weather! (Good exercise or just plan crazy makes on wonder.) Than I get to do it all again after work to get home – talks about 2 hours one way.

First off, I could not live in my house here if my husband and I didn’t work at our full time jobs, however when we purchase a home of equal value in Hawaii (and we will laugh at the tax rate). Hawaii is actually much cheaper for us overall and we can work part time by choice. We are, me (47) my husband (52) year old, not too old and young enough to enjoy all the free time to explore. Note: That we have worked, paid off all our debt and saved as much money as possible to make this a reality – very hard work on our part, but well worth it.

[Jungjohann]

Hey Dude, I resemble that remark!!!! When I moved here in 75, I bought an old Plymouth Valiant, you know, with the push button auto trans. Thing was a rusty hulk, but it always ran. So I decided that to save money, I'ld live in the car. Made it one night down at old Black Sand Beach north of Makenna, well, sort of........I had parked to close to the water, tide coming in around 2:00am caused little waves to break on my front tires, was lucky to back out of there.
As far as catching fish and making a living, believe Bluefin tuna, the now rare really big ones, go for around $30,000.00 apiece at the fishmarket in Tokyo. Catch 3 a year and you're set!!!!!!!

Aloha, buying a fishing boat

[MSJones]

We pay $22,000 a year in taxes alone (this is cheap compared to what some of our neighbors pay), utilities are $600 a month and our water bill is over $1,800 a year. Yesterday I bought a 12oz bag of Granola Cereal at the grocery store for $6.00 (average food bill is about $300.00 a week for three adults). In Manhattan, a sandwich alone can run you 10-15 dollars without a beverage. To get to work, it costs me 2,500.00 a year to get into the city (for the railroad) and I pay $1,000 a year for parking my car near the railroad station.

Holy mother of GOD! I read this with my mouth hanging open. And people say property taxes in Houston are expensive!

I hope (and think) you'll love your new life in Hawaii. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[Frangi914]

Boggles one's mind dosen't it? Our move can't come fast enough for us.

[mauidude]

Originally Posted by MSJones

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Holy mother of GOD! I read this with my mouth hanging open. And people say property taxes in Houston are expensive!

I hope (and think) you'll love your new life in Hawaii. Good luck and let us know how you do.

New York is the most expensive state to live in, in the united states. I think hawaii ranks number 4 or 5 or something. So I'm not surprised you find it cheaper in hawaii. However, I guarantee the average salary between the two states is much different.

[pj737]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

I'm not trying to be rude, just pointing out a fact. Order something from say Amazon, check out the shipping rate, and tell me what you come up with, as opposed to buying the same item in Hawaii. I've lived on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, and Molokai, (may be kind of difficult to find a lot of stuff over there), but there's nothing on the mainland that you can't find here. Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Shirokiya, Macy, Ace Hardware, they all carry the same products here as they do on the mainland. I don't think Fed EX or UPS give you any kind of shipping break because you live on Maui. I've bought stuff off Amazon in which the shipping cost was more than the product, won't do it again. At least in Hawaii we have something they don't have on the mainland, Hanalei poi, lomi salmon, kalua pork and fresh poki. And as far as items not being available on Oahu, which is a metropolitan Island, and Honolulu a large city, what exactly is it you can't find?

Aloha

I live on Oahu and spend about $2,000/year on Amazon crap. Everything from cameras to dvds to books to boardgames to dishes. Haven't paid a single dime in shipping charges. And I have a few friends that buy from them frequently - and shipping is always free. Amazon must not like you.

[Jungjohann]

You need to tell me how you get away with no shipping charges, and I guess Amazon does hate me. I've always payed plenty for shipping. You're 100% correct, guess it's been quite a while since I ordered from Amazon, because gaurens, if free shipping had been an option, I would have gone for it...

Aloha and okolemaluna

[pj737]

Originally Posted by HankDfrmSD

Here's a house in Las Vegas worth $319,000 :

Zillow - 10164 Birch Bluff Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89145

and here's one, somewhat comparable, in Kailua, recently sold for $750,000:

Zillow - 741 Pahumele Pl, Kailua, HI 96734

Hank

Meh. That's the most inconclusive post I've seen in a long time. How can you say these properties are comparable? On what basis? I could show you the same house in Waianae priced LOWER than the Vegas house. I could probably find the same house in Texas for $80,000.

[pj737]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

You need to tell me how you get away with no shipping charges, and I guess Amazon does hate me. I've always payed plenty for shipping. You're 100% correct, guess it's been quite a while since I ordered from Amazon, because gaurens, if free shipping had been an option, I would have gone for it...

Aloha and okolemaluna

Free shipping on all orders over $25. I remember back in the glory days when you could ship ANYTHING for free. I shipped 3 10,000 BTU Panasonic air conditioners (sale for $99) for FREE. Now, they have restrictions on certain items. It's almost hit or miss. Just have to load it into the cart and see if the free shipping option pops up. I buy a ton of books from Amazon - all free shipping. 98% of the stuff I buy ships for free. If not, I don't buy it because they default to 2-Day which is ridiculously expensive.

There are other sites that offer free or discounted shipping to Hawaii. Maybe we should start a thread to find out where these online merchants are?