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Please give me your best shot to talk me out of this. Here are the answers to all the questions I anticipate. Hit me hard people because we're feeling invincible right now...
We found a good deal on airfare. We can fly the entire family out for under $1300.
It's me, my wife, a 4 month old, a 3yo, and a 2yo
I don't have a job lined up
If we really do this, we'll get a 2 or 3 br apt on the Big Island and I'll try to find a job ASAP
We're OK with not having a car for the family at first. Planning on buying a moped for me to get to work
Hey man, who knows...maybe you'll succeed, but listen. I'm in a very good field of employment (RN) and it took me 5 months to find the slightest bit of work and 10 months to find good work. I don't know what your professional skills are, but with a reserve of $12k & 4 dependents, your chances aren't too hot.
Please give me your best shot to talk me out of this. Here are the answers to all the questions I anticipate. Hit me hard people because we're feeling invincible right now...
We found a good deal on airfare. We can fly the entire family out for under $1300.
It's me, my wife, a 4 month old, a 3yo, and a 2yo
I don't have a job lined up
If we really do this, we'll get a 2 or 3 br apt on the Big Island and I'll try to find a job ASAP
We're OK with not having a car for the family at first. Planning on buying a moped for me to get to work
There are currently, almost zero jobs on the Big Island. When there are job openings, locals or long-term transplants get them. It is a very tough job market right now.
There are few apartments in the mainland sense of apartment complexes. Single family or duplex housing is the norm and getting a lease without a job will be real tough. $700 would be low end and add in $200+ for electricity and extra for water, phone, etc.
What kind of work are you looking for? Have you checked out the classified ads in the West Hawaii Today and Craigslist to see what's being advertised? There are some jobs available, but unless the skills are highly specific there's probably dozens of applicants for every job. If you are willing to work two or three low paying jobs, then you may find something.
Without a car, how is your family going to do grocery shopping? You can't carry enough for a family of five on your moped, and it will be really hard to find an affordable apartment within walking distance of any of the stores. Especially hard on your wife dragging three little ones around without a car.
However bad things are on the mainland, it's worse here in Hawaii. Tourism is the main industry here, and if tourism is down then everything is down. I understand your desire to be in Hawaii, but your timing just isn't right. It might be a good idea if you didn't have a family to support.
Ah, screw it! Go for it! I saw a really cute house for rent on the BI for just $900 a month. Big and in a quiet location.
If all fails, at least you can have great local produce at great prices from the Hilo market!
Without a car, how is your family going to do grocery shopping?
This would be a good thread to ask--do the supermarkets have a delivery service? Where I live every supermarket does, you pay for it but it's a good way live care free, just takes planning to do a big shop.
Ah, screw it! Go for it! I saw a really cute house for rent on the BI for just $900 a month. Big and in a quiet location.
If all fails, at least you can have great local produce at great prices from the Hilo market!
Its called the BIG Island for a reason...they may be 2 or 3 hours away from Hilo! Where will they buy diapers and baby food? Where are the pediatricions? Pre-schools?
Cool if you're single...but don't deprive your kids to live your dream.
This would be a good thread to ask--do the supermarkets have a delivery service? Where I live every supermarket does, you pay for it but it's a good way live care free, just takes planning to do a big shop.
One thing I tell everyone who asks about moving to Hawai'i... do not expect to bring your lifestyle with you. It won't work here.
If you aren't willing to move into a new way of living, why come here? You won't be happy. It's ALL different hiyah.
In the case of your specific question, I'd advise you to plan on doing less shopping in supermarkets and more in Farmers Markets. Fewer big shops, more small shops. You'll save a ton of money that way. Anything packaged is going to cost a lot more than you're used to paying, while fresh produce from the Farmers Markets is probably a lot less than you're used to paying. And you want to shop by what's freshest and best today, and a lot on that list is going to be unfamiliar to you for a while.
Please give me your best shot to talk me out of this. Here are the answers to all the questions I anticipate. Hit me hard people because we're feeling invincible right now...
We found a good deal on airfare. We can fly the entire family out for under $1300.
It's me, my wife, a 4 month old, a 3yo, and a 2yo
I don't have a job lined up
If we really do this, we'll get a 2 or 3 br apt on the Big Island and I'll try to find a job ASAP
We're OK with not having a car for the family at first. Planning on buying a moped for me to get to work
Airfare is the smallest part of the equation. You only have to do that once.
What you need to do is budget out the startup expenses and regular monthly expenses you'll have and see how long your nest egg will last, then weigh that against your comfort level. Offhand, I'd say you have two months reserve, if you're careful and don't make any mistakes.
You won't find a place to live when you step off the plane, and everything takes longer here than you might expect. There aren't any Motel 6s or the like here, so you'll be in a hotel for a while. Say a week. With restaurant meals, that could run $500 to a thousand right off the bat. With no car, you'll be taking taxis everywhere... expensive. (There is essentially no public transportation here. Even getting out of Kona Airport requires a taxi ride) Without a job, you'll have trouble renting a place. If you find a place for $1,000 a month you'll go through 1/4 of your nest egg on first and last and security deposit. A couple hundred more for utility deposits. Furniture? Lots of beds to buy. A moped? Another grand, and you'll hate it when it rains. So a couple of weeks in you've already gone through half your money. Starting to panic yet? Financial experts advise having a six month reserve when moving to a new location where you have no contacts.
Finding a job? Good luck. There are some jobs available at $8 an hour with a 19 hour/wk max... any more and they have to buy you health insurance. What did you have in mind? 90% of the jobs in Hawai'i are service jobs, and they are heavily dependent on tourism, which is down.
Sorry to sound so tough, but with kids to care for you have to be tough minded. What's your backup plan if things don't work out for you here?
This plan would have been manageable before baby 1 was thought about, now with the economy in the dumps and no REAL recovery on the horizon these plans will only bring anxiety and stress to a family of 5 with three little ones to care for.
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