can we live on $135,000 on Oahu (Honolulu, Waianae: rental, condo, houses)

[fatoldman]

that's a stupid question - ofcourse we can live on $135000 - so let me clarify. I have a job opp at $135,000 on Oahu. It's me, wife, and 3 kids. We want to live well within our means defined as: rent house for =< $2500/month, live outside of city, maybe have water view but not critical. We'd like to have a little land, say, .5 acre - I hear you laughing already - but again, not critical. We homeschool so not concerned about where schools are. We do want to be close to the beach and/or outdoor activities. Do houses there come with pools? Not that you need one I suppose.

My question boils down to: on oahu, on $135,000/year, can a family of 5 live comfortably?

thanks, fatoldman

[GeorgiaTransplant]

During my time there:

Rent was always the worst hit every month

Gas was a close second

Groceries (on the economy) was third (we lived a very long ways from a commissary).

Everything else was a little expensive, but it wasn't atrociously bad.

I think your rental amount is a little low. A little low-like, add $500 or $1000 a month.

The thing I always noticed about Hawaii was rent didn't 'scale' the same as the mainland; a tiny shack would be $1000 a month, and a 6 bedroom monster house would be $3500-$4000. In other words, at the upper end (not mansions, just bigger single-family homes) it didn't get horribly bad at a linear rate with the size of the house.

So yeah, I think you'd be in good shape with that kind of salary.

[hotzcatz]

If you live rural such as out in Kahuku, Hauula, Kaaawa, etc., you might be able to find a house with a large yard although a half acre is kinda chancy. There would be a long commute into town for work, though, if you worked in town. Generally the rural neighborhoods aren't upscale either, but you could have a goat or a lot of roosters in your yard and blend in.

[Tiger Beer]

Amazingly high salary. I've always wondered how people make that much, and still feel insecure about it.

Isn't the average income probably in the 40s...which means that most people make much less, coupled with the high income earners that pull that average upwards.

[fatoldman]

thank you all for the feed back. Yes Tiger Beer, I guess it's all relative. I live just about paycheck to paycheck and I know folks making quite a bit more than me in the same boat. I've learned that it doesn't really matter what bracket we're all in. We can all be as smart, or not smart, with the funds we have as the next guy. I was laid off recently and am about to lose my house here. So don't let the salary fool you!!
I've heard, which is ofcourse not a good source, that a gallon of milk can cost $9 or so, that food and gas in general are 30%+ greater than Seattle, and everything for that matter simply costs more. I can understand that as everything has to be shipped in. Which is why I'm here in the first place.

[Alicia64]

Now I'm totally interested (and nosey) -- what do you do?

We homeschool too! But (sniff) we're not moving to HI.

Alley

[808n310]

135k is a substantial salary anywhere, even in Hawaii, so I wouldn't worry about being able to live a comfortable life....

You mentioned that it wasn't critical that you get the 1/2 acre lot, this is key, b/c there are very, very few homes with this much space, and they are usually either one of two things, multi-million dollar properties or older, smaller homes far, far away from the city (Waianae, Hauula, etc). The latter may actually work for you if you don't mind a long commute, or do not work, or need to work, in town....otherwise $2,500 / month translates into a decent suburban 3 or 4 br home or a nicer 2br condo in Honolulu. Check out the Honolulu Advertiser, or www.retalsillustrated.com to get an idea of what works in your budget, good luck!

[southern by choice]

Yes, it is expensive. We lived there for 4 years. But, you will discover that you dont have to spend much, if anything, on entertainment and things to do with the family on weekends. Lots of fun ( free ) things to do. You can also find cheap places to eat out once in awhile...its all just a matter of changing your mind set around. Budgeting...it is true that monthly housing and food will be big bills, but it is totally doable. Good Luck, sounds like a great adventure !

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by fatoldman

I've heard, which is ofcourse not a good source, that a gallon of milk can cost $9 or so, that food and gas in general are 30%+ greater than Seattle, and everything for that matter simply costs more.

Search this forum for "milk" and you'll get pages about the cost of it. The upshot: food is more expensive, but you can find deals (Costco, shop around, store specials, farmer's markets, etc).

I moved here from LA. Gas is a tad more here (but it fluctuates and seems sometimes to be less if my visitors are to be believed). Of course, in LA I drove everywhere and really long distances... I filled up 2 or 3 times a week, minimum. Here, I fill up every 2 or 3 weeks. So, I spend way less on gas even though it's more per gallon.

The good stuff is free... beaches, hiking, sun, trade winds. When it's the weekend or you have a day off, suddenly you're on vacation in Hawaii! Can't beat it.

[alex7777]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Amazingly high salary. I've always wondered how people make that much, and still feel insecure about it.

Isn't the average income probably in the 40s...which means that most people make much less, coupled with the high income earners that pull that average upwards.

The average American income is in the 40's, but that includes kids, retired people, housewives, etc. (People who aren't working.) It also includes young folks just starting out at minimum wage. So even with the billionaires, median incomes are also probably in the 40's.

That said, anything over six figures is a very nice salary, and would make anyone fairly comfortable anywhere, as long as they aren't too extravagant (of have large monthly debt payments).