Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you have a friend with contacts, then you would be off to a good start. I see a lot of job postings, but then when you get there the job is already filled. Usually by a friend or someone in the manager's ohana.
What people are trying to tell you is that while you may have great credentials, the jobs just may not be here. So as long as you are prepared to work those two or three menial jobs to be able to live in Paradise, then go for it.
BTW, one reason that people work so many jobs is that in Hawaii employers don't have to pay benefits to employees who work less than 20 hours a week. So you'll see a lot of people work 19 - 19.5 hours at each job, then have to put out their own money for health insurance.
I hear a lot of negative responses to those who want to move to Oahu, and for good reason. I understand that the cost of living is very high, you may get island fever, etc. But, I want to hear from anyone who moved to Oahu, didn't make that much money, yet was able to get by, pay rent, and enjoy their dream.. in their own special way. I am not asking to hear about those who came, went broke, and slept in a tent. I would like to hear from those, maybe a couple, who moved there because it was something they always wanted to do, because they didn't want to grow old wishing they would have taken a chance...and made it, on less than what most peole say they would need.
How did you do it, what reccomendations would you have for others with the same goal. How much did you make, how much was rent, what did you do to save on groceries, expenses, etc.
Please let me (us) know!!
Hi Mike,
Here's our story. Let me start by saying that we moved in 2007 - and while we'd wanted to move to Hawaii for years, it was chance that a friend who my husband had worked with in California found a job in Hawaii, and called my husband a year later with an opening. The company paid for our move, as well as 3 months in a condo at Ko Olina, and all expenses for the first three months. This gave us the head-start that is really needed to live here.
First, if you don't have a connection here as we did, then save, save, save. Many local families live with two, three or more generations in one house, just to keep afloat. Without that option, your first hurdle is finding affordable housing. Because section 8 housing allows for a $2500 monthly rent allowance as well as military stipends being a similar amount, renting can (and is) an expensive prospect. Better to buy if at all possible.
Second, after you're here and established, make connections. The more the better. This helps find jobs, affordable housing, etc. We've moved three times while here, our last place was affordable because a friend from church rented his inherited in-law's home. It was huge, and "only" $1800 a month. We're now buying a home of our own, but it's taken almost 5 years.
Our monthly expenses now:
Mortgage $2700 - (we put 40% down)
Electricity/Gas (with A/C) - $550 per month (w/o A/C) $300
Cell Phones - $250 (includes internet access for our tablets)
Internet/Cable (Basic cable, we don't watch much t.v) - $109
Sewer/Water - $400 (quarterly)
We don't have a land phone line and our cars are paid for. Of course food and entertainment is pricier than it is on the mainland. We also visit family on the mainland twice a year, and I homeschool as well (and don't work).
Bottom line Mike, it's tough, but I (we) absolutely love it here. It is home now. I don't think we'll ever go back.
My older stepson, who is from Hawaii but who moved to the mainland with his mother when he was 12, moved back to the Big Island when he was 19. He stayed for four years, and never had trouble finding multiple part-time minimum-wage jobs. Toward the end, he was working 60 hours per week at three jobs: flipping burgers at McDonalds, being a security guard at a shopping center, and being sort of a "big brother" to a troubled teenager through a counseling center. During part of his time there, he took classes at the community college. He barely made ends meets, and his mom and I gave him more financial assistance than we like to think about. Yes, some of it was due to his being young and foolish with his money (I did some of the same when I was his age), but life was very tough for him. He loves Hawaii, but he finally said, "It isn't paradise when you're working 60 hours a week and don't have time to enjoy the reasons you moved there in the first place." He'd move back there in a heartbeat if he had the skills needed to get a decent-paying job, but he has a better quality of life here on the mainland.
So it's easy to say you'd be content working two jobs and having only a day or two off per month, and not having much disposable income, but actually doing it -- especially over several years -- is a very different matter for most people. For the first two years or so, the trade-offs were worth it for my stepson, and maybe they would be for you, too. I'd echo others here: make sure you have an exit plan. As for my wife and me, we hope to live in Hawaii when she retires in a few years, but we're realistic about our own wants and needs. At our age, we're not willing to do "whatever it takes" to live in Hawaii. There's a certain minimal standard of living (modest middle class) that we're not willing to go below. If can, can. If no can, no can.
I hear ya, I will have two incomes though, my fiance' will be coming with. She has been in sales for 7 years, and recently became a personal banker. She is Cambodian, so, she looks local. This seemed to help, when she lived their with her sister for a while some years ago. She is good at whatever she does and shouldn't have a problem getting a job, even if it isn't high paying..hopfully. But, I am going to go first, I will have a free place to stay when I arrive. This should help save some money, and give me time to look for work, a place, get my License, and all of that stuff. We have no kids, so..nothing really to lose. I just do not want to be 50 living in a crap town in Ohio wishing I would have taken a chance when I was 30.
I hear ya, I will have two incomes though, my fiance' will be coming with. She has been in sales for 7 years, and recently became a personal banker. She is Cambodian, so, she looks local. This seemed to help, when she lived their with her sister for a while some years ago. She is good at whatever she does and shouldn't have a problem getting a job, even if it isn't high paying..hopfully. But, I am going to go first, I will have a free place to stay when I arrive. This should help save some money, and give me time to look for work, a place, get my License, and all of that stuff. We have no kids, so..nothing really to lose. I just do not want to be 50 living in a crap town in Ohio wishing I would have taken a chance when I was 30.
Then this is the time to give it a shot. When I was in my late 30s, I moved away from a city I didn't like to a place that really called to me, the PNW. I live in Portland, OR now, and I still love it as much as I did when I came here 14 years ago. My wife loves it here, too, and we know we'd miss this area if we move to Hawaii. So either way, we'll be living in a place we love.
Hi Mike,
Here's our story. Let me start by saying that we moved in 2007 - and while we'd wanted to move to Hawaii for years, it was chance that a friend who my husband had worked with in California found a job in Hawaii, and called my husband a year later with an opening. The company paid for our move, as well as 3 months in a condo at Ko Olina, and all expenses for the first three months. This gave us the head-start that is really needed to live here.
First, if you don't have a connection here as we did, then save, save, save. Many local families live with two, three or more generations in one house, just to keep afloat. Without that option, your first hurdle is finding affordable housing. Because section 8 housing allows for a $2500 monthly rent allowance as well as military stipends being a similar amount, renting can (and is) an expensive prospect. Better to buy if at all possible.
Second, after you're here and established, make connections. The more the better. This helps find jobs, affordable housing, etc. We've moved three times while here, our last place was affordable because a friend from church rented his inherited in-law's home. It was huge, and "only" $1800 a month. We're now buying a home of our own, but it's taken almost 5 years.
Our monthly expenses now:
Mortgage $2700 - (we put 40% down)
Electricity/Gas (with A/C) - $550 per month (w/o A/C) $300
Cell Phones - $250 (includes internet access for our tablets)
Internet/Cable (Basic cable, we don't watch much t.v) - $109
Sewer/Water - $400 (quarterly)
We don't have a land phone line and our cars are paid for. Of course food and entertainment is pricier than it is on the mainland. We also visit family on the mainland twice a year, and I homeschool as well (and don't work).
Bottom line Mike, it's tough, but I (we) absolutely love it here. It is home now. I don't think we'll ever go back.
Good luck!
I hear you, and I understand. I plan on volunteering, networking, and talking with my friends "friends" to hopefully make connections. My Fiance and I our obviously not as well off as you and our husband sound to be. I mean, I would never think of a 2700/month payment. We are really basic and used to living in a small space, although, her sister lived there for years (in Ko Olina, they had money) and we visited. I absolutely would live there if we had the money, you never know, maybe after some hard work, networking, and further schooling, one day we will be able to live in a place like that. Until then, we do not mind roughing it to get where we want to be. We in no way think it will be easy, in any way and are well aware of all of the hurdles, but it is a once on a lifetime thing for us. We have no kids and nothing to lose. I do plan on going first in order to get situated, so she doesn't have to go through that strenuous process.
My best friend and her boyfriend moved to Oahu in 2008. They'd saved up $10k, or around that. Landed here and lived with friends while searching for a place, ended up with a very tiny, but cozy furnished ohana apartment in Kailua for $825/mo, plus about $200 in utilities. Bought a used car for $800. They had his car and one cargo container shipped from California. She's a model, he does inspection work. Unfortunately, I don't know how much he makes, and her work is sporadic, but while extremely thrifty, they have more fun and enjoy life more than almost anyone I know. It can be done, but be prepared to struggle and make sacrifices.
I know all about the quarentine. I have reaearched. A few property owners said it would be extra and would most likely need rentera insurance, my insurance guy covers hawaii and it ks like 350 per year. I know it would be tough but possible, i saw plenty of people in waikiki with pit bulls and large dogs, i am assuming the lived in near by apartments consodering they were carrying a poop bag, i assume. The ones on the north shore, I assume lived in houses
I can't recall seeing a bunch of dogs in Waikiki, let alone pitbulls.
If a bunch of Waikiki residents in those tiny little Waikiki studios are buying pits and strutting around the beach with them, than something seriously wrong has just occurred in Waikiki.
The majority of the big dogs I saw while living there were boxers. I lived in Iroquois Point in Ewa (ev-ah, not ew-a) Beach, now known as Waterfront at Pu'uola or something. You are allowed to have large dogs there, but I'm not sure about pits. We had a beach-front 3-bd/rm and our rent was $3k/mo, but there are cheaper houses in the community. I don't know how the construction situation is on Ft. Weaver Rd as opposed to 3 years ago, but taking the H-1 to downtown will always suck due to traffic...and since the water-taxi has closed, I don't know if there is an alternate route. But if you are looking for hospitality jobs, Kapolei and Ko'olina will most likely have some to offer, and those will be easier to get to if you choose to live in Ewa. Oh, also there is a complex in Kaneohe that allows large dogs. Windward Estates, I believe it is.
IF this is your dream.. DO it! Don't look back in 10/20 years and sit somewhere wondering.. what if we? You don't have to worry about putting children in private schools..it's just the 2 of you.. what a better adventure? Even though Hawaii is very different that most of the United States.. it still IS the united states! so your not dealing with a maybe unstable situation of a foreign country. What is the worst? You move back to the mainland....yes it is "expensive"...so is California and New York.. but you make it work!! You learn to shop...and "live on the island". Fun is cheap...it's all around you, surfing, paddle boarding, hiking, kayaking..etc..etc.. There are (unfortunately) more and more mainland stores..Target, Costco etc... so things are more accessible. You are not indoors like you are in the colder states of the mainland in winter or even in California. You certainly don't need the same type of clothing. It really is what you make it...it is really like taking that plunge into cold water once your in you get use to it. My advice is just JUMP! Aloha
IF this is your dream.. DO it! Don't look back in 10/20 years and sit somewhere wondering.. what if we? You don't have to worry about putting children in private schools..it's just the 2 of you.. what a better adventure? Even though Hawaii is very different that most of the United States.. it still IS the united states! so your not dealing with a maybe unstable situation of a foreign country. What is the worst? You move back to the mainland....yes it is "expensive"...so is California and New York.. but you make it work!! You learn to shop...and "live on the island". Fun is cheap...it's all around you, surfing, paddle boarding, hiking, kayaking..etc..etc.. There are (unfortunately) more and more mainland stores..Target, Costco etc... so things are more accessible. You are not indoors like you are in the colder states of the mainland in winter or even in California. You certainly don't need the same type of clothing. It really is what you make it...it is really like taking that plunge into cold water once your in you get use to it. My advice is just JUMP! Aloha
Don't know why, but you just made me crave the Korean BBQ at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue...
I just envisioned myself cruising around the Ala Moana Mall, and stopping in there for a plate lunch, and that it was a semi-regular lunch routine that I would have...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
