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Hmm, are there places which sell bathroom heaters?
I had to get something for my in-laws and couldn't find any kind of heaters in Oahu - although maybe I gave up to easily. Ended up getting something on Amazon.
Wow, folks. I know I bought a little electric space heater on Kaua'i, probably Kmart. But Longs and Ace, Walmart and HomeDepot might have them too. It's the kind with a fan that will heat up a room in 5 minutes.
Agreed that it can feel cold in Hawaii at sea level, even to the people who live here. Sometimes there is just that mix of cool temps, overcast, breeze, and/or light rain that feels cold. Of course, "cold" means chilly and have to go put on long pants and a sweatshirt, and maybe socks and shoes. I think I wear jeans only 3-4 times a year in Hawaii (plus a few more going to or from a mainland flight).
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
Ewwwwww, I don't do garage sales and thrift shops. Shopping for new stuff is a sucky enough chore, but garage sales? Not just no but hell no, that's a thousand times worse and who has the time, anyway? I donated everything I couldn't sell to friends and co-workers before I moved to America's Third World rather than having one, I hate garage sales that much.
You must be mistaking me for someone who can't afford parcel post. I'm wondering why everyone says I should buy used stuff instead of mailing a few boxes to myself. No, we are not wealthy, but we can easily afford our new life so please stop worrying so much about a little bit of postage. This move is going to cost me a fraction of the move from Florida to USVI. I couldn't believe that it was recommended that I go to thrift shops for used clothing rather than shipping a box of my own good stuff to myself. In addition to being gross and extremely time-consuming, that doesn't make economic sense. There sure is a lot of bizarre advice on this forum.
It's probably all the bizarre people we reply to (no smiley, I mean that literally). You probably don't want to hear this, but your level of condescending and rigidity just isn't going to fly in Hawaii. A simple "I'm not into thrift stores and garage sales" or "shipping what I have is more economical" will work a lot better when you converse with people in Hawaii.
Catz, the having to shop is the ewwww gross. I detest shopping. I don't buy retail either. I just don't need stuff. Really. Bummer for you that you do, your forced to go shopping. For me, shopping ranks right along with having my teeth cleaned. Lucky me that I already own warm clothing and a heater and can afford postage (geez let's hope so if I'm moving to HI) and don't need to shop.
And who has the time? We sure don't, I don't know about y'all but we are just too busy doing other things. Packing and shipping clothing I own will take maybe an hour tops, having to replace it...geez, a long time and we are just too busy.
I know I'm weird but I'm just not into "stuff", not materialistic. I know people can't wrap their heads around that. And if I already have "stuff" that I can use, I don't understand why I should get rid of it and buy more "stuff". The less I own, the happier I am. A major reason we are renting a furnished home, we don't have to own furniture.
Ewwwwww, I don't do garage sales and thrift shops. Shopping for new stuff is a sucky enough chore, but garage sales? Not just no but hell no, that's a thousand times worse and who has the time, anyway?
No problem. All the more for us.
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
I couldn't believe that it was recommended that I go to thrift shops for used clothing rather than shipping a box of my own good stuff to myself.
No, I never recommend that. I do say to bring less clothing than you think you will need, and to stick with light natural fabrics, but among the cheapest shipping method you have available to you is the luggage you bring with you.
And bring the irreplaceable, like family photos, and the must-have favorites and the hard to replace, like my knife-roll full of Wusthof chef's cutlery. But the average person still brings far, far too much stuff with them, and later regrets it.
And OK, I can see that your precious bathroom heater falls into that category for you, but once you actually experience a "moving back to the mainland" yard sale in Hawai'i I think you'll understand what I mean.
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
In addition to being gross and extremely time-consuming, that doesn't make economic sense. There sure is a lot of bizarre advice on this forum.
Gross? I bought a KitchenAid mixer still new in the box for $10.
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
I need the room heater for the bathroom especially. If it gets much below 75 degrees in there, I will suffer. I wish I was joking; I'm not. I have a really nice one with a remote control and I sure as hell don't feel like driving all over B.I. trying to find a used one to replace it (waste of the oh so expensive gas everyone whines about, right?)
So stipulated.
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
To repeat: There sure is a lot of bizarre advice on this forum.
Let me suggest that once you've been here a while, it won't seem so bizarre. Everyone is NOT alike, but over time you will begin to see what others here were talking about.
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Originally Posted by DebbyDiver
I'm looking forward to the surprises! We've pretty much researched it to death though, we've lots of friends who live or have lived in HI, we've read many books, read lots of forum posts, hell, I'll be disappointed if we are NOT surprised...how boring would that be?
It's the little things, for me, ongoingly. Like seeing the honeydrippers flitting around in the trees, or a mongoose streaking across a clearing, or the way the clouds part after a short, intense shower and the sun punches through with Mauna Kea in the background.
I'm not sure if I equate yard saling as shopping, really. It's more of a going out into the world to see what's going to follow us home and chat with folks we haven't met before as well as wander around in neighborhoods we wouldn't otherwise go to. Last weekend we ended up at the very end of a road up the mountain above Kolekole beach park. Gorgeous estate, saw an interesting way to build a railing which we might use on the new back lanai we are planning on building. We ended up with a trailer full of Trex decking to build the deck, a big really thick book called "Tropica" which has more pictures of tropical plants than I ever knew existed, a book called "Rabbit Production" which I had been looking for, as well as some other high end gardening books. We also met some folks with beehives and might trade some bunny berries (fertilizer) for honey. It is sort of an adventure or maybe it's more like a treasure hunt but we usually meet really interesting people and find great stuff that wouldn't be anything we'd ever go out and buy. Even used on Amazon, the price they ask for that "Tropica" book is way more than I'd ever pay for a book. But chatting with the person about gardens, she gave me a lot of her gardening books for free (including Rabbit Production and Tropica) although I did pay $15 for a more rare Hawaiian gardening book.
Yard and garage sales can be yuck, though, especially if they are in less than affluent neighborhoods. But one can usually tell when driving up to it if it is going to be a productive stop or not. These yard sales can also be on the way to somewhere else such as the beach, so that can lower the "shopping" aspect of it, too. But yeah, otherwise, going to town to go shopping is a pain. Takes all day and half the time I don't get everything on the list because I'm done shopping way before I get to the bottom of the list.
Farmer's markets are more fun to shop at, although half of that is socializing instead of actually shopping. This can be different depending on the farmer's market, though. The one downtown Hilo is basically "stores without a roof" whereas the farmer's market at Parker School in Waimea is more of a social event with vegetables.
How do folks manage shopping in the Virgin Islands? Are there big shopping malls with the same big box stores as the mainland has or are they smaller mom and pop type shops? A lot of mail order?
And bring the irreplaceable, like family photos, and the must-have favorites and the hard to replace, like my knife-roll full of Wusthof chef's cutlery.
Family photos scanned and tossed. And of course we are parcel-posting our more valuable and beloved kitchen tools.
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But the average person still brings far, far too much stuff with them, and later regrets it.
Won't be us, we're bringing and/or shipping very little.
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And OK, I can see that your precious bathroom heater falls into that category for you, but once you actually experience a "moving back to the mainland" yard sale in Hawai'i I think you'll understand what I mean.
Won't happen, I'd mail it back or give it away. I still don't see why I should give away an item that's going to cost $5 to mail (it doesn't weigh much, isn't big) that is still like new in the box and has special features that are hard to find and then have to hunt down the same one. Waste of gas...waste of time...did I mention that I detest shopping?
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Gross? I bought a KitchenAid mixer still new in the box for $10.
As I mentioned, the act of shopping is what is gross to me, but 'grats to you on your find.
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Let me suggest that once you've been here a while, it won't seem so bizarre. Everyone is NOT alike, but over time you will begin to see what others here were talking about.
But I do know what you're talking about, and many of my friends are into "treasure hunting", but I'm not. I'd rather be diving or hiking or kayaking or playing music. Thrift shopping is not particular to HI you know. Just sayin'. Some people like to shop. Some don't.
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It's the little things, for me, ongoingly. Like seeing the honeydrippers flitting around in the trees, or a mongoose streaking across a clearing, or the way the clouds part after a short, intense shower and the sun punches through with Mauna Kea in the background.
New in the box Kitchenaid mixer?! Whoohoo! Great score! If you ever find a spare macaroni maker attachment for a KA mixer, buy it for me and I'll pay you for it. (At garage sale prices, of course.) I've found a KA noodle maker, but it only rolls out and cuts the noodles, doesn't make the different shapes of macaroni. The macaroni maker which was an addition to the meat grinder attachment isn't made anymore and Macy's doesn't carry the new (and much more expensive) KA macaroni maker attachment.
Which area do you garage sale at, OpenD? Up around Volcano? We are usually along the coast or up in Waimea. If there's anything in particular you are looking for, let us know and we will keep an eye out for it.
OK Catz, I see your point about it being social and a way to explore.
However, I was advised that I couldn't afford to mail some items I already owned and that I should get rid of them here and then spend all my free time going to thrift shops instead of enjoying my new home. Not the same. The regular posters here assume all newcomers are too poor to afford postage and give one size fits all advice.
Shopping here is at K-Mart or online mostly. People here tend to be not very materialistic, a very simple lifestyle. The most popular way to get things is for other people to simply give it to you. Just an hour ago I gave away a bunch of things we aren't taking with us to friends. I suppose garage sales exist but I don't know where. The women's coalition and the humane society have thrift shops and there's a furniture consignment shop.
How do folks manage shopping in the Virgin Islands? Are there big shopping malls with the same big box stores as the mainland has or are they smaller mom and pop type shops? A lot of mail order?
I'm curious about the Virgin Islands with this as well.
EDIT: Looks like being answered in the above post.
Would be interesting to later hear of the VI vs HI comparisons.
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