Supplies to bring? (Hilo, Kailua: apartment, rent, refrigerator)

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

No doubt when age hits them, they will want to go back "on-grid" and avail themsevles of all the benefits the hard-working on-grdders bought and paid for.

I know of many people who have lived a simplistic lifestyle, paid their own bills, and taken care of themselves. And I've known many people who have lived a stressful, economically aggressive lifestyle, overspent, and went bankrupt in the process (leaving those they owe a debt to to fend for themselves).

Someone's decision to live simply and cheaply does not mean they are a bad person or a deadbeat. If I had to make a choice, I'd take the honest and thoughtful "cheap" neighbor over the buried under debt self-centered "spender" neighbor.

This thread is eye-opening about how we each ... every one of us ... casts our own expectations for ourselves upon others. And doing it under the guise of "giving advice" is just a cover for our own expectations.

OP asked:

Originally Posted by raechul

Well, we're moving! I've been gathering a few things to bring, food wise, so we're not blowing all of our money when we get there and I have a question:

What essentials would you suggest buying ahead of time to avoid the higher cost on the island (like toothpaste, contact solution, TP, sunblock, etc.)? I figured it would make sense to stock up on a few items we'll need while we can get them cheaper on the mainland, I just don't know what items are going to be that different price-wise.

Somehow that question has morphed into lessons about "right" and "wrong" lifestyle. I'm included in that drifting. Thus, back on track, OP bring just what will be hard to quickly replace, and you'll find other affordable alternatives for most other things if you are flexible. But be sure to bring enough savings to hold you over while you get settled, and enough to fund a return move should you not have things work out well in Hawaii.

Good luck.

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

Please don't take offense, but you state the glaringly-obvious as if it is a great revelation.Of course we do that, everyone does it. It is called "perspective" or "point of view". It is universal, even among those who assert that they don't.

I don't take offense, and it is notable that your posting shows that exact same "glaringly-obvious as if it is a great revelation" element ... you've just reworded what I already said.

[Robin Rossi]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

I don't take offense, and it is notable that your posting shows that exact same "glaringly-obvious as if it is a great revelation" element ... you've just reworded what I already said.

Yes, but I never referred to it as a great "eye-opener". IN any case, Let's just leave this thing die a natural death. It isn't worth the feather-ruffling.

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

This thread is eye-opening about ...

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

Yes, but I never referred to it as a great "eye-opener". IN any case, Let's just leave this thing die a natural death. It isn't worth the feather-ruffling.

Yes, a retirement of this topic to focus on the OP's questions would be getting back on task.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

OP, if you are asking about food, it occurs to me that, if you are a cook, you might like to bring your spice cabinet with you.

If I look into my spice cabinet, I have hundreds of dollars worth of spices, herbs, and flavorings. I am sure that all of them are available in Hawaii, but a couple hundred dollars right off the bat to replace them all would be tough to pay, especially if I'd just thrown away all of the same.

[hotzcatz]

If you go to the health food store or the natural food store, you can replace your spice cabinet for not a whole lot of money. It is in the bulk spice section so you get spices in small plastic bags instead of tidy small jars. Once you have a set of spice jars, replacing all the spices annually keeps them fresh. Or just work with the spices in small bags, I have some of each around here.

Once you get settled an herb garden is easy to grow and then you'll have fresh herbs year round to cook with.

[Robin Rossi]

My advice is Carmex, in jars or tubes. Don't leave home without it.

Oh yes, Lawry's Season Salt - the Universal Spice used in so many steak houses.

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by raechul

Thanks! Yeah, I'm only bringing enough food for us to make some miscellaneous meals while we stay at our airbnb host for the first week.

Your airBnB host will be able to tell you where the best places to buy things are. Eventually, you'll get everything figured out but having someone to point you to the best places from the beginning is priceless. When moving, a lot of times it isn't the cost of moving which adds up, it's the not knowing where to go to get the best deals for daily living after you've made the move. Eventually, you'll find the best sources for your living needs but when you first move to an area, especially one not like where you were before, it's difficult to figure out where things are.

Networking is important in Hawaii. The best rentals go to relatives, friends or friends of friends and never get advertised. Same with household appliances, jobs, used cars, etc.

As far as supplies, bring the little stuff that makes your life comfortable so the transition will be easier. If you have a favorite but odd brand of shampoo or other toiletry item, bring along a large bottle of that. You can mail order almost anything nowadays, especially with the internet and Amazon Prime, but initially you'll not have a mailing address and getting replacements for your favorite things may be a bit more difficult.

To decide what to take and what not to take, if there's something you really like to use, find out what it would cost to buy it online and put in a Hawaii zipcode for the mailing address and see what the replacement costs would be. If you can mail order ExoticSpice or HardToFindShampoo at reasonable prices, then you don't need to pack it along.

[raechul]

Originally Posted by annerk

Somehow I don't think my advice was "dumb." In fact it was quite insightful. At some point she's going to spend more money getting stuff there than she would just buying it there. A little logic goes a long way.

Put your snide attitude away, it's quite unbecoming.

We live quite differently than every responder has assumed. Did any of you learn in school that no question is a dumb question? No, we're not moving there with $2000, we have more than enough to live there for a year without working, but I would rather spend $2 on a tube of toothpaste vs $10 provided the opportunity. It's one of those what- could- I- have- with- that- $8 instead of saying whatever and not being frugal (blowing it). Hopefully the people we meet are nowhere near as condescending and patronizing as the many of you in this forum. No wonder the locals don't like you. It's disappointing reading recent reports of Hawaii being voted the "happiest state" in the US.

[whtviper1]

Raechul - everyday essentials at Longs and Safeway - like toothpaste have a similar price as the mainland, but you keep going back to toothpaste. Many of the "creative" responses are since toiletries are similar in price - they've been trying to come up with other stuff even though you didn't ask for it.

If you are truly talking everyday toiletries the prices to the mainland are very close. The $2 toothpaste might cost $2.20 but certainly not $10.