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So I moved out to Oahu about two weeks ago, found a place to rent in less than 4 days and managed to meet somebody with a military pass to shop at the commissary on Hickam Air Base. I've already had two job opportunities, having turned them both down because I'd rather have time off.
I've been reading these posts for the past six months, and people here complain about these issues the most: Rent, Food, and Work.
In my personal experience here, I have to say that each case is unique. I am now paying half as much for food as I was in California a few weeks ago, because I am a friendly person and I make contacts very easily. I landed a room to rent in Waikiki for only $400 a month, because I am trustworthy and make good conversation. I could have already been working here, because I took initiative and interview well, not to mention I made a few friends that work here already.
Don't let anybody tell you that you shouldn't move here if you really want to. I was starting to get worried a few weeks ago from reading all these posts and almost didn't make the trip. But instead, I listened to my heart and now I am paying considerably less for everything, including food, than I was in California.
Milk is bad for people anyways. Buy local food. Meet a friend with a military pass.
I think single people might have a little easier time with costs considering they only need a small room and renting a room from a resident that has a large house and wants to supplement their income should be easy to find. However, remember there are a lot of folks who are looking for work to support a family. Maybe the family consists of only a couple, but many do have children, and if not may want to have children in the future. Milk may not be good for you, but it is essential for small keikies. As the family expands, so does the demand for other products. Sure, local fruits and some vegetables are plentiful and cheap. But the same limited supply can get boring. I love vegetables such as asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, corn on the cob, and other veggies that are in limited supply or very expensive in HI. And for fruits? Well, we have everything HI has and more. How much are fresh strawberries there? How about sweet Georgia peaches? And my favorite, watermelon? I can buy large ones for a couple bucks in the height of the season. I remember watermelon being so expensive in HI that a particular farmer I knew had barbed wire around his field. And DOGS guarding the patch too!
And how many people know or have friends that are in the military? I lived there all my young adult life and I never met one. Besides, I wonder if using a friend's pass is legal? I would stick to WalMart.
Eddie
Anyone who has gone to Hawaii is sure to remember the Agricultural form you fill out on the plane. There's also an amnesty bin on the way to baggage claim where you have one last chance to rid yourself of items. The fines and penalties can be pretty stiff for violations.
Few years ago my brother and I and his then 10-yr old son traveled to Mexico, crossing from one ocean to the other by VW bus. When we arrived in Mazatlan the mango was in high season. And of course, dirt cheap. Anywayz, after a few days there we loaded up on some large super sweet fresh mangoes and off we go north to the EEUU (that's U.S. for you haoles). When we were in the North part of the State of Chihuahua we were stopped by Mexican agricultural officers and asked the usual questions. We said we had some mangoes. They said, you have two choices. Throw them away or eat them. There was no way we were going to throw them away so we parked the ole VW by some shady tree and proceeded to eat as many as we could. Ah, they were delicious, but we didn't want to see another mango for a long, long time.
Eddie
The top part of my last post re: Mexico was from a quote by bkyhi. I don't know why it does not appear as a quote. Sorry for not giving credit for that info re: the Ag form by bkyhi.
Eddie
I love vegetables such as asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, corn on the cob, and other veggies that are in limited supply or very expensive in HI. And for fruits? Well, we have everything HI has and more. How much are fresh strawberries there? How about sweet Georgia peaches? And my favorite, watermelon?
I went to the farmer's market today. Bought local asparagus ($1 for a good-sized bunch), local cauliflower ($2.50 for a huge head), and local corn on the cob ($3 for 4 ears... that one is pricey).
Tonight for dinner for me & the husband: 1/2 the cauliflower, roasted with olive oil, salt & pepper. Asparagus bread pudding (grill the asparagus for a few minutes and add it to some stale bread, a bit of milk, 2 eggs, some cheese, and some seasoning and bake... yum!) And a salad made with local lettuce, carrots, onions, and tomatoes and a home-made dressing. I'm guessing the whole thing (and we'll have leftovers) is costing about $5 to feed two of us. Maybe $6.
I may miss strawberries in a few years, but for now I'm celebrating the fact that mangoes are coming back in season... eagerly watching as my colleagues pass by my door. Any day now one of them will be carrying a large bag of *amazing* mangoes, and will hand them to me for free. I know where to find guava for free on one of my favorite hiking trails... haven't paid for it yet. I do pay for the lilikoi, but I don't remember ever being able to buy it in So Cal or the Bay Area.
Plus, I prefer to eat local food as much as possible. So I probably wouldn't ever buy Georgia peaches, and I never bought Hawaiian pineapple while living in Cali, even though I could. I prefer food that doesn't have to travel thousands of miles to get to me.
I pay about the same for pineapples here, as I did in NY. Sometimes they're cheaper ($2.99 or less; in NY they were almost always $3.99 or even $4.99).
The free fruit is great; we had lots of starfruit from September-January; we still have lots of avocadoes; we have lemons (hmmm, maybe Sept. to now, still going strong); the mango tree is blossoming, no fruit yet but it'll come. A friend sometimes brings me bananas, and the next door neighbor trades tangerines for our avocadoes.
We do buy strawberries once in a while at Costco, but I don't know what they cost (my husband always gets them, he's the baker so he'll make muffins or cake or something). We had corn once but it was too expensive and lousy. We get pears and apples when they're on sale, like maybe $1.19/lb. Asparagus is also on sale sometimes, ditto broccoli. We buy whatever's on sale.
those prices seem very affordable for HI, well the asparagus is even cheaper than in the midwest. and UHprof, thanks for sharing a meal plan. but, of course, that meal is only veg. i did find during my visit last yr that price of meat is not excessively more than on mainland? maybe 10-20% but milk, OJ, ... are like 100% more expensive.
I get mildly steamed every time my in-laws leave (after staying at our house for a month or so) and call back to tell us they "paid less than they did here" for Maui Gold pineapples, mangoes, etc. We planted a papaya tree *for* them, and have added lemon and lime trees. If they're so happy with the produce prices on the east coast, I do not see why they "need" to come and stay here for so long!
those prices seem very affordable for HI, well the asparagus is even cheaper than in the midwest. and UHprof, thanks for sharing a meal plan. but, of course, that meal is only veg. i did find during my visit last yr that price of meat is not excessively more than on mainland? maybe 10-20% but milk, OJ, ... are like 100% more expensive.
The asparagus was a smallish bunch, but yeah pretty cheap.
We don't eat veg all the time, but we often do when I've just gone a little crazy at the farmer's market.
Meat seems pricey here, but I actually was veggie until shortly before moving here, so I'm not good at comparing those prices. We still don't eat that much of it. We buy really good stuff (beef from North Shore Cattle Co, etc) and really enjoy it.
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