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Hello nice people ! I will later this year migrate as a single widower, with grown kids elsewhere, to Oahu. You have read many stories of those "dreaming", so not boring you with all of that stuff.
I am retired military and will humbly appreciate use of the many facilities for somewhat lesser food costs, as I am not rich or even close. LOL. Food will be one less obstacle, and am planning to go and locate a clean, cheaper lease apartment and use the great Oahu bus system as well as send my somewhat older car for periodic commissary/food trips or medical appointments. Less costly places for lease, seem to be away from downtown or Waikiki, so I may well try for one of those and furnish it sparsely with available items once there, and avoid shipping much more than clothes and basic cookware, etc. Mid island or places less of a drive to Schofield, Hickam, Pearl, or MCAS may be cool for a 1/1/and included utilities and open parking-no extra fee. My older car is in very good condition and maintained, so a new car seems silly for local shuttle drives on an island. Pasha will ship, and the cost OK versus buying an older car there, with unknown maintenance history. Insurance will be tolerable too. Waikiki and similar places seem to not have in unit washer/dryer , but community laundries, except those in an expensive building. I estimate a 1/1 with all utilities at about $1500 and since I live down to earth, all costs about $2500 total each month. No debts and may seek a p/t tourist job IF close to my residence area and bus route supported.
To the gurus of residence-does it sound reasonable? Thanks!
Hello nice people ! I will later this year migrate as a single widower, with grown kids elsewhere, to Oahu. You have read many stories of those "dreaming", so not boring you with all of that stuff.
I am retired military and will humbly appreciate use of the many facilities for somewhat lesser food costs, as I am not rich or even close. LOL. Food will be one less obstacle, and am planning to go and locate a clean, cheaper lease apartment and use the great Oahu bus system as well as send my somewhat older car for periodic commissary/food trips or medical appointments. Less costly places for lease, seem to be away from downtown or Waikiki, so I may well try for one of those and furnish it sparsely with available items once there, and avoid shipping much more than clothes and basic cookware, etc. Mid island or places less of a drive to Schofield, Hickam, Pearl, or MCAS may be cool for a 1/1/and included utilities and open parking-no extra fee. My older car is in very good condition and maintained, so a new car seems silly for local shuttle drives on an island. Pasha will ship, and the cost OK versus buying an older car there, with unknown maintenance history. Insurance will be tolerable too. Waikiki and similar places seem to not have in unit washer/dryer , but community laundries, except those in an expensive building. I estimate a 1/1 with all utilities at about $1500 and since I live down to earth, all costs about $2500 total each month. No debts and may seek a p/t tourist job IF close to my residence area and bus route supported.
To the gurus of residence-does it sound reasonable? Thanks!
I read your post as - I don't have much money - keywords: sparsely, basic, old car, tolerable, community laundry, may have to seek a p/t job.
That doesn't sound like a good way to spend a retirement - why not be more comfortable without all the stress of the cost of living on a remote island like a place such as Florida?
I saw a story today on the news (CBS evening news) that gas in places like SF and Chicago will go as high as 4.95 by Memorial Day - I can only imagine what that will be here and the impact to utilities.
There are a lot of downsides to living on an island 2,400 miles away from the major supply centers. Unless you have some sort of burning desire to live on an island or some island feature which is required for your dream (North shore waves for surfers, etc.,) then you're going to be paying a lot and not getting much back. Some folks move to Hawaii because of it's multi-cultural aspect. Some folks move here to get away from their relatives. It can fulfill those types of requirements.
What are you anticipating to get from living on Oahu which will offset the extra expenses and hassle? This may be going back to the "dreaming" part, but what happens frequently with folks moving to the islands is that they are chasing a dream which doesn't exist. Hawaii Visitors Bureau has spend billions of dollars by now on the "paradise" myth which many folks buy into (which is somewhat sustainable as a vacation destination but doesn't work when moving here unless you've got gazillions of dollars).
You can probably move to Oahu and get by in a tiny apartment and rely on the commissary and such. If you are only going to be using your car intermittently, it might be more cost effective to rent one once or twice a month or take a taxi than to keep a car around all the time. Find a neighbor with a car and put gas in their tank for taking you to the store or "rent" it from them by filling up the tank. That will save more money, I'd think.
Another option would be to move to someplace on the mainland which has a very low cost of living and live well there and take vacations to Hawaii and other destinations on the amount of money you save.
whtviper1 wrote: "I read your post as - I don't have much money..." Have you been listening to Flame Angel and skewing towards rich transplants? It seems that the OP is aware of the high cost-of-living and adjusting reasonably for it. Moving and finding a place alone is much easier than with dependents, and OP didn't mention any pets, which is even easier.
I thought 1500 for a 1BR was kind of high, but then I checked the Oahu craigslist myself--wow. Since you don't need a job, you could consider the other islands--1000 for a 1BR on Kaua'i, 1200 for something quite charming. No military facilities here except for the long drive to PMRF (though you could live in Kekaha), but by shopping the farmer's markets and sales, you don't have to spend a lot. I totally agree with bringing over a rust-free, well-maintained car, even high mileage (ours had about 140K)--insurance is low on older cars too, lower on neighbor islands too, I bet. And good on you for planning to use the bus a lot, that's the kind of thinking we need in Hawaii.
As mentioned in many other threads, health care is harder to find on neighbor islands and sometimes on Oahu, so maybe that's one of the benefits on Oahu. Kaua'i does have a veteran's clinic, but no vet's hospital. Other thing to think about is the Asian-influenced and community-oriented culture, not to mention pro-union and left-leaning politics, especially among the older generation you will be more in contact with through your activities and hobbies. Seeing how some people rant against it, it can be a factor in adjusting to life in Hawaii and ultimately, a deal-breaker. Otherwise, your plan sounds reasonable to me.
whtviper1 wrote: "I read your post as - I don't have much money..." Have you been listening to Flame Angel and skewing towards rich transplants? It seems that the OP is aware of the high cost-of-living and adjusting reasonably for it. Moving and finding a place alone is much easier than with dependents, and OP didn't mention any pets, which is even easier.
I thought 1500 for a 1BR was kind of high, but then I checked the Oahu craigslist myself--wow. Since you don't need a job, you could consider the other islands--1000 for a 1BR on Kaua'i, 1200 for something quite charming. No military facilities here except for the long drive to PMRF (though you could live in Kekaha), but by shopping the farmer's markets and sales, you don't have to spend a lot. I totally agree with bringing over a rust-free, well-maintained car, even high mileage (ours had about 140K)--insurance is low on older cars too, lower on neighbor islands too, I bet. And good on you for planning to use the bus a lot, that's the kind of thinking we need in Hawaii.
As mentioned in many other threads, health care is harder to find on neighbor islands and sometimes on Oahu, so maybe that's one of the benefits on Oahu. Kaua'i does have a veteran's clinic, but no vet's hospital. Other thing to think about is the Asian-influenced and community-oriented culture, not to mention pro-union and left-leaning politics, especially among the older generation you will be more in contact with through your activities and hobbies. Seeing how some people rant against it, it can be a factor in adjusting to life in Hawaii and ultimately, a deal-breaker. Otherwise, your plan sounds reasonable to me.
The op asked for an opinion "To the gurus of residence-does it sound reasonable? Thanks!" and to me, it didn't. If you read my post further - I suggested considering another island to bring down the cost of living - at least from a housing perspective.
There wasn't anything in that post that led me to believe moving to Hawaii was a good idea. The question was asked and answered.
whtviper1: no doubt we are all entitled to answer the OP with our opinions, just I thought you really focused on the OP's money vocabulary and read it negatively. You are right, it is a risk. I just thought the OP gave enough other substance to offset that risk.
However, I did not see where you "suggested considering another island to bring down the cost of living..."
whtviper1: no doubt we are all entitled to answer the OP with our opinions, just I thought you really focused on the OP's money vocabulary and read it negatively. You are right, it is a risk. I just thought the OP gave enough other substance to offset that risk.
However, I did not see where you "suggested considering another island to bring down the cost of living..."
I guess I didn't suggest another island - guess I thought better of it.
I did focus on the op's money which in my opinion is one of the most critical success factors in the move from the mainland to Hawaii. She certainly implied she didn't have much money and the notion of paradise can fade really quickly when you are poor - it turns into, I'm stuck on an island - help me get off.
And yes, I did focus on the vocabulary - What else was there to focus on, it was her words, not mine.
I'll stand by there wasn't anything in that post that was "positive".
My deep thanks for honesty !! My gut said much of what many have reiterated here and I appreciate your being straightforward. I love truth !
I have wondered about the "draw" of those plunging into Oahu or outer islands w/o the Oahu amenities or facilities for those able to access even military resources. Food is one large area but housing is the biggest expense. Question is WHAT justifies the expense versus a selection even on the mainland (CONUS)? Most seems mental and prior brainwashing about the awe and wonder of natural beauty, sure! However, daily living is a reality one cannot escape and the cost of doing so is great in Hawaii / Oahu for sure. My assumption is that any burning desire must be in an equation of practicality.
Likely, I may just visit on occasion and if things change , so be it. Or, if I win the lottery, I will treat a large group to a banquet and charter bus transport to your homes, to avoid any DUIs - dangers. Thank you all very much !!
The islands are an incredibly beautiful place to live. If one likes outdoor stuff and ocean stuff to do, it is hard to find a nicer place to live. HOWEVER, a LOT of other people are trying to live here, too, especially on Oahu which means it is now extremely crowded and expensive. The mass of traffic and people have sort of overpowered the beauty and without the beauty the joys of living on the island are much lower and less worth the cost and aggravations.
If you have family in Hawaii, desire to surf or swim in the ocean, love of hula and polynesia, are Asian of some type, or a myriad of other valid reasons, then paying the excessive expenses to live in Hawaii will be worth it to you.
However, on a limited budget and without any driving need to live in Hawaii, there are probably a lot of other less expensive places you could find to live where you'd have a much higher standard of living.
Have you visited Hawaii before, Island Breeze? It might be worth a trip if you are considering moving. Then you'll know why some folks want to move to Hawaii as well as hopefully see what it's like past what the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau wants everyone to see.
If you have family in Hawaii, desire to surf or swim in the ocean, love of hula and polynesia, are Asian of some type, or a myriad of other valid reasons, then paying the excessive expenses to live in Hawaii will be worth it to you.
However, on a limited budget and without any driving need to live in Hawaii, there are probably a lot of other less expensive places you could find to live where you'd have a much higher standard of living.
So true.
If I didn't personally have a strong strong desire to be in a huge Asian mix to offset my own decade and half in Asia, and Asian wife, and half Asian kid...I doubt I'd have the pull to Hawaii. Even with that, I don't know if I can rationalize it financially.
For Hawaii, I agree, 1) family or 2) a tremendous pull/love for the ocean, that you'd just feel depressed without it or 3) a love for the mix of Asian cultures that exist in Hawaii, that just isn't duplicated anywhere else on U.S. soil, and a pull to that. Without one of those three major things, what's the point? I could add a 4) money is irrelevant to the person. Yeah, other myriad of reasons, but hopefully unique to Hawaii, and not just 'sounds cool' or 'good weather' reasons.
I once gave San Francisco a shot....at the end of the day, day-to-day 'routine' ends up being more or less than same in San Fran compared to say Phoenix....its difficult to justify why you'd pay significantly more in rent and have so much less to spend each month while doing the same routine you had before. But, if I had been in SF with a strong desire to be a part of something that only SF can provide - than it would have been worth it, but that wasn't the case, and I didn't make it past a year.
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Reply to those kind folks so far- :)
