Another Cost of living thread (Sorry) (for rent, health insurance, taxes)

[mike6623]

Okay, my fiance and I are moving to Oahu within the year, been planning on it for about 3 1/2 years. She is scared, I am the more adventurous, but she is going because we have no kids, nothing really to lose and don't wanna be 50 living in a crappy town wishing we would have taken a chance when we were 30.

I am just using this a an example. This is what we make now, in a crap town, going to use this as if we were making this on Oahu

3,050/month after taxes

$1000 rent
$ 75 electric (no AC)
$ 400 food (if you are disciplined maybe a little less)
$ 50 cell phone (I am assuming you at least need a phone)
$ 60 monthly bus pass (you gotta get around somehow)
$ 80 cable and internet (I am assuming you want internet access)

=$2520 leaving $530 left over

Now, our idea of a good time is walking, swimming, snorkleing, and hiking. None of which cost money. We do not drink or do drugs.

Maybe....Maybe we go out to eat, usually buffet, 1 every 2 months.

We do not need the glitz and glamour, just being able to enjoy the weather and beaches and outdoors. I don't know, seems doable to me, no? Also, she is Cambodian...so she looks local

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by mike6623

Okay, my fiance and I are moving to Oahu within the year, been planning on it for about 3 1/2 years. She is scared, I am the more adventurous, but she is going because we have no kids, nothing really to lose and don't wanna be 50 living in a crappy town wishing we would have taken a chance when we were 30.

I am just using this a an example. This is what we make now, in a crap town, going to use this as if we were making this on Oahu

3,050/month after taxes

$1000 rent
$ 75 electric (no AC)
$ 400 food (if you are disciplined maybe a little less)
$ 50 cell phone (I am assuming you at least need a phone)
$ 60 monthly bus pass (you gotta get around somehow)
$ 80 cable and internet (I am assuming you want internet access)

=$2520 leaving $530 left over

Now, our idea of a good time is walking, swimming, snorkleing, and hiking. None of which cost money. We do not drink or do drugs.

Maybe....Maybe we go out to eat, usually buffet, 1 every 2 months.

We do not need the glitz and glamour, just being able to enjoy the weather and beaches and outdoors. I don't know, seems doable to me, no? Also, she is Cambodian...so she looks local

Well - $75/month electric would be nice but not likely - figure at least $150/month.

Now you have to budget and really think about day to day items - like razors, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc...

It is extremely difficult to get around with the bus only - things like grocery shopping is a challenge.

[mike6623]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Well - $75/month electric would be nice but not likely - figure at least $150/month.

Now you have to budget and really think about day to day items - like razors, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc...

It is extremely difficult to get around with the bus only - things like grocery shopping is a challenge.

Wow, that is totally not what I meant to enter, I used anothers figures and edited it, higher of course, if you add that, it is not the total hahah! It was more like 1300 for rent like 150 electric 150 for phones 150 for cable and internet, everything was higher, it added up to 2520...sorry


I hear ya, all of the clothing, sneakers, whatever will come with, we are not real materialistic so, shopping often will not happen, for cothes at least. We plan on Costco, and places like that.

[PaliPatty]

Health insurance? Not sure what the general population pays for health insurance (it's mandatory here, BTW, unless you get a job where you work fewer than twenty hours per week---you cannot opt out unless you have proof of alternate insurance) but you have to factor that in. My insurance is incredibly wonderful and incredibly inexpensive (thank you, Union) so I won't give you that number to use. Others here can help you with that.
Your electricity estimate was way too low. Double it.
Sure, come on over, give it a fling. No kids, willing to work multiple jobs. Just keep enough money aside to ship yourselves and the pup back if need be.

[mike6623]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

Health insurance? Not sure what the general population pays for health insurance (it's mandatory here, BTW, unless you get a job where you work fewer than twenty hours per week---you cannot opt out unless you have proof of alternate insurance) but you have to factor that in. My insurance is incredibly wonderful and incredibly inexpensive (thank you, Union) so I won't give you that number to use. Others here can help you with that.
Your electricity estimate was way too low. Double it.
Sure, come on over, give it a fling. No kids, willing to work multiple jobs. Just keep enough money aside to ship yourselves and the pup back if need be.

Yeah, if you read my nexr post, i said i posted wrong numbers, those dknt equal the totsl amount, the rent was like 1300 elec was 150 cable and phone were about 150 and food ws 500

[vahnessuh]

Just make sure you have exit money that you NEVER touch while in Hawaii.

[Becca8377]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Well - $75/month electric would be nice but not likely - figure at least $150/month.

Just my 2 cents on this - $75 for electric is definitly doable. I got mine down to around $50 per month. I had a window AC unit, but never ran it. 2 tabletop fans. Other than that, just typical fridge, clocks, etc.

[PaliPatty]

Originally Posted by Becca8377

Just my 2 cents on this - $75 for electric is definitly doable. I got mine down to around $50 per month. I had a window AC unit, but never ran it. 2 tabletop fans. Other than that, just typical fridge, clocks, etc.

The cost of electricity has gone up tremendously in the past few years.
It seems that the rate goes up with every bill. HECO now has television commercials that try to explain the crazy spiral.
Becca, haven't you lived in another part of the country for quite a while? When was the last time you actually saw a HECO bill?

Interesting data:

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/cpihono.pdf

[Joliefille]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

The cost of electricity has gone up tremendously in the past few years.
It seems that the rate goes up with every bill. HECO now has television commercials that try to explain the crazy spiral.
Becca, haven't you lived in another part of the country for quite a while? When was the last time you actually saw a HECO bill?

Interesting data:

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/cpihono.pdf

Thanks for the link, Patty! I was wondering why I felt broke lately!

[Becca8377]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

The cost of electricity has gone up tremendously in the past few years.
It seems that the rate goes up with every bill. HECO now has television commercials that try to explain the crazy spiral.
Becca, haven't you lived in another part of the country for quite a while? When was the last time you actually saw a HECO bill?

Interesting data:

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/cpihono.pdf

I left Oahu in July 2009. I just wanted to give my two cents on it. Sucks that the rates continue to go up. I do know that the last apt I lived, the electric bill was NEVER above $100 - it was a small one bedroom. I think the average for my 2 bedroom was $150. I have the documents on my work computer, so I can pull those up tomorrow to get all the actual numbers