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I'm a 29 year old male (will be 30 when move is planned), single, no children. I've got a Bachelor's Degree in journalism, and 10 years of retail management experience, with 6 of those years being in multi-unit management. I currently make roughly about 75k on the mainland.
That said, I fully know and understand what to expect in a move in terms of living conditions. I'll have 15-20k saved on my move, as well as another 15k in a 401k (which I don't want to touch unless absolute dire emergency). I currently have commutes of up to 4 hours per day in my job, so I have no problem living anywhere on the island and travelling to work, as long commutes are already the norm. I have no problem living in a studio apartment and understand that I may have to pay upwards of 900-1000 per month (I really don't want to spend any more than 1k per month for rent. Size of apartment doesn't matter, as long as the neighborhood isn't so depleted that safety is a concern (not really for me, as I've been in some VERY rough neighborhoods, but more for comfort of anyone visiting.) My lifestyle is minimal. I don't eat out a lot, don't go out and drink a lot (though I love my aged, single-malt scotch, and realize that will be at risk of losing in this move!) So, realistically, how much would I have to make at a job to be able to make it, knowing now what you know?
I know these questions get asked constantly, so I'm trying to switch up the conversation a bit, instead of just saying "I have this and this and this and do this, will I make it?"
Hopefully that helps. If you need to know anything else to help answer the question, ask away and I'll answer to the best of my ability!
Well - I've gone on record that $50K yearly salary is rock bottom one should make in Honolulu. Good luck on that $1,000 apartment unless you want a lot of roommates.
Obviously, I can only go by what I see on the internet, as I'm not on the ground there, but my searches have come up with plenty of places around 1k per month? They're certainly not big, most of them small studio apartments, but there's a decent number around there? Is it not true? And when I talked about safe neighborhood, I don't mean it has to be a pristine, rich neighborhood. Just preferably one where I don't need to worry about getting stabbed as soon as I walk out the door, every time I walk out the door.
Also, I DO have a small dog, but he would be staying with family until I could secure a job and a place to live that would allow him and I'd have him shipped over afterward.
Obviously, I can only go by what I see on the internet,
Until you do some basic homework you really won't be able to make much sense out of internet searches, and you won't really know the right questions to ask here. I recommend you follow the suggestion you were given when you registered here, and use the Search function to dig into the archives. All the general questions people ask have already been answered many, many times.
Also, take a look at one of the Cost of Living calculators you can find online, that use the monthly COL data collected by the government to allow you to compare your current expenses with what they would be in Hawai'i. Unless you currently live in NYC or San Francisco, you can pretty much count on a major increase. Then you have to add the double whammy that jobs generally pay less in Hawai'i than they do on the mainland, so the overall cost contrast between the two can take your breath away.
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Also, I DO have a small dog, but he would be staying with family until I could secure a job and a place to live that would allow him and I'd have him shipped over afterward.
Ditto, on these points. Maybe 90% of apartment rentals do not permit dogs, so that will severely limit your choices. The Rabies Quarantine process takes about 4 months to comply with, and seems to cost most people about $1,000 by the time poochy actually lands in your arms in Hawai'i.
Again, all this is already posted here, and much more. Happy hunting!
Until you do some basic homework you really won't be able to make much sense out of internet searches, and you won't really know the right questions to ask here. I recommend you follow the suggestion you were given when you registered here, and use the Search function to dig into the archives. All the general questions people ask have already been answered many, many times.
Also, take a look at one of the Cost of Living calculators you can find online, that use the monthly COL data collected by the government to allow you to compare your current expenses with what they would be in Hawai'i. Unless you currently live in NYC or San Francisco, you can pretty much count on a major increase. Then you have to add the double whammy that jobs generally pay less in Hawai'i than they do on the mainland, so the overall cost contrast between the two can take your breath away.
Good luck.
Way ahead of you! Long time lurker, just recently actually signed up for the account. I've done what would be the equivelant of a month's straight of work and research on the subject (meaning 30 days of 24 hours each, not that you can probably EVER do enough research). I've already got the job calculators, and such. As for internet search, I meant I've done some rudimentary searches such as reputable websites (apartmentfinder.com and etc.) and less reputable (craigslist) as well as had email conversations with realtors and others who live on the island. That's where my basis is. I'm just simply trying to get a feel from the ground level on what's really needed, what current, real living people think, as opposed to what a calculator can tell me based on my current income and where I live. Obviously, I know cuts in living will have to be made, some in extreme cases, and I'm more than happy to do so. I'd rather be able to work my but off and live in a small home so I can enjoy paradise even just one day a week for the next 50 years of my life as opposed to waiting until I'm 65-68 and retired to enjoy it for just a few years (if I'm even so lucky).
Do it the old fashioned way: make a list of all your anticipated expenses (based upon newspaper ads, online job search sites, craigslist, etc, which combined will give you a fairly good idea of what it will cost). You will end up with a dollar amount that reflects what you want to have (car? cable tv? internet? dinner out once a week? clothes budget? life insurance? whatever it is you want to add to your list of "wants").
That is how much you will need to make. You can then do your job research accordingly, to see if you can make enough money here to fit your wants. You'll end up with at least three choices to make things fit:
1) find a job that offers enough money so things fit together
2) cross off some of your "wants" so that your expenses will be lower
3) decide that Hawaii isn't something that you want to tackle
The best time to make an easier move to Hawaii is when you don't have children. You won't have to worry about the schools, etc. Good luck!
Get a bus pass and ride to work and home. Buy a car later when you are established. Day or night weather is almost always good for walking. Being single you may be able to clear 75k here with two jobs. Good call on leaving your dog at home for now. You could also room with someone until your employed and able to qualify for a rental. Drink at home mostly, less problems. Best of luck...
Being single you may be able to clear 75k here with two jobs.
Let's check that math... if you worked two full time jobs, for a total of 80 hours a week, and were to be paid $18/hr for those 80 hours, you could gross $75K, and clear maybe $50K.
The problem is... where you gonna find an entry level job... much less two jobs... that pays $18/hr to a newcomer? Recent inquiries from cooks revealed that Culinary Institute graduates could expect to start at $10 - 12/hr in Honolulu. And that's skilled work!
Oh, let me clarify, I am fully aware that it would take a miracle for me to be able to step off the plane and find a job making what I make now. I'm expecting to be taking a pretty drastic pay cut. I'd hate to take an entry level job with my experience, but u'll do what I've got to do to survive. There's probably 100 people just like me getting off the plane every day. I was more curious what a guy like me would need to pull in to survive. 40k? 50k? Not living the life of luxury, mind you. Just survive enough to enjoy a few hours of paradise a week.
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