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My wife has been doing research in Japanese as well, and what she is finding is not encouraging. Living internationally offers far more benefits than what Hawaii is offering. My job won't fly the family back to Japan every summer. I don't get virtually free socialized medicine. No ubiquitous cheap public transportation.
I'm still trying to find a way to make it work. But, its not so much where you live as much as how you live. There are other places around the world with similar weather and great beaches with high salaries for ex-pats and low costs of living. This board has been helpful. I want to make it happen, but if the realtor cannot find me a sweet deal, maybe all that glitters is not gold.
Might as well return to Miami if I'm going to return to the US.
How come everything you post from CL links to *flagged for removal*?
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I think he was listing them to show the level of scams on Craig's List and that is isn't always a reliable guide?
Hiura, if you've got a job in a country that has socialized medicine, public transportation and will fly your family to visit relatives every year, why move? Seems a sweet deal to me! Also (not that we discuss politics on this section of the forum) but if things fall out a particular way with this upcoming presidential election, there may be a lot of us trying to move in with you.
I would not try Manoa, it s too darn expensive. Maybe farther out in central Oahu. But then you would have to put up with Traffic, wear and tear on your car?? Better off staying where you are. I have lived on 58,000.00 a year. I did not have to move i was already here, retiring from the US Navy. Also had the retirement check to help. We the wife and i did not go out to eat, or go to the movies. Neflex was our friend, or VHS Movie tapes! Did not go Visit family on the Mainland. Made a budget, and followed it. It worked, but a Lot of sacrifices. My wife did not work.
Best of luck
How come everything you post from CL links to *flagged for removal*?
Exactly as hotzcatz stated. The nice houses listed at $1200 would be an obvious scam to a local but seem reasonable to a mainlander. So even if you weren't scammed out of a deposit check you still have an unrealistic expectation of the rental market.
Before this falls into the black hole of the lost internet, I want to say thanks for those who give some information. I could not make the math work after I got a job offer in an Asian country where I can live in Hawaii-like furnished townhomes for free, universal health care, free flights for me and family to and from each year. Hawaii.....maybe some day when I'm finally rich.
60,000 annual salary -9,000 15% taxes
51,000 rough annual income
4,250 monthly income (rough)
1,800 base rent Makiki/Punchbowl/Kaimuki probably an apartment
250 electric
150 cell phone
120 cable
100 water 100 sewer
2,520 assorted rent costs
1,730 remaining 600 insurance
1,130 remaining
or 282.50 per week remaining for food, clothes, car expenses, bus passes, etc. etc.
Make a general grocery list and compare it to online prices at a Hawaii grocery store, I think Safeway may have an online site.
The taxes sound pretty low, only $9,000. I wish our taxes were that low. We pay more taxes than their whole annual income, but we make more income that is taxed. I wonder if that tax line item includes Federal and State income tax, plus all other taxes and fees.
Maybe it could also be calculated another way. Simply determine how much money is not spend per year. Subtract the amount of money not spend from the total income and you then know how much money you live on per year. Compared that amount to the difference in cost of living between the two locations. The zip code appears to be in New York City, which is an expensive place to live. I'm not sure how well you can live in New York City on only $60K a year.
Also keep in mind that you need to be saving 10% if if you started saving at age 20, which virtually no one does. If you start later, you might need to save 20% if you started saving in your late 20s to 50% if you start saving at age 50. Saving money never seems to be included in those line item budgets. You have to pay yourself first, then pay everything else after that, unless there's no money to pay yourself first. If that's the case, you have a financial train wreck in your future. Maybe saving isn't included because few people save anything and too many people live paycheck to paycheck with no emergency fund or retirement accounts.
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