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We are finally moving!!!! We began planning for this a few years ago and god willing will be able to begin putting things into motion by the end of August. As of now I plan to move myself, son and mother sometime this winter ( I have the luxury of being a little flexible and i don't really rush at anything ). We are all very excited but I want to be fully prepared. I was wondering if anyone has an idea of about how much money I should bring. I see people in these threads saying about 4-6 months worth, but i was hoping I could get an idea of figures. All we are really bringing with us is 3-4 suitcases and a few boxes to be shipped after we get there. We will be living modestly and was hoping to get a few figures. Thanks so much for the help.
Which island and will you need to find a job to make ends meet after your savings is depleted? Depending on which island and what sort of job it could take awhile to find one if it was necessary. Will you bring a car, buy a car or need public transportation? What sort of house/apartment will you be looking to rent?
One equation: how much are you spending right now where you are in a month for basic living expenses?
What are your job skills?
Broad examples: Rent $1200/mo minimum for something large enough for your family. That does not indicate "large" just "large enough". Check craigslist and online newspaper ads for rentals to get a better idea based on the island in particular. I live on Big Island, rents are down significantly for the past several months to 1 year however so are earnings with about 10% unemployment on Big Island.
$7200.00
Electricity: reasonably conservative, no AC use, $150/mo. It's .41 cents a KWH here or something like that.
$900.00
Food: That's harder but I would guess a minimum of $500/mo.
$3000.00
Sundries: $100 -- $200/mo.
$600 - $800
gasoline: minimum $50 to $60 (drive to work, pick kid up from school, etc every day?)
$360
total ballpark guess: about $9300.00
Your mileage may vary according to lifestyle! I have a very large extended family in this house and our elec bill is about $500 a month. No AC. Someone is up doing something just about any hour of the day except 2 to 5:30 a.m.! different shifts, etc.
Buy a car for cash outright, should not be too hard. There are A LOT of cars for sale right now. We just sold an older jeep, ran fine just kinda rough looking for a mere $1000.00. My son bought a minivan for $800 several months ago.
One equation: how much are you spending right now where you are in a month for basic living expenses?
What are your job skills?
Broad examples: Rent $1200/mo minimum for something large enough for your family. That does not indicate "large" just "large enough". Check craigslist and online newspaper ads for rentals to get a better idea based on the island in particular. I live on Big Island, rents are down significantly for the past several months to 1 year however so are earnings with about 10% unemployment on Big Island.
$7200.00
Electricity: reasonably conservative, no AC use, $150/mo. It's .41 cents a KWH here or something like that.
$900.00
Food: That's harder but I would guess a minimum of $500/mo.
$3000.00
Sundries: $100 -- $200/mo.
$600 - $800
gasoline: minimum $50 to $60 (drive to work, pick kid up from school, etc every day?)
$360
total ballpark guess: about $9300.00
Your mileage may vary according to lifestyle! I have a very large extended family in this house and our elec bill is about $500 a month. No AC. Someone is up doing something just about any hour of the day except 2 to 5:30 a.m.! different shifts, etc.
Buy a car for cash outright, should not be too hard. There are A LOT of cars for sale right now. We just sold an older jeep, ran fine just kinda rough looking for a mere $1000.00. My son bought a minivan for $800 several months ago.
Good luck!
This was a BIG help. I was thinking somwhere around 10k. We will be in or around Honolulu and I will try to line up a few job interviews prior to going. I'm in the medical/billing industry and am hoping my experience will get me something soon after arrival. I think to be on the VERY safe side I'll budget high.
Realize that in deciding to move to Honolulu, you are moving to the most expensive part of the islands. Honolulu is a very large city with large city issues, no different than on the mainland, except you may find that traffic is even worse.
I figured we would run in to the big city problems. I've seen some great threads on here about where the best areas to live are and where some of the best schools are. If I had my choice I'd avoid Honolulu all together, but from what I can see the best chance of finding a job is going to be on Oahu. We want to be in a good area where we can easily become a part of the community. My son has a passion for boarding (i.e. snowboarding and skatebaording) and is looking forward to learning how to surf and we both like to do our share when we can for our community. As far as traffic, I think I'll be OK. Or at least I hope....
Don't get too discouraged if you can't line up many interviews prior to arrival. That's common. So many people say they're coming then never show up.
Get a LOCAL cell number when you arrive! aaack. one of my pet peeves is people who have been here 2 or 3 years and still have the mainland cell number. Nothing shouts "temporary" like an out of state cell number.
Thanks for the cell number tip. I hadn't thought of that. I don't plan to get discouraged. I've been through alot and am looking forward to a new challenge. It will be hard to line up to much before I arrive because of those that never follow through, but I will do my best with what I have to work with.
Get a LOCAL cell number when you arrive! aaack. one of my pet peeves is people who have been here 2 or 3 years and still have the mainland cell number. Nothing shouts "temporary" like an out of state cell number.
Excellent point. Even though it might be a small item, but employers here think it's a big deal.
Really, the area code matters? Granted, I am on the mainland right now so that is my frame of reference. However, people keep their phone numbers here even if it has an area code located on the opposite coast! Now that nationwide calling plans are so commonplace, it doesn't seem to matter what area code. I think people tend to keep their old phone numbers not because they care about the area code but because it is easier to not have to inform everyone of a new phone number.But thanks for the comment. I never would have thought about that. It will be good to keep in mind for job hunting.
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). We are all very excited but I want to be fully prepared. I was wondering if anyone has an idea of about how much money I should bring. I see people in these threads saying about 4-6 months worth, but i was hoping I could get an idea of figures. All we are really bringing with us is 3-4 suitcases and a few boxes to be shipped after we get there. We will be living modestly and was hoping to get a few figures. Thanks so much for the help.
Thanks So much
