Senior in high school - Looking to spend a year in Hawaii on my own (Honolulu: apartments)

[bLAzed]

Hi there. I found this site through google and have been reading all over the Hawaii forum. Here's my situation.

I'm currently a senior in high school. I reside in LA and am a good student with multiple AP classes in my last year of high school. I am on track to graduate the summer of 2010 and attend college the following fall.

I visited the westside of Oahu (you guys call it the ghetto, i laugh) for a couple weeks with a friend and since then have been considering a move. I am aware of the racism that goes on and of course, the low class people. Due to personal reasons, I would like to move to Oahu and live on my own for a year before starting college. I know that this is not the traditional route to take, but it is definitely something I have been actively perusing.

All that I want is a small room (a studio, preferably) that would consist of my computer, TV, xbox, bed, bathroom, and kitchen. I am very low maintenance and do not buy more than the essentials. Thus, I am confident in my ability to live cheaply. Living within my means is no problem.

First things first, I realize that I would need to get a job and pronto. So here is where the questions begin:

I want to pay for myself and not request any money from my family. What is the likelihood of me finding a job that would a) support my ambitions and b) be easy to find? I am a white male, smart, fairly good looking, and well spoken. I am willing to do mostly anything that would pay the bills. I am willing to work 50 hours weeks even, if I must. I just want to be doing something. When I visited I noticed that most of the kids my age were not college bound and not academically inclined. Would this help me?

And speaking of bills, what can I expect to spend per month living on the bare minimum? I have never lived on my own, and am not sure how the breakdown would come out. I am going to start saving up money now, a year ahead of time, and hope to bring a few G's with me. I will not be bringing my car, and would plan on bussing it / biking it everywhere. I am aware of the traffic and commutes. I do not mind. The money saved will be worth it.

More questions will arise, and I will post them in this thread as they come along.

Quick version: moving to hawaii summer after HS graduation, living on my own, how is easy finding a job that pays the bills and how much should I expect to spend a month total?

Thanks in advance!
This is also a work in progress, subject to change at any time. We'll see where life takes me.

[mdand3boys]

Since you mentioned being willing to work 50 hours per week, you may want to know why so many people in Hawaii work part-time jobs and why part-time jobs are rather plentiful?

Hawaii has a law that makes it mandatory for an employer to provide health insurance for anyoneworking 20 or more hours per week. A consequence is that there are many employers who somehow have only jobs that offer 19 total hours of work per week! You would be amazed at how many people work 2-3 part-time jobs to make ends meet.

This law is yet another attempt at a "feel good" law, that has had a dramatic unintended affect, yet no one has the intelligence to attempt a repeal because too many people do not understand the full impact of the law.

[bLAzed]

I would most likely be willing to waive my right to the health care if possible. Fairy certain I would still be covered under my mother's job.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by bLAzed

I would most likely be willing to waive my right to the health care if possible. Fairy certain I would still be covered under my mother's job.

Your coverage will end as soon as you move out since you will also be 18 or over and not in school as a full-time student. Even if they did still cover you, you would most likely be considered "out of network" and their pay structure would drop to as low as 50% covered. Your mother's insurance company most likely does not even operate in Hawaii.

[hotzcatz]

You could look to share an apartment with some others, that is a common way for folks to afford housing in Hawaii. If you wanted to be around more college bound folks, over near Manoa where the University is would have more college type students. Somehow, moving to an area which you consider to be inhabited by "low class" folks doesn't seem like a good idea. Don't you think that sort of internal arrogance would be noticeable to the folks you'd be living amongst? I can't see they would appreciate it much? Although by the time you were done, you'd probably have a different worldview.

Which is the "Westside", anyway? Is that Ewa? Over past Honolulu Harbor, Ewa Beach, Makaha and such?

Jobs are much harder to come by than apartments. See about finding employment (and I don't think employers CAN waive health care, it is a requirement and they can only get around it if you work less than 20 hours a week) and then look for housing near the employment.

Areas that have a lot of flux, such as Waikiki, are more used to hiring folks short term, you may want to see if that is a productive search area for jobs and perhaps even housing.

You could look at Craig's List, but there is a lot of scamming there. Once you are actually in the area, there are bulletin boards at places such as some of the grocery stores which will have rental notices and such written on them.