a customer recently commented how we must have 'struck the lottery' to be able to afford to live in hawaii. i'm here to dispel the myth :)
you CAN live a mainland lifestyle but you better arrive with a healthy inheritance or a sugar daddy.
my husband moved to hawaii with a few hundred bucks about 13 years ago to go to college. he worked as a busboy and learned english by watching shows like Three's Company (hahahaa) . he drove a scooter or rode a bike, and lived with roommates. he made his way thru his masters degree in marketing and got a job in Honolulu. his life, when i met him, consisted of work from 8 to 3, then he'd play volleyball at the beach, surf, then go home and watch ESPN.
when i moved to hawaii i had about 10k and two suitcases. i mailed a few boxes of silk here. i rented a room in a house in pearl city for the summer, then moved into my own place in waikiki, where i really wanted to be, a few months later. i used the bus a lot. i made veils on the fourth story balcony of a high rise. after a few good sales i bought a surfboard for three hundred bucks and then a good portion of my non working hours were spent in the water (after the initial cost of a board, surfing is FREE).
when we met, i was living in a hotel room with a microwave and hot plate and my husband was renting a room with about the same. when we married we found a place , a one bedroom that was the bottom story of someone's house, outside of waikiki for $1100. We have no debt and again our free time was spent at the beach. We did not have dinner out very often but when we did we stayed away from waikiki and high prices.
because of strict budgeting we were able to live on his income and stash mine..we saved up to buy a condo in waikiki. we paid cash and so our monthly fees came to a few hundred a month for association dues. it's by no means luxury living. we're sandwiched in with other non-rich people , it's not always quiet. someone's always parked in your space. your kitchen is the size of a closet.
but again the beach is free.
we dont need much because there isn't much space for belongings. aside from a few possessions, we dont have a lot of books, cds, or furniture. if you were asked what three things would you take with you to an island you'd have an idea of what we own. we splurged for a big screen tv and do have a computer (modern needs!) but other than that, what we own is minimal therefore the upkeep is minimal. our insurance is minimal. we wait until someone is desperate to leave the island and we pick up their furniture (or car).
it's not a life for everyone..i've always said unless there is something about hawaii you really can't live without, it doesn't make much sense to live here. try LA. for us obviously we like being outdoors and going to the water. if you want a yard it's best to stay on the mainland. if you want sun year round come to hawaii (but don't bother with hilo)
what would you be willing to sacrifice to live here? maybe your paradise is where you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment