....I'd be short $13.96 at least according to this recent study by the Tax Foundation. I'll wait for the collective "Duh" to die down. The truth is this while it isn't surprising it is interesting seeing it laid out visually.
If you've ever been to Hawaii, there is a pretty good chance that a small part of you wondered if you could live here. Nothing puts paradise in perspective like stepping inside a local grocery store. Those stories you hear about the cost of a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk are accurate. Unless you come from an area in the light yellow, you probably did a double take when filling up your rental car with gas. I think back to our first trip to Costco and Wal-Mart (movers tip: never... ever go to both in the same day unless you have made an appointment with a suicide prevention counselor). We were in desperate need of basically everything. Funny how the teller at Costco and I had two completely different reactions to the total reaching $400. I started reconsidering just how badly I needed that 50 ct box of Rice Krispy Treats and she just yawned. Next on our way to Wal-Mart , Rice Krispy Treats in tow (don't judge me), I set a mental budget of a couple hundred dollars. Once again, I was shocked at how much we paid for so little. To be completely honest the sticker-shock subsides after a couple of weeks. Well at least until we received our first electric bill! Suddenly I'm walking through the house shutting off lights, and teaching lessons about energy conservation the only way I know how. J. Walter Weatherman-style
If you've ever been to Hawaii, there is a pretty good chance that a small part of you wondered if you could live here. Nothing puts paradise in perspective like stepping inside a local grocery store. Those stories you hear about the cost of a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk are accurate. Unless you come from an area in the light yellow, you probably did a double take when filling up your rental car with gas. I think back to our first trip to Costco and Wal-Mart (movers tip: never... ever go to both in the same day unless you have made an appointment with a suicide prevention counselor). We were in desperate need of basically everything. Funny how the teller at Costco and I had two completely different reactions to the total reaching $400. I started reconsidering just how badly I needed that 50 ct box of Rice Krispy Treats and she just yawned. Next on our way to Wal-Mart , Rice Krispy Treats in tow (don't judge me), I set a mental budget of a couple hundred dollars. Once again, I was shocked at how much we paid for so little. To be completely honest the sticker-shock subsides after a couple of weeks. Well at least until we received our first electric bill! Suddenly I'm walking through the house shutting off lights, and teaching lessons about energy conservation the only way I know how. J. Walter Weatherman-style
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".. and that's why you never leave a room without shutting off the lights."
All told I think it takes about a month before you acclimate to the high cost of living in Hawaii. The addition of a Target didn't hurt either. Their prices are only marginally higher than they were in Nebraska so it has offered a bit of relief. Meal planning is key. I watch cooking shows during my downtime which used to mean I'd get some inspiration and then run to the store to buy whatever spices and ingredients we didn't have on hand. Now it just means I live a little more vicariously through the hosts. Occasionally splurging to make a special meal.
Another area that I had to make major adjustments is in my business. Fortunately I have a job working for a software company on the mainland so I didn't have the difficult transition a lot of people do when moving to Hawaii. To keep me out of trouble I've almost always had a side business. It doesn't take long to realize that most businesses here have a paltry web presence relying on Yelp and TripAdvisor to communicate with potential clients and visitors. Most business owners fall into one of 3 categories. 1) Lives off island (I'm looking at you Canada) 2) Is doing "fine" with their current amount of exposure and isn't interested in increasing their web presence. One guy even seemed like he wasn't entirely convinced this whole internet thing was here to stay. or 3) I found WordPress and know just enough to make a few simple changes and am interested in customization as long as I don't have to pay the going rate. Tough crowd. I came here thinking that I would be able to fill the web development void, only to find that it's not as lucrative as on the mainland. I've since been in contact with several designers/developers that have had to keep their mainland business contacts. If you are planning on moving here with a similar skill set try not to burn any bridges as you leave town. Looking at the info-graphic below really puts things in perspective. See the average business owner that lives here in Hawaii doesn't have any breathing room in their budgets. Same goes for the wealthy, they seem even more judicious with their spending. Probably why they're living in a house with a view and I'm living in a condo. So what do I do about my situation? I pivot. Following the lead of successful businesses here on the island I'm going to focus my efforts on visitors who most likely live in a state where the dollar goes a bit further (Sorry D.C.) More on that as the story develops.
So is it worth it? For people that move here expecting to maintain the same lifestyle probably not. In fact just about everyone here knows at least one family personally that moved here thinking they were going to be on vacation 24/7. Most of them are gone inside of 6 months . For those of us willing to cut back and enjoy all that Hawaii has to offer it's absolutely worth it. Speaking of which, I'm going to pour myself a hard-earned and over-priced drink and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day.
(Click the pic to go to the source)
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