I found a couple of places that I can rent for only $650 a month. I will have roomates, that is why I have it so cheap. That means I have about 4 months of rent already and 4 months of food payed for, plus the ticket to get there. I will find a full time job doing something with no pressure, like working at walmart or a waiter at Chilis or something. I just want to enjoy my year off of school and work. I am 22 years and single, no attachment. Do you think I need to buy a car for that one year or can I get away with public transportation and a mountain bike? I want to explor the entire island during that year! How much more money do you think I should save up.
2007-12-02 06:01:34 · 11 answers · asked by nick a 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Honolulu
if you live in wai kiki (the city) you can walk everywhere. public transportation is also big there. your money should last if going to the beach satisfies you most of the time. other leisure activities can be very expensive.
2007-12-02 06:05:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would really not advise living in Honolulu, because that is where most of the more expensive places to live are at. And the affordable places are not in very good neighborhoods in Honolulu And the bus system here is pretty good so you do not have to worry about transportation if you get a job in Honolulu and do not have a car http://www.thebus.org/.
Ewa beach is a pretty affordable place to live, and since you want to work at wal mart, we have wal marts in pearl city and
mililani which are both nice affordable places to live.
You really do not need a car, with the jobs you are planning to get I would advise not to get one, too expensive. Gas here is an average of 3.25 a gallon, sometimes more plus the cost that you will pay in car insurance.
And you think that working as a waiter or at wal mart is no pressure? You will be in for a reality check once you have those jobs. High stress and very little pay. Since you have a degree why not go for a better job, so you will not always be so stressed about money.working at wal mart for an average of 40 hours a week will leave you with $870 a month take away 650 for rent and you only have $220 left and with the high cost of groceries here most of that will go toward your food. So you will hardly have any money left over for clothes and fun.
2007-12-02 08:21:10 · answer #2 · answered by I<!771X/-\+26 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get an additional part time job to save as much as possible. If you don't mind eating Ramen noodles for a year and living like you are poor, $5,000 would be a good start, but STILL not enough to "have fun". I survived there on $200 a week but it wasn't fun. If you can be happy hanging out at the beach and drinking only cheap beer (no take out food, no dates), you can survive on a low low amount of money - it all depends on what kind of lifestyle you want. If you get an apartment to rent close to the beach and the nightlife, of course you can get by on a bike or public transportation, I did with no problems. So, in other words, as long as you get a job once you are there, that should be enough to give you a start - personally, I would definitely do it, you are only young once - how many more times in life would you have that opportunity, right?
2007-12-02 06:08:33 · answer #3 · answered by M L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seems cool. Maybe save up an extra 1k and put it away in savings just incase something goes wrong and you need extra money. Make sure you start calling walmarts, chili's,etc to find out about a job ahead of time, so when you get there you wont have any surprises. Goodluck.
Also you said you have 5000 for rent, plane ticket, and food. How much are you planing on moving to the Island cause you may need more cash to transport that stuff. Or are you starting anew? Does your apartment come with furniture or do you plan on buying stuff after you get a job? Just make sure you actually have a job when you get there or know that alot of places are hiring that you can work at. Also ever thought of buying a motor scooter/mo pad to get around?
2007-12-02 06:07:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maui No Ka Oi's answer is quite good. I agree with what he says. $5K is a good start! You have thought ahead and done some planning, so you seem pretty well prepared. It is expensive to live here, but it can be done minimally for a while. You will have a blast in Hawaii as a young single person, just make sure to limit your spending -- particularly on things like activities. There are lots of great things to do outdoors -- beach, hiking, swimming, etc. and if you have a bike, you can ride just about everywhere! Plan on living right in Honolulu (of which Waikiki is a part) so that you can walk, take The Bus, or ride your bike to work. Food is pretty expensive -- get your produce at Farmer's Markets whenever you can and stock up on stuff like Ramen and rice. Invest in a rice cooker so that you can have rice quickly whenever you want it. It's filling and not super bad for you -- get some shoyu (soy sauce) to pour over it and you've got yourself a meal! :) Be frugal and enjoy -- you'll love it here!
2007-12-02 07:40:08 · answer #5 · answered by aloha.girl59 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've gotten some good answers already. You say you already have a place to live, but I would not recommend living in Ewa Beach. It is a looong bus ride. I do think you should plan on using TheBus (which is a very good system) &/or a bicycle until you are really sure of your financial situation. If you have experience & can quickly get a job as a waiter, you should be OK. Waiters make good money in tips. But if it takes you much time to find work, that 5K will go quicker than you think.
2007-12-02 14:56:24 · answer #6 · answered by boomer gal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't need a car. Insurance, gas & upkeep is expensive. You can get discount passes for The Bus or only $2 adult fare Every bus has a bike rack that holds 2 bicycles. If you want to rent a moped you can but if you're under 25 renting a car can be more expensive (call rental car co.). You can make pretty good money as a waiter if you work hard & are good at it, lots of busy restaurants.
2007-12-02 06:43:52 · answer #7 · answered by Maui No Ka Oi 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You want to have a bit more of a buffer if you don't know who your roomates are. They may be people you don't like living with. Have you checked online for work opportunities in the area? Is the place you have picked in town, if so, forget the car for now. Sounds really exciting though. You could probably get by if you get a job right away, count your pennies and don't buy friviously. Hope it works out well for you.
2007-12-02 06:07:17 · answer #8 · answered by Corinne L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a mountain bike. You seem like your all set. Good luck to you and have lots of fun!
2007-12-02 06:05:45 · answer #9 · answered by Veritas 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be frugal...get a job QUICK...and have a great trip!
2007-12-02 06:04:27 · answer #10 · answered by Grandma 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋