I saw this on CNBC last year and kept some of the article.
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I was reminded of this article because Art's cousin was here recently and told us how a decent care home here in Hawaii would cost you close to $10,000 a month or more if you are incapacitated in any way.
Homes here are close to a million dollars if it's in a nice area or close to Honolulu.
I'm just grateful we bought and renovated our home 15 years ago.
Prices have skyrocketed. I really feel for young people who are just starting out.
A Breyers1.5 quart carton of ice cream can cost you $6 to $8 at the supermarket.
I've noticed dairy costs a lot more here than in Chicago.
And true... gas costs more here too though maybe not as expensive than in California.
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We are also very short of medical staffing.
Finding a doctor is really difficult these days and you have to just hope that your doctor doesn't decide to retire or move to the mainland (like my orthopedic doctor and GP).
On the other hand...
We don't have to shovel snow in January.
We have rainbows.
We have shave ice.
I always expect people to be nice here.
On the other hand...
I remember Hawaii once being on some list as having the worst drivers in the country.
On the other hand...
We have rainbows and shave ice.
You can go to the beach all year long.
On the other hand...
Houses next to the beach are falling into the ocean due to global warming and ocean level rising.
And so on and so forth.
POSTSCRIPT:
Wait... wait...
Would you believe I then found another site that said we're not the worst?
We're not even in the top 10 worst places.
Oh brother!
My daughter lives in Chicago. I'll have to tell her they need to move to Hawaii.
Your cost of living seems Canadian-like.
ReplyDeleteI was reading quickly and thought it said "horses have fallen into the ocean" - guess my silly factor is working!
ReplyDeleteEverything everywhere is expensive! But in Hawaii you have the best weather, I think. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, an interesting read Kay. This is ironic as just last night I was watching a report (on youtube) about Florida homeowners leaving the state in droves as many can no longer afford the insurance premiums which have tripled in the last 2-3 years.
ReplyDeleteI live in one of the top ten states on your WalletHub list but I can buy at least 3 cartons of Breyer's (4 if it's on sale) for $8. We have rainbows too, way too much traffic and Italian water ice instead of shave. We also have doctor shortage issues (I think that's common these days) but I'll cede to you on the weather. ;--)
ReplyDeleteGood and bad always in every place
ReplyDeleteI think the best part of Hawaii is the OCEAN AND LAVA BEACHES, Kay... and the laid back lifestyle. Yes, it has the reputation of being terribly expensive, but you pay for what you get, right? (just my 2 cents worth)
ReplyDeleteYou haven't been state-side in a long time...everything is very expensive. Your weather keeps your energy costs down. Even in mild-weathered California, our heating bill this winter has been around $400 a month, twice what it was a couple of years ago. There is no cheap place to live if you want to be comfortable and healthy. Even the hospitals are closing here in the San Joaquin Valley.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that every place faces the same problems of rising costs and shrinking amenities.
ReplyDeleteLin Floyd says the perfect retirement place is different for each person and depends on so many factors-closeness of family, weather, housing and CLIMATE!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I better move too! Home is home though and I like my state; I'm settled here around my family and friends. So, just moving to a cheaper place would save me money but at the cost of my happiness. (which is beyond price)
ReplyDeleteMy home state WA is on that pricey list too. Breyers is the same price here. I moved to E WA (Walla Walla) 20+ years ago because Seattle was too expensive and I was retiring. Now both my sons are here. I bought a smaller house outright with the money from my Seattle house. There is no way I could buy one now. We've become a tourist destination - wine. Many new low wage jobs coupled with high rental prices etc. Medical availability keeps shrinking. The second hospital closed and many specialist doctors have left. God bless nurse practitioners. They are keeping us medically afloat here. I'm fine but I fear for my grandkids.
ReplyDeleteOur weather has been too hot lately - and it is just March! When I went to Ashland, Oregon a few years ago in October, I thought it was wonderful weather - cool, dry, and glorious with colored trees everywhere. And when I went to California near San Francisco 4 years ago in December, it was wonderful weather - cool, dry, sunny. Las Vegas doesn't get too cold and it does get too hot - but air conditioning everywhere for staying indoors works.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can't imagine living anywhere else but here in Hawaii. It feels so safe to me (though we have been having so many terrible incidents of crime and pedestrian deaths) and our air quality is great. Homes are out of reach for our young ones and so many are leaving our islands. Greedy developers are building high rises that are blocking out our skies with promises of "affordable housing" that starts at half a million dollars, and the rest at market prices in the millions.
It makes me mad and sad, but I am grateful for what I have and hope for the best for our kids who are adapting to our fast changing world.
Well, as I love winters, I will stay on the mainland.
ReplyDeleteEvery place has it's pluses and minuses. We have high priced houses. We may have free medical but like you can we get it. Medical staff are in short supply.
ReplyDeleteToronto is also very expensive. I think, Canada as a country is more expensive compared to the States. We have the cold, snowstorms and very long winter. Grocery prices are going up. Taxes are increasing as well. But, we are all hoping to have a better tomorrow, right?
ReplyDeleteI live in the 43 most expensive state to live in according to one ranking I found! I pretty much suspected that though before looking though. Two of the differences between us and Hawaii is that we can't go to the ocean beach at any point in the year and our doctors are leaving for the big cities instead of the mainland.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta take those lists with a grain of salt. Also, I don't know if it matters in Hawaii, but it does in lots of the larger states . . . where in the state you live makes a big difference in costs. New York City is ridiculously expensive. Binghamton, not so much. As far as "worst drivers" go . . . Hawaii has lots of competition.
ReplyDeleteYou sure live in a lovely spot!
ReplyDelete