Here is an email from a woman that is hoping to move to Hawaii with her husband and knows what is important to her for quality of living. I’ll call her Sally.

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She wrote….

Hello,

I just stumbled over your site while I was doing some research on Hawaii. I was hoping you could give me some advice on which island would be best for my family.

My husband and I are 27. We have a 2 year old girl. We plan to move in a year. We will have at least $10,000 to settle with.

I am a online writer, so I can work anywhere. My husband does odds and ends – waiting tables, valet parking, construction. His goal is to become an EMT.

Things that are important to use

-being near the beach (I would love to be able to walk to it)
-quietness (no nightlife/clubs needed)
-nearness to a Kingdom Hall (worship place for Jehovah’s Witness)
-good schools, although we have a few years before that really matters
-affordability… it is important to me to keep housing costs low and get the most bang for my buck.

My mother was actually born in Hawaii… so I suppose I am going back to my roots. But the real reason is because she told me that the people there are so laid back… which is something I think I would like. Thanks in advance for your time and opinions.

Sincerely,

Sally W.

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My response…

Aloha Sally, good to hear from you. I do enjoy answering reader emails like this!

Isn’t being an online writer great? You can move anywhere in the world and make it. There are some excellent sites that can give you a steady stream of work, or, you can connect 1-to-1 with one good company that likes your work and that can be an even better way to earn a living. Hawaii is not out of reach for someone that does this, and if you have another earner – like your husband will be, you could make it OK.

When will your husband be able to make decent money? I guess that looks like the main issue in your situation. We also have a child under three years and I cannot get over thinking about stability for her. It’s most of what is on my mind, how to make her world stable and give her the resources she needs to thrive in this tough to live in world.

Just a friendly suggestion… look forward 5 years and try to see where you might be. Online writing is working now, however, Google has made some radical changes that is affecting everyone doing SEO and writing content. Many companies are going to come to the conclusion that writing articles doesn’t work as well as it once did. The landscape is changing in the industry – not disappearing yet, but changing for sure. If you can write well – can you write ebooks too? How long before you know if your husband can be an EMT? Do they need them in the islands? I’m not sure. Not at all sure. Possibly. Do your research and make sure you’ll be able to make it.

Ten grand could hold you over, or maybe not for very long. You might, with your income online and savings, be on your way home in a year if your husband can’t find something substantial – at least moderate income to make ends meet.

Hawaii is laid back… well, it is and it isn’t. Have you seen my free videos on Youtube yet? I do a review of the Moving to Hawaii book from 2011. Good information, and of course, all my point of view – but, it’s as valid as anyone else’s. I’ll add the 1st one to the bottom of this page. There are 3. Go to Youtube for the rest.

Which Hawaiian island is best to live on?

Good question. I think it depends on your husband’s job. If you lived on Oahu, that would be easiest to find one – and yet, it is the least laid back island – by far. You can relax there, it’s just that you might find yourself living in Waikiki traffic and high cost of living – and it might not be the Hawaii you pictured before the move. The good news is you can move to another island as you have enough money.

Big Island would be another choice, but jobs are not plentiful. The plus side is you could probably live there longer – more cheaply, on $10,000 savings. If you really hunkered down, you could probably live there on your income alone – I’m assuming you clear about $2,500 per month minimum. There are some construction jobs on Big Island that your husband might be able to find.

It sounds like you haven’t visited the islands yet. I’d strongly suggest you do before moving.

You didn’t mention transportation – will you ship a car from the USA?

As for finding a place to meet other Jehovah’s Witnesses, I counted 41 churches on Oahu from a list found from Google. There are likely some on the other islands too.

Best of luck to you and your family as you move to Hawaii. I do hope you’re able to visit first and maybe have your husband qualify as an EMT before moving.

Aloha!

Peter Kay