Hawaii is the most awesome place I’ve ever lived. I stayed for five years on Oahu and just over a year on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

Looking from the mountains toward Kaheohe, Oahu, Hawaii.

Hawaii is still part of the United States of America, yet you might question it as your plane touches down and you step out into the airport.  Caucasians are a minority. A tiny minority. Japanese and Filipinos are in much greater numbers. I’ve met people from the mainland, Sweden, England, Germany, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, native Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Thais, Chinese, and Indonesians living in the Hawaiian islands. It’s truly a melting pot of culture.

Hawaii is an awesome place to live for many reasons:

• Hawaii temperatures are ideal. It is never too hot – over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, nor is it ever colder than starting your breath to fog.
• Hawaii has almost constant “trade winds” that keep fresh air blowing in across the island to dispurse whatever pollution might have come from the vehicles.
• The Hawaiian Islands are surrounded by deep blue, powerful ocean. The color is unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere. There is a real power to the ocean here – it’s awesome in it’s power, it’s constant movement.
• Hawaii has awesome things to do. Shopping, walking, picnics, sightseeing, visiting attractions like the volcanoes and historical sights like Pearl Harbor.
• Surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, swimming, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, hobiecatting, windsurfing, parasailing, parasurfing, and kiteboarding (on skateboards) are all fun activities available if you’re bored.
• Climbing / hiking. There are over 12 mountain ridge hikes on Oahu alone. Peaks over 4,000 feet high are available on Oahu. On Maui you can climb Haleakala volcano up over 10,000 feet if you were inspired.
• Hawaii is so diverse. The people, the food, the things to do, the cultures, the way of life, the whole atmosphere is different from anything you’ve ever experienced.

I could keep going of course, but those are a few amazing and awesome things about Hawaii that endear it to me.

Moving to Oahu, Hawaii or one of the other islands IS possible. If you have $10,000 and some skills to apply to working – you can move today. Book a ticket and leave. That simple.

If you have less, say $5,000 you can still do it – but it will take more planning and some serious skimping before you’re up and running.

I think it’s entirely possible to move to Hawaii with about $3,000 in your pocket. Not joking. Hawaii – Honolulu, Hawaii is like any other big city. There are jobs available.

Hawaii business is focused on a couple things and if you work in one of these areas you can likely move there and find a job quickly:

Tourism – If you want to do sales, answering phones, or working in the hotel industry and have experience you’ll find a job quickly. If you sell condominiums or time-share and want to make your mark in Maui or one of the other islands -there is ample opportunity to do so.

Healthcare – there are lots of aging people on Oahu and the other islands. They need in-home care, but not necessarily nurses. There are many live-in opps for those that want to trade some hours of taking care of a person in need in exchange for a room and sometimes food. There are also plenty of counseling jobs and jobs working with veterans or those that need mental health services. Plenty of jobs.

Construction – there are many jobs working with construction firms – and home renovation firms. People are putting a lot of money into rehabbing their homes and need help. Tilers and roofers are always in demand.

Those with skills they can use online to make $ can move to Hawaii easily. If you can do web development or writing or have some other valuable skills that enable you to cyber-commute you can build up a couple of jobs (gigs) and move. You’ll have money until the projects run out – and by then you’ll have worked hard enough to get more to replenish them and stay in Hawaii.

“The cost of living in Hawaii is what you make it.”

You can easily spend $1,200 for a one bedroom or studio apartment in downtown Honolulu if you want to be close enough to walk or bike to anything you need to get to. Easily spend that. For food  you can spend $500 per month for one person – or much more, up to you.

Or, you can learn to live with less and get a room in a house for $400. You could eat on $350 to $400 per month in Hawaii if you’re smart. The Chinese market in the morning on the weekends has lots of fruits and vegetables for reasonable prices. As reasonable as you’re going to find anyway.

For extras you’ll spend another couple hundred… so, you could live in Hawaii for as little as $1,200 per month without a car. Honolulu is a densely packed area that is great for walking around in. You could have a room in Honolulu and walk to work and everywhere else you needed to get to most of the time – supermarket and beach.

If you drink a lot or have some other addiction – like partaking of the nightlife nightly you’re going to add a lot of $ to your monthly expenses. If you want to move to Hawaii and remain in Hawaii you probably will have to suffer for a little while until you build up your income and make enough connections to help you weather the first few months – or even years.

I have a friend that moved to Oahu with virtually nothing. He took a job cold-calling to sell insurance. He did OK, but then he found another friend that appraised property. He trained under him for two years making very little – now he’s an appraiser – certified, and doing fine for himself. He has more work than he can handle.

If you’re willing to sacrifice for a while – you can move to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, or Big Island Hawaii. You CAN.

It’s just a matter of how badly do you want to change your life and move to Hawaii??

Here’s an ad I found in Craigslist for a place to stay for just $250/month.

$250 / 1br – Secluded cabin…but great celphone service! (Kaimu, Hawaii)

This cabin has its own solar electricity and shower…with access to a lua (read: outhouse), kitchen & hot shower. Awesome views & privacy!

This is very remote & primative…not for everyone but close to Kehena Beach, Kalani Resort & the active flowing lava.

Excellent celphone & broadband (verizon) service!

Mahalo!!

• Location: Kaimu, Hawaii

Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii Photo credit: Flickr user, vfl2500.

Learn more about Moving to, Living in, and Working in Hawaii:

• Hawaii home business opportunities?
• Moving to Hawaii and Finding a Job
• Hawaii Home Business Startups
• Move to Hawaii to Teach?
• Moving to Hawaii? Use Twitter.
• Living in Hawaii – Hawaiian Style