To see all the Hawaii residents interview responses see the Index, just Click Here.

To take this survey yourself, Click Here

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What Is Your First and Last Name?

Erik Blair (Erik, if you have a small photo you’d like to add to this page, please send it by email)

Do You Have a Website or Something Else You Would Like Us To Link To?

Erik Everywhere (http://www.erikeverywhere.com)
Accidental Consultant (http://www.accidentalconsultant.com)
Erik on Twitter (I follow him and he has some great tweets) – twitter.com/erikblair

Which Hawaiian Islands Have You Lived On?

Maui

How Many Years and Months Did You Spend Living in Hawaii?

Four years and one month.

How Many Members of Your Family Stayed in Hawaii With You?

Spouse, Me, and One Child

Pets – Choose One That Applies

One Pet

If You Had a Pet, Would You Recommend Pet Owners Moving to Hawaii Bring Their Pets to the Islands?

Depends on a lot of factors, but generally it’s not advisable to bring pets to warmer climates then they are used to.

Was Your Income Adequate to Do 90% of What You Wanted To Do Beyond Your Normal Living Expenses?

Money is tight here. The incomes are smaller, and less abundant; and the costs larger and more frequent.

What Were Your Main Activities Outside of Work – And, Did You Find You Had Enough to Keep You Occupied?

Yes, plenty of activities, swimming, hiking, scuba, biking, music, kayaking, canoeing, education, small towns, long drives, camping, exploring nature, culture and history.

Did You Find It Easy to Make New Friends in Hawaii? And, Were People “Like You” Easy to Find?

Traffic on Maui is basically not a problem. Parking, well, parking is usually way too few for residents, and the stalls are too narrow.

Did You Experience Any Incidents of Racial Discrimination, Hate, Etc? Can You Please Explain As Much As You’re Willing?

Not much. If you are subject to lower income employment, nepotism will be an everyday problem, and favoritism is commonplace as well.

What Did You Think About the Traffic and Parking Situation?

Traffic on Maui is basically not a problem. Parking, well, parking is usually way too few for residents, and the stalls are too narrow.

What Do You Like Most About Living in Hawaii?

Weather, nature, and beauty.

What Did You Dislike Most About Living in Hawaii?

The cost of food, cost of housing, cost of utilities.

Rate Your Happiness Living in Hawaii…

1- really love it here in Hawaii

Did You Have Any Experience With Public or Private Schools in Hawaii?

Yes, no problems that are not found anywhere else. Teachers were good, school was average.

Was There Enough Shopping On the Island?

Some items of clothing are not found here. A lot of stuff in fact, cannot be found affordably here. Affordable food selections are few and often 4-5 times more costly for a meal than any place I’ve ever experienced before.

Roughly How Much Money Did You Spend on Food Each Month?

3 people – at least $600 to 800 per month for home food, and then another 300 to 400 for eating out.

Do You Have (Did You Have) a Business in Hawaii?

I tried several businesses with negative results. The costs and regulations are very demanding and the rules vague. Each day is a different inspector and a different set of rules for each. Business startups can expect delays, red tape and high costs.

Is Hawaii the Ultimate Place to Live Whether You Have Money or Not?

I’d say yes, so long as you are flexible, self starter and are willing to adapt to the lifestyle. Being broke here is no fun at all.

Anything Else You Want to Say???

Mahalo

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Vern’s Comments

Thanks Erik for participating. I enjoyed your responses. I think they’re right in line with how I answered most things. It is not any fun to be broke in Hawaii, especially with a family. If you’re single, it’s not as big a deal, we’ve all had less money than we’d have liked when we were single, and we cope with it. With a family, it’s a little different.

Mahalos!

If you have any friends that would like to take the survey Erik, can you point them to it? Mahalos!

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If you have lived in Hawaii in the past or present, and you would like to take this short survey – here is the link:

Hawaii Resident Questionnaire (click)