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+--- Thread: How cheaply can you live in Puna? (/showthread.php?tid=12092)
How cheaply can you live in Puna? - ptrichmondmike - 06-22-2013
Hi, new here and this is my first post. I'm actively looking at Puna as a retirement possibility and will make my first visit next winter. I have both ohana and at least one old friend in Pahoa. I'd expect to purchase a moped of some kind right away. I'll rent the cheapest place possible which has internet. I'm a very light consumer and can easily live without bourgeois amenities, night life and all the other stuff that might be fun when young. While I will probably have the option for a remote PT contract job to enhance my income, if that isn't in the picture can I possibly live on $1,400/month Social Security?
Thanks in advance for helpful, realistic comments.
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - Carey - 06-22-2013
There are many here who do live on SS income...BUT many have low to no monthly rent/mortgage....
Internet will be $30-90/mo. (or higher, depends on WHERE you will be...but $30 is the lowest we have found)
Rent ranges from WOOFer-ing & work/trade to well past your income/month... but $300-400 a month will get you something...ummmm ... 'unique' - you may also want to look at something like the VIP program up at Volcano National Park....do this well before moving, the volunteers to share housing & get a slim stipend, in exchange for their VIP time....
Food is really based on what you eat & how you get it....much of our produce we exchange with neighbors & friends - both in garden space & produce from our plants...heck, our dog & cat monthly food bills close to mine (but they do eat well!) - have no idea if you need meat daily, and if you will be somewhere that has an active production of foods that you can use...some places do, others do not...for me, my grocery bill is well under $100 a week, but hubbies is over 2x that...and he eats out more (& I eat out with him when he is here...not something I do without him...)
I usually have fruit & yogurt 2x a day, veggies & cheese & some bread 2 x a day...& coffee/tea/leamonafe/ice tea or soda (my downfall) throughout the day - with some chicken or fish a few times a week...& we have a small grove of trees that produces papaya, oranges, tangerine, bananas, lilikoi, bilimbi, grapefruit, tangerines, limes, lemons, cherry, coffee, pineapple, cassava, moringa, squash & have neighbors & friends with fields of macademia, purple sweet potato, taro, lychee & often get eggs, pork, chicken & fish in exchange for some of our stuff...so much of the time I can eat without the grocery... & we have even more food producing plants in, they are just maturing, including peaches, malabar chestnut, blueberry, spices... & our neighbor utilizes 1/4 of our lot to grow beans, peas, okra, pumpkin, squash, eggplant... Reading this, it would seem like we have a huge lot...but it is all on one of the smallest lots....with a fairly long house taking up a major portion of the land...
Have no idea if you have any meds or habits that eat up a good portion of income...
Have no idea if you want to sit in the dark at night, or if you like a lot of lights, or going out to social activities...
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - Wuzzerdad - 06-22-2013
I have spent a month in Puna from time to time for not much more than your social security check and that included a rental car. [
]I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
Mahalo
Rick
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - Wuzzerdad - 06-22-2013
I thought I would elaborate a bit, it cost $300 for my share of a 2 bedroom home, and $79 a week for the rental car which was a POS but did the job. I ate whatever was cheap at the farmers markets, I fished 3 or 4 times a week and ate everything we caught and gave away the rest. The neighbors shared fruit and vegatables,and I got a further break on rent because I mowed the grass every 4 or 5 days which took less than an hour.
I went home less 10 pounds than I came with and had a great tan.
I estimate, without a mortgage or rent it will cost me and my wife $2500 a month when we finally move later this year. Which is a lot less than both of our SS and retirement checks, but that is still a lot less than what it costs us to live in Iowa. ($3600 a month), however, it depends on the person as to how happy they will be in paradise, I know I will be fine, I am not exactly sure of my wife. She will go and be content, but I don't know if she will be as happy as I will be.
Just the fact that I will not require air conditioning or heating will save over $3600 a year we have been paying here in Iowa forever. I love the warm, not hot or cold climate. The ocean and plants growing everywhere.
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
Mahalo
Rick
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - ptrichmondmike - 06-22-2013
quote:
Originally posted by Carey
Have no idea if you want to sit in the dark at night, or if you like a lot of lights, or going out to social activities...
Doesn't everyone there use tiki torches and go to nightly luaus?[:o)]
No, I'm past my party days, but one light is probably necessary. Thanks Carey for the response! (I guess I need to try saying mahalo instead, or people might think I was a haole...)
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - Rob Tucker - 06-22-2013
The good news is that the best things in Hawaii are free.
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - nani1970 - 06-22-2013
Oh Rob, you are so.....right.
The best things in Hawaii are FREE!!!
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - Carey - 06-22-2013
Hey, Kukui (candlenut) nuts grow here, just stab some on a scewer & light em up...no need for tiki fuel...and EVERYONE here is at the luau every night, just bring your supply of kukui nuts for the night, so you can be bright ;~)
What I meant by that is activities will eat some of your money & it is best to figure out a budget...
but living here can be done (and is done by many folks here) on SS income...obviously you will have to budget much more than someone with twice that income...but if you are there already, you know that... just you may have to re-prioritize your way of doing things...
electricity is probably 4X what you are used to, so use less & doing more things with the sun (like clothes drying) eating out is more, many foods are more, but most people I know are giving away food when they have an overabundance.... and being a active/helpful part of the community will get you into that network...but if you must have a certain food prepped a certain way ...well that may end up costing you more than you may expect...
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - rocketman - 06-23-2013
Wuzzerdad... Where can I rent a car for $79/week?
Thanks
Ed
RE: How cheaply can you live in Puna? - ptrichmondmike - 06-23-2013
quote:
Originally posted by Carey
but living here can be done (and is done by many folks here) on SS income...obviously you will have to budget much more than someone with twice that income...but if you are there already, you know that...
That's sweet to hear! Right now I live in the SF Bay Area on $2700/month PT, so I'm used to being thrifty.
and being a active/helpful part of the community will get you into that network...but if you must have a certain food prepped a certain way ...well that may end up costing you more than you may expect...
I would certainly want to volunteer any useful skills if they were needed...I work in non-profits and basically do that anyway. And no, I'll eat anything but liver, if it's cooked.
Again, mahalo to all for your insights. EDIT: don't know what happened to the formatting here...?