Gasoline prices

[sputnut]

I still live in illinois, but have every intention of coming over by year's end. I hear about the gas prices there as well as the electric bills. Someone already started one about electricity, how about gas prices there? They change, so keep posting every so often to give all us soon to be puna'ers an idea what to expect in reality. Thank you. right now they are $3.95 or so here per gal.

comin' your way soon!

[ourdoc]

Current Avg. $4.366 regular to $4.873 premium But it does vary widely depending on what town you're stopping at.

[birdmove]

I ride a one of 2 80+ mpg scooters we have when I can. I even do some grocery shopping with them You'd be surprised how much you can carry. Sometimes I ride a bicycle. Riding to Keaau to check our PO Box is about a 12-14 mile round trip. It's a good workout too.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[terracore]

When you get here join one of the petrol "clubs" (like Aloha) that gives you 8 cents off a gallon. Then plan on spending 35-40 cents a gallon more than what you are used to. It's not that bad.

[hikatz]

ALOHA and HFN both offer gas discounts with membership.
Gas Buddy is a good way of keeping track of prices around the island

http://www.hawaiigasprices.com/Hilo/index.aspx

[Wuzzerdad]

[:p]

Electric bills are much less than Illinois because there is no need or very little need for A/C or Heat. I live in Iowa, but I know Illinois has some of the highest utility rates in the Midwest, so you will not be too shocked when your net bill goes down by a bunch in Hawaii. I spent 3 months from Augtust to November in 2008 and ran the window A/C for nights when it got to 88 degrees for those days and the humidity was high, it cost about $3 a day extra to sleep comfortably. A bargain. Your home in Illinois probably costs $8 or $10 a day to cool when it is over 90 for 60 days in a row in those same months.

I usually visit Hawaii for 2 or 3 months a year, the last 3 years has been cut short because of Cancer, but I am almost over all the complications now. So soon to return to my pattern.

Actually I would have been moved by now except for the health issues kept piling on since 2009. []

Seriously, if you have to worry about the cost of gas and utilities you probably need to stay put. Hawaii is expensive in some ways and cheap living in others. If you eat like the locals do it will cost you less, and you will live longer in Hawaii. I love fish, and grass fed beef, and veggies, so I am good to go. And Spam, I love Spam....and pineapple, and rice. Just be prepared to change.

Things are close in Hawaii also, and it seems most cars are smaller overall so I feel safer driving a mid size there -vs- here.

And I walk, to get the mail, to the market (Pahoa) and to eat. When I stay in Leilani I share a ride usually to Pahoa or Hilo and consolidate trips.

So what is the cost of Paradise? Usually no more than the mainland in Pahoa, but other areas it can cost bunches more.

Our retirement income is around 100K, and that is probably twice what we actually need to be comfortable renting or buying a 200K house and all that goes with it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leilani_Estates,_Hawaii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Pa...rk,_Hawaii

Check the demographics of these 2 very nice areas to live in and you will see what the incomes really are for people living there. I am only using these as examples, there are a whole bunch of good subdivisions, so please don't take offense of me only mentioning 2. [:I]

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
Mahalo
Rick

[ourdoc]

The usage may drop, or not as there is no natural gas here, just propane which is higher than gas, and the highest in the nation. Basically 2 people at home doing nothing other than cooking, cleaning, watching tv or the pc, rarely a fan and no a/c is over $100.00 a month. My house is all electric and I'm a bit of a pc nut, my bill was running $300.00 a month. Then I decided to put in an above ground pool so,I can swim again. I have a back injury that precludes me from entering the ocean. Just the filter pump running only 2 hours a day jumped me to over $400.00 month. That's when I went leasing solar and no longer wonder what my electric bill will be for the next 19.5years as it will never vary and it's much lower than it was. But as with all YMMV.

[unknownjulie]

I second what wuzzerdad said. Coming from Texas, my electic bills on a yearly averaged basis are less here, and I have a total electric house. My bill used to be 300-350 per month with the blasting AC that you need there due to the 100 degree temps. Then in the winter, I had the heat on some for my little kids. I was spending a fortune there! Definately less here. The gas is not so bad either. It's more, but you end up driving less. IMO.

[sputnut]

I'm not so worried that we can't afford it as just curious because I had heard gas there was WAY higher, and I wanted to know what to realistically expect. Seems that your pricing and earnable incomes there are comparable to the economically (and therefore every other way) depressed area of west central Illinois we are in now. (If I gotta be poor, doing it in paradise makes more sense!)
We are quite adept at living on about half what most people call their bare minimum, and living pretty good there. If we can find a way to make over 25k there we will be fine as we are going to bring enough to pretty much buy a house outright, maybe need a small 20-30k loan ($150-300 house payment... easy.)if it's over what we make on this house , which is paid off. We have found quite a few in our range in HPP, where we will most likely end up... nice size yards, lower taxes, and more amenities plus closer to Hilo for working and less rain. Maybe orchidland. (if I am off on those assessments, please let me know) I wouldn't mind more land in HA but, 120 in rain is enough for me. BTW.. can anyone tell me why about halfway down HPP the vegetation comes to a screeching halt? Less rain? Newer lava? Fire? Something else?

comin' your way soon!

[Wuzzerdad]

quote:

---

Originally posted by sputnut

I'm not so worried that we can't afford it as just curious because I had heard gas there was WAY higher, and I wanted to know what to realistically expect. Seems that your pricing and earnable incomes there are comparable to the economically (and therefore every other way) depressed area of west central Illinois we are in now. (If I gotta be poor, doing it in paradise makes more sense!)
We are quite adept at living on about half what most people call their bare minimum, and living pretty good there. If we can find a way to make over 25k there we will be fine as we are going to bring enough to pretty much buy a house outright, maybe need a small 20-30k loan ($150-300 house payment... easy.)if it's over what we make on this house , which is paid off. We have found quite a few in our range in HPP, where we will most likely end up... nice size yards, lower taxes, and more amenities plus closer to Hilo for working and less rain. Maybe orchidland. (if I am off on those assessments, please let me know) I wouldn't mind more land in HA but, 120 in rain is enough for me. BTW.. can anyone tell me why about halfway down HPP the vegetation comes to a screeching halt? Less rain? Newer lava? Fire? Something else?

comin' your way soon!

---

[]

Just do it, I don't know what you intend to do for work, I don't think I would move to Hawaii if I had to start a new career. However, had I moved when I was younger it would have been fantastic.

Definately a shock about energy prices, but when you figure out you really don't need that much the shock wears off. In Illinois you are used to having almost 17 hours of sunlight in the summer, and less than 7 in the winter. In Hawaii it is around 12 hours every day, not much change with the seasons. Maybe 4 "hot" hours a day, by dusk the temp is cooling off and the trades blow so nice. I would just take a nap from around 1:00Pm to 2:00Pm after swimming or walking, just shower, turn on a small fan and out light a light. You just have to get used to turning things off, all the time.

30 month old rental cars sell for 60% of new (more or less) with around 30,000 miles on them, most get 26 or more a gallon. Some of the little ones get 45 or so now. So leave your gas guzzeler at home.

I rented a Malibu 3 times (more on that if you are interested) you can only rent for I think it is 4 weeks before you have to return it and re rent it or get a different car. I got 28 almost every tank, but I drive like a local, slow and easy. I just move over so everybody can pass. Learn the "hang loose" sign, and some Pidgen phrases.

I think when I go this time I will be staying in HPP, and I am going to ask my host if they would mind having an extra car that they could drive a bit and buy a rental off lease. I planned to be there by now, I am afraid to say a date again.[]

Anyway, where in Illinois? close to what town or landmark? We are close to Ainsworth Iowa, about 35 miles from Muscatine. I have 4 plywood boxes made to slide in a container, already packed. They would fill a 20' completely. I spent last year selling and giving things away and packing. I bought things that I knew would be expensive to ship later. My opinion, don't bring many clothes.

The vegatation line is probably where the salt air from the ocean stops, or the rain line, but probably a combination of both.

Aloha [:p][:p][:p][:p]

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
Mahalo
Rick