Should I take a job in Hawaii?

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I have two possible job offers coming up and I'm leaning towards the one in Honolulu. Has anyone ever lived there? I know I won't have a vehicle, but think I can get by with public transportation or possibly a bike. I'm not too concerned with living expenses even though I'll be looking for a furnished apartment or maybe renting furniture. What other things should I consider when moving there?

If I were in that position, I would say yes and never look back...although I have reservations about the cost of living there.

It's Hawaii. That's all you have to consider.

Go! Run and never look back!! !!

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
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In this bad economy take what you can get.

Yes, I think you should if you can.

Most of my regrets are things I could have, but did not do.

My bf is from there & he says it's the most beautiful place in the world, and the air always smells like flowers, & the water is always clear.

Go for it! It's HAWAII!! !!

Also my cousin served there and keeps going back every time they have a job there (he's in the Navy) and my brother-in-law lived and worked there as a chef.

Good luck!!

If you go, don't rent furniture. That's like flushing money down the toilet. Gradually add stuff purchased at garage sales, thrift shops, Salvation Army stores, and from discount department stores. Start out with some blankets or a sleeping bag on the floor if you have to, and just add stuff as you go, but do pick up a few cheap lamps to start with, so you can see at night. Get a folding table or other cheap table and folding chairs at Walmart or one of the other places mentioned. Throw a cheap table clothe over it. There's your kitchen table! You can temporarily use it as your office table, too, until you can get another cheap table or desk for that. Just keep going that way, and you will do okay.

During a homeless spell some years ago, I was able to camp out for about 3 months in a relatives decrepit fixer-upper investment property. I used a sleeping bag and blankets on the floor, a folding table loaned by another relative, a tabletop cube fridge with a tiny freezer compartment loaned by that same relative, a folding chair loaned by another relative. I paied $7 at the Salvation Army store for a used microwave that I still have. I bought a few utensils at the Salvation Army store and also paid $7 dollars at the same store for a handicapped potty--there was no toilet in the bathroom at the fixer upper as it had been broken, so it was removed. The toilet drain hole was still there, so I could dump the stuff down there. Not nice, but I had a roof over my head, and pets, too. Mice and bugs. I picked up some cheap plastic ware to hold/heat/eat food from. I had an industrial fan of my own to use on hot days, and all my personal possessions crammed into my Jeep Cherokee. Hey why pay to rent storage space when the car can hold it for nothing?

Fortunately, my circumstances have improved some since then. I now live in an old trailer that I rent from my father and step mom, so I have a roof of my own over my head.

You seem more interested in the Hawaii job than in the other one. If this is a firm job offer, then you might as well go for it. However, don't move there until they confirm, preferably in writing, that you have the job. To be on the safe side, make sure you have enough money for a return ticket, before you go. It would be terrible to get there only to find out that you don't have the job, and no income to pay for a roof over your head.

Anyway, good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Yea the impulse factor for going is high. I've never been but it's clear how beautiful the place is. I also imagine the night sky will be like nothing I've ever seen, and i love looking up. I'm trying to look at it pragmatically though, so I'm prepared for anything.

Good advice questor. I'm going to start saving extra money in case I have to do a 180 right back to the mainland. I'll definitely see about confirmation as well.

Are they paying any relocation expenses?

Honolulu is not a cheap place to live at all. It is true you don't really need a car, and Honolulu is on track to get a light rail system.

Make sure you carefully consider the Cost of Living when looking at the salary you'll make.

When I went to school in MA; I lived on an air mattress for a year. Less than 100 dollars, and comfortable.

My expertise consists of spending about a month there visiting family.

It does rain a lot, but the rain is usually warm, at least in the summer - people thought I was insane for sitting in a hammock in the pouring rain, wearing a bathing suit, but it felt wonderful to me.

Don't drink unfiltered water, at least at first; I wasted my first three days there in the restroom because I drank the same kool-aid the kids were drinking. Also, milk is very expensive, so they have something there called "artificial milk" that's useful for baking, but not very tasty to drink. (The TV kept running ads for a place called the Muumuu (moo-moo) Factory; after a time, I came to the conclusion that the Muumuu Factory was where they manufactured plastic cows, which fed on Astroturf and gave artificial milk...)

Meat and potatoes are also expensive there. One local favorite, replacing mashed potatoes, is "two scoop rice with gravy" (pronouncing "scoops" gets you marked as a tourist), and it's delicious. You'll also become familiar with many, many methods of preparing spam, which is markedly cheaper than beef. (If you're a vegetarian, that part won't bother you.)

Honolulu is a beautiful city. It is a city, and if that bothers you that could be a problem; also, there's a phenomenon known as "island fever", which can set in when you come to the realization that the Pacific Ocean is no more than an hour's travel away in any given direction. It's more of an issue for some people than others, of course.