costs of living

[Lisafuller]

It’s surprising how expenses can accumulate. All of the seemingly little things add up, and before you know it, it’s a 5 figure sum.

Going without a car helps. Going without air conditioning helps. Going without diary products helps. Going without alcohol helps. Going without beef helps. Going without imported Western foods of most kinds helps.

One other point on schools, don’t assume you can get your child a place in any school here. The popular schools have waiting lists, including popular local kindergartens. Both of my kids went to Barker Road Kindergarten, it’s a decent local school that foreigners can access, if there is a spot available - price is also reasonable. But that is only an option until age 7. No easy or cheap options after that.

Dairy and beef? Seems a bit extreme Mal, are you speaking from experience?

The price of chicken here is similar to the US, but in the US the price of beef and chicken is roughly the same. Here? Beef is close to double the price of chicken, so I rarely indulge in things like steak for this reason.

As for dairy, milk costs 4x the US. And do not assume that is all because of the expense to import it from great distances, the price in Hawaii is double the mainland price, but that is still half what it costs here. Cheese is another one that is just outrageous, the cost here is just marked up the wazoo, well beyond what is explainable. Ice cream is another one, either you get the junky stuff made with coconut oil, or you pay nose bleed prices that make no sense at all — if you compare to the same
product in Hong Kong (which also has cartel pricing) it’s half price there. How can this be explained?

Certain prices here just make no sense at all, and there is no justification - it’s just a long held price disparity that nobody questions and competitors have all agreed “not to spoil the market” so they can all profiteer from it.

You do make a good point about ice cream, it’s pretty ridiculous. Case in point is Ben & Jerry’s, while it is a little under five dollars for a pint in the US, here you are lucky if you can get two for 23.

[BBCDoc]

Could well be a government supported strategy to limit obesity…


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[Lisafuller]

Doubt it. Everything’s about money for this gov.

[malcontent]

Doubt it. Everything’s about money for this gov.

The gov has long used money as a tool to shape desired behavior (and rake in the cash in the process).

I wouldn’t put it past them to start taxing junk food and/or foods with high sugar or fat content.

[midlet2013]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

[nelyanne]

Could well be a government supported strategy to limit obesity…


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I doubt it. Aren't the hawker centres somehow supported? And sometimes when I see what food is promoted as healthy (on Health Hub portal for example)... it looks more like a strategy to get people fat and sick...

[sundaymorningstaple]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

I reckon it depends on how much of it you have and whether it's important or just greed. I'd much rather have good health and enough to survive in an average way. All the money in the world won't help your if your health goes to shit.

[Lisafuller]

Doubt it. Everything’s about money for this gov.

The gov has long used money as a tool to shape desired behavior (and rake in the cash in the process).

I wouldn’t put it past them to start taxing junk food and/or foods with high sugar or fat content.

Tax on demerit goods, just like they do with cigarettes and booze.

[Lisafuller]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

No, it’s just interesting to discuss.

[Lisafuller]

Could well be a government supported strategy to limit obesity…


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I doubt it. Aren't the hawker centres somehow supported? And sometimes when I see what food is promoted as healthy (on Health Hub portal for example)... it looks more like a strategy to get people fat and sick...

To be fair a lot of the food sold is pretty traditional so it’s from a time when they could not afford to buy very healthy or good quality ingredients. Gov is just promoting the healthiest of the unhealthy.

[Lisafuller]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

I reckon it depends on how much of it you have and whether it's important or just greed. I'd much rather have good health and enough to survive in an average way. All the money in the world won't help your if your health goes to shit.

Hence the saying health is wealth.

[BBCDoc]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

I reckon it depends on how much of it you have and whether it's important or just greed. I'd much rather have good health and enough to survive in an average way. All the money in the world won't help your if your health goes to shit.

Agreed. I think it is said that most middle class US families are 2 medical emergencies away from poverty.

My friend in CA had a knife drop off his table and cut his foot. Cost him near USD 4,000 to get that addressed…


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[midlet2013]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

I reckon it depends on how much of it you have and whether it's important or just greed. I'd much rather have good health and enough to survive in an average way. All the money in the world won't help your if your health goes to shit.

Agreed. I think it is said that most middle class US families are 2 medical emergencies away from poverty.

My friend in CA had a knife drop off his table and cut his foot. Cost him near USD 4,000 to get that addressed…


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Wasn’t this an accident. How does healthy living save u from such incidents.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If he was living healthy, he would have been wearing shoes while working in the kitchen where stuff often drops including glass items, knives. granny forks. Pans/pots of hot oil etc. Safe working practices go a long way toward healthy living. In your own kitchen especially (or the garage / workshop). Same goes with accidents. If you walk around town with earpods shoved in your ears and turned up to 115 dB as most are wont to do. If you get hit by a car backing up or don't hear a horn when you absently step off the curb.........

So, while accidents can and do happen, the frequency of same can be reduced with common sense. But the good part is that normally if it is caused by others then insurance normally will cover it (or the lawsuit will).

Good example is when I am butchering meats/fowl/fish or in my workshop that has lots of sharp power tools, while I cannot afford a SureStop Table Saw, I do wear Kevlar reinforced work gloves when working with all tools. Is it hot? Yes. But I've been working in woodshops and on a dairy farm where we often butchered cows & deer, for about 60 of the 74 years I've been around and still have all my fingers.

[Lisafuller]

do u guys think all this overthinking about money is bad of health ??

I reckon it depends on how much of it you have and whether it's important or just greed. I'd much rather have good health and enough to survive in an average way. All the money in the world won't help your if your health goes to shit.

Agreed. I think it is said that most middle class US families are 2 medical emergencies away from poverty.

My friend in CA had a knife drop off his table and cut his foot. Cost him near USD 4,000 to get that addressed…


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Yup, the cost of healthcare in the US is insane. Many times, people would rather take an Uber to the hospital than an ambulance because of how expensive it is. Whereas in Europe that costs seven euros per ride, which is often much cheaper than a taxi even.