From the article: Money Saving Tips for Your Hawaii Vacation
When economic times get tough people look for ways to save money. I've shared some of my money saving tips, but I'd like to hear from you.
What are your best tips for saving money when planning your vacation in Hawaii? Share Your Tips
What are your best tips for saving money when planning your vacation in Hawaii? Share Your Tips
limiting expenses
- We stay in condos, eat breakfast in, go out 2-3 nights, bring a folding cooler bag filled with frozen butter, cheeses, breakfast, lunch and dinner meats. This takes up space but gives us a cooler for the beach, and when trip is over we fill it with stuff we bring home...no wasted space either way. Been doing this for about 10 years - it works great. We also bring other food like spices, rice mixes, coffee/tea, salad dressing, mayo plus, alum foil, plastic baggies/wrap/paperplates/and laundry detergent/fabric softener sheets. Then we splurge on all of the fresh veggies and fruits. This works for as few as 2 and even better for more in the party. Everyone just has to share the "load". At home we plan ahead and buy most of our items when we see them on sale. Good eats, good trip, reasonable expenses, more money left for fun. Over the years we've also learned not to take more clothes for than for 3 days - plus what we wear on plane and no more than 3 pairs of shoes.
- —BonTan
travel tips
- book as sonn as you know your going even if 6months in advance.....hostels and guest housing is good and some people even let you buy their week in time shares..do the research....book lodgings away from normal tourist areas and rent a car to do the tourist thing without paying tourist prices fast food cards can be bought and loaded before your trip but used at your destination and preloaded money cards with visa or mastercard logos are secure and used as money substitute so theft is not a problem and are reloadable...ship your luggage by ups or fedex to the hotel and its waiting in your room and you sale thru the airport with just simple carry on luggage..and you eliminate the lost baggage problem because the shippers do a better job than the airlines. notify and confirm with the hotel manager and it will be signed for when it arrives and be taken to your room...aloha
- —Guest keonih
how to save money in hawaii
- the best place to shop in hawaii is at the aloha flee market in oahu... but save your money till you get to the end,thats where the real good deals are. the ABC stores are a rip of,you will get at least 3 times your moneys worth from the flee market!!! also theres a great smorg called Perrys in waikiki. In 2007 we paid $9.95 for all you can eat. let me tell you , you could not eat 1 of everything there, there was soooo much GOOD food. I cant wait to go back!!!!
- —Guest melody
Money saving tips
- Rent a condo, buy groceries, cook in, eat in - at least breakfast. Bring a foldup cooler, take stuff for sandwiches (hard rools or kawiser rolls, deli meats, sliced cheese pickles, lettuce, sliced tomatoes)and soda or water with you on your travels. Soda and cold things will go in the cooler, chips, etc in a bag. Find a lovely beach spot to eat lunch. Make sure you have a store care (Safeway or Foodland Makai card - they will both giveyou one at the custiomer service. Don't overbuy!!!! It's easier and mosre cost effective to shop on the way home. Things happen and you end up not eating the things you bought. That doesn't save money. Plan ahead, look online for deals. We got great discount tickets for dinner cruise by typing in Discount tickets to??? The island have lots fo free things to do so tsake advantage of the beautiful beaches and sights.
- —gramsof1
Mix Business with Pleasure
- As a health professional, I attend Hawaii Health Getaway's CE programs on the Big Island and Kauai -- a chance to tour the most fabulous sites on earth each afternoon with local guides, learn something during the morning classes on Hawaiian mind-body healing from local holistic healers, and have an educational write-off for my taxes. Almost every profession has educational programs in vacation settings. Paradise discovered.
- —Guest HunaFun1
save money
- When ever we go anywhere for vacation we always sign up for grocery cards at which ever store we go to. It saves on money. We also bring some coupons on things that we would buy. I know it sounds silly but we bring our own plastic wrap from home. Get coupons from the travel brochures (2 for 1 are great). When we go out to dinner we try to do the early bird special or if there is 3 of us we buy 2 dinners and share them. Sometimes we go out for just appitizers.
- —doritokitty
royaltag
- Rent a condo especially if you are averse to paying for sresorts for services, amparticlarly if y
- —Guest kochafr
Condo Hotels Marketing
- For more infors about Condo Hotel Marketing you can visit this link: Condotel Marketing . Condo Hotels represent the best options available for no-hassle, low maintenance vacation ownership. One of the best features of Condo Hotel ownership is the luxury of enjoying a great vacation and earning income through rental programs that handle cleaning, repairs, and rental, all while maintaining the hotel's features and amenities.
- —Guest Albert
rainbow
- Eat breakfast at McDonald's, eat lunch at Ala Mona shopping center in food court, eat dinner in condo with kitchen and eat food you buy at the ABC stores.
- —Guest judy
money saving tips
- stay at hotel with continental breakfast, look for coupons 2 for 1 in free magazines along streets.
- —Guest karin
Do-it-yourself
- Buy Souvieners at Wal-Mart. Rent a car so you can tour at your own pace. Pack your own food & snacks. Eat where the locals do.
- —Guest Hawaii Lover
Stay & Play Smart
- Stay at a condo which is by far cheaper than a hotel and with a kitchen you can make food in your room, keep drinks etc. 1) Stay at a condo for the full kitchen and lower rate per night plus the same amenities as a hotel. 2) Shop at Costco for the week. 3) Rent snorkel gear, grab a good tour book (my favorite is the "Revealed" Series -Maui Revealed, Oahu Revealed, etc)hit the road this way you can explore on your own without having to spend money on a tour. 4) Take along a portable ice cooler and pack a lunch with drinks for the day. 5) Walk where you can that way you will save gas, get exercise & see things at a slower pace then just driving through. 6) Buy an "Entertainment Coupon Book" Hawaii Edition. Coupons for all islands in one book.
- —Guest Maui No Ka Oi
oahu
- Buy your gifts to take back home at the Aloha Stadium flea market instead of the International Marketplace or other stores. There are vans that pickup at hotels. Editor's comment - The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is held Saturdays and Sundays. Aloha Stadium is located right near the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center.
- —Guest lisap
waikiki
- we always get a room with a kitchen and save our leftovers from dinner for the next days lunch. also the entertainment guide helps but look online at what it contains to see if you will actually use it. we try to go to hawaii every other year and save giftcards that we get for xmas, b-days, etc for our trip. There is a cheesecake factory, ihop, etc. We save the ones that we can use for breakfast, brunch or fast food ones that we use in the airports when traveling. we usually only have to pay for one meal a day by doing this.
- —Guest lisa
Education Manager
- Make a stop at Costco! Pick up souvenirs, liquor, Hawaiian candy for gifts, Aloha wear, croques, and have you film developed there....fabulous quality. Great for take-out too. Also, eat where the locals do outside of Waikiki...check out Frommers or Fodors for suggestions. Also, on Oahu, ride THE BUS with bus passes...saves you on parking and rental, and stress! There is even a monthly that is reasonable if you leave Oahu and return over the period of say two weeks...we rent a car only occasionally for a day but travel the rest of the time on Oahu by bus.
- —Guest Jeanne Murphy
owner
- 1.Load up at Costco or Kmart right when you get to MAui. 2.Stay away from the ocean front restaurants.Youcan get the same fish a few streets from the ocean. 3. Buy the Hawaii Entertainment guide. Pays for itself after two meals. 4. Instead of getting an appetizer, two salads, and two meals. Order one appetizer, one salad, and one meal. You'll be fine and no left overs.
- —Guest jim
Cut food expenses: shop at Foodland
- We really enjoy shopping at the Foodland deli counter or getting carryout from Costco and then taking a picnic basket to the beach.
- —Guest jhlietze
