• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Hawaii on a Budget

easyrider

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
15,057
Reaction score
8,007
Points
948
Location
Palm Springs of Washinton
Resorts Owned
Worldmark * * Villa Del Palmar UVCI * * Vacation Internationale*
Last Kauai trip for us was the first two weeks of December 2016. I drove to Poipu to scuba 6 times from Kapaa. My drives were usually between 7 am and 4 pm with most commutes taking about an hour. We used the Kapaa bypass frequently. Last December they were directing traffic with cones on the three lane portion of the road to help speed up traffic. The locals get it but many of the tourists get confused and drive even slower. Many tourist don't know that they need to leave room at driveways and intersections for cars to enter and exit and that they should stop in heavy traffic to let others make left turns.

Even so, I would say the traffic in Kauia is better than in Seattle.

Bill
 

pianoetudes

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
207
Reaction score
97
Points
238
Location
19103
Resorts Owned
Wyndham and Vidanta Grand Luxxe
If I can recall correctly, the $8 bread is at the ABC store. Maybe it is a tourist trap.

Lucky if you can fly 5 hours to Honolulu. Here from Newark (EWR), nonstop flight is 10 hours and the airline does not give complementary meal!
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,672
Reaction score
9,093
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
The ABC store is a convenience store that specializes in tourist souvenirs. Their prices are not representative of grocery store prices.
 

jehb2

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Messages
2,174
Reaction score
952
Points
473
Location
texas
We traveled to Hawaii years before Costco came to the island. I have to say Costco makes vacationing in Hawaii affordable. And Don Quixote still remains a secret to most vacationers. When the quantities at Costco are just too great for a 2 weeks stay I shop at Don Quixote. It's like a 1 1/2 blocks from the Waikiki Walmart. So if you're willing to walk to Walmart just go a little farther.
 

Jim&Martha

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
92
Reaction score
4
Points
218
Location
Seattle
Every winter my goal is to escape the coldest months of January, February & March. But I have to do it on a budget. This year we timeshared in AZ, CA, and Las Vegas (RCI Extra Vacations) for the first 5 weeks, returned home for 2 weeks, and then flew to Hawaii. My flight was booked 5 months in advance and my husband's was a last minute decision booked 1 week in advance for the same fare! Car rental was booked 5 months in advance. We stayed in 8 different timeshares over the 40 days that we spent in Hawaii. Only 3 of the timeshares were reserved before I left home. The other 5 were booked once we got to Hawaii at 1 to 14 days prior to check-in. Two of the timeshares were just one-night stays to fill in between weeks. I used a combination of RCI Points, Vacation Internationale credits and bonus nights, and a DAE rental. Points were reduced because of last minute bookings. We went to 3 islands and stayed in 5 different locations. Inter-island Hawaiianair flights were booked roughly 2 weeks before the scheduled flights when the price dropped to $69 for a mid-morning flight.

Here's a list of the resorts we stayed at. I have just submitted reviews on TUG for all of them. I know this type of budget travel won't appeal to many but we had a great time and enjoyed the variety of resorts and locations. We love Hawaii so it was all worth it!

Pono Kai - Kapaa, Kauai
Kauai Beach Villas - Lihue, Kauai
Kapaa Shores - Kapaa, Kauai
Wyndham Ka'Eo Kai - Princeville, Kauai
Fairway Villas - Waikiki
Imperial Hawaii Resort - Waikiki
Royal Kuhio - Waikiki
Kapulanikai - Kihei, Maui


Thanks for the great reviews and lists, all good info to have!
 

WishinIwasFishin

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
19
Reaction score
11
Points
53
Resorts Owned
Lagonita Lodge, Pono Kai
Every winter my goal is to escape the coldest months of January, February & March. But I have to do it on a budget. This year we timeshared in AZ, CA, and Las Vegas (RCI Extra Vacations) for the first 5 weeks, returned home for 2 weeks, and then flew to Hawaii. My flight was booked 5 months in advance and my husband's was a last minute decision booked 1 week in advance for the same fare! Car rental was booked 5 months in advance. We stayed in 8 different timeshares over the 40 days that we spent in Hawaii. Only 3 of the timeshares were reserved before I left home. The other 5 were booked once we got to Hawaii at 1 to 14 days prior to check-in. Two of the timeshares were just one-night stays to fill in between weeks. I used a combination of RCI Points, Vacation Internationale credits and bonus nights, and a DAE rental. Points were reduced because of last minute bookings. We went to 3 islands and stayed in 5 different locations. Inter-island Hawaiianair flights were booked roughly 2 weeks before the scheduled flights when the price dropped to $69 for a mid-morning flight.

Here's a list of the resorts we stayed at. I have just submitted reviews on TUG for all of them. I know this type of budget travel won't appeal to many but we had a great time and enjoyed the variety of resorts and locations. We love Hawaii so it was all worth it!

Pono Kai - Kapaa, Kauai
Kauai Beach Villas - Lihue, Kauai
Kapaa Shores - Kapaa, Kauai
Wyndham Ka'Eo Kai - Princeville, Kauai
Fairway Villas - Waikiki
Imperial Hawaii Resort - Waikiki
Royal Kuhio - Waikiki
Kapulanikai - Kihei, Maui
We went to Pono Kai in Kauai this past June. With the pre-trip research we conducted, we knew we were in for a jolt for the price of groceries, etc. but even when we arrived and visited the grocery store, I nearly fell over! :) Fortunately, there is a Costco on the island, with prices that are fairly similar to what we see locally, including their food court, which is super cheap. If you are a Costco member, it is well worth the time and effort to shop there. They have a wonderful selection of groceries, and even a good selection of locale items suitable for souvenirs, etc. On our recent trip, Costco saved us a LOT of money on food!
 

Ralph Sir Edward

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
2,875
Reaction score
3,501
Points
448
Location
Plano, Texas
To keep track of Hawaii airfare sales, you might check the BeatofHawaii website. (Airfare is certainly part of the Hawaii trip budget . . .)
 

cgeidl

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
1,081
Reaction score
124
Points
273
Location
Fairfield,CA
Our Hawaii budget trips are very last minute. We are retired military and live close to a base where there are about 30 flights a month space available to Oahu.The planes are usually cargo planes and often you have cargo netting seating with unlimited legroom and often you can blow up an air mattress and lie down on the deck. Just as good as first class. Once we are booked on a plane we start to look for reservations at timeshares and sometimes lodging for a few nights on one of the military bases. We have gone on a Friday and called and got last minute weekly rentals fo $169 for a week. We have a reliable contact at a timeshare company who calls around for us and I think we could stay year round at a timeshare in Hawaii.Not many fancy resorts usually but we are comfortable and just demand clean and well located resorts.There are always last minute timeshare cancellations for Hawaiia nd they are often reasonable. It is hard for timeshare companies to rebook cancellations on a moment's notice. We usually stay about one month but sometimes just make a weekly trip. The airport is 15 minutes away so if we don't get on one day we come back the next and try again. Sometimes going back we have had to wait up to two extra days.
We budget meals by eating at plate lunch places and BOGO's when we can. Shop at Costco,and eat at the 150 club weekly.we eat out once a day and always make our own breakfast and snack for other meals
A dollar fifty for polish and drink at COSTCO. Hawaii for us with the free flights, low accomodation cost is one of our most reasonable vacations.We usually stay on Oahu a few weeks and then go to one other island.
So my advice for the young is to retire from the military and enjoy your fight for
freedom benefits.
 

taterhed

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
4,536
Reaction score
1,901
Points
399
Location
Virginia
Resorts Owned
Westin WKORV OFD
Marriott's Grande Vista
Worldmark x2
SVV Bella 81k
Honestly, the groceries in Hawaii just don't seem that expensive to me. I'm sure that our home-drome east coast prices soften the blow, but maybe consider shopping the farmers markets (not just the tourist ones) and smaller stores. The smaller markets in Kauai are cheaper than Safeway and Costco. Plus, I don't' find most of the prices at Safeway/Costco all that high.

Of course, if you insist on buying mainland goods, mainland brands and only buy the brands/foods you're used to, you will end up spending a great deal more money than you'd pay for local products, substitute products or local store brands. IMHO.

Don't be afraid to shop like a local and eat (or sample) like a local.
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
One more tip for shopping for groceries. If you have a Safeway card you can get discounts on some items. If you don't already have one you should be able to apply when you're in Hawaii. Same with some of the other markets.
 

slip

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
11,139
Reaction score
14,574
Points
999
Location
U'alapue/Kaunakakai, Hawaii
Resorts Owned
Pono Kai, 20 wks; Maui Schooner, 1.5 wks; 1 week Ke Nani Kai; WaveCrest Condo, Molokai, HI
Shopping sales like you do at home helps too. The sales dictate what we eat sometimes. The prices are more than where I live but not too bad. Still cheaper than going out all the time.
 

taterhed

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
4,536
Reaction score
1,901
Points
399
Location
Virginia
Resorts Owned
Westin WKORV OFD
Marriott's Grande Vista
Worldmark x2
SVV Bella 81k
One more tip for shopping for groceries. If you have a Safeway card you can get discounts on some items. If you don't already have one you should be able to apply when you're in Hawaii. Same with some of the other markets.

And put your phone number on the card (or on your pay app) and then you don't need the card, just the linked phone #
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
And put your phone number on the card (or on your pay app) and then you don't need the card, just the linked phone #
We are still using the Safeway card we got in California, with our California phone number. We haven't lived there for five years.:)
 

tarahsu

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
138
Reaction score
12
Points
228
Location
Coto de Caza, CA
Resorts Owned
SDO | 1BR (ODD)
SDO | 2BD LO (EVEN)
I think one's perspective of the cost of things in Hawaii depends on where you are from. If you are from the mid-west or south where the cost of living is lower, it probably seems higher than to someone from CA or a large East Coast City where prices are higher at home. That being said, I have never paid $8 for a loaf of bread in Hawaii either.

Also - comparing Hawaii to Mexico is a false equivalency. There are many people who are not interested in going to Mexico, no matter how cheap it is.
So true. I won't ever go to Mexico again, would prefer the 15 hour flight to Thailand.
 

Garden115

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
46
Reaction score
10
Points
118
Location
Seattle WA
Thank you, Denise. The traffic has improved immensely since the road work. Rush hours should be noted and avoided. I am in Kauai every year and book an "island car" far in advance for a huge savings. The prices go up in peak seasons and they do run out of vehicles: Rent A Car Kauai. Not fancy but drivable. I cook most of the meals in, go to Costco, Big Save and Safeway. I take seasonings and plan menus. There are short hikes and long with no fees attached and the seaside multi-use path is great (Bike rental in Kappa for the path but note that biking on the streets and highway are not safe). Picnics at the beaches is free. Traveling in a shoulder season saves on airfare and crowds. The most music you will every get for your dime is the annual Slack Key Guitar Festival in November. The canyon is free, the Friday night art walk is free (with food trucks), $30 can be an all day botanical garden visit and driving to Poipu for a Puka Dog is fun and affordable. A note: some resorts add fees for Wi-fi, parking, maid service and facilities use and knowing in advance avoids surprise. Mauai has a Costco near the airport to hit before your resort check-in.
 

Lanswitch

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2015
Messages
34
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Chicagoland
Resorts Owned
Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas South
The Gardens at West Maui
Clarification - I would not say that "Kauai" has a traffic problem all year long. More accurately stated: there is a bottleneck through *Kapa'a* during rush hour every day.

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk
We were on Kauai in March of 2017, staying at the Westin Princeville.
We DID get stuck in rush hour traffic once in Kapa’a but then we “discovered” the bypass road. Made things much quicker.
 
Top