Hawaii on a Budget: Budget Luxury Edition Ten Ways to Save Money on Vacation

I assure you it can be done my friends…watch and learn! To be fair, Hawaiian luxury can't be done cheap but it can be done smart.  I saved up for a long time to afford this but I was able to afford it.

You just need to know how and where to splurge and little tricks to cut corners and save.

Here are a couple of pointers, Get pumped!

1. Read reviews about restaurants and hotels (like this one) and learn what is to be avoided and what people say is spectacular. Seek out people you  know who have done similar trips. For example, a college friend of mine had made an excel spreadsheet of where she went, what she ate, etc. This was clearly invaluable. She's amazing! (You know who you are).

2.  Plan ahead. If you want to go on a nice trip plan ahead for it for a long time and put a little bit away each paycheck you get and put it into a special fund so you'll know how much you have to spend so you don't go crazy when you get there thinking you're a baller.

3. Splurge on what's important to you. If you love hanging by the pool and laying out then spend more on the hotel because you'll be there alot.  However, if you're a hiker and you hate lounging and laying out why waste your money on a pool and amenities you're never going to use? Stay somewhere off the beaten path (maybe down the street from the beach as opposed to right on it) and spend your money on activities. 

4. Ask about discounts and specials. I don't mean to say to take advantage of the hurting economy but, well, actually I do. Most places are very desperate for business so they really appreciate customers.  See what specials they have.  Alot of places don't advertise discounts but if you ask about them they'll yap your ear off. Especially when booking your hotel see what you can get out of them–a free massage or a bottle of wine.  There are often anniversary and honeymoon specials. Be creative, you never know what discounts places give. At a Starwood hotel this year we got a "Teacher's rate" that was nearly $200 less than their regular price.

5.  Take advantage of free activities.  Free music in the lobbies at restaurants, etc.  Nice hotels especially often have different daily things you can just pop by to. Plus you can take advantage of lots of other hotels nearby trying to lure you in for cocktails, etc.

6. Find out if there are any free museums that'll satisfy your taste for tourism.  For example, we went to Pearl Harbor in Honolulu and were about to purchase $60 tickets to all the museums that were near the Arizona memorial.  We walked to another counter and asked what was free and found out you could walk around and view all the outside exhibits, a 25 minute video and take a ferry to the Arizona memorial for free, which was all we had time for anyway. 

7.  Find out if you really need a rental car–That can really add up quickly.  Often hotels have trams/shuttles so find out before you go what your hotel's policy is or if the city has easily accessible public transport. I.e. you would never rent a car in Manhattan but we needed one in Maui. You get the picture.

8.  Pack snacks and food for the plane and the hotel room.  You obviously know my obsession with healthy eating.  I packed bottled green juice, apples, oranges, blueberries, an avocado, hummus, etc.  It saved us from eating the sickest plastic-wrapped chicken hot dog on our flight. I mean seriously? The whole plane stunk of sickening hot dogs.  It was a pain to pack but it was worth it. Also we had pita chips for the room and that saved us lots of money, the same bag would have cost 3 times the price.

9.  Splurge a little! It is a vacation! Be prepared that hotel food is going to be a bit more expensive but if you're staying at a good hotel (like we just did), it'll be worth it.
 

10.  Buy wine and beer for the room. If you have a nice view have a cocktail there before you spend a fortune at the hotel bar.