While hotel and air fares are the biggest one-off expenses you will incur on a Hawaiian vacation, staying fed is what may really eat into your budget. You don’t have to eat out at restaurants every night, though. Here are some of the best ways to save money on food on your Hawaiian vacation.
Cook it yourself!
Many people make sure to pay for hotel rooms with kitchenettes or rent condos for their vacation accommodation. This means you can cook your own meals, only eating out when you choose to do so.
Buy from your friendly Big Box store
Recently, both Wal Mart and Costco have opened up stores in Kona on the Big Island. These are big cash savers for vacationers who followed our first tip above. Buy the teriyaki sauce you need for your chicken, fresh-off-the-boat seafood, and breakfast cereal, for the same prices you would at home!
Catch it yourself!
There is a lot of food swimming around the islands of Hawaii; you just have to get hold of it, literally. The best way to do this is to befriend some locals. It’s a tricky process, but remember that almost everyone now living in Hawaii was a visitor at some point, just like you. Many of these are willing to help you out.
Befriending locals helps because you can avoid the exorbitant costs of chartering a boat for a fishing trip. Such charters can run you from $400 to $1000 for a day of fishing, without any guarantees of a catch. There are no regulations on seasons or catches in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands, so locals may fit your needs just as well.
And there are lots of tasty offerings to be had for the lucky angler. Ono are so good, their name literally means “delicious”. There are also ahi tuna, salmon, and several other species which will taste great fried up in the evening hours. Even barracuda, shark, or marlin tastes good after spending some time in a teriyaki marinade.
Avoid the bite out of your budget that eating out will take by paying heed to these three cheap eats tips!