How To Make Maui Affordable

I firmly believe that many destinations that people think are ‘once in a lifetime’ trips because of the price tag, can actually be done REALLY affordably with the right research, so ‘once in a lifetime’ can become every couple of years. Maui is one of those places – touted as the premier destination for honeymoons and ten-year anniversaries, the island is basically an infomercial for romance. And once you’re there it totally makes sense. Everything smells like plumeria, the beaches seem to go on forever, every turn in the road has dramatic scenery, and you would think that the sunsets are fake, they’re so beautiful. We just got back from spending our anniversary in Maui, and we had a blissful seven days on the island. Our grand total for the trip was less than $2500 dollars (and that’s with eating at some very nice restaurants). Today, I’m sharing how we make Maui affordable.

-Skip the Hotel
Guys, in 2019, there’s really no reason to stay in a hotel in Hawaii unless you are a Kardashian, or have a massive need for someone to make your bed every day for you to feel Zen. We found a condo on VRBO, and spent the week there for around $800. We had a kitchen, a lanai, a smart T.V., and a closet full of beach accessories. I know that this is a REALLY good deal that’s hard to beat, but no matter what kind of condo you find on your favorite rental site, it will almost always save you money.

-Hit the Grocery Store
Since you’re renting a condo instead of a hotel room, you’ll most likely have a kitchen, which means you need to hit the grocery store. David and I normally go to Foodland and stock up on enough stuff for breakfast, beach snacks, as well as getting alcohol to keep at the condo. We normally do a couple of picnic lunches at the beach while we’re there, and we love getting poke from Foodlands poke bar, and eating it with chips and avocado at the beach. This will save you SO MUCH MONEY.

-Go Local
I mean – I’m sure dropping $100 at a Bubba Gumps with a mediocre view has its appeal and all, but you’ll spend way less money and have a way better experience if you do some research and eat at the places the locals love. We try to hit up as many food trucks and hole in the walls as we can. Not only is the food better, but it’s also always cheaper.

-Take Advantage of Free
You would be amazed at how many free, or almost free activities there are in Maui. Want to drive the road to Hana? Free. Want to go to world-class beaches? Free. Want to see some sea-turtles up close? Free. Want to go to a black sand beach? Free. Sure, if you really NEED to you can book that $600 helicopter ride and that $400 snorkel cruise – but if you’re looking to save money, I suggest looking at all there is to do that’s free first.

-Use Miles
One of the biggest expenses to getting to Hawaii is the $1000 a person plane ticket. This is a GREAT use of airline miles – we used British Airways miles to fly for free.