Cooking

Eating in Hawaii

Eat Affordably Outside the Resorts

How much guacamole can one person eat? Let's find out.

How much guacamole can one person eat? Let’s find out.

This post comes to you from Hawaii. We’re camped out in a two bedroom, two bath, full kitchen condo on the Big Island that costs less than a basic hotel room at the resorts and doesn’t have the parking fees, resort fees or exorbitant meal costs.

We arrived on the island, had lunch and immediately made our stops at the farmer’s market, Target and Costco. The market is full of cheap eats, including pineapple, papaya, limes and to-die-for Hawaiian avocados. Target is my source for beach gear and sunscreen; I need the latter by the gallon on the island. Costco is the source for everything else, from organic meats to a surprisingly decent bakery with the yummy rolls that we use for beach lunches. Costco also sells discounted gift cards that we’ll use to splurge at some of the higher-end restaurants in the area.

I wrote a similar post a couple of years ago when we last went to the islands, showing how we ate dinner in the condo for less than $6 per person. Most of the meals that we made had enough leftovers to be converted into lunches or future dinners. And I still have the ability to go out and get my fix of kalua pork tacos.

Is it the fanciest way to go? No, of course not. But with a kid who is thoroughly exhausted from a day of beach play, we’re much better off eating at home than trying to keep him awake through a lengthy evening meal.

How do you make a destination vacation more affordable?

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One Response

  1. Having your own kitchen is definitely the way to go. I find it also saves calories since I’m much more likely to overeat at a restaurant if I can’t bring my leftovers with me for lunch the next day. I’d say I hoped you were enjoying Hawaii, but that seems completely unnecessary!

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