044 How to Save Cash on Your Family Hawaiian Vacation

Hawaii can be a dreamy family vacation but the cost can be high. Lisa shares how her family saved money on their recent trip to the big island. There are many practical ways to save like planning beach days, staying in a beach rental that includes beach toys, and sharing costs of a rental car and rental house with friends.

Join Lisa as she shares details on these ideas and more which will help you save money on a Hawaiian vacation or other dream destination.

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“There are a lot of amazing free or very inexpensive things to do on the Big Island. Pick a couple of splurge items and then enjoy a few of the free activities. The main point is that you enjoying time together as a family.”

— Lisa Andrews

Our family has found many great ways to enjoy Hawaii and shave cost off of the trip. Here are some of the highlights I share in this podcast episode:

Flights: Book with points is you have them. Use the Hopper app to track flights to find the best prices.

Accommodations: Staying in an Airbnb was the best choice for us. It was slightly more that the Holiday Inn and significantly less than a fancy resort. We traveled with another family and we were able to split the cost of our place with them.

Rental Car: You really will want to have a rental car while in Hawaii. Consider traveling with another family and splitting the cost of the car. Or get the least expensive car that will still fit your family and luggage.

Groceries: We did a big shopping trip to Costco right after leaving the airport. We stocked up on food that lasted us throughout the week. We did have to go to the local little (more expensive) grocery store during our stay to supplement, but the Costco run really set us up for success.

Pick a couple of splurge activities. You’re on vacation and want to have fun, but tourist activities can add up quickly. Choose a couple of things that your family really wants to do and enjoy them. For us, we did a luau and a night manta ray snorkel.

National Park: These are a great way to explore beautiful and unique places for a very low cost. The admission was $25 per car and all 8 of us rode in the car. We spent several hours at Volcanoes National Park. We did several pullout/lockout places plus a couple of hikes.

Look for free fun: The house we booked included kayaks and snorkel gear. This was such an asset as is was so convenient and we were able to enjoy hours out on the water without any added cost almost everyday of our vacation. We also added a pit stop to the southernmost point in the USA, played lots of games, enjoyed walks around the neighborhood, and read beachside. These free activities took up the bulk of our vacation time and made it so relaxing and enjoyable.

Bring Games

Choose a place to stay with a washer & dryer: Pack less and save on baggage fees. For our family, each person brought one carry-on suitcase and a backpack. We were able to fill our suitcases with plenty of t-shirts and swimming suits. We did laundry halfway through the week.

Consider traveling off season

Tip: if you are splitting the cost of the trip with another family, consider using the app Splitwise. We used it each time one person spent something for the group and it was a great way to track spending. At the end of the week, it was easy to settle up.

We love Airbnb! Use THIS LINK to take $40 off your first stay.

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