Maui is known as a millionaire's playground. So just knowing that it is easy to feel doubtful of being able to travel to Maui on budget. But it is possible to do Maui on a budget. It takes a little more prep so here are 10 ways to travel to Maui on a budget.
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Save Money on Maui: Rentals
Cars:
I understand this is not a realistic option for everyone since you most likely won’t need a car for 13 people! But if you are going with another family even renting a van instead of two cars can be a great option (depending on how much you like them haha)
To save on rental cars go to Discount Hawaii Car Rentals for the best prices on rentals.
Hotels:
The second step to visiting Maui on a budget is to save on your hotel. We book all our vacations with travel transparency. Here you can find discounts for even over 60% off of public prices. This membership cost me thousands of dollars but you can access my discounts at ZERO COST TO YOU through my link below!
We shared a 3-bedroom condo for 3 nights and spent $2,255 which was split between two families. It was right on the beach and had multiple pools!
For the next 5 nights, we had separate condos and saved $270 on our room and when we got there we even got a free upgrade!!
Travel transparency is a paid membership but you can try it out for yourself with a free account!!
Save Money on Maui: Experiences
If you are going to do any paid activities, always book online ahead of time. Many websites say that there is a discount when booking online.
Go to the beach:
Go to the beach!!!! Sounds simple doesn’t it? There are so many beaches to explore and enjoy, you can’t get tired of them! And boom it’s free! Embody the aloha lifestyle and don't try to overstuff your trip with activities. Relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
Snorkeling:
Buy your snorkeling gear at the ABC stores (or bring your own) you see all around Maui and take them with you to all the beaches you go to. Our family was able to see turtles, octopus, eels, and many fish just by swimming around at the beach! The cheapest snorkeling tours I have seen are $70 per person but run up to $160 and take an hour to 5 hours!! For us snorkeling on our own was a way better experience. Since our whole group was not able to / interested in snorkeling. I didn’t want to pay $100 to sit on the boat chasing down toddlers while everyone snorkels! Not fun! But playing in the sand while everyone is snorkeling is no problem.
Road to Hana:
Save money on the road to Hana by downloading the guide app which is $10!! A road to Hana guided tour starts at $240. The app tells stories, and gives you recommendations on when to stop! (also if heights and small roads on cliffs give you anxiety you can turn back whenever you want!!)
Save Money on Maui: Food
Costco:
Go to Costco when you first arrive. We love traveling and trying new food so we made sure to only buy snacks, drinks, and breakfast at Costco. We spent about $400 for 13 people for 9 days' worth of snack drinks and breakfast ( plus coffee)!! If we would have eaten out for all of those meals we would have spent a minimum of $1,755 for just breakfast. Costco's selection does change due to the location so you will still be able to purchase more local flavors compared to your local Costco.
EAT AT FOOD TRUCKS!
Please please, please! First of all, my favorite food in Hawaii was all from food trucks! We ate out at 2 different restaurants and both of them I left feeling robbed and wishing we had gone to a food truck instead! One restaurant charged $6 for a KIDS LEMONADE. And 4 deviled eggs were $18. Yes, it had the world's smallest piece of lobster on each one. $18 could have been an amazing plate of food and some change at a food truck and I would have been full.
There are multiple food truck parks all over the island!
Grocery Stores:
Get poke at grocery stores. You can find a lot of great meals for lunch at the local grocery stores and save a lot of money!! We went to Foodland as well as Napili Market.
Here is a little comparison: my husband and I got food at Foodland and my brother-in-law went to Teddy’s Bigger Burgers next door.
We spent $50 and bought :
2 spam musubi
Macaroni salad
Pesto pasta salad
Caprese salad
2 energy drinks
A soda
2 lbs of poke
2 kimchi seafood salads
They spent $80 and bought:
4 burgers
Need I say more?
Save Money on Maui: Prepare Before you head to Maui
Buy a few souvenirs before going:
Hawaiian-style dresses for toddlers at shops in Maui were $30 and up. On Amazon, you can find some for half the price. Seeing that it is something your child is going to grow out of, make the order before you head out to Hawaii.
The same goes for adult shirts. I bought this Maui shirt and wore it the day we arrived. It still reminds me of our trip every time I put it on and I saved a little compared to buying one in Maui.
Lastly, pack well!!
When visiting Maui on a budget what you pack is very important. Making sure you are packing what you will need and not having to purchase as much in Maui will of course save you a lot of money. If you are traveling with children take advantage of the extra luggage and pack those extra items to save you some money!!
Check out my packing list here to make sure you don’t forget anything! When buying items for trips I also use Honey! I love honey so much! It automatically tries out coupon codes and when there are not any codes available it will give you a percentage as a gold balance which you can cash out as gift cards and now CASH with paypal. I save up my Honey Gold and use it when we're getting ready for a big trip! For Hawaii I had $120 available from just doing things like ordering my groceries and shopping online at Target.