Waikiki is a tourist trap for those who visit Oahu, Hawaii. Tourist traps tend to have higher prices but you can work around that. Follow these steps to save some money when visiting Waikiki!
Instructions
1. Buy food at a grocery store.
You will save hundreds of dollars over a week even, by buying food at a grocery store rather than eating out. You can spend $1-3 per meal from a grocery store whereas a cheap fast food meal may even cost you $5 or more on the Waikiki strip.
2. Use discount cards at stores.
Grocery stores, and some other types of stores, have cards to give you a discount on certain items in the store. This is much like the mainland's Kroger Plus card. These cards are free at Foodland and Safeway (and others!) and you could save $0.50-2.00 on many products in the store. The products at these stores are sometimes twice the cost as they would be on the mainland so you will want to take advantage of these discount cards!
3. Buy a temporary bus pass.
You can purchase a 4-day pass for $25 or a month pass for $50. This will save you the money if you otherwise planned on paying for a rental car. A rental car will not only cost you the rental per day but also the gas and the cost at your hotel to park it overnight. If you plan to ride the bus, it will be $2/ride for an adult, which will add up very quickly so you might as well get a temporary pass.
4. Shop at Goodwill for souvenirs and Aloha shirts.
Goodwill is not located in Waikiki but it is a short bus ride away in Honolulu. Every day, Goodwill has as many Aloha shirts in stock as most beach stores in Waikiki. These will be approximately $5 each but some will even be unworn with their original tags for $60. You can find other Hawaiian wear here as well. Goodwill is also a great place to find snorkel gear for a great price!
Tags: grocery store, Aloha shirts, discount cards, food grocery, food grocery store, temporary pass