Cheap Travel
11 Cheap But Fun Things To Do In Hawaii
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Hawaii is a popular tourist destination and is one of the more expensive places to visit and live. I have been living here in Honolulu for a while now and decided to put together a list of some cheap but fun things to do in Hawaii.
Even though Honolulu, Hawaii usually ranks in the top 3 most expensive places to live in the U.S there are still a lot of great activities that won’t break your bank account. I recommend these things for visitors and locals.
10 Cheap Things to Do in Hawaii
1. Enjoy the Sunset - Go for a jog or swim before dinner and enjoy the sunset. Apparently there is a "green flash" which is what I always like to look for when viewing a sunset. It happens when the sun suddenly changes color.
Cost: Free
2. Watch Surfers Ride Mountains - If your fortunate to visit during the winter time I recommend going to the North Shore of Oahu to watch some monster surf if there are winter swells. Watching waves is therapeutic and stress relieving for me. It makes me feel like I am in one of those Corona commercials.
Cost: Free
View of Waikiki atop Diamond Head - Photo Credit
3. Take a Hike - Hiking is great because you also get a workout. There are so many scenic hikes in Hawaii. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the views and a good pair of shoes. Going on hikes is another stress reliever of mines, I get leave the office exercise and enjoy simulating conversation with a hiking partner.
Cost: Free
4. Vacation Rentals - If you travel with a family you might want to consider the benefits of getting a vacation rental. They provide you with extra space and allow you to save quite a bit of money on eating out since you will have access to a kitchen.
Cost: Varies - Compare to Hotel Rooms
5. Life is a Beach - I’m not a surfer but I enjoy a quick swim or a lazy day at the beach. I feel it revitalizes the soul.
Cost: Free
6. Public Transportation - Honolulu’s public transportation system has been ranked as America’s best several times. It is the 20th most utilized transit system in the US. It cost $2 to hope on the bus and I think a $1 for seniors. With gas prices around $3.50 a gallon and downtown parking $200+/month you might consider taking the bus.
I think one of the big differences I have noticed about Honolulu’s transit system from other big city systems is that to me it feels much safer. Honolulu is also going to be building a $3.7 billion rail system.
Cost: $2 - $1
Honu - Hawaiian Sea Turtle, Photo Credit
7. Snorkeling - You can get a decent snorkel and mask for under $20. I like to to dive with fins to move faster in the water. I’m not a very good swimmer but I sill enjoy snorkeling and it is good exercise. If you have an underwater camera you can take some great photos.
Cost: <$20
Matsumoto’s Shave Ice - Photo Credit
8. Enjoy Hawaiian Shaved Ice - The mecca of Shave Ice would have to be Matsumoto’s Shave Ice in Haleiwa. There are lots of other shave ice places just ask a local where their favorite place is.
Cost: < $3
9. Enjoy a Book at the Beach - I’m sure a lot of people have this peaceful and relaxing vision of enjoying a great book while lying down under an umbrella at the beach. Sounds relaxing? Because it is,
Cost: Free
10. Picnic - Take advantage of the beautiful weather and go for a picnic. It doesn’t have to be fancy, again you don’t want to stress out just getting there. Enjoy the process of picking up food or making food and hanging out at the park or beach.
Cost: < $20
11. Enjoy Some Unique Hawaii Food - Hawaii has some unique food items even at fast food restaurants like McDonalds, see my article on Hawaii fast food. See hawaii restaurant reviews here. Also see Hawaii Entertainment Books for buy one get one free deals.
Cost < $10
As you can see there are many priceless things you can do in Hawaii that don’t cost much. Check them out and I’ll see you at the beach.
Rare Travelocity Hotel Coupon Code
Travelocity.com is offering a $50 off hotel deal. Use coupon code: SAVE50. The deal is you have to stay at the hotel for at least 3 nights and use your mastercard to book your room. This coupon will help me save money when I take my vacation to Hawaii, this summer. I need to go to Waikiki beach to work on my tan and enjoy the nightlife because I don’t get out enough. Check out our Travelocity page for more travel deals.
Expiration Date: 03/31/2008
$10 Skybus Flight Tickets
Skybus right now is offering 10 seats for $10 on every flight. That means if you want a cheap flight on your entire round trip you should book it now as they are going fast. The flights are available from June 1, 2008 to July 31, 2008.
Skybus airplanes are full-size Airbus A319s. Some of their popular cities that they serve include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Toronto. Skybus offer cheaper flights but works on an ala carte system by charging on items such a food, drinks or to get on the plane early.
What other cities do Skybus fly to?
Check out their website for locations.
Expiration Date: Unknown
Vacation Rentals By Owner - VRBP.org
At VRBO.org, loved ones can go on vacation together, yet still have enough room to live comfortably. The customary room at a hotel doesn’t have nearly as much room as a private vacation home. Besides, a hotel room is more expensive. With VRBO.org, the vacation rental homes provide amazing flexibility. Kitchen facilities are included in the vacation home rentals, which is something you don’t find in the average hotel room. A number of convenience and personal items can enhance the guests’ comfort level at the vacation home rentals via VRBO.org.
The Advantage with VRBO.org
The advantage of spending vacation time at a home rental is that the owner provides plenty of attention to the environment of a vacation rental. The usual hotel environment is not the most sterile and can be somewhat uncomfortable and inconvenient for a number of guests. VRBO.org provides rental agents and homeowners that offer hints and tips in reference to the knowledge of locals.
It’s hard to believe the difference that can make in the vacationer’s enjoyment. VRBO.org only provides listed homes directly from owners—this can help the traveler save money. A private vacation rental home affords the personal attention, amazing value and reasonable pricing an individual rightly deserves.
Finding More Space than In a Hotel
VRBO.org has many vacation home rentals on hand for the whole family. Vacation home rentals are the best for reunions and family vacations. With VRBO.org, more space is offered for individuals to be happy, relaxed and comfortable. The average home rental is much roomier than a room at a hotel in the mid-price range. Moreover, the individual can have more room to spread out than the most sumptuous hotel suites.
VRBO.org provides property size as well for the vacation home rentals. If you were to look at vacation rentals on a weekly basis, you’ll see that a hotel room is much more expensive. Whereas private property for rent by owners don’t have the same expenses of overhead linked with clubs, restaurants and huge advertisement budgets.
With VRBO.org, the terms of luxury, amenities, location and size determine how much money is saved with a vacation home rental. Finding the proper rental property that’s suitable for one’s budget is easy with VRBO.org. In contrast to hotel rooms, a vacation rental home has an assortment of customized preferences. Villa on the coast, slope-side, in-town or exotic locales is just several of the number of selections with VRBO.org. In addition, kitchens are certainly among the most beloved facets of vacation home rentals.
10 Ways To Save Money In Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip at Night - Photo Credit
For most people a trip to Vegas is a once in a lifetime proposition. Face it, you are going to Vegas to gamble and have some fun. It doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg and with the following money saving tips you can now hit the card tables with a bigger bankroll.
1. Plan ahead - Plan your trip in advance. Most of the major air carriers offer steep discounts on fares that are bought weeks in advance of departure.
2. Book your room online - You can get a $500 room in Vegas for $50 if you do your homework. Casinos will offer cut rate prices on rooms, because they want you to gamble on their property and not elsewhere. A cheap room is an enticement to do so.
3. Plan your meals - Prime rib, steak and lobster dinners can be enjoyed for $10. Check your in room coupons. When you are out on The Strip keep your eyes open for the neon marquees. Most resorts have buffet specials. A healthy meal can be found. You might want to purchase a Las Vegas Entertainment Book before you leave for your vacation.
4. Take the time share tour - No, you don’t want to buy a time share but 1 ½ hours early in the morning won’t interrupt your vacation. This is the ideal place for free show tickets and free meals. If you do buy the time share you are at least guaranteed a free ride in a limo.
5. Sign up for the players card - If you are a slots player sign up with your favourite casino. Plug your player card in the casino slots for that extra $20 you’ll have to play with. Sign up usually includes a free meal and discounts for Vegas attractions or shows.
6. Free Wifi in Las Vegas - Need to go online? Save the $20 that most casinos charge for unreliable Internet use and use the free WiFi that is available at McCarran Airport while you wait for your flight connections or the limo to your casino. The Monorail is also WiFi friendly and is a great place to check your email as you ride in comfort from one end of The Strip to the other.
7. Pack less - You don’t need as much as you think in Vegas. Pack an extra bag instead and load up on souvenirs and clothing from the various outlet malls in town. Free shuttle service is provided.
8. Know your destination - Vegas cab drivers have been known to take circuitous detours. You can save ½ your cab fare if you know where you are going and recommend your preferred route to your driver.
9. Be seen - If you like to enjoy your drinks for free make sure that the hostesses can see you and don’t hop from card table to card table or from one slot machine to another. Tips will ensure that your hostess comes back with regularity, unless you prefer spending $14 for a Vodka and Red Bull.
10. Wear comfortable shoes - While this won’t save you money, The Strip is longer than you think and comfortable footwear will make you less tense when you find your poker table. Happy feet can lead to peace of mind and is one less thing for you to think about at the card tables.
These tips can save you up to $3000 for a week in Vegas. You will have already saved up to $1500 by the time you leave home. That’s money you can take to the bank!
This article was written by a Mr. Cheap Stuff contributor, have a tip or article you would like to submit, please contact me.
10 Ways To Save Money On Your Next Vacation
Plumeria in Hawaii - Photo Credit
So, the day has come at last! You have saved here and there and now it is vacation time! Now how to not go over budget while on vacation? Yes, I did say budget. Everyone needs a little holiday budget. For this, you will need to plan ahead.
1. First look for a hotel or apartment with a kitchen area so that you can prepare some meals yourself, this will help save on restaurant bills. Alternate days when you do things that cost money with days you do things that are free. Visit museums and parks on the days they are free.
2. Bring bottles for water from home so that you are not tempted to buy drinks while out on your visits. (This saves on dentist bills as well.) Also take a bit of fruit with you on your outing so that you are not tempted to buy more expensive (and less healthy) snacks.
3. Keep track of your expenses in a little book. When you are aware of what you are spending, you are less apt to go over budget. Also, you can reward yourself by saving a little each day and splurging the last day. Hold off larger purchases for this day.
4. Eating lunch out rather than dinner can save you money as lunches are frequently better deals and prices often go up for dinners, especially in big cities.
5. When we were traveling in England, we ate breakfast out. If you eat an English breakfast, you won’t need to eat lunch and we ate sandwiches that we bought at the grocery store and fruit for dinner in our B&B.
6. Stay away from tourists traps and try to do things the natives do. These usually will be rather inexpensive. Again when we were in the UK we took our sons bowling. These kinds of outings are fun and inexpensive.
6. Buy gas in the city, and if possible from a self-service or grocery store chain and not on the highway as the prices are not the same.
7. Try to pack things you know you will need and bring them from home as opposed to buying them on vacation. These include: soap, shampoo, hats, sunglasses, aspirin, pens, paper, playing cards, etc.
8. Whatever else makes it fun…"Hey kids, think we can save enough to do this the last day?" As long as you make it into a game, kids will play along.
9. Buy an Entertainment Book before you travel to the city your are visiting. These books have coupons on popular restaurants, attractions and hotels.
10. Try to on off-peak days like the middle of the week if possible. You will usually find better deals on hotels, airfare and rental cars on these days. Also if possible try to plan out your vacations during off-peak seasons.
Article written by Mr. Cheap Stuff contributor.
Las Vegas Entertainment Book
The Las Vegas Entertainment Book is a product that is worth buying as it is filled with savings worth at least 18,000 dollars! To those of you who are skeptical about the Entertainment book’s marketing claims, well, here is a piece of advice – the minute you go finish going through the full description of the 2008 Las Vegas Entertainment Book and its salient features, you will be convinced about the book’s intrinsic value. The various discounts, offers and other coupons included in the Las Vegas Entertainment Book, across diverse consumer categories like dining, shopping and travel, certainly tempts you to make the right choice!
A truly mind-boggling, 250 plus dining discounts are covered by the latest version of the Las Vegas Entertainment book. Restaurant discounts such as 2 for 1offers, 50% off on fast food items, and even free pizza at select corners, etc… are just some examples. Making use of the Las Vegas Entertainment book, you can eat the food of your choice, enjoy the whole range of dishes and at the same time, save money on each occasion.
The range of discounts included in the Las Vegas Entertainment Book also includes discounts on useful shopping categories. Thus, offer coupons for health and beauty products, groceries, furnishings, gardening stuff, sports wear are available in the Entertainment Book. A good deal of money can be saved if these discounts are availed at the time of each purchase.
The Las Vegas Entertainment book has value-added features especially for vacationers. If you make use of the Entertainment book is a clever way, you can practically make your vacation pay for itself! The discounts available fall in the categories of reduced air-travel rates, reductions for car-rental services and discounts for cruises. With so much vacationer-promoting features in one book, the Las Vegas Entertainment book is a must buy for prospective vacationers.
Discount coupons for movie tickets are another attraction of the Las Vegas Entertainment book. However, the opportunity to save while having fun is not limited to movie tickets. With the 2008 Las Vegas Entertainment book, a variety of offers on museum tickets, art gallery passes, theme park discounts, and discounted entry-passes to sporting events including golf and attractively priced concert tickets are on the offer. With so many attraction discounts in one package, the Las Vegas Entertainment book certainly entertains!
Las Vegas Strip
One final attraction of the 2008 Las Vegas Entertainment book is the complimentary membership card issued along with the book. Customers can use this card to avail special discounts at a range of restaurants and car rentals. Buying the Las Vegas Entertainment book would certainly be a wise step for the man who wants entertainment without sacrificing on savings!
Japanese Kobe Steak - Not Cheap But Dam Delicious
Last month I went on a 3 week trip to Japan. This was my first trip to Japan and had been a life long dream of mine. One of the best parts of the trip was the food. I think many people think that food in Japan is expensive, but I found out that many popular Japanese food dishes like curry, ramen, pateries, donburi and udon are actually cheaper than here in Honolulu, Hawaii. While there are cheap every day items there are also super premium restaurants that are very expensive. One of the best and most expensive thing that I was fortunate to eat was Kobe Steak. I was blown away how delicious it was, I didn’t know steak could taste that good. Another thing that blew me away was the price.
I took this picture in Kobe, Japan at the Hotel Okura. 1 dollar is equivalent to about 110 yen. So that is about a $200 steak.
So how much is a Kobe Steak dinner you ask?
Well take a look at the picture above and you will see a decent size cut is about $200. Oh course you don’t have to tip in Japan :P One of the reasons Kobe steak is so expensive is that real estate is scarce and therefore very expensive. So they are raising cattle on expensive land. Plus the cows are hand massaged and even feed beer.
So what does Kobe steak taste like?
Before I tasted Kobe steak I had heard from many people how good it was but when I actually tasted it surpassed my very high expectations. By far this is the best steak I have ever had. The beef is so soft and so marbled it almost looks white. I almost ate my steak raw because in my opinion if you cook Kobe Steak well done you should be shot.
So was it worth it? I would have to say yes because I never tried it before. You have to atleast try something once. Plus, I was in Japan so I had to try the "real thing". I plan on going back to Japan soon and my mouth is watering just thinking about the food.
So what is the most expensive meal you ever ate? Was it worth it?
Check out these "inexpensive" $20 grapes.
About $20 for grapes. Osaka, Japan. I heard they taste like candy and wine.
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Hi, my name is Dean. This site is dedicated to helping you save time, money and stress with quality tips, coupons, deals and freebies worth your precious time. 