It is possible to spend a lot of money on food on any vacation, and Hawaii is no exception, but it’s reallynot necessary. Even families can cut corners like locals.
The problem is there are so many wonderful places to eat in Hawaii that it is really tempting to try oneafter another. If you have the money and the inclination, Hawaii is afoodie paradise. But let’s pretend you’d like to limit how much youspend on food and you have children. Here are several solutions.
(1) You probably don’t take your family out to dinner in a restaurant every evening at home. Onvacation, you can limit the damage to your budget by deciding whichrestaurant or cuisine you really want to try and building it into theitinerary. If you know you have a great dinner scheduled, it’s easierto have a light breakfast and lunch.
(2) Many hotels offer a free breakfast or at least coffee and pastries or fruit. If yours does not, purchasebreakfast food and keep it in your hotel room. If you go to the coffeeshop, it’s just too easy to add a few items for the kids at a premiumprice. When my daughter and granddaughter visited recently, I boughtthe small, individual boxes of cereal for their morning munchies.
(3) Portions in Hawaii are fairly large. At lunch, split an entree with your little ones. Most placesdon’t mind sharing, or if they have a plate charge it’s less thananother meal. Another possibility is to see if you can order off thechildren’s menu. Big City Diner lets adults order from the child’smenu for an extra dollar. The children’s meal sizes are about rightfor me.
(4) Make a trip to a grocery store one of your first stops. Although there are convenience stores near, orinside, every hotel, you pay for the convenience. (You wouldn’t spenda week’s food budget at 7-11 back home.) We took the shopping trolleyto Ala Moana and stocked up at the Foodland grocery store there,getting food bars, crackers, sandwich supplies, etc. Many groceryitems are more expensive in Hawaii than on the mainland so we lookedfor local products and sales.
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