My wife and I live far below our means.
We can if we want to have a full priced, lush vacation with all the perks that would certainly be taxing on the wallet.
The truth is, we both get a thrill on saving money and finding deals.
My wife for one is originally from the Philippines.
Filipinos are very resourceful people.
Believe it or not, when the tread on their tires run out, they don't go out for new tires.
They have them vulcanized.
Meaning, they re-tread them.
When it comes to washing clothes, they let nature take care of drying them.
Dryers are unheard of there.
I on the other hand grew up here in the U.
S.
being frugal and also had to be very resourceful as a youngster.
So the combination of our backgrounds gives us ample qualification to write this article on saving money.
Saving Money in Waikiki On Food Like many other tourist centers, the areas closest to the hotels are often the highest price area.
I even notice that a Starbucks latte is 1 dollar extra than it is in my home town.
This type of pricing is similar to what you find at the airport.
If you travel just a little bit off of the beaten path, you can find some savings and pay only what the locals pay.
There are a few bus lines that go through Waikiki and take you out of "tourist central" with a single ride.
The Bus, as it is notably called, is Honolulu's public transit and it is quite effective.
The 13 bus travels straight down Kuhio Avenue, a busy thoroughfare that goes through the entire length of Waikiki.
The 13 bus is accessible within 3 city blocks anywhere in Waikiki.
You can take the 13 bus EAST to the end of Kuhio where it will make a left on Kapahulu Avenue.
There are several restaurants on Kapahulu just a short distance from where the bus makes the turn, just past the golf course.
You can also walk this route but it will take around 20 minutes, versus a 5 minute bus ride.
One of the restaurants that can be found along this bus route are the famous Rainbow Drive Inn 3308 Kanaina Ave, Honolulu, HI?.
This restaurant is viewable on the right side of Kapahulu Avenue just past the golf course.
This restaurant serves cheap Hawaiian eats and has outdoor seating.
Just a little further down on the right side is Zippy's 601 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI? - (808) 733-3725?, a well known Hawaiian franchise serving seafood, burgers, fried chicken and a number of other items.
There are many other restaurants in this area that are walkable like sushi, Chinese food and McDonalds.
Just a little further down on the left after you pass Zippy's is Ono Hawaiian Foods 726 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 737-2275.
This place is excellent.
Do not let the lines outside deter you.
They are there for a reason.
This place serves authentic, Hawaiian food that you will be hard pressed to find in Waikiki.
The turnaround on tables is usually pretty fast and this place is a "must have" if visiting Hawaii.
On Saturday nights only, the best deal that we found in Waikiki was at the second floor of the Marriott Hotel, at Sansei Japanese restaurant.
2552 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI?.
After 9pm, this place turns in to a Karaoke bar with tables that serve all food and drinks.
The bonus is that everything on the menu is 50% off.
The sushi and Japanese food is very high quality here and on Saturday nights is definitely a value.
This place gets filled with locals and is very entertaining to watch.
Some sing better than others but if you don't mind the music and audience, this place is by far the best value we found in all of Waikiki.
Grocery Stores The closest grocery store to any points in Waikiki is Food Pantry, on Kuhio Avenue between Walina & Kanekapolei Streets.
There you can find everything your local grocery store has and more.
One item my wife and I totally enjoyed while in Hawaii was the fresh ahi poke that is available at almost every grocery store.
We would bring this up to our hotel room and leave it in the fridge for whenever we felt like having a snack.
There are many ways to avoid the tourist traps and wallet breakers in Waikiki.
With a little spirit of adventurism you can find many cheap eats just a stones throw away from the strip.