Money saving tips and tricks - food and drinks

[Agent 86]

Hi all,

We are taking a once in a lifetime trip to Aulani in late September this year. It will be a "staycation" to get maximum value for money at the resort, so we won't be hiring a car.

Our local currency (AUD) is very weak against the US dollar and likely to get even weaker. As such, food and beverage prices at the resort are crazy expensive.

I would love any and all money saving tips when it comes to food and beverages. We're not a foodie family, so eating simply / plainly isn't a major issue for us. We're also not sure if it's true of Hawaii, but on our prior visits to the US, we found many single serves were big enough for two adults (i.e. the serving sizes are bigger than what we're used to locally). We're happy to get bigger meals to share.

I've been doing some research and I generally understand:

• one of the resort restaurants (maybe Ulu cafe (?)) sells pizzas that are probably big enough for two adults and a child to share;
• the resort restaurant Olelo room does a daily "happy hour" with limited, cheaper food options;
• the resort restaurant Ulu cafe has "daily dinner specials";
• you can purchase a refillable drink cup / mug for free soft drink and coffee refills at the resort;
• you can potentially get a delivery of non-perishable groceries from Target (?), but you need to tip the delivery person an extra 20% on top of the value of the order;
• there is a grocery store (ABC / Island Country Market) across the street which sells grocery items and some ready made meals. This store may also have "daily specials that are discounted a few hours before closing";
• a restaurant across the street, MonkeyPod, has a daily happy hour (3:30 to 5pm) with some half price food items and $14 pizzas;
• nearby Starbucks may also have a "happy hour" (?);
• nearby 808 Craft House also has a daily happy hour (2 to 5pm) with a $15 cheeseburger and $10 pizza; and
• nearby Mekiko Cantina also has a happy hour (3 to 5pm) with $7 nachos, tacos, etc.

Any other money saving tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

We grocery shop for alcohol and nonalcohol drinks, breakfast, and lunch items while eating takeout for dinner. Foodland and Safeway have grocery delivery. We usually stay in studios, so we don't have a kitchen to cook dinner, but if you have a kitchen, cooking dinner will save money.

 

[Agent 86]

Foodland and Safeway have grocery delivery.

Thanks. I come from a non-tipping culture - do you tip the delivery person for grocery deliveries? And if so, is 20% the expected minimum?

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

I give 5%- 10% because there is already a delivery charge with grocery delivery, which I think goes 100% to the delivery driver.

 

[Ivanab]

We stopped at the Costco before going to the resort in Honolulu.

 

[WinterSolider]

We are taking a once in a lifetime trip to Aulani in late September this year. It will be a "staycation" to get maximum value for money at the resort, so we won't be hiring a car.

I'm going to be very honest, I think this is a terrible idea.

Trying to do Hawaii "on the cheap" doesn't work. When you fly that far and commit that much money, you need to actually experience the island, the culture, and the people. If you just want to go sit on a nice beach at a nice resort for a week, there are much cheaper ways to do that closer to home.

You're likely to be extremely disappointed with Aulani because it isn't a one-stop destination for an entire vacation like Walt Disney World is. It's an excellent home base to enjoy an Oahu vacation, but you're going to get bored and feel like you're wasting money if you never leave.

Aulani might be my favorite place in the world but I would go so far as to say you'd be better off staying at a different resort elsewhere on the island if it saved you enough money to be able to rent a car and experience more things.

 

[Agent 86]

I'm going to be very honest, I think this is a terrible idea.

Thanks. I understand your reasoning. And we may regret it in the future, but with a 4 year old who is ONLY interested in playing at the beach, playing in the pools, doing arts and craft in the kids club and meeting the characters and who would be extremely bored by hikes, historic sightseeing, etc which we would ordinarily do if we were travelling pre-parenthood, it is what it is.

We did look at staying elsewhere, but given our daughter's interests, it didn't make sense for us.

 

[J-Dog]

I'm going to be very honest, I think this is a terrible idea.

Trying to do Hawaii "on the cheap" doesn't work. When you fly that far and commit that much money, you need to actually experience the island, the culture, and the people. If you just want to go sit on a nice beach at a nice resort for a week, there are much cheaper ways to do that closer to home.

You're likely to be extremely disappointed with Aulani because it isn't a one-stop destination for an entire vacation like Walt Disney World is. It's an excellent home base to enjoy an Oahu vacation, but you're going to get bored and feel like you're wasting money if you never leave.

Aulani might be my favorite place in the world but I would go so far as to say you'd be better off staying at a different resort elsewhere on the island if it saved you enough money to be able to rent a car and experience more things.

Totally agree. We love Aulani, but can't do more than about 3 days of sitting around the resort. We need to get out and do other stuff.

 

[jimmymc]

Foodland delivers to the resort. In addition to normal groceries, they have a large deli and hot food selection for reasonable prices (by Hawaii standards).

 

[achinforsomebacon]

How are you getting to the resort from the airport? You might be able to do an order pickup on the way instead of delivery. I don't know if adding a stop would be cheaper than delivery.

There are also gas grills, including utensils, that are free to use. You could get stuff like hotdogs/hamburgers for an easy meal. Condiments are available at Ulu.

For pizza, I'm pretty sure they offer a larger size for a few bucks more. It's not on the menu but it was available when we asked in August.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

we are the opposite and have young kids, we went in september for a week and did not leave and loved it! we had a 1 bedroom villa so we were either doing a kid nap in the room or pool all day and sometimes walks and we were good not leaving the ko olina area. our son just wanted to do the splash pad lazy river or pool all day. we did instacart groceries and usually tip 5-10%. the ulu cafe pizzas were good and we would save some for the next day lunch sometimes too because of the size.

 

[Agent 86]

How are you getting to the resort from the airport? You might be able to do an order pickup on the way instead of delivery. I don't know if adding a stop would be cheaper than delivery.

There are also gas grills, including utensils, that are free to use. You could get stuff like hotdogs/hamburgers for an easy meal. Condiments are available at Ulu.

For pizza, I'm pretty sure they offer a larger size for a few bucks more. It's not on the menu but it was available when we asked in August.

Thanks for all that.

At this stage, we'll probably get the official shuttle (if I understand correctly that there is one from the airport to Aulani). Taking a 4 year old on a shopping expedition in a new store full of unfamiliar stuff after a long (likely sleepless) slight is probably not a good idea.

I didn't know they had BBQs which you can use - thanks for that. We're all happy with a sausage sizzle, so that's a great option.

Is that at Ulu Cafe? I'll have to try to remember to ask about up-sizing the pizza.

Thanks again!

 

[Agent 86]

we did instacart groceries and usually tip 5-10%. the ulu cafe pizzas were good and we would save some for the next day lunch sometimes too because of the size

Thanks. Wow - these pizzas must be huge! I can't seem to find good photos online.

 

[aam808]

We are locals and do staycations with the ohana; in studios most times. We usually have 10+ with us so we have to be creative to keep the cost down yet enjoy some of the resort offerings.

Using DoorDash & UberEats has saved us a lot of $$$. Tip is minimal. We order extra food as we don't mind eating left overs. And we always bring instant noodles and spam, if you're into that. It's local comfort food.

The island country market across the street has decent food: we usually place a phone order & pick up.

If you eat boiled eggs, bring a dasher egg.cooker (amazon) and buy the eggs from the market across the street. (PSA... we have an Egg shortage right now)

 

[achinforsomebacon]

Thanks for all that.

At this stage, we'll probably get the official shuttle (if I understand correctly that there is one from the airport to Aulani). Taking a 4 year old on a shopping expedition in a new store full of unfamiliar stuff after a long (likely sleepless) slight is probably not a good idea.

I didn't know they had BBQs which you can use - thanks for that. We're all happy with a sausage sizzle, so that's a great option.

Is that at Ulu Cafe? I'll have to try to remember to ask about up-sizing the pizza.

Thanks again!

If you did a stop on the way, I would just order everything online ahead of time and then just pick it up. That's what we do so we're not spending time shopping in an unfamiliar store. If you do the shuttle, then just look into grocery delivery. Might be easier that way anyway since you can get settled into the room first.

And yes, the pizza was at Ulu Cafe. I think they advertise 12" pizzas but they said they had a bigger size. Doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[Agent 86]

Using DoorDash & UberEats has saved us a lot of $$$.

Thanks! Do you meet the delivery driver in the hotel lobby?

 

[aam808]

Thanks! Do you meet the delivery driver in the hotel lobby?

Yes!

 

[meggiebeth]

How long are you visiting for?

We visited from the UK for a “once in a lifetime” trip in 2023 which I am now determined will not be our only trip. It was absolutely incredible, and I would really urge you to rent a car for at least some of your trip to get out and see some of the island. Aulani is lovely and has fantastic facilities, but there are so many incredible experiences to be had elsewhere on the island which give you a true taste of Hawaii as opposed to just a manicured resort experience where you’re not really getting out and seeing the island a little. We used Aulani as our base and would spend a few hours to half a day out and about and the rest of the time enjoying the resort. Oahu isn’t a large island and it is quick and easy to get around. There are also many, many more food options to try further afield. Trying the food trucks in Haleiwa is a must and these are more affordable than many food options in the Ko Olina area. Hawaii has a big food truck culture and it is fun to try out different food trucks around the island. Our absolute favourite restaurant is Haleiwa Joe’s in Haiku Gardens. It’s a bit of a trek from Aulani, but absolutely beautiful and a real hidden gem. We paired it with a quick visit to the Byodo In Temple and botanical gardens.

We didn’t eat that often in Ko Olina, but definitely have a look at happy hour at Monkeypod. The ABC Store is also a bit more affordable but we were really underwhelmed with the pizzas we ordered from there. The Aulani pizzas are large and good value. A short drive from Aulani, we loved Mahi’ai Table - a farm to table restaurant inside a supermarket in nearby Kapolei. Pricing was very reasonable and the food was absolutely delicious.

Unfortunately tipping does add a lot to the bill at table service restaurants, but we do it because it’s custom in the States. We did look at Uber Eats but many main courses on there were extremely expensive - nearing $20 per person for fast food, plus tip which we feel obliged to pay even with delivery. We thought it was better value to eat somewhere local like Mahi’ai Table with proper, authentic food - even having to add on a tip.

 

[Robber Baron]

• nearby 808 Craft House also has a daily happy hour (2 to 5pm) with a $15 cheeseburger and $10 pizza; and

We loved the Craft House. The Happy Hour burger was great and the $8 Mai Tai's and Pina Colada's were a deal.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

We didn’t do it in Hawaii but in Florida we pre-ordered groceries from Target and had our uber stop on the way to the hotel. There’s no up-charge with Target (vs something like instacart), groceries are reasonable (vs a convenience store), and no tipping is expected. It was a huge cost savings for us.

I wouldn’t short change your uber eats or door dash driver. They don’t make much as it is and that’s very bad karma.