It won’t be easy, but there are ways to enjoy Maui on a Budget. And through the years I have discovered several things you can do to save money. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will give you a positive visit to this beautiful island paradise without breaking the bank. So here are our suggestions for Maui on a Budget.

When to Come

Choose to visit the island during the off-season and absolutely don’t come over the Christmas holidays. July-October is a great time to visit and the island is quieter and you will have a wide choice of accommodations.

Where to Stay

There are many, many condos available for rent and you will find it less expensive to stay in a condo than in a resort. By renting a condo rather than a hotel you can cook most of your meals and not blow your budget on eating out. Condos usually offer great pools and barbeque area for guest use.

Groceries

If you have a Costco membership use it. Although the Maui Costco can be very busy, you can really save money by shopping there. We did price comparison on cases of beer and it was astonishing. Gas at the Maui Costco is also much less.

We also found prices at Foodland and Times grocery stores were less than Safeway.

Rental Car

It’s pretty hard to visit Maui without a rental car. Unless you are only staying for a couple of days I highly recommend you get a car. But there are several rental agencies on the island renting older model cars for much less. We have used Kihei Rent a Car several times. The cars we have rented are Nissans, about ten years old, run great and get us where we need to be. About $39 a day this last visit as compared to $99 at the more well-known brand name rental agencies.

Dining Out

Dining out in Maui is pretty expensive. There are some family friendly restaurants so be sure to read our post Maui Restaurants 2022. It also is less expensive to visit some of the restaurants where the locals go…I recommend Sam Satos and Saigon Cafe. Another really great way to save money dining out while getting to enjoy some of Maui’s best restaurants is to go to Happy Hour. Many restaurants have a daily Happy Hour and you can get a reduced menu but the same great food for much less money. Our favorite Happy Hours are Gannon’s in Wailea, Three’s Bar and Grill in Kihei, Fleetwoods in Lahaina, The Five Palms Restaurant in Kula and Dukes in Kaanapali. There are many more too, get a much more comprehensive list here Maui Happy Hours.

Consider eating at some of the local food truck villages that have popped up around the island over the past few years. Maui has tons of food truck options now including in Kihei, Kaanapali, Wailuku, Kahalui and more. Read this for more.

Equipment

Before you spend $50 at Costco to buy a beach chair, double check with your condo to see if they have chairs available. Many condos have chairs, snorkel gear and even boogie boards available for their guests.

If you need to rent or purchase, check out the local family that sells used equipment in their front yard, located in the 1000 block of Front Street in Lahaina. I have not purchased here but they offer chairs, boogie boards, pool noodles and floats and sometimes snorkel gear at a reduced (gently used) price. Why buy new and then discard? Recycle and reuse is the way to go!

Snorkeling

The beaches are free of course (did you know every beach in the state of Hawaii is a public beach) and many beaches are great for snorkeling. You don’t need to pay for an expensive tour to Molokini to see beautiful fish and coral. Check out this list here.

Whale Watching

Now you won’t get up close and personal, but from late November – March you can whale watch right form the beach. There are 10,000 humpback whales that visit the waters between Maui, Lanai and Molokai every winter. With so many whales it’s not difficult to see them from the beach or from the look out point located on the Honoapi’ilani  highway between Kihei and Lahaina.

Hiking

Hiking is free and there are some wonderful hikes on Maui. Check out our post Six Great Hikes on the Island of Maui. A Maui hike also affords you the opportunity to bird watch, whale watch and enjoy the local flora of this island. By the way, if you are a Senior and have an America the Beautiful National Park Pass be sure not to leave it at home. The pass will save you the $30 entry fee into Haleakala National Park.

Hula Shows

Luau’s are expensive, and when you are trying to do Maui on a Budget they are out of the question. But if you want to see a free hula show during your visit, there are several places that offer shows at different times depending on the time of year. Lahaina Cannery Mall, Maui Mall, Whaler’s Village, Four Seasons Resort Wailea and Kaanapali Beach Hotel all have shows sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines. See the schedule here.

Other Cool Stuff

Visit Ho’okipa to watch the surfers….its absolutely remarkable and its free. While you are there you will probably also see turtles. This is the beach you can almost always be guaranteed to see turtles hauled up and sunning themselves on the beach. We have also seen the Hawaiian Monk Seal sleeping on the beach here. A rare treat. Remember…the seal and the turtles are protected…stay back and enjoy from a distance.

A lot of people try to go to Haleakala for sunrise. I admit it’s a cool thing to do. But sunset is easier and free. There are dozens of places to watch the sunset from Makenna to Kapalua, for free.

Maui on a Budget

Yes you can do Maui on a Budget with a little frugal planning. It’s worth it to enjoy this island paradise, even if you are watching your pennies. Maui No Ka Oi!

Did you see our post Maui Best Restaurants 2022 ?

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