Shop around for the best price on airfare, since this will be one of your largest expenses. There are some great deals on airfare to Honolulu, compared to just a few years ago. You can use skyscanner’s monthly airfare search to find the lowest fares around the dates you want to visit. Stay flexible on the dates to get the best prices. Alternatively, use airline miles for free tickets. Getting to Hawaii on the cheap is the first step. Once you are in Honolulu you can book short flights to any of the other islands if you want to explore. Saving on airfare can allow you to spend more on the fun part of your trip!
Look for deals on activities so you don’t end up paying full price! I like using Groupon to see available activities and also book in at discounted rates. We took an afternoon sail on a catamaran for less than $20 per person (over half off) and a helicopter sightseeing trip for under $99 per person.
Another useful app if planning on eating out a lot is Entertainment Coupon App, which has discounts on places to eat and some activities. If you are planning on going to a Luau this will easily pay for itself, is available at good discounts. The cost of the app is only $1.99 for your first month, so you can simply cancel after you leave Hawaii (which is what we did).
Tips: There are apps for parking that can be useful if you are driving or staying around Honolulu.
There limited free parking near the Ala Wai and Kewalo basin marinas (no overnight parking) with $1 per hour parking closer to the marinas which also allow for overnight parking. We didn’t realize how ‘competitive’ parking in Honolulu is and often had to wait for parking spots!