How much do you spend on meals?
 

My husband and I were talking about what we thought we might spend per day on meals during our upcoming trip to Oahu and Maui. I thought it would be a fun question to post here. There will only be the two of us, but we would love to hear from singles, families and couples. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE YOU SPEND PER DAY, INCLUDING DRINKS WHILE IN HAWAII???

on Maui staying at the 4 Seasons:<BR>$60 for daily breakfast buffet at the hotel (wasn't part of our package)<BR>~$60 for light lunch (usually shared 1 entree and smoothies/drinks poolside<BR>~$100-130 for dinner (1 entree each and 1 bottle of wine)<BR>

You are going to get the whole range here...the last guy was just bragging or joking $250 for one day, get real (that's $375 ish Canadian, my whole food budget for 10 days!!)... my BF and I like plain old cereal juice & yogurt, so eat in the hotel room for about $3. Light lunch ($6 each)if we eat out, or sandwich back at hotel/condo and dinner (using Entertainment coupon) $20 each (won't drink much - wine and beer in hotel room when we shower and dress and no appetizer or dessert - just not big eaters) So, about $30-$35 plus evening cocktails out will make me very happy, healty, slim and not broke on my Canadian Teacher salary!!!! Even if I was rich, I would never want to consume $250 worth of food in one day - I would rather donate my extra cash to someone that can't afford to eat at all.

Re previous message: yes, I can spell, just type poorly!

$60 for breakfast?? I'm going to hawaii in august, I got a room with a fridge so I can pack sandwiches for my days at the beach or hiking. i have no idea how much to budget for dinner.

Bragging or joking about $250 a day for meals? Get real. A lot of us aren't teachers and a lot of us make well over $100,000 a year. "Expensive" is a relative term. What is inexpensive to me may well be expensive to you. <BR><BR>But one thing's for sure. No way am I going to fly half-way around the world through six time zones on what some consider a once-in-a-lifetime vacation so I can eat cold cereal that I bought at the Wal-mart back home on special.<BR><BR>It's Hawaii. It's a chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Things are more expensive there because it all has to be shipped in. And its a vacation. You take a vacation so you don't have to work for that time period and let other people do the work for you. Those people cost money. <BR><BR>You get what you pay for. And I promise you, $250 is not a bad daily meal basis for Hawaii. Heck, that's usually the price of one bottle of wine at my favorite restaurant. <BR><BR>See- it's all relative. But don't fault people for what they spend on a meal or for having money to spend. It's their money. Giving money to the poor does not solve their problems. Welfare is a prime example. Look what happened in Florida and Georgia when they finally put time limits on welfare- people who had been on it for years finally got jobs and some self-respect.

Please let's NOT turn this into a welfare debate. <BR> <BR>We just wanna know how much is a realistic budget for food every day on Hawaii.<BR> <BR>And some of us like to eat cold cereal for breakfast, no matter where we are in the world. I'm one of them.

Often on vacation we have light breakfast in the room some days, room service 1 or 2 times & go out to a nice buffet or something a couple times. Same for lunch, some days have a sandwich on the go, some days sit down somewhere nice on the ocean. And dinner too, sometimes a pizza, other nights steak or the luau. So I would think the average we spend (we don't drink) would be about $12 for breakfast, $12 for lunch & $25 for dinner, so $50 (rounding) per person per day. Drinks would probably add $25/day per person, at least! Maybe pad it even a little more for ice-cream, etc. Oh, and some meals are covered when you book a snorkel trip, you usually get breakfast & lunch.<BR>Have a wonderful vacation!

Laura,..it really depends on your budget is as well as how often and what you eat. <BR><BR>Like "lovedHI", my husband and I stayed at the 4S a month ago. We ate the buffet breakfast most days which cost $25.00pp. Since we ate late morning we'd usually skip lunch. For dinners we typically ate at nice places such as Roys, Mama's and the Hailimaile General Store. My husband doesn't drink so 2 dinners, a glass of wine for me and maybe dessert would cost about 80.00-$140 a night depending on where we went.

Richie Rich sounds like a pretentious clod. Big deal, he makes over 100K. That's not nearly enough to be spending $250 on your favorite bottle of wine every night. My husband and I average about $ 100- $ 200 a day on vacation. We eat a very light breakfast and even though we might be staying at a Ritz Carlton, we'll venture out to a local coffee shop for breakfast or pick up a muffin and coffee. Lunch might be a great salad or sandwich at a cafe or at the hotel pool. Dinner can be anywhere from $ 50-$150 depending on whether we go casual or nice. My husband is a wine collector, has a wine cellar and isn't stupid enough to pay 3-4 times the price of a bottle at a restaurant, so can pick an inexpensive but decent wine. Oh, he makes about 300K a year. Have fun and don't spend foolishly. There's really no need unless you have an inferiority complex.

Wow Darlene, you can really eat that cheap in Hawaii? Where do you stay? We are staying at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental on Oahu and the Kea Lani on Maui. There is no way in hell we could spend so little. We agree with loved HI that if you stay at places such as these you can expect to spend that kind of money. Why must you be judgemental of people who choose to spend their money this way? If it makes for wonderful memories, then more power to the people who choose to fine dine. We also agree with $500aday. I will never forget the taste of the chicken marsala I had a Dondero's at the Hyatt in Kaui. The memory I have of that experience will last me a lifetime. We love to fine dine and then again sometimes we eat schleppy dinners. We love to cook with all fresh ingredients and never eat from fast food places so this is why we seek out only the best when we eat. If this sounds pretentious, then so be it.

Laura, Just in case you might be interested (and even if you're not, as you seem to indicate), I'm sure there are others who are, here is our rule of thumb for vacations. <BR><BR>Since my husband is a wine collector, on our first day of vacation we visit a good local wine store, pick up a few bottles, and also pick up some rum and mixers to bring to the room. All good hotels provide wine glasses and corkscrews. This way while we are showering and getting ready for dinner, we relax with a drink or a glass of wine in our room, or sit out on the balcony. Much nicer then sitting at the bar.<BR><BR>We too enjoy fine dining and are avid visitors of chowhound. This way we know how to get an excellent meal without overspending. We've also taken cooking vacations to Tuscany. Remember people, just because you spend more does NOT guarantee you will be getting a better meal. Some people are just not educated. For instance, one of the best meals you will eat in NYC is at Lupa, owned by Mario Battali. It would be difficult for you to spend over $100 for dinner. Meanwhile the hayseeds will go to 21 and spend three times that amount for an inferior meal.

Laura, Just in case you might be interested (and even if you're not, as you seem to indicate), I'm sure there are others who are, here is our rule of thumb for vacations. <BR><BR>Since my husband is a wine collector, on our first day of vacation we visit a good local wine store, pick up a few bottles, and also pick up some rum and mixers to bring to the room. All good hotels provide wine glasses and corkscrews. This way while we are showering and getting ready for dinner, we relax with a drink or a glass of wine in our room, or sit out on the balcony. Much nicer then sitting at the bar.<BR><BR>We too enjoy fine dining and are avid visitors of chowhound. This way we know how to get an excellent meal without overspending. We've also taken cooking vacations to Tuscany. Remember people, just because you spend more does NOT guarantee you will be getting a better meal. Some people are just not educated. For instance, one of the best meals you will eat in NYC is at Lupa, owned by Mario Battali. It would be difficult for you to spend over $100 for dinner. Meanwhile the hayseeds will go to Tavern on the Green and spend three times that amount for an inferior meal.

OK, so I'm just envious of people that can afford to eat out and spend that much, and our Canadian Dollar really sucks right now.....but having said that, just like Wendy, I prefer cereal over bacon and eggs and omelets etc. - just can't stomach the grease. So I'm a granola brown rice steamed veggie kindof chick. Maybe because I am an excellent cook I don't appreciate the more expensive restaurant meals - it's the company that is importand to me. And yes, we can eat that cheap, we are staying at the Aston Pacific Beach Hotel, which is $85/night (renovations going on, but rooms are finished) then we've rented a 1 BR condo for $60 a night for the rest of our stay and are using airmiles!! And yes, we are planning a couple of really nice meals out, thinking about Nicks Fishmarket and...whatever looks good. So my apologies to those whom I've offended (and obviously chose a better profession than me - yes, I wasted 5 1/2 years at University for teaching wages!)

Darlene, I think you're smart. Most good cooks know that they can always cook better at home and all but a handful of restaurants are really worth the price you pay. Give me a Casual place with excellent cooking any day!

Wendy<BR><BR>Don't dispair. I eat many nights each week at nice restaurants due to my job and mostly it has increased my weight and cholesterol. Cereal sounds really good at this point.<BR><BR>My advice is to budget whatever you are comfortable with and then eat within that budget while you are in Hawai'i. You can spend $ 1000 on dinner or $ 10 on dinner and the beach, hiking, scenary and people will anyway be the same.<BR>

I suggest shaved ice as a snack, box (bento) lunches, and make dinner where you may spend your money. If you are on a tight budget, there is plenty of fast food and the food court at ala moana shopping center. Also, ask young employees at the hotels for suggestions. They usually know local places for meals.<BR><BR>There is also a restaurant row in downtown honolulu.

I suggest shaved ice as a snack, box (bento) lunches, and make dinner where you may spend your money. If you are on a tight budget, there is plenty of fast food and the food court at ala moana shopping center. Also, ask young employees at the hotels for suggestions. They usually know local places for meals.<BR><BR>There is also a restaurant row in downtown honolulu.<BR><BR>Happy Hours in Hawaii are great also!

Personally, I drink water only on vacation- I save a fortune! And instead of bringing shampoo, etc., I hang out in the hallway for a maid to leave her cart unattended. Then I raid it for anything and everything I can get my hands on. And pay more than a $50 a night for a hotel room? Who are you people? The Rockefellers? I stay at the Travel Lodge or Admiral Benbow Inn.<BR><BR>For breakfast, I order hot water (there I go again with my water) and make tea using my teabags that I borrowed from my next door neighbor. (I always bring along a ziploc baggie to save the bag for later. I can usually go two or three days on one bag.) Then I bring out my little box of cereal that I brought along (too expensive if I actually bought some at the restaurant) and use the coffee creamers to eat it with. Now, don't think I'm cheap because I do order something from the menu. I order the toast and slather it up with all the free jellies and jams they give you (plus I stick a little extra packets in my purse for dessert later on at dinner)<BR><BR>Now, on the flight over, you can usually hit up the stewardess for a few extra bags of the free peanuts. I use those to tide myself over until lunch, which is at McDonalds. I always do their 2 for $2 special. I eat one sandwich for lunch and save the other one for dinner. And for my drink, lemonade. I sit at the hotel bar and order my water and then I use the lemon garnishes and sugar packets to make it. <BR><BR>For dinner, I eat my other sandwich and eat the jelly packets for dessert. And for dinner, I always have wine. When I'm at the bar getting my lemons, I also stock up on the oranges so I can make a mash with some of the sugar packets that I took and cook it down to create an alcoholic beverage.

To be [email protected]:<BR><BR>Ritchie Rich wrote that he made "well above $100K a year". BTW, what he wrote doesn't sound pretentious in the least. You however, have made it a point to tell everyone in more than one letter that your husband is a wine collector, makes $300K a year, and takes you to Tuscany to teach you how to cook. Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. <BR><BR>If your husband knew squat about wine, he'd know that you can only get your hands on certain Caymus and Turley wines at restaurants only.<BR><BR>That aside, restaurants have to make money, too. They don't buy in bulk like grocery stores, their cost is what you buy it for in the grocery store. I could say the same thing about the meals you eat out. I.e., "what fool would pay three times the amount for chicken or beef when they can cook it at home for less?" <BR><BR>Do you see the fallacy in your logic now?<BR>

I guess I'm in minority since my husband and I only spent $20-30/meal when we were there last month. We used the Frommer's guide to find the cheap eats in Oahu. Food is the least of our concern when we travel. For others, it's a huge part of their vacation but for us, we'd rather spend money on windsurfing or scuba diving or any activities that we enjoy. I think there was a previous thread on cheap eats in Oahu. Just do a text search. Enjoy planning your trip.

To Keeping It Real -<BR><BR>I worked in the food industry for many years. Restaurants do not buy at the same cost of grocery stores. They buy from wholesalers at special rates.<BR><BR>Laura - I went to Hawaii about 15 years ago (when I was very young and very poor) and spent about $1000 for the whole trip including airfare, lodging etc. <BR><BR>We went to the grocery store and got sandwiches and made great picnics. Had a happy hour before going out to save spending on drinks and went out to dinner at moderately priced restaurants the rest of the time. <BR><BR>Now that I am older, I would prefer a little more luxury and better food!<BR><BR>So, like any other city in the US you can cheap food or expensive - your choice!<BR><BR>JB

A condo helps enormously with food costs and frequently is cheaper than a hotel. Maui, last May, .. maybe $50 or $60/day max for the two of us and that could've certainly been a whole lot cheaper. (BUT-- it's s'posed to be a vacation, right ?). We typically ate a good lunch (often with "umbrella" drinks) but usually had light breakfasts (POG & fruit) and suppers in the condo. If you're in a hotel environment then it'll be more expensive - you pays your $$ and takes your choice !<BR>Have a good 'un

I do the same as living large only I pan handle in front of all the five star hotels. I tell the poor suckers I am grubbing from that my wallet has been stolen and my luggage was lost by the airlines, then I go through all the luggage stored at the front of the hotels when the bellboys are not watching, grab some designer clothes and wine and dine myself into oblivion. Now this is how to vacation.

I wasn't at all "bragging" or "kidding" when I said we spent around $250/day eating when we stayed at the 4 Seasons Maui.<BR>It was our honeymoon, and we had a fabulous time eating fabulous food.<BR><BR>By the way, I AM a teacher. First grade.<BR><BR>It depends on what kind of vacation you are having, we decided to have a luxurious one staying in fabulous places and eating fabulous food. I can eat cereal and milk any day at home.

We usually just have coffee for breakfast then eat a light lunch. At dinner we usually have a big meal, bottle of wine and after dinner espresso and liquor. Our dinner bill alone is usually $180. For the entire day, 2 people....probably around $210.

Keeping it real, We have several bottles of Caymus in the cellar now. What exactly are you looking for? We also have a connection in the former sommelier of the Chanticleer in Nantucket who opened a wine shop and can get his hands on anything you can find in a restaurant.<BR><BR>If you can't find obscure wines then you don't know where to look.<BR><BR>His name is Michael Fahey, the shop is called Fahey and Fromagerie, (508) 325-5644, FAX (508) 325-5733 [email protected]. He'll be happy to ship you as many cases as you'd like of just about any wine you'd like.<BR><BR>Of course certain bottles in the over $1000 price range can only truly be found in restaurants. But everyone knows that only a real idiot who is trying to show off whould pay that much for a bottle and think it was worth it. Wines that expensive are to collect only, not to drink. The taste would never warrant the price.

People that say that the price of food in Hawaii is MUCH higher because Hawaii is remote, are just plain STUPID. It does cost to ship food to Hawaii, but do you realize how little. A gallon of milk in Hawaii cost close to six bucks versus two and a half on the mainland. Does it cost $3.50 to ship it? there are other articles which I can describe, but it suffices to say that the cost of shipment is negligible. Do you think they mail a box of cereal from Michgan to Hawaii? Do you think they UPS coffe, soft drinks, meat etc? The cost of shipment adds less that one percent to the price. The problem is greed and profiteering. If consumers would rise up and rebel, prices would come down. Wages in Hawaii are lower than other places, overhead is probably the same. The only explanation is good ole profit.

Ah we Americans, we wonder why they hate us. We think nothing of spending $60 for breakfast, and our first grade teachers like to eat "fabulous food in fabulous places"!<BR><BR>How about a $20 breakfast for a change, and a $40 donation to Feed The Children? <BR><BR>And let me guess....you $250-per-day people drive SUV's to the airport and can't go anywhere without your precious cell phone, right?

Excuse me, but I was just trying to point out it isn't just "rich" and "famous" people who like to have luxurious vacations.<BR>This first grade teacher saves all year so that she and her husband can have a nice, luxurious, expensive vacation. We think it's well worth the price, maybe you don't and that's just fine. I'm not looking for someone to pass judgement, just clarifying that if you are going to stay at an expensive place, well, the food isn't going to be cheap either.<BR>If I wanted to eat cereal and milk in my room, I'd get a condo with a kitchen. That isn't the kind of vacation I wanted or had. If you want luxury, you have to pay for it. It isn't free!<BR>

Laura (original poster) seemed to ask a relevant informational question so she'd know what options she has when<BR>she goes to Hawaii. Why don't those of you have have relevant experience, high end , low end or in the middle post some of your "numbers" and let's leave this post to them, with editorializing left out....

Hey Amy:<BR><BR>How about I spend $20 on breakfast and donate the other $40 to any organization that gives mandatory birth control to those who procreate thinking the rest of us will pick up the tab for them and their rugrats?

So who's gonna pick up the tab for teachers who haven't got brains enough to build themselves a nest egg, and will end up wanting Medicare to take care of their every need in 30 years? Why are so many young people living from paycheck to paycheck these days? Moving back in with their parents, grandparents raising and supporting the grandchildren, it is really getting ridiculous. All because nobody ever taught them how to budget, or taught them how their behavior ultimately effects others. <BR><BR>Fodors was originally created with bargain travel in mind, we really don't need to hear about who's buying $250 bottles of wine.

Amy -Just to set the record straight, I don't remember Fodors ever being about budget travel. I do believe that they set out to cover the gamut -inexpensive, moderate, and more costly travel. But, it always seems to me that their guide books highlight more of the expensive to very expensive hotels and restaurants than many of the other guide books do. You might be thinking about Frommers which publishes a budget travel magazine.<BR><BR>Why do so many people feel the need to be so judgemental and opinionated? Laura simply wanted to know what people spend for food in Hawaii, not have someone tell her, or anyone else, what they SHOULD spend. Than is a highly individual choice.<BR><BR>No one can be someone else's conscience. If you feel that you want to spend less on food and then have more money to donate to a charity, fine. But, if someone else who works very hard to earn their money wants to splurge on a vacation, that's fine too.<BR><BR>And, what makes some of you think that just because someone splurges on a nice vacation once or twice a year, they won't have enough money to retire. Why are soooo many people soooo concerned about what others spend?<BR><BR>I happen to agree with loveHI. She saves all year to enjoy a luxury vacation. How do you know that she won't be able to retire because of it? It is her privelege to decide how she would like to spend her money. How narrow-minded of some people to think that their way is the only right way to do something. <BR><BR>This is the second thread that I have read in the last few days that has turned into a judgement forum instead of a helpful, informational forum. If you do not like what you read here, if the content makes you angry or upset, don't read it! And, for those of you that have such a hard time reading about other people enjoying themselves or about them spending more money than you think they should, find a budget travel forum!

Travel, I'll answer why some people are judgemental. First of all Laura asked what people spend - that includes those who DON'T think it's wise to spend $ 250 on a bottle of wine, even though they can well afford it. <BR><BR>Some of us are constantly amazed by how others splurge. I find it very interesting. What's even more interesting is that it's usually the infrequent travelers and those who can least afford it who seem to think they "deserve" the best. Everyone believes they should live like the celebrities they read about or see on TV, without realizing that these people are in a whole other league financially. If you 100K a year schmucks think you can afford ultra expensive dinners, even on your annual vacations, you are in for a rude awakening. Hey, pau now or pay later people. These are probably the same people who put their vacations on credit cards and don't even have the cash on hand to pay for them, but then that's another thread.

What's with the "teachers". Looks like we are being hammered again. As teachers, we get only the summer to travel unless we spend the 'big bucks' during the holiday season or the spring break. Hawaii is 'high season' in summer. We don't have a chance! Retirement - my husband and I are saving like crazy and teaching our children to do the same. A $150-200 (for 2) meal is absolutely a waste of $$<BR>(in MY opinion, only). With the layoffs through our nation, stock market loses and the 'elderly issues'<BR>I think we all need to look at our spending habits and be prepared for a possible 'no social security possiblity'. Just my two cents.

getsome, Yes, Laura dis ask how much people spen, and that does include the people who don't like to spend $250 dollars a day. But all she wanted to know is how much they spend, not peoples' opinions on what is the correct or ethical amount to spend.

Sorry to have sounded off but it's just a pet peeve of mine. I don't think we really have a lot of racism in our country, it's just classism - the haves and the have nots. And it just worries me that so many young families don't know the value of a dollar. I see them spend-spend-spending on exotic vacations or brand new cars, and wonder how in the world they are ever going to pay for college. I agree that they will be in for a rude awakening, but I wish they could all WAKE UP NOW instead of later on at the expense of their kids. <BR>This culture of "bigger is better" that we've got in this country is really out of whack. Some things are SO expensive today, just because so many people are stupid enough to pay. Jump on the bandwagon, gotta have whatever is hyped the most. Who in the world in their right mind would pay $3.50 for a coffee??? Well, just look at the long lines at Starbucks. Its ridiculous, people! It's just COFFEE for goodness sakes!

I'd pay anything for a cup of coffee. last week my coffee maker broke and I was one of those people standing in line at Starbucks. I gotta have it. I gotta.

This for Keeping it real again,<BR><BR>I asked my husband if it was true that you could only get Caymus or Turley at a restaurant. He laughed and said he could walk into any wine shop in town right now and get it for $75-$100 a bottle. The info I gave you was for obscure wines, not common ones like you mentioned.<BR><BR>If you are the wine aficianado you claim to be, you should have no trouble getting those wines. Sherry Lehman in Manhattan is a good source if the town where you live doesn't cater to high end clientele. But then, you should know that far better than my husband who doesn't know "squat".