Is this a realistic budget?

There will be two of us. We will be there for one week. We%26#39;re staying in a cottage, so we have a kitchen and will probably eat breakfast and dinner at home. Lunch will likely be at a casual restaurant or takeout/street food. We want to have one nice dinner out, and we will difinitely be having cocktails every night, sometimes at a bar, sometimes at home, sometimes both. We aren%26#39;t going to do any scheduled activities besides the helicopter tour-- it%26#39;ll just be swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and just hanging out. Here%26#39;s our budget:

Groceries (including liquor): 300

Helicopter 400

Snorkel rental 60

Gas 100

Cocktails %26amp; restaurants 400

total: 1260

What do you think-- too low? too high? just right?

Is this a realistic budget?

I think in general your estimates may be a bit on the low side; however, my husband and I rented snorkel stuff for the whole week for both of us for around $20.

Is this a realistic budget?

You may want to cushion the groceries and gas with the way prices are going up. We always budget $2500 (including car rental) but we golf so part of that expense is for golfing...and we don%26#39;t usually go for a helicopter ride.

Enjoy your trip....

FYI..if you enjoy a cocktail every night in your cottage, I%26#39;d suggest hitting Costco (if you are a member) to get the liquor. They have much better prices. I even think Walmart has some beer and wine now.

So-- maybe $500 for groceries? I should have mentioned, we are vegetarians... that might save us some $, although I%26#39;m not sure how pricey things like produce are there.

Gas... $100 was just a wild guess. I have no idea how many times we%26#39;ll have to fill up the tank.

';Gas... $100 was just a wild guess. I have no idea how many times we%26#39;ll have to fill up the tank.';

LOL, hopefully with all the cocktail drinking you won%26#39;t be doing a lot of driving.

You are probably pretty close in your estimates but staying on budget might be a little difficult. I%26#39;d go with and even $1500 just for a little cushion.

Great question. I was wondering the same thing. We are there in 20 days. Everything will pretty much be paid for ahead of time except groceries, meals, drinks and gas. Do most places take credit cards? I would assume so, but thought I%26#39;d ask.

You%26#39;ll drive more than you think you will, and since gas is $3.70/gallon in Michigan right now, I%26#39;m guessing it%26#39;s well over $4/gallon there. Groceries are expensive--everything costs more than at home, even on the West coast :-) You might make your helicopter reservations online before you leave; it will be cheaper to do that than once you%26#39;re on island.

Brighton Bill-- don%26#39;t worry, driving is for daytime, drinking is for night! We%26#39;re staying in Hanalei; I%26#39;m sure we can find bars and restaurants within walking distance if we decide to go out.

We%26#39;re vegetarians too. You might be okay on your grocery estimate. If you plan to buy lots of fresh fruits, vegetables %26amp; tofu (if you%26#39;re lacto-ovo, milk is $6 for a 1/2 gallon), you may want to budget a little more. I guess if you eat a simple breakfast (cereal/toast) every morning, you could stay within budget. Plus, 2-3 bottles of liquor could set you back $50-75 alone. Good to plan ahead ~ have fun!

Your grocery bill could go down if you visit one of the farmer%26#39;s markets early during your trip. The ';official'; ones are on the Kauai county web site:

http://www.kauai.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=214

and there are several roadside stands %26amp; unofficial farmer%26#39;s markets scattered about the island.

If you eat/drink dairy products - that%26#39;s where you may get some sticker shock.

That sounds about what we spend as a couple staying in a condo with a kitchen. We usually have breakfast (yogurt, cereal/milk, fruit) in the condo, then pick up lunch on the road. If we dine out, we usually try to find less expensive options or eat off the bar/pupu menu (we%26#39;re not big eaters). If you eat fish (my ';veg'; friends do) you will find a lot of great options on the island to take back to the cottage for grilling.

I don%26#39;t see your rental car in the list - have you prepaid for it? Make sure you%26#39;ve budgeted return times correctly - they can charge you an extra day if you turn it in later than you originally indicated.

You can save gas by consolidating trips - doing Waimea Canyon/Polihale/Spouting Horn, etc. all in one (long) day, and so on.

Our beverage of choice on island is mango or coconut rum mixed with any pineapple orange juice blend (sorry, I don%26#39;t like POG), topped off with Sprite. It%26#39;s delish, and only about $15 for all the ingredients. We take our Nalgene bottles and fill up before heading poolside...

Also, have you budgeted for souvenirs (for yourself or others)? We always hit the Kauai Products Fair, the vendors at Spouting Horn, and other shops here and there. That can easily add $50-100 and up depending on what you buy.