Budget Tips
Maximize Your Adventures Instead of Your Daily Expenses.
Try Out the Waters – Top 7 Budget tips
Published: 27/03/25 / Smilla Bakteman Hedlund
Moving to Oahu is expensive, especially when considering rent, groceries, and transportation. This can create many problems, especially for an international student who often relies on a limited budget and financial aid. Therefore, we created this resource so you know what to expect when you get on the island. Giving you all the key budget tips so that you can maximize your adventures rather than your daily expenses.
Living Situation
Many international students always end up finding a place to share with roommates. Even if this sounds like a lot, it is in reality very simple due to all the Facebook groups where you can connect with other international students and apartments you can lease. The first place to look for roommates would be in your university’s official international students group since it is more likely that you will find legit housing and people.
However, make sure to not pay any deposit or a larger amount until you are present on the island. There have been several students who have experienced scammers and lost all their money when they paid in advance. Don’t start your journey in Hawaii by being scammed..
Memberships
Having memberships is a great way to save money, especially since the food in Hawaii is quite expensive. Therefore, deals are the way to go when sticking to a budget.
Sam’s Club Memberships
The keep the costs as low as possible, many students end up buying in bulk from stores like Costco and Sam’s club. Even if Costco is globally recognized, a store that many students don’t know about is Sam’s Club. This membership-based retail chain is similar to Costco but is located above Walmart next to the Ala Moana Center. A game changer, for students who live with roommates and want to buy larger quantities of food, for a cheaper price.
Even if the store itself is very close to Waikiki, where the majority of students end up living. It can be very hard to transport all the goods. However, they offer delivery services, for a great deal that is perfect for students without a car.
Targets Own Brands
One assumption that many international students have is that snacks and fast food are cheaper in America. Even if this is true in some states, this is not the case in Hawaii where everything is expensive due to the taxes and fees to import the food. However, if you are a hardcore snack lover but don’t want to spend too much on this, Target’s brands are a hidden gem. Having both candy and chips at a lower price. Therefore, look out for Favorite Day and Good and Gather.
UberOne Deals
Another great way to save some money is to create a membership on Uber. This comes with great deals and is perfect if you want to enjoy some local restaurants at a discounted price. However, this is only possible when you receive a promotional offer.
Transportation
Traveling by bus
To keep daily expenses down, utilizing your bus card is a game-changer. It’s in many cases provided by the school at the beginning of the semester. Because of it often being included in the tuition for the semester. However, this depends on the school you are going to attend.
Traveling by bus is a great way of getting around the Honolulu area and to school. It is also relatively safe, however more sketchy areas should be avoided, and girls should generally not travel by themselves during the night.
For easier navigation – Download the app Transit – where you can see all the routes, and set your favorite locations such as the school and home address so you can get around the island. However, make sure to bring your card, because no change is provided on the buses when buying tickets.
Compare prices on Lyft and Uber
Another budget tip many incoming students do not know about is Lyft. Even if many people are familiar with Uber, Lyft is a similar app where you can book rides, often at a cheaper price. This app is easy to download and works the same as Uber. However, always make sure to compare the prices because they can vary depending on the location, length, and time of the day.
Secondhand
There are many cute secondhand stores on Oahu, and one that is considered to be one of the best ones is Platos Closet. It is a smaller store but has a lot of goodies since you can resell your old clothes to the store. Therefore, the stores get many cute quality pieces where they have very reasonable prices.
Phone Subscription
Mint Mobile – offers great phone subscriptions at a lower price. They commonly also offer their packages at a discounted price for the first three months. It is also very simple since you can get a new e-sim. Therefore you can get your new number and wifi in minutes after activiting your account. This is a very good option compared to other services that take a lot of money for the same service.
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Experiences
The most exciting thing about traveling to Hawai’i is exploring the island— learn more about the adventures you did not know about to maximize your memories during your stay.
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