How to get cool discounts in Hawaii

If you plan on visiting the islands and are on a tight budget, might I suggest browsing some of Hawaii’s online discount hubs?  I personally subscribe to these sites and get frequent email updates that I can print out on a weekly basis.

Below are a few of my favorite sites.  Some require advance purchase; others you can print out and go!

Play: Savvy Circle’s Play was my first introduction to online discounts.  This is my preferred outlet because it services some of Hawaii’s finest establishments, like J.J. Dolan’s, Fresh Cafe, Willows, and Kua’aina.

Groupon: Living Social has quickly expanded across the Pacific and is offering some of the island’s best discounts.

Hot Deals Hawaii: New to enter the scene, but sponsored by Hawaii’s only major newspaper, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hot Deals Hawaii offers a range of discounts in the same way that Play and Groupon have.

Crowd Deal: Similar to the sites above, you can subscribe to a deal offering and, if enough people join the crowd deal, you get the deal.  Previous deals have been from the Wine Stop, Tony Roma’s, and Wild Ginger.

Sudden Values: Unlike other sites, Sudden Values offers immediate print-it-at-home discounts a wide range of stores and restaurants.  The discounts are between 10-30%, though, which is considerably less than the other sites out there.

Bank of Hawaii’s Online Marketplace: This is another print-it-at-home site that is sponsored by Bank of Hawaii.  What I like about this one is that you can get deals off island, like at Kayak Kauai or at the Kobe Japanese Steak House in Lahaina, Maui.

The great thing about these sites is that you can try out new restaurants and activities around the islands or, for locals like myself, revisit tried and true spots for cheap!  Several of these discounts are for 50% or MORE, which in this economy goes a very long way.

Image courtesy of Hot Deals Hawaii.