Aloha,
I spent an incredible vacation on Oahu, and it cost me less than
$700, including air fare. We did camp but at a gated, ultra secure campground at
Malaekahana Kahuku Side near the Polynesian Cultural Center and North Shore run by Friends of Malaekahana.
I'd lived on Oahu for a few months and knew the nice, family campgrounds are far and few between. The non profit Friends of Malaekahana runs a portion of this park, and keeps it nice and family friendly. They have lots of beach sites and back under the trees, as well as yurts :cool And the surf wasn't too big for the younger kids. We went in October and most mornings the beach was deserted. It was awesome!
I wrote an ebook about how to vacation on Oahu for $700 or less (including info for non campers as well), which can now be read for free
Hawaii Budget Vacation Every week I try to add more chapters from it. About half of it's up so far.
Also my 15 y.o. and I just moved back to the Big Island (Hawaii Island,the one with the active volcano and Kona) and while some things like electric and certain types of groceries cost way more, I'm not spending much more than we did in Ashland Oregon because so much of the recreation is free or minimial - snorkeling (about $30 for gear or less if you rent), exploring Volcano National Park, lava viewing, swimming (all community pools and beaches have free public access), hiking , kayaking where the dolpins play (about $30 for 1/2 day at Kealakekua), etc. I'm a single mom and don't make much, so I figured we may as well be here enjoying life on the
Hawaii Island If you have any questions about planning a Hawaii budget vacation, feel free to email me
cindy@coconutroads.com Cindy
CoconutRoads.com 
