Prices of commodities

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

I read where milk is $6. One baking potato = $1.38.
I wonder the cost of a 20# bag of potatoes at Costco?

I wonder, where to purchase and what I can expect to pay for a variety of food? Cheese, fish, salad, steak, charcoal, wine, pasta sauce... ???

Specify which island please.
Oahu, I don't need, but others might.

Robert

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

When we stayed in Kauai (Princeville area) there was a local Makai market (like an IGA)....while costs were a bit higher than here, it was affordable. I don't think you will find it so prohibitive. They also had a "discount" card, easy to apply for and helped reduce costs.

On Big Island, there were several markets....similarly okay for pricing. In Maui, I don't remember as we were there many years ago.

The local markets were best for us, because we bought as we needed. Also, there are famers markets....concierge desk will tell you where and when.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

No matter where you travel in the world, if you want to buy the same items you are familiar with at home, you will pay a premium to do so.

When buying food in Hawai'i, you will spend less if you buy foods that are locally grown or produced.

Really - why should you care what the price is for potatoes in Hawai'i?? Use rice. Buy local seafood. Buy papayas and mangoes and all of the wonderful tropical fruits. Get Hawai'ian sweet bread. Chicken and eggs. Find out where the farmer's markets are when you are there and do as much shopping as you can at those locations.

You won't save money as compared with the mainland. But you will still end up spending less than if you buy imported mainland foodstuffs.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

When we stayed in Kauai (Princeville area) there was a local Makai market (like an IGA)....while costs were a bit higher than here, it was affordable. I don't think you will find it so prohibitive. They also had a "discount" card, easy to apply for and helped reduce costs.

On Big Island, there were several markets....similarly okay for pricing. In Maui, I don't remember as we were there many years ago.

The local markets were best for us, because we bought as we needed. Also, there are famers markets....concierge desk will tell you where and when.

The farmers markets are the best for fresh fruit and vegetables and they are open almost every day and even the roadside little places for mangos, etc. The Maui Schooner or the Maui Sunset will tell Robert when he is there. They like you to support the local people and it is so much better.

We don't shop at Costco's for just the two of us but our friends were shopping there for wine, etc. We go to Star Market in Kihei for general stuff. There is a Safeway too and both give discount cards and the savings are great.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

We don't shop at Costco's for just the two of us but our friends were shopping there for wine, etc. We go to Star Market in Kihei for general stuff. There is a Safeway too and both give discount cards and the savings are great.

we've found that the Island Safeways, StarMarkets, and FoodLands are good places for local foods when we don't make it to a Farmers Market.

*****

Our culinary life changed about six years ago when we were in Kona, staying at Mauna Loa Village, and I picked up the Weber book on barbecuing at the Barnes & Noble in Kona. We had bought some ahi at the Foodland near the Kona Coast Resort. I wasn't too sure how to fix it propery, so I bought the book and I followed the recommendations on searing ahi.

It was spectacular!! The next week we were on Maui, and spent some time with DW's cousin and her husband, who were living at Holohani in Kahana at the time. We picked up some more ahi at one of the markets in the Kahana/Ka'anapali area, and fixed it up on the grill next to the pool. They were pretty skeptical of it, but when they tasted they were hooked as well.

Kind of humorous - they had been on Maui long enough at that time to be regarded even by natives as kama'āina, but I was a haole fixing ahi for them.

******

After that trip I became totally hooked on seared ahi, to the point where that is one of my criteria for assessing a seafood restaurant. If they can't prepare decent seared ahi I'm inherently suspicious of the whole kitchen operation.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

I read where milk is $6. One baking potato = $1.38. I wonder the cost of a 20# bag of potatoes at Costco?

... what I can expect to pay for a variety of food? Cheese, fish, salad, steak, charcoal, wine, pasta sauce... ??? ...Robert

I checked a 5# bag of spuds at Safeway. It was a bit less then $5.
I "splurged" for one Russet potato at $1.69 per pound. The one I picked was 0.93# and that came to $1.57. The 5# bag is a bargain at that rate.

We are on Kaua'i for another week. I know of no one here to share with, but there will be several members on Maui in April.
Steve, I like baked potatoes with my steak and left over spuds with my breakfast eggs and bacon.

I also like rice, but prefer taters with carrots in stew or soup. Rice doesn't get it. We could use 5# during our 3 weeks on Maui and 2 weeks on Hawaii. If everyone wanted to share, I would pick up 20# at Costco on 4 April.

Carrots are $1.59/#, sweet potato= $2.99, tomatoes= $1.23, banana= $1.19, Large Mango= $3.29/#...

I priced one pineapple at $.99/#. It weighed over 5 pounds. I didn't need one that badly.
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Robert

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Two trips to Hawaii and I can't say I've ever seen the fantisticly high prices posted on the internet. Yes it's been a little higher but, considering where I am, it's not been outragous. I think the 12 pack of Coke was maybe $1.50 more than back home. Milk wasn't any Earth shattering price but was a little more expensive than back home. In short, I just haven't seen those through the ceiling prices others post about. Higher yes, outragous no.

[vacation_family99 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vacation_family99]

If you can find out when Costco gets their shipment of pineapples, they are more reasonably priced than the grocery stores. On Kauai, they were getting shipments twice a week and they went very quickly.


We have paid $6 for a gallon of milk on Oahu at a convenience store. Our daughter and son would drink milk for every meal so it got a little expensive, but it was more reasonable than getting a single milk from the restaurants for $3!

[garyd210 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close garyd210]

When we did Maui in 2007, milk was $9/gallon at some of the stores that we later heard were pricier than Safeway. To have room for things DW wants to bring home, I've actually packed a box of cereal and small Crystal Light punch cups from home. We continue to overpack too many clothes and lucked out to have a very light folding bag to use as a carryon. We shop the store sales and have usually done ok. We eat light for most in condo breakfasts and have a nice mid afternoon lunch out somewhere nice and pick and choose our dinners if we find something that sounds worth splurging on. In Hanalei, they have the $5 Subway footlong sandwiches inside of the grocery store. We've sat in our rental convertible before with our sandwich and drinks watching the sun set just past the Hanalei pier. A very special place to hang out with a couple hundred other people, but they're spread out. We also make a point of taking some of our large meals out back to the unit to enjoy later. If we're not terribly hungry, we've split a meal, too. We've done the luau's 3 times and don't see a need to torture ourselves by going again anytime soon. We don't do very much cooking while on vacations...the cook refuses for some reason! ha!! Gary

[Dancingfish Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dancingfish]

My sons god-father lived in Hawaii for many years and I remember visiting him years ago and he did have to remind us that they must import just about everything that is why you see the pricing so high!