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A home rental is always a good option, as are condos or condo-style units where you can make your own breakfast, lunch or dinner. Be sure to look for a place with a grill, as there are few

things better in the world than grilling your dinner over an open flame with a Hawaiian cocktail in your hand and the sun setting over the ocean. FOOD In general, avoid the oceanside spots

and resorts and stick to the small shopping plazas in Kahana or Kihei, where the locals go. You'll also save if you head to Haiku, Wailuku or the cowboy town of Makawao. Almost any town

or village in Hawaii will have a place or two offering what's called a mixed plate: usually beef or chicken with rice (sometimes two scoops), macaroni salad or potato salad, and poi.

The carb load is outrageous, but it's usually not expensive (they're $12 to $18 at Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina, for example) and always filling. In the Wailea area, try Maui Tacos

at the Kamaole Beach Center shopping area. There's also 808 Deli, which features what some call the best sandwiches on the island. You'll often find food trucks down the road at

beautiful Makena Beach, just south of Wailea. Sam Sato's is a legendary spot for good, filling, simple meals in an industrial area of Wailuku. It'll win no awards for decor but

offers great value for folks on a budget. More good deals: Just south of Lahaina, stop at Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop for tasty meat pies and other treats. In Kaanapali, CJ's Deli

& Diner has breakfast servings big enough for an NFL offensive lineman and a huge variety of dishes on the menu. And just north of Hana, try Nahiku Marketplace (a collection of

super-casual shops in a jungle setting at the side of the road) for Thai food. GOLF Big courses such as Wailea or Kapalua can cost $150 or even $225. But there are several nice, inexpensive

golf courses on Maui, including Pukalani Country Club in upcountry Maui and the Waiehu Municipal Course, which is said to have more holes along the ocean than any other course on the island.

Greens fees at Waiehu, which is run by Maui County, are just $63 for nonresidents on weekends and $58 for nonresidents on weekdays. Look for twilight rates, too. If you need to play one of

the better-known courses, look for a multiday pass as a way to save.