File this post in the “I told you so” category.    I found an article at Scripps News about a couple that had a great Maui vacation on a $1,500 budget.  So, how did they do it?  The main reason they were able to keep to a limited budget is that they

• stayed in a condo rather than a hotel
• made some of their meals in their condo
• planned most of their own sight seeing and cultural activities, but mixed in some paid tours as well

It is really a great article that offers quite a few ideas that may help you with your Maui vacation plans.  I had to smile when I read the article, because it was issued the day after my post on a luxury vacation in Hawaii for less.  The article could actually be a case study of the advice I offered.  O.K. time to come back down to earth.  I hope you’ll forgive me for my moment of gloating.