Budget Travel - Maui/Kauai on a Budget?

So I have been doing research for a trip that my family, friends and I are looking to take.

We want to go to Maui (preferably), or Kauai. But we are somewhat on a budget (6 people...looking to pay roughly $1,200 a person)

Now I know people are gonna say, thats not possible, or whatever. We are alright to going a little over the budget, but not much.

It would be in July, leaving any Saturday, and coming back the next Saturday. I am mostly looking at airfare at this point because I have found some good deals on cars + hotel. The airfare is really just a straight up killer. Oh and leaving from any NYC airport (EWR, JFK, LGA)...

Not really possible from New York.. for $1200.

You can get a hotel for $1100 or so for the week.. so that's $200 a person.
Rental car is about $150/person
Food - $300 if you eat cheap
Activities - $200 you can't do TOO much.. snorkel/dive/surf etc.. u can sit on the beach and do drives which there are a few of. but do a couple at least?
that's $850.

so $1200 is not likely.

FYI, we are going and doing semi-cheap, semi-nice.. in Feb from Seattle
flight is $450 per person. Hotel is coming out to about $400
But activities (we scuba dive) is going to be nearly $800 per person..

try condo rental (VRBO or HomeStay)...we've had good success with them for lower cost lodging...plus you have a kitchen to save on meals.

the killers we've always encounter are rental cars...always high on Maui...and flights...especially if you're flying from the east coast. check out Hawaiian Airlines...and its new JFK-HNL flights. also, check out off-airport rentl car options, taking a cab there from the airport.

Do you have any means of getting an award ticket at all?? Even 1 would help.

You can try pricing out packages at pandaonline.com. Sample price for 4 adults, 2 child, JFK-OGG, 7/21-7/28, including air, hotel, and minivan: $1343pp. Hotel is 2 bdrm/1bath at Outrigger Aina Nalu resort which comes with full kitchen. Can upgrade to 2bdrm/2bath for extra $9/day.

When my wife and I went last April we jumped on a fare sale that got us both ORD-HNL for $800. 2 Tickets to LIH (Kauai) were $240. For hotels, check out the Courtyard by Marriott in Kapaa. It may not be the fanciest hotel, but it is nice and really well located and was only $135/night with an oceanview when we went.

There are tons of condo complexes near the water with all the amenities (barbeque, pools, etc.) that would cut the prices. 2 to 3 bdroom condos (I know that there are some at Hale Kamaole [2 pools, lots of grills, nice lawn] that have 2 bedrooms and lofts, right across from the Kamaole beach parks in south Maui) would sleep 6; mostly cook your own food (fresh ahi or ono fromt the grill) when you want, pack picnic lunches for the beach and excursions, buy your own booze. Here's one of the myriad examples of places to rent:

http://www.vrbo.com/64258

Right now, on hotwire and carrentals.com, you can get a car that seats 5 adults for ~$310/week. You could reserve and check rates for a better deal as the departure date gets closer.

p.s. the only excursions we ever bought on Maui were a snorkel boat ride to Molokini (and I could have done without the boat exhaust from all those boats) and a dinner cruise (meh). Found much better snorkeling on our own (the Blue Book bible), and explored all over without paying a dime in fees.

p.s. the only excursions we ever bought on Maui were a snorkel boat ride to Molokini (and I could have done without the boat exhaust from all those boats) and a dinner cruise (meh). Found much better snorkeling on our own (the Blue Book bible), and explored all over without paying a dime in fees.

Definitely can do without the snorkeling / dinner cruises..
hana highway, volcano drive. all doable without tour.

I'm talking about things like Scuba diving.. can't really do without paying fees..