This is, in my opinion, simply a matter of choice. You can choose to load up your car with coolers filled with ice and libations and sammiches and then 2 chairs and an umbrella along with your beach bag with towels and books and sun hats. Once at the beach you can either bog yourself down with all of the supplies and trudge through the sand until you find your patch of sand and then drop everything on the ground. Once it's on the ground you can fight the breeze to set up the umbrella and then open up the chairs. After that you can find a place to put the cooler where you can "easily" get to it and then relax on those chairs. Or you can just walk to the beach with your bag, pay an extra 10 dollars and plop down on a chair.

Yep it may be cheaper to bring your own stuff but there's a certain value to convenience. There's also the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping others who truly have shown their appreciation to us tourists. I can only tell you that when we were there in September, every server we met made sure they said thanks for coming to the island.

My wife and I met a person who said that in 1 day he lost his job, his car and his house. I think I can afford an extra hundred bucks or so for the week. When we go back in June, it'll be our CHOICE to do the same thing and share our good fortune with those less fortunate.

Just giving my .02