My Top ‘Lucky 7’ Tips For Saving Money On Food
Food can eat up a lot of your budget when you travel, but I have a few ways to minimize the cost and also to really enjoy the culinary treats and the destination.
Below are my top 7 tips for eating cheap while on the road.
1.) I Skip Breakfast If It’s Not Provided With My Hotel
I really don’t eat breakfast anyway, so this is easy for me. Frankly, I prefer to begin my day with a nice walk or even a run, not eating food. If you are a big breakfast person, and can’t get started without it, then I suggest having a big one and skipping lunch. The point here is that limiting yourself to two meals a day you can have significant food savings.
2.) If Breakfast Is Included With My Hotel, I Skip Lunch
This is my exception to my “no breakfast” rule. If it’s provided at the hotel – and many in Europe do – then I’ll take it. After all, it’s included in the room price so not take advantage of it? Some hotels have full breakfasts – cold cuts, cheeses, meats, hard-boiled eggs and juice. I fill myself with this and I’m good to go for the day. My strategy here is to eat it as late as possible before they remove it – which is usually around 10 a.m. – and then skip lunch. If I’m tired, and especially if I’ve been out late the previous night, then I’ll get up, eat breakfast, then return to the room for additional rest
3.) For Lunch, Get To-Go Meals And Have A Picnic
A huge money-saving tip for traveling is don’t eat at a sit-down restaurant. You can easily spend $15-25. So I grab something to go at a stand-up place, such as a sandwich. I then take it to a park bench or some other active or scenic location – on a beach or by a lake if I’m in a destination that has either – and enjoy it with a view that’s a lot better than staring at a wall in a restaurant. These meals usually cost less than $10, including the drink. (In Europe, you can even drink a beer in public places so if you want a cold one with lunch, you can do it there, tho not in America.)
4.) I Seek Out Happy Hours For Dinner
Imagine having a fantastic dinner meal for around $15. You can eat great food at sometimes half the price if you go to a Happy Hour. In America and Canada, just about every restaurant or bar has one, tho they are not that prevalent in other countries. Happy Hour menus vary tremendously – some offer half-priced appetizers while others may have smaller portions of full meals – but they are always discounted from the full price of the regular menu. Drink prices (beer, wine, cocktails) are also on special and that can add up to huge savings over going in at a regular dinner time. Happy Hours have another huge benefit to travelers: they can be great social places. I always look for a popular one buzing with lcoals. Most Happy Hours go from 5-7 p.m., so you do have to eat early.
5.) Look For Daily Specials
A lot of places like to draw in customers during off days and nights and have specials on specific nights of the week. In California, nearly every Mexican restaurant or bar (or those that “pretend” to be Mexican, have a Taco Tuesday where you can get a buffet of tacos or taco specials with cheap beer and margaritas. Some have 2-for-1 burger nights, or a house speciality, whatever. When you’re walking around, check out any signs or flyers restaurants or bars have up and check out these great daily specials.
6.) I Often Eat Dinner In Bars Or Pubs
If I skipped the Happy Hour, then I’ll usually into eat at a bar or a pub. Here I can eat for 25-50% cheaper than a regular restaurant. Some of these places have mediocre food – I always look at the menu beforehand and if it’s just burgers and sandwiches, I’ll usually pass – while others have fantastic food. I try and see what others in the bar are eating and if it looks good, then I’m likely to land in it. I also seek out popular places because not only are they more fun (and more social) chances are the food is better than what Americans refer to as “bar food.”
7.) Get Dinner To Go And Eat In Your Hotel Room
You don’t always have to eat out for dinner on the road. I’ll think nothing of getting some type of dinner to go and taking it back to my hotel room. I’ve ordered pizza, too. Sometimes I’ll even grab a local beer or a local bottle of wine. If you’ve got a date, a mate or a partner, this can also easily turn into a romantic evening. Oh, and I always travel with a corkscrew. Just in case.
So use these tips to save yourself a hundred or more dollars off your travel tab. That’s the price of one night in a hotel or can give you the financial freedom to do a splurge in a really top-notch restaurant you’ve been eyeing during your trip.
Cheers!
Leave a Reply