By Skye Smith
We travel to explore the world, to satisfy our souls with different cultural experiences, and food is a major part of it. However, when we travel, budget is an important consideration, and more than often we tend to focus the budget more on transportation and accommodation and forget all about food. Believe it or not, a majority of us do not want to accept that we binge. Keeping a tab at what we spend while traveling can be cumbersome at times but not knowing how much you spend on food might create issues in your future travels and plans. Here are some great tips on how to save money on food while travelling:
1. Research, Research, and Research
In today's digitally advanced world where the globe is well connected, everything can be done at a click of a button. You can do a widespread research on Google and compare hotel prices on different travel websites. Also call all the short listed hotels to check if they give complimentary breakfasts. The complimentary breakfast can vary from country to country. Where some destinations keep it simple, others will have a lavish spread. There is a timing for these complimentary breakfast after which it will be closed. Hence make it a point to be there on time. You can also carry some dry items to your room which you can pack and carry it with you as snack for when you go out to visit places.
2. Watch out for those Discounts
Many restaurants and bars have a variety of deals to offer on weekdays as crowd inflow will be less, and hike their prices during the weekend when the inflow will be more. Also in many places dinner is the most expensive meal of the day, hence you can opt restaurants for breakfast or lunch. Watch out for those happy hour menus and half price appetizers offered at the bars.
3. Opt for Hotels with Kitchen in the Room
This is good for those who are travelling for a few weeks or months. If you opt for a room with kitchen in the hotel you are put up at, you can cook the meals yourself and save a lot of money. You can use disposable plates and cutlery or carry a reusable one with you. Do check with the hotel before booking the room, if the kitchen in the room is equipped with refrigerator, microwave, and utensils.
4. Local Shops and Farmers Market
You could get best and fresh food at low prices in the local shops and local farmers market. Fresh seasonally available fruits and vegetables as well as canned food. If you go to supermarkets, you probably might end up paying more for the same stuff. While travelling for a longer period of time, you need to take care of your health too, hence fresh fruits and vegetables and meals cooked by self are the best choice.
5. Ask the Locals
Do not ask the hotel people to guide you to a cheap place to eat, they will in turn send you to some place from which they can benefit by referring you. Instead ask local people on the street or cab drivers who can guide you to a cheap place to eat. Also best place to eat is where there are colleges, as eateries near colleges are usually designed for students and the price will be marked down.
6. Enquire about Discounts
In many places senior citizens, students, people from military background, and some professionals like firefighters, police officers, teachers, etc. are entitled to discount which you might not even know. There is no harm in enquiring once.
7. Check for Deals
There are several great websites that offer daily deals and coupons like Groupon, Yelp Deals, Living Social, etc. which you can use to save money.
8. Drink in Moderation
Although many opt out of drinking alcohol to save money, drinking in moderation will help you save money. Many breweries and wineries offer free samples or could take a minimal fees. Opting for all-inclusive packages on cruise is a wise idea.
This list of money saving ideas while travelling is to be continues next week. We hope these will help in your future travels.
Skye Smith is a travel enthusiast and loves to write about her experiences and tips for other couples who love to travel. Her tips on how to save money on food while travelling are very insightful and quite helpful for frequent travelers. Read more at https://smithsology.com/category/eats/