Budgeting Eating Tips

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about budget dining to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from budget dining experts.

The budget for food can be one of the most expensive parts of any vacation, and many travelers underestimate how much they will spend on food while traveling and end up busting their budget as a result.  There are a number of ways to keep the food budget under control while still enjoying delicious, satisfying and healthy meals.

For many people, good food is a large part of the travel experience, and sampling the local cuisine should be a goal of every traveler to a foreign location.  Saving money on food does not mean skimping or missing out on the special food that makes many regions of the United States, Europe, Asia and other destinations so special.

It is important to eat a healthy and hearty breakfast every day while traveling.  Many hotels include a daily breakfast in their room rate, and if this is available it is important to take advantage of the perk.  Starting each morning with a healthy breakfast will give you the energy you need for walking around and seeing the sights, and it will help deter you from splurging on expensive and unhealthy snacks before it is time for lunch.

Lunch can be a very important meal when traveling, and it is the best time to get the most value from some of the finest restaurants in your destination city.  While lunches in the working world are often rushed affairs eaten quickly, or even in the car on the way back to work, vacation lunches can be long, restful, relaxing and delicious.  If there is an expensive restaurant you’ve been itching to splurge at, why not head there for lunch instead of dinner?  You get the same great food, often at a significantly lower price.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to budget dining than you may have first thought. 

One great way to sample the local cuisine and save money at the same time is to eat where the local people do.  Ask the staff at your hotel for recommendations of restaurants they eat at.  Restaurants with a large concentration of locals are usually high quality and low priced destinations.

Eating dinner or lunch in ethnic neighborhoods is another way to sample the local cuisine and culture while saving lots of money.   Sampling the food in the local Chinatown, Korea town, Little Italy, Little Saigon or similar neighborhood is a great way to meet local people and enjoy some great food.

For a quick pick me up or snack, try packing a few granola bars, a bag of trail mix or a few pieces of fruit in your backpack or purse before you head out for the day.  These items can be bought inexpensively at local markets or grocery stores.

A quick trip to the local grocery store for supplies can be a great way to save money while traveling.  For instance, many travelers will spend a half hour at the local grocery store, stocking up on bottled water, cereal and other low cost foods.  Keeping those foods and water on hand in the hotel room is a great way to save money on eating.

Having your own picnic is another great way to both have a great time and save money on food while traveling.  Try packing a picnic lunch and enjoy the spectacular views as you hike to your favorite spot in the mountains.  Or pack a romantic dinner for two and head for the local outdoor concert.  Picnics are great, and very memorable ways to enhance any vacation experience.
 

Of course, it's impossible to put everything about budget dining into just one article. But you can't deny that you've just added to your understanding about budget dining, and that's time well spent.

James Mahony is the founder of Caribbean Cruise Vacations, A site dedicated to Cruise Vacations Information

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