Amanda Phillips7 Ways to Eat for Less on Holiday – Barrhead Travel Blog
You’re planning your itinerary and budgeting for your newly-booked holiday. Museum entry fees? Set aside. Passes for that water park? Arrived safe and well. Shopped around for the best value currency exchange? Done. The amount of money you’ll need to eat out each night for dinner? Actually, let’s discuss this one for a second.
Eating out and sampling the local cuisine is all part of the holiday experience. It is also an expensive part and can eat into the holiday budget. A holiday shouldn’t be spent worrying about your bank balance, or eating Pot Noodles in your room every night. Below we’ve rounded-up five tips on eating for cheap when on holiday, without resorting to stealing extra from the buffet.
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All-inclusive, half-board or self-catering?
Whether self-catering or all inclusive is cheaper depends on the individual. If you’re a massive foodie and sampling foreign cuisine is your motivation for travelling, then pre-paying for dinner in the hotel could be a waste. If sampling local cuisine isn’t high on your travel to-do list but getting a suntan by the pool is, then paying for all-inclusive so the waiter can bring you unlimited cocktails isn’t a bad shout.
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Head to the local grocery store
If trying the local cuisine is top of the to-do list on holiday, you can still get friendly with local food produce at the near-by grocery store. Buy some non-familiar food packets and take them back to your hotel room for a munch in the evenings.
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Lunch menus are sometimes cheaper than dinner menus
If you want to save a bit of money on eating out, have your largest meal during the day and have a smaller snack at night. Lunch menus are almost always cheaper than dinner menus wherever you are in the world.
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Research where to eat beforehand
In the same way that you would plan what attractions to see on what day, save money by planning in advanced where to eat on what day. Whether you intend to eat out every day, or just a few nights, research online before your trip to see where offers you the best price, menu selection and value for money.
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Learn the local tipping etiquette
In some countries – the USA for example – tipping is considered essential and it is a social faux-pas not to. In Italy, by contrast, the service charge is included in the bill and it is not considered essential (although nice). It’s also regarded as rude in some countries. Save a few pennies by not tipping more than you need to.
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Stop by street food carts and buffets
If you’re looking for authentic food from the locals, you can usually not do much better than a food cart. With less running costs than a traditional restaurant, a food cart is cheap even in major world cities. All you can eat buffets are a great option. Even in London and New York you can eat for cheap while the exploring the ethnic variations that can be extremely rewarding.
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Pack your own snacks
Whatever your favourite convenience food is, pack some of it in your suitcase. Foods such as dried fruit or nuts keep well in a suitcase so are ready for you to munch on upon arrival, helping keep your hand out the mini-bar (though check the regulations for the country you’re heading to first – some destinations don’t allow food to be brought in).