When you travel on a budget, saving money is a huge consideration in your vacation travel plans. While many people look at budget airlines or cheap hotels for ways to save, many people may forget the third basic need of travel - food.
Saving money when traveling is easy to do as you can use basic tips from home. Know how to use a microwave? Do you have access to hot water? Do you get a hotel breakfast each morning? Whether you travel on a tour or go on a family vacation, meals can be light, filling, and easy to prepare without taking time away from sightseeing or swimming at the beach.
If saving money and time while traveling on vacation sounds like a good idea, check out some cooking tips and easy meals on a budget:
Hotel breakfast for snacks and lunch- A hotel breakfast can be a very easy to way to pack snacks or plan a picnic lunch while you are on vacation. Bring sandwich bags in your luggage and take them with you to breakfast. Pack an extra apple or a banana for a snack. Add a croissant or bread with some meat and cheese for a sandwich. At most hotels, you already paid for the food anyways and many are all you can eat. So don't waste time in a crowded restaurant filled with tourists. Have a quick lunch on the go or in a park without breaking the bank.
Markets and grocery stores - Food in the grocery store or market is much cheaper than food in restaurants. Eating healthy is easy and cheap as well since you have many more choices. Buy healthy snacks. Get bread, meats, condiments, and jams for sandwiches. Stock up on water for sightseeing and avoid overpriced vending machines and cafes. Planning meals or snacks for your vacation by buying food from the store can save you time and money. It also gives you the chance to try some new foods while helping local businesses as well.
Microwave cooking - If your hotel or hostel has a microwave, then you can make some heavier, heartier meals that are still easy to make and take no time at all. Want a sandwich? Buy some eggs at the store, put one in a bowl, mix it up, and put it in a microwave for one minute. Now you have a circular shaped egg for a sandwich. Stick holes in a potato and pop it in the microwave. Add some sour cream, cheese, and butter that you took from your hotel breakfast table and you have a delicious baked potato. Be creative. Microwaves can be easy ways to make quick, fast, and hearty meals.
Just add water - Many places may not have a breakfast available. Go to the store and buy oatmeal or a packaged breakfast food that you enjoy. Bring packets of oatmeal from home in your luggage. Hot water from your sink or coffee maker will make for a hearty, healthy breakfast. Tired of waters, beers, and coffees? Bring small packets of your favorite juices and enjoy a fruit punch, Crystal Light, or Kool Aid for you and the kids. Water can be used to make a lot of cheap, easy meals (remember how much Top Ramen you ate in college?).
Bring a lunch bag - A small, plastic insulated lunch bag is easy to carry in your luggage and can be used to keep foods cold or hot. If you want to take certain liquids or meals with you for the day, pack a bag of food and get some ice from the ice maker down the hall or the breakfast room in the hotel. Even heat up food before you leave your hotel and keep it warm and ready to eat for lunch. A lunch bag is also a great way to carry snacks as well.
Beware of local meal times and portion sizes - In Britain, a cooked breakfast of eggs, ham, and more might fill you up until lunch. However, small breakfasts in Spain and France may not fill you up at all. And with Spain's late lunches, you might be starving by noon when lunch isn't until 2. Knowing the meal times and portion sizes of meals that you eat can help you plan accordingly with cheap snacks. That way you can skip the snack at the cafe or the overpriced vendor at a park or amusement park.
Upgrade your room - If you are traveling with a family or with other people, pay a little more to get a kitchen or kitchenette in your room. If you use it to cook and prepare meals, you will save more money from eating in than you spent on an upgraded room with a kitchen. Hostels have had this idea for years. It's a good idea for budget travelers to take advantage of this as well.
Spend less, have more time for fun
When you travel on a budget, finding a cheap flight or discount hotel isn't the only way to save money on your vacation. While food isn't something people may think about, easy and cheap meals can be fulfilling, save you time and money, and allow you to enjoy more time to enjoy the sights and the things you want to do.
Fine dining and a 5 star restaurant can be a great way to travel and may be one area where you want to splurge. However, good food, cheap deals, and easy meals can be a great way to bond with others as more time and less money spent allows you to enjoy the rest of your vacation.
Get more tips and news for your travel plans:
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