Keeping your food travel budget low

Food can be one of the most expensive items in a travel budget. Keeping those costs low can be one of the most important ways to keep any travel budget under control. This article focuses on some of our favorite ways to enjoy great food and low prices while on the road.  Act, and eat, like a local. Eating where the local residents do is one of those time tested tips for getting the best food and lowest prices while on vacation. So, instead of asking the concierge for the name of a four star restaurant, try asking the hotel clerk or chambermaid where they eat. Eating where the local people do, and avoiding touristy or trendy restaurants, is a great way to sample the local food, meet local people and save some serious money.  When embarking on a long road trip, stock a cooler with plenty of homemade sandwiches, chips, bottles of water, etc. Doing this will allow you to make better time as well as saving money, since you will not have to stop as often, or spend as much money in restaurants along the way.  If you want to splurge on a great meal, do so at lunch instead of dinner. Many upscale restaurants offer the same food choices at lunch as they do at dinner, but lunch provides a much better value. You can enjoy the same food for much lower prices by eating a great lunch instead of dinner.  Take advantage of the free breakfast options offered by your hotel. Many hotels provide a free continental or American breakfast, so be sure to stock up on food for the day by eating a hearty breakfast. Eating a great breakfast will give you the energy you need for a busy day of sightseeing, and help tide you over until lunch.  Save even more money by stocking up on staples at a local grocery store. Stocking up on bottles of water, fruit and snacks is a great way to provide yourself a great, low cost late night snack while saving you lots of money.  Try eating in the various ethnic neighborhoods in your destination. Eating in ethnic neighborhoods provides great local color, a chance to meet interesting people, and very low prices as well. In addition, most ethnic restaurants post their menus in their windows or on the door, so it is easy to ensure they have abundant food choices and great prices. Eating cheap on vacation does not mean scarifying quality food or great experiences. It just means shopping around and making smart choices when it comes to eating out.