Nov 18 2008
Eating Cheaply While Traveling
When you’re traveling for a few days or a week, eating out can get expensive. I’ve been traveling with my husband during my maternity leave (he’s a sales rep). The baby and I hang out at the hotel during the day and then we do something like go to the movies or dinner at night with dad. Sounds rather boring, but it’s nice to not worry about keeping the house clean.
Anyway, something I noticed the last time we accompanied him on his trip was how much food and drinks cost at the hotel. A soft drink from the vending machine is $2! That’s outrageous! So, I got smart this time and came up with a cheap eating plan for traveling:
1. Stay in hotels with free, hot breakfast. The food is filling and best of all free. All it usually takes is being a member of a free hotel members’ club. Holiday Inn and Hampton offer some of the better menus.
2. Take your own drinks. I hit up the local grocery store before we left town and bought some canned sodas before we left. The room has a refrigerator, so I can keep them cold.
3. Take a few snacks like peanut butter crackers, toaster pastries and trail mix. You may not want a huge meal and these options are healthier than the vending machine options. Plus, these items cost very little when compared to vending machines.
4. Split meals. Have you seen the size of restaurant meals these days? They’re huge. We usually split a large entree and/or take half of it back with us for a second meal.
5. Order appetizers. Appetizers are usually plenty big enough for a meal. They cost less and add less to your waistline. Plus, local cuisine is usually featured on the appetizer menu.
