Warmer weather is on the way, I just know it. And with that in mind, there are a lot of people that love to take in the sights of other cities or of nature, to just get away from it all. It is refreshing to the body and soul to be able to take a trip and relax, not stressing about tomorrow, and just live for today. We deserve that!
Traveling can be expensive, but there are some ways that you can save on meals that will help you cut costs on your next weekend trip or vacation. Here are some tips I have used over the years that may help you too.
Tips to Save Money on Meals While Traveling
* Choose Motels with Free Breakfast – Most of the larger chains offer complimentary breakfasts which range from pastries and cereal to full breakfasts.
* Pack Your Meals – Visit the local deli for a meal to go. Many offer picnic lunch boxes, just right for traveling. This is an easy choice for sightseeing trips, visiting theme parks, a day at the beach, etc.
* Eat Your Main Meal Early – Eat the local cuisine and make your main meal breakfast or lunch. Breakfasts can be free (at the motel) or much cheaper than lunch and dinner. Plus many restaurants offer lunch selections at a lower rate than dinner.
* Share an Entree – Many restaurants will allow you to share an entree with someone or don’t ask and just order soup or salad to supplement one entree and save some cash. You can also choose to order an appetizer for your meal that is filling as well.
* Skip the Drinks – Save up to $10 for a family of four at each meal by skipping the beverages and ordering just water with your meals. Most restaurants do not charge for water but you pay big bucks for sodas, tea and coffee.
* Cook Your Meals – Depending on where you are traveling and how long you are staying, you can get a room with a kitchenette. By cooking a few easy meals, you can save costs. No Kitchenette? Most motels have a microwave and a mini fridge in the room making it easy to reheat leftovers, microwave frozen meals, heat up hot water for coffee, instant soups, oatmeal, etc.
* Pack Your Own Snacks – I think everyone does this these days! Those non perishable items like pretzels, snack bars, peanuts, fruit snacks, jerky, water, and water flavor drops help keep hunger at bay for cheap.
Food is a big expense but it is easy to save money while traveling by using some of these tips. What tricks have you used on the road to save money? We love it when you share your experiences!
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awesome tips!! I always try finding coupons on the internet before going anywhere
I’ve done most of these things in the past. It’s good to read your post with all of the tips gathered into one article.
Thank you for these great tips. We also trying to use coupons and etc to cut the cost
These are great tips for saving money on meals while traveling. It is always a good idea to pack your snacks and cook your own meals. Thank you for sharing this post.
I think we use all of these. We also will stop at a grocery store along the way and will buy sandwich making things and have a picnic outside. Eating out while traveling is huge and you hardly ever know where the best deals are.
Great tips especially the skip the drinks! It is so crazy what they charge for a soda or a little cup of coffee these days I only order water.
I love all these tips. The only one I haven’t tried is to ask the deli to pack a picnic lunch for us. Meals can be very expensive or the cost,adds up,if you met out the whole day.
Love these tips. Meals can be a significant expense when traveling. Always good to minimize it.
These are all great ideas! And if you don’t want to drink water at the restaurant to save on drinks, use that that bottle/pack of water-flavoring you carry in your purse(cause I do!) to turn it into tea or flavored water, lol!
We use many of these tips when travelling. Thanks for the reminders as Its always good to think about before going out. Amazing how much can be save by just a few small changes.
I like the gift cards, Groupon and coupon ideas. Good idea to do some pre-work if you have never been to that area before.
I have a lot of gut issues so carry food with me if case I can’t find things to eat, traveling or not. Lots of things work like nuts, protein and food powders, jerky, like you listed. I bring my own water since you can’t be sure of the quality of water anywhere. Good list here.
When traveling I usually have my biggest meal at lunch. Always drink water. When staying where they give you breakfast I grab some fruit to take with me.
Great suggestions! Another thing I do is buy gift cards at a discount to places I am likely to stop when we travel and only have time to go through a drive through. There are multiple places on line to purchase them and I am always on the lookout for discounts of at least 10%.
I hope you are right on warmer weather soon; I’m ready. With traveling, while road trip or on a plane, I pack a bag of snack and quick grab small lunch options. This way I am not stopping on the road or buying at the airport. We also look up places we are going and try to get groupons, discount cards, or coupons online before ever starting our journey. Great post and important to think about.