You may have carefully planned your trip and budgeted for your flight and hotel stay but one thing that can throw that prudent financial planning into disarray is spending too much on food and drink during your time away.
There are several tips and strategies that you can use to find cheap eateries and eat well for less while on vacation, and here are four pointers that you might want to take note of.
Pick a good spot
Where you stay will have a big influence on the choice of eateries you have access to and what you have to pay to get a meal. If you are staying in a popular area at somewhere like the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, for example, you should be able to find what you want to eat without paying a fortune, if there is plenty of healthy competition amongst all the restaurants close by.
Tourist traps are not called that for nothing, and every major tourist destination and big city will have an area that caters for visitors to the area and not the locals, who would not be prepared to pay the sort of prices being charged. Try to find a hotel that gives you access to a variety of options and avoid restaurants that are full of tourists and not locals.
Use local information
Local people are often the perfect source of information on where to get the best food at the most affordable price. You will know which restaurants to recommend in your local area and it makes sense to ask a few local residents where they would suggest getting a good meal at a fair price.
Even if you don’t find someone to ask you can always take a look inside a place as you walk past and if it is filled with locals enjoying a good meal and relaxed conversation, that can often be a good clue that you have found somewhere worth eating that won’t break the bank.
Deals and discounts
Money-saving discounts, coupons, and incentives are almost universally popular and there are plenty of eateries who are keen to try and win your business with a bit of a deal. It is always a good idea to search online and keep your eyes open for special offers and discount vouchers that you might be able to use.
Some restaurants offer a regular deal on quiet nights of the week as a way of filling the restaurant up, so if you can dine there for less on a Tuesday rather than a Thursday, for instance, use those offers to get a great meal for less.
Fill up at the right time
If the hotel includes a buffet breakfast in your deal that is your opportunity to fuel up for the day ahead without digging any deeper into your pocket. Eating lunch is often a lot cheaper than dinner. If you have seen a fancy restaurant you would like to try, go there for lunch and enjoy a nice meal for less than you pay in the evening.
You don’t have to overspend on food during your vacation as long as you know how to get the best food at the best price.