Food plays an important role if you truly want to explore and learn about a new place or culture. By not trying new foods, you are missing out on a big aspect of travelling. Eating could be one of your biggest to-dos while travelling, but sometimes budget constraints won’t let you fulfil this desire. Don’t worry, it’s a major concern for many travellers, as eating out all the time can be quite expensive.
Through following these tips you can learn how to balance your budget and still eat well:
Local Cuisine
Although it can be hard to stick to one cuisine throughout your entire trip, nowadays it’s quite common to find all sorts of global fare in one place or city. However, non-local food is invariably more expensive than local food. So try to stick to local food if you wanna expand your horizons, get in touch with the local culture and, of course, eat cheap.
Street Food
There is no doubt that street food is some of the best food in the world. Across many countries on this planet, you will find streets lined with local stalls where food is being cooked openly. Meals from these stalls cost much less than a restaurant, and are an excellent way to experience the local cuisine. It is one of the quickest, least expensive, and most delicious ways to fill your stomach.
Fast Food
Often fast food is termed as cheap food for travellers. Although it isn’t always best for your health, it’s another easy option to get a cheap meal. For less than 4 or 5 dollars you can enjoy a filling lunch or dinner. However, in some parts of the world, fast food is much more expensive, less authentic, and less healthy than street food. So be smart in choosing the right option.
Buffet Spread
Whether it’s a breakfast buffet or lunch buffet, it is a great value. Buffets are a perfect opportunity for every traveller, as you can eat as much as you can. If you had sumptuous buffet, then you are more likely to skip the next meal. This choice of food can fill you up for the entire day and let you save more.
Avoid Snacks
I know it’s hard to say no to your taste buds, but it’s not impossible. It is easy to be tempted by the local savouries or chocolates specific to that region, but an ice cream here or a drink there can add up to a lot. Usually the prices of these products are quite low, hence we tend to buy them casually, but buying few snacks a day can slowly sap your budget. So avoid snacking and stick to big meals.
Cook Yourself
It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but if you are in one place for a while, cooking can save you more money than you can imagine. Just get a few essential cooking items and groceries from a local market and cook a few meals. You can also learn to cook a local cuisine with a local. This will help you cut down your travel costs. However, bear in mind that in most Asian countries, eating out can be more economical than cooking, as the street food is cheaper.
