How to meal plan on vacation!

We have reached Foodie Friday, the final day of our Travel week!  You can check out my money-saving post and wellness posts from earlier this week! As you can guess, we are going to be talking about meal planning on vacation. Your trip or vacation can look like eating out the entire time, cooking at an AirBnB or camping the entire time, or something in the middle. Taking a few minutes before the trip to discuss vacation meal planning, can save you from overspending and eating disappointing meals. 

If you haven’t already, make sure you grab my free Travel Planner workbook. In this free workbook, you will find tools to help you know your daily plans, must-do’s, and budget for your vacation meal plan.  Sign up here and it will be delivered to your email inbox shortly!

Planning ahead

Before the trip happens, take some time to discuss the meal budgets and meal expectations with the adults who are going on this trip. Especially if you are from different families, there are probably going to be some differences in expectations, typical meals, and tastes. By discussing these ahead of time, you can hopefully prevent any conflicts from hungry or disappointed group members. Having a conversation can help make vacation meal planning much simpler!

• Will we have any meals at our hotel or Airbnb or eat out for all meals?
• What type of breakfast do you prefer, sit down or eat on the go?
• What times do you eat your 3 meals a day?
• Is there one “must-have” meal that you want to make sure we have on the trip?

A few universal meal planning tips

• Eat like a local! Find out what the area is known for and try the local specialty. Eat cheesesteaks in Philly, pasta in Italy, tacos in Austin, ramen in Japan, you get the idea! This makes dining both an experience and a meal. Double bonus!
• Look for local restaurant review pages on social media and look back at their reviews for the past year or so to get ideas of what is available in town. Make a note of any must-tries on your travel planner. 
• Cooking at “home” is almost always cheaper than eating out. If you have access to a kitchen, plan a couple of simple dinners that you can make with just a few ingredients like spaghetti and meatballs, rotisserie chicken dinner, 
• Carry a refillable water bottle with you at all times and refill it whenever you have a chance.

Breakfast meal planning tips

Breakfast is the easiest meal to do on the cheap when you are traveling. Many common breakfast foods are cheap and easy to purchase and store. 

• If you are staying at a hotel, try the following tricks:
  • Using the coffee maker to heat up hot water for instant oatmeal.
  • Find a cheap hotel with a free breakfast.
  • Granola bars and fruit can be a great start to the day. Find a nearby supermarket or drugstore to purchase. 
• An Airbnb situation with a kitchen provides a ton of tools to make a great breakfast. Find some simple staples at a nearby supermarket and you can whip up a gourmet breakfast!
• Copy what the locals eat. Especially if traveling overseas, the local breakfast is usually the best value and delicious. Bagels and lox in New York or pastries and coffee in Paris are iconic and cheap breakfasts! 
• Splurge on some fancy instant coffee can be a good middle ground value between bad hotel coffee and going out for Starbucks. 
• Farmer’s markets or street markets can be great places to wander and find breakfast, snacks, or treats to satisfy everyone in the group. Plus you can learn some of the local cultures while you are browsing. 

Lunch meal planning tips

• Often lunch is cheaper to eat out than dinner, and often the menu items and quantities are the same. If there is a fancy or very popular restaurant you want to try, plan to try it for lunch to have a less crowded and cheaper experience.
• Sandwiches are an adventure traveler’s best friend. Stopping for a deli sandwich, Subway sandwich, or making PB&J in the hotel room ahead of time can provide an easy to transport and filling lunch. 
• Embrace the picnic in the park! Sandwiches, cheese and crackers, or Lunchables with fruit, can make for an easy lunch to eat while enjoying the outdoors. 
• If you are road tripping, embrace the cooler to pack and store food on the go, stock it with ice from the hotel ice machine each morning/night. 
• Don’t be afraid to get a treat! An afternoon treat of ice cream, gelato, or the local pastry at a bakery can save you money by eating a smaller lunch or dinner (or skipping a meal entirely!). 

Dinner meal planning tips

• The prepared food section in many grocery stores is often a better deal for feeding a group a variety of food at a reasonable price. Items like rotisserie chicken, prepared single meals, fresh soups, and salad bars can give everyone what they want in one location.
• Use review sites like Yelp to check out your restaurant before you visit and gauge the price range so you are not expected. 
• Have a few special meals planned for your trip, but space them out throughout the trip and do your research before so you know you will have a great dining experience. 
• Look out for dinner and show options that combine dinner with another activity. 
• Embrace happy hour! Especially if you eat a lighter lunch, happy hours can be at the perfect time when people start getting a little hungry. 
• Share a meal or meal and appetizer to try a few things without overeating. 
• If you have a kitchen and plan to use it for some main dinners, plan them ahead of time and list out all ingredients you will need. Consider bringing some small or shelf-stable items with you like meat seasonings/spices, broth bouillon cubes, or rice. 

Other vacation tips

• If you are going to be in town for several days and drinking alcohol, consider finding a liquor store and buying liquor or alcohol drinks for your room instead of going out to a bar or having drinks at a restaurant. 
• Bring some snacks when going on excursions and activities so you can knock down any hunger before becoming “hangry”. This will save you from having to buy an overpriced meal to satisfy the “hangry” person, or seeing an adult throw a temper tantrum like a toddler! Often snacks are shelf-stable and you can buy them at home (bonus points if they are on sale!) and bring them with you. Ideas include packaged nuts, granola bars, dried fruit, peanut butter crackers, or goldfish. 

There are tons of ways to save money on food while you are traveling. A little flexibility and an adventurous spirit can ensure you get to experience local culture through their food in a memorable way. 

Even if you are traveling on a strict budget of PB&J sandwiches, plan one special local meal at a restaurant you are excited about and enjoy the anticipation of it!  

With a little bit of prep work, your vacation meal planning can make your vacation or trip a memorable experience. Food is such an instrumental part of traveling, and can often be one of your fondest memories for years to come. I hope you are able to find the right balance of frugality and enjoyment on your trip! 

What are your best tricks for saving money on food while still eating well? I would love to have you share them in the comments below or over on our Instagram page!

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