How to Eat Cheap When You Travel the World (Updated 2023)

Final Up to date: 3/17/23 | March seventeenth, 2023

I like to eat.

In reality, consuming is one in all my favourite actions, and in addition one in all my favourite features of touring.

Meals is such an integral a part of so many cultures that to skip out on meals while you journey is to overlook out on part of that tradition.

I’m all the time upset once I meet vacationers who cook dinner all their meals in a hostel kitchen.

Why come to Italy and never have pasta?

No sushi in Japan?

Avoiding steak in Argentina?

Skipping paella in Spain?

When you don’t must eat each single dish while you go to a brand new nation, it’s vital to be as open as doable to their meals tradition.

In fact, many vacationers have a sound concern in the case of meals. For one, consuming out on a regular basis is dear. Think about in case you ate out each day — your meals finances could be astronomical!

Moreover, many individuals have dietary considerations that forestall them from absolutely embracing new meals. And many travelers are vegan or vegetarian, as nicely, which could impression their choices.

As a backpacker, individuals usually assume that I, like different backpackers, cook dinner all my meals.

Nonetheless, I don’t truly cook dinner fairly often once I’m on the street. Whereas I like cooking at residence, I hate poorly outfitted hostel kitchens.

To verify I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to learn to steadiness consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a approach to economize.

Sure, it takes a little bit of intelligent pondering, however it undoubtedly is feasible. Right here’s tips on how to eat out on a finances whilst you journey the world:

1. Eat at Buffets

Whereas they don’t all the time serve the very best meals, buffets provide nice worth in your cash, particularly since they’re all-you-can-eat. As a rule, you’ll be able to replenish on one meal for your complete day. They’re a superb economical selection and provide the most meals in your buck (whereas permitting you to pattern quite a lot of totally different meals).

2. Go to Outside Road Distributors

Small stands that promote sizzling canines, sausages, sandwiches, and comparable meals nice locations to get an inexpensive and fast meal. Whereas in Sweden, I lived off some of these distributors. Whereas they’re nothing fancy, they’re tasty and low-cost!

In Amsterdam, FEBO and their croquettes stored my abdomen full. In Costa Rica, the empanada vendor stuffed me up for a greenback and I purchased native meals from distributors at markets for mere pennies in Madagascar.

These fast and cheap meals received’t win any Michelin stars (though there are Michelin star food stalls in Singapore!) however, they’ll maintain you full with out emptying your pockets.

3. Eat Road Meals

In most locations world wide (and especially in Asia), the streets are lined with little meals stalls and areas the place meals is cooked brazenly on the road.

You seize a plate, sit down in somewhat plastic chair, and luxuriate in a scrumptious meal. Road meals is a number of the finest meals on the earth. Meals at road stalls (totally different from road distributors, who’ve a bit extra everlasting set-up) value lower than a greenback more often than not and are an effective way to actually expertise the native delicacies.

Many locations — like Thailand and Vietnam, for instance, wouldn’t be the identical if the road meals disappeared.

4. (Generally) Eat Quick Meals

Quick meals isn’t the very best for you, however it’s another choice if you would like an inexpensive meal in cheap components of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, residence of the $15 Whopper), you may get a filling (and massively caloric) meal.

Furthermore, the native greenback menu will prevent much more. Certain, it’s not the best meals, and I’m going to skip the philosophical debate about touring world wide solely to eat McDonald’s to say that it’s low-cost and simply one other approach that will help you rein in your spending. (Nonetheless, word: in Asia, quick meals is commonly dearer than native meals.)

5. Go Native

Whenever you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of residence every so often. That signifies that positive, typically I get sick of Greek meals once I’ve been touring there for a bit. Different occasions, I can’t eat any extra Thai meals and simply desire a burger.

And that’s OK.

We dwell in a globalized world — eat what you need. Nonetheless, non-local meals is sort of all the time dearer than native delicacies. For instance, in Vietnam, a bowl of pho is lower than a greenback, however a burger is about 3 times as a lot (or extra!).

Go native and you’ll save your self a ton of cash in the long term!

6. Discover the Lunch Specials

Many eating places, particularly in Europe, provide lunch specials, the place objects on the dinner menu are provided at an enormous low cost. You may get a tremendous afternoon meal for a fraction of the fee you’d pay for a similar meal within the night.

I often are inclined to eat my “good” meal throughout lunch, as a result of lunch specials and plates of the day are about 30-40% off what I’d pay at dinner. The choices will often be extra restricted, however the financial savings greater than justify it.

7. Skip the Soda

Grabbing a refreshing can of Coke or Pepsi would possibly look like a cheap approach to quench your thirst, however it’s a selection that provides up (very similar to shopping for a espresso each day). Certain, I could splurge occasionally on a Coke, however I infrequently purchase soda as a result of it’s so costly (and it’s so dangerous for you!).

Whenever you’re visiting a tropical location, an ice-cold soda is unquestionably interesting. However spending a few bucks each day can actually add up over the course of a long-term journey!

8. Refillable Water Bottle

Water won’t be as costly as soda, however shopping for a bottle (or three) each day can add up. As you stroll round and sightsee, you should keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water will not be solely environmentally wasteful — it additionally makes silly finances journey sense.

Assuming every bottle is about $.75 USD and you purchase three a day, over the course of a month you’ll spend $67.50!

That’s some huge cash spent on water! (Plus, in some components of the world, bottled water prices much more than that!)

Carry a refillable bottle of water (with a filter) with you as an alternative and simply use the faucet water. I recommend a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is all the time clear and secure.

9. Don’t Snack

A gelato right here, a gelato there. A soda. A sweet bar. An ice cream. A small pastry. All of it provides up.

Because the value is so small (“It’s solely a euro!”), we don’t consider snacking as having a big effect on our finances. However shopping for snacks a couple of occasions a day will slowly add up and throw your finances out of whack. Even in case you simply purchase two little snacks for 1.50 EUR per day, that’s going to be no less than 90 EUR (over $100 USD!) by the top of the month.

It’s not one thing many vacationers consider, however snacking actually does add up over the long run. Keep away from snacks and persist with massive, filling meals as an alternative. In the event you do must snack, be sure to account for it in your finances.

In the event you’re somebody who loves snacking all through the day, think about shopping for snacks on the grocery store like fruits, crackers, vitality bars, and so forth., to take with you to munch on over the course of the day so that you’re ready as an alternative of splurging on an overpriced vacationer lure snack.

10. Cook dinner Typically

I don’t cook dinner quite a bit on the street as I don’t like hostel kitchens. They by no means have the whole lot I want, and I hate touring with a transportable kitchen so I can have all of the substances I need.

But when I’m in a single place for some time (or if I’m Couchsurfing), I cook dinner a couple of meals.

Cooking is among the finest methods to maintain your journey prices down, and supermarkets are additionally nice locations to go to see what the native individuals eat. The one place the place cooking your individual meals isn’t probably the most economical choice is Asia, the place road meals is often cheaper.

As I discussed, I’ll usually exit for a nicer meal at lunch once I can discover a whole lot. That can often imply for dinner I’ll be cooking my very own meals. That approach, I’ll nonetheless get to attempt the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my finances intact. Double win!

11. Picnic

One other good self-cook technique is to picnic. That is one thing I do quite a bit for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is good. I often head to an area meals market, decide up a bunch of meals, and go picnic within the park. Not solely am I saving cash (sandwiches aren’t costly), however it affords me a superb likelihood to look at the locals scurry about their every day lives.

In the event you’re staying at a hostel, this can be a nice ice-breaker for assembly new individuals. Simply invite everybody alongside to hitch you and also you’ll be making new pals very quickly!

12. Use Tourism Playing cards

Most individuals consider vacationer playing cards just like the iAmsterdam card or the VisitOslo cross as only a approach to economize on transportation and sights. However these playing cards additionally provide reductions at many eating places. Sometimes, reductions are round 15-25%, however typically lunch specials will be as much as 50% off.

Go to the native tourism workplace while you arrive and ask what meals reductions are included. Likelihood is you’ll be capable to save much more cash in case you simply take the time to study in regards to the tourism cross. it’s a worthwhile funding!

13. Discover Free Breakfast

If you could find hostels or resorts that embrace breakfast, you’ve already eradicated the price of one meal. Plus, if in case you have an enormous breakfast that fills you up for a lot of the day you then don’t must eat as many meals out. Furthermore, many hostels world wide additionally provide free dinners, free espresso and tea, and different food-related perks. Search them out to economize and decrease your meals prices.

14. Eat With College students

The place there are universities, there are college students, and since college students are often broke, meaning there are possible low-cost locations to eat close by. Examine Google Maps for native post-secondary establishments and see what you could find within the close by space. Many bars within the space will possible have low-cost drinks and blissful hours too, so it can save you much more.

15. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of international locations, supermarkets provide lunchtime specials for staff within the surrounding areas. These often entail contemporary sandwiches or some soup or salads. Moreover, many supermarkets additionally low cost meals that expires quickly, together with bread, baked items, meat, and produce. Purchase groceries within the night and you’ll possible end up some discounted (however nonetheless completely secure and edible) meals.

I like a pleasant eating places. I don’t thoughts paying cash for a superb meal with a pleasant glass of wine. However doing that EVERY meal is just too costly.

However, through the use of the ideas above, I can afford to maintain my prices down whereas nonetheless with the ability to afford a top quality meal sometimes.

And that’s what is basically vital — discovering the fitting steadiness.

As a result of in case you can handle to steadiness consuming nice meals with saving cash, each your pockets and your abdomen will thanks.