Here are a few clever ways you can avoid overspending on food when travelling 21st December 2022
Travel is a favourite bucket list item for most people who aspire to discover new opportunities, savour offbeat experiences, introspect and grow holistically. With general insurance covering the financial burden of accidents that may happen while travelling, it has become easier and safer to travel than ever before.
Despite the ease of travel, most people end up postponing plans indefinitely or even cancelling due to budgeting issues. Overspending while travelling can have a significant impact on your finances. However, pinching every penny ruins the joy of the experience. Therefore, it is essential to find a balance, make careful estimates, and use tricks that save money on regular activities.
Food is one such expense that adds to the joy of travel. However, it is easy to overspend on food while travelling. Here are some smart ways that can help you save on food.
1. Complimentary breakfasts:
Usually, breakfast is included in the cost of the room. It is an overlooked service that can save you a sizable sum throughout your stay. Most hotels provide good-quality breakfast spreads that give you a taste of the local cuisine and international foods.
2. All-you-can-eat buffets:
These buffets can save you a lot of money if you travel with large groups or have a voracious appetite. Instead of purchasing individual menu items in fancy restaurants, it is significantly cheaper to head to a buffet restaurant that specialises in a specific food type- meat, pasta, or pizza, for example. These restaurants can be easily found by a quick internet search.
3. Avoid tourist-catered restaurants:
Tourists often travel without prior research and pay exorbitant rates for items sold at prime locations. An example is the restaurants in tourist-centric areas like the city centre or nearby tourist attractions. These restaurants charge high prices and exploit tourists who don't know the actual cost. It is best to avoid such centrally located restaurants and instead research and find local restaurants to get a taste of authentic cuisine at reasonable prices.
4. Stash your snacks:
Have you ever experienced hunger outdoors without having a snack prepared, and the only available options are overpriced foods you would not otherwise purchase? Imagine that in a foreign place where you end up paying heavily.
In desperate times, we purchase unnecessary things at unreasonable prices that do not truly satisfy our needs. To avoid this, carry a few snacks with you. This helps tide over time between two activities and prevents you from wasting money on overpriced snacks.
5. Allocate one meal a day for dine-out:
It is tempting to dine out for all meals while on vacation. However, this leaves a massive dent in your wallet. The easiest way to overcome this obstacle is to define a meal to eat at a local restaurant each day. Preferably, this should be lunch to get the most value for your money. Complimentary breakfasts and grocery stores or cooking for dinner make it easy to follow this rule.
6. Opt to cook:
If you're booked into a hostel, or your hotel room provides the equipment you can use to cook, ensure that you make full use of them. This can help in cutting down food expenses substantially. In case neither of these options is available to you, choose to purchase freshly prepared sandwiches or similar quick fixes from grocery stores or local bakeries.
Ensure that the food is safe to eat by thoroughly checking the expiry dates to prevent any issues that may lead to illnesses, irrespective of whether or not your travel is covered under your general insurance.
With some planning and research, you can limit your food expenses without adversely affecting your travel experience and preventing you from travelling. Think like a local, and you can significantly reduce expenses. However, you must pay attention to purchasing comprehensive general insurance covering accidents while travelling.
Click HERE to buy the best general insurance policy before your next trip.
Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.