Budget travelers are always looking for ways to cut their costs while traveling. You want to have the best experience that you can, but need to save money when possible. You can end up spending a fortune on eating if you aren’t careful, so use these tips on how to save money on food while traveling.
Stop by the supermarket or convenience store
Whenever you’re in a major city, you should be able to find a supermarket or convenience store somewhere near where you’re staying. Convenience stores in other parts of the world aren’t like a CVS or 7-11, they often have some fresh food along with its canned and frozen selection. Stop here to pick up some fruits and vegetables to use as snacks and to supplement a carb-heavy free hostel breakfast.
If you find a good supermarket, pick up anything you could possibly need– sliced meat for sandwiches, pretzels and other snacks for late night drunk munchies, or even fresh, pre-prepared meals like pastas and pre-bagged veggie stir fry mixes to make in your hostel’s kitchen.
Read next: How to Choose the Perfect Hostel
Free breakfast= free lunch
Staying at hostel with free breakfast? Get yourself some ziplock bags (try to bring them from home if you can), steal some extra pieces of bread, cheese and meat when no one’s looking, and you’ve got yourself a free lunch that you can eat while on the go!
Take advantage of your hostel’s kitchen
Staying at a hostel that allows its guests access to a kitchen can really cut your food costs. Whether it’s using the community fridge to hold your leftovers from dinner or heating up the stovetop to whip up a vegetable stir fry, you have the option to eat your very own “home-cooked” meal for next to nothing.
Read next: 6 Healthy, Cheap and Easy Hostel Recipes
Ask the front desk for cheap food options
Take advantage of your hotel or hostel’s reception desk, as the staff will always know the best and cheapest food spots nearby. They can also tell you what that city’s “dollar menu equivalent” is– where you can get cheap food fast, whether it be from a street vendor or the local KFC– try to go local, please!
Read next: How to Travel Longer With Less Money