Part 1 of this series discussed general money-saving tips. Part 2 covered transportation money-savers, and Part 3 was devoted to accommodations. Now, in Part 4--our final post on this topic--we discuss saving money while dining out.
Dining-Out Money-Savers for your Honeymoon
- Beware of Room Service: After adding in the rip-off delivery charge and the hugely rip-off service charge and whatever other fees the hotel can think of, that $30 breakfast for two ends up being $50. Don't waste your money. Make coffee in your room (the hotel does provide an in-room coffee maker, right?) and enjoy a breakfast out at half the cost or even better. Or plan ahead, making afternoon purchases of yogurt, fruit, baked goods, or whatever appeals to you as breakfast, and enjoy it in your room the next morning. And don’t forget: if you call for food delivery at lunch or dinner from a nearby restaurant, you need only tip the delivery person.
- Patronize Hotels that Include Breakfast: Many medium-price or business hotels offer complimentary breakfast buffets as an inducement to book a room.
- Lunch vs. Dinner: Savvy honeymooners on a budget often eat lunch rather than dinner at upscale restaurants. Lunch menus offer many of the same dishes as dinner, with the same portion sizes, but at substantially reduced prices.
- Gather a Picnic: Head to a farmer's market or a grocer and pick up local cheeses, fruits, wine, fresh-baked bread, and whatever other goodies strike your fancy. Find a riverside or a park or anywhere with a good view, and...Bon Appétit!
- Ask Locals for Restaurant Suggestions: Tell them you’re looking for good food at bargain prices, and chances are you’ll wind up dining at some real gems—the kind of places you know about (and frequent) back home. BTW, best not to ask the people behind the hotel desk or the manager—they’ll direct you to overpriced, mainstream, “safe” choices.
- Sample Street Food: I love eating street food when I travel—dumplings or tiny octopi on toothpicks in Shanghai, fish tacos in Baja, a cheese crepe in Paris, a big gooey slice just dripping cheese in New York City… Street food isn’t merely delicious, it’s cheap and a fabulous way to experience a different city or culture. Sometimes vendors are delighted and even shocked when you choose something they don’t expect—as with those delectable octopi I encountered in the streets of Shanghai.
- Hit the Local Grocery Stores: I always do this when I travel, out of a combined culinary/sociological curiosity. It’s not only fascinating to investigate the groceries in other countries, but you can end up bringing home some real bargains. Once, in a tiny Paris grocery store, I bought 5 small round boxes of French sea salt at something like $1.50 each (they retails at $15 per in the US). As a mustard nut, I’m always finding great mustards to haul home. But for you, trying to save money, grocery stores are where to go to buy bottled water, daily snacks, and so on—at a fraction of the price they’ll go for at your hotel.
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