Travel tip #17 - Eating on a budget

Let's face it, part of being on vacation is eating out and trying new places. This travel tip is to help you save money on the experience but takes some planning ahead in order for it to work for you.

Step 1: If you know where you will be vacationing ahead of time, start scouting out local eating establishments via the tourist and hotel feedback posts. If you hotel said that it is within a few miles of a place, odds are you will eat there at least once. If your hotels does not have this type of info listed, consider calling the concierge and asking. Keep this list close at hand until your vacation has ended.

Step 2: Start looking at daily deal websites (see links at top of page) for those places or locations on your list. If you can grab a discount ahead of time, why not. Keep in mind that you don't want to "fix" you schedule too much, so limit how many of these you grab.

Step 3: Print off a copy of my "kids eat free or cheap" list to take with you when you go.

Step 4: Upon arrival to you destination, drop off all your stuff at the hotel. Send the kids out to scope the lobby for assorted brochures and coupons for the area. Load everyone back into your vehicle and take an hour or two to simply drive around. This drive is a great opportunity to make your "grocery store run" and get a full tank of gas. Everyone will be so excited to see the new sites that they won't care that you are in the car again. End your drive at one of the establishments you have a coupon for, and discuss over dinner what sites you would like to visit during your stay. By driving around you now know the "regions" and main roads you will be traveling on (or want to avoid) which makes it easier to know what restaurants you are more likely to eat at.

Step 5: After supper go back to the hotel room. While your family takes turns getting unpacked, hitting the pool etc, hop onto the hotel computer (typically free in the business center or hotel lobby) and see if you can find online coupons for the eating establishments near the sites you family want to visit. Look for the regular coupon postings as well as any "birthday clubs" they may have that you can take advantage of. This is your vacation too, so don't spend too much time doing this.

Step 6: Look at the brochures for the sites you wish to visit on a specific day, keeping in mind that some are closed at specific times or days. Pull all of your coupons for that area out and put into whatever bag/purse you will have with you that day. Put your other coupons into a bag that can be easily put in and out of the vehicle each night just in case you have a change of plans.