Sometimes we hear folks saying they’d love to travel, but the expense of  eating out all the time makes it too expensive.  If you let it, eating can take a major bite out of your budget — but it doesn’t have to.  You can get good, cheap eats everywhere.

We love Asian food, so naturally we couldn’t wait to eat our way through Vietnam and Thailand last year.

In Ho An, Vietnam we were hit by a typhoon and were stuck in our hotel for a day and a half.  No worries — there were a row of Mom-n-Pop eateries right opposite.  Breakfasts were delicious fruit shakes and chocolate pancakes, lunches and dinners were stir-fries and pho (noodle soup/stew crammed with greens and veggies and if you want it shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, etc) — all for under a dollar.

In Chiang Mai, Thailand our favorite eaterie was at the food hall at the enormous shopping mall close to where we were staying.  On the spot they custom made dishes of rice, veggies, noodles, chicken, fish, etc — all for about 75cents!

Closer to home, in the USA when we’re traveling we try to go to places like Sweet Tomatoes (Florida) or Fresh Choice (California) where the one-price-buffet food is so plentiful, one meal will last you all day.

In England go to Indian restaurants and in France, Middle-Eastern is your best bet. In South America many restaurants have a comida corrida — instead of ordering a la carte you order the lunch special, usually a 3 course meal for three to five dollars.

Don’t forget from time to time to pack a picnic.  And remember that you can generally cut your eating expenses by a hefty percentage by cutting out alcohol — hey when you’re traveling, you’re having such a good time you won’t need to drink!

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