Save on Vacation Foodby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 13 Jun 2007 11:38 AM One expense that quickly ads up while vacationing is the cost of food. After all, it is generally pretty convenient, and sometimes necessary to eat out when you are away from home. But there are a few strategies that you can use to cut those expenses drastically and save some of your hard-earned money for your vacation activities or for next year's trip. Pack A Cooler This might seem an obvious tip, but not too many people take advantage of it. Anything that you can bring with you will save you money, so even if it is just a small cooler with a couple of sodas, water bottles or juice cups, you will be ahead of the game. Think about the last time you bought bottled water on a trip. Chances are you spent anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 per bottle! Pack your own and drink for free. If you are going on a day trip, consider packing a lunch as well to save even more. You can use this strategy even for extended vacations. Ice from a hotel is free, so you can keep that cooler cool all vacation long. Cooking in Most hotel rooms nowadays come stocked with a mini-fridge and a microwave at no extra expense. Call ahead and ask. Ask that the fridge be empty when you check in, so you won't be tempted to munch on $6 candy bars and other snacks. Then take a visit to the local grocery store and stock that fridge with frozen pot pies, hot pockets and other easy microwavable meals. Even if your hotel doesn't provide a microwave, it will probably have that mini-fridge. Take along a hot pot or hot plate to heat of your meals. Or, you can get the fixings for salads, cereal and sandwiches. I'm not saying you shouldn't live a little, but being frugal is all about choices, and each meal you make yourself will save you money. Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites. Related Articles: Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags budget, Food, summer, Travel, vacation Discuss this article
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