I don't typically talk about food on this blog, mostly because we don't typically eat out at restaurants. We mostly do our own grocery shopping and cook at home, whether that be our own home or a vacation rental. This is predominantly because we actually like cooking! But it is also so we can be more cost-effective and to better control food allergens too.
One of the hardest parts for eating while traveling is actually finding the best places to shop. Each state in the US seems to have slightly different stores, with slightly different brands... and would you believe even different packaging sometimes?! In our household we currently have an egg and peanut allergy so reading labels is very important! When buying from what I like to call the perimeter or the outside circle of a market, it is easy to avoid most allergens when purchasing fruits, vegetables, meat, and basic perishables. But the middle isles are always take the longest if new labels need to be verified, not to mention different stores are usually laid-out differently... ok, you get my drift. The main point is as a traveling family, not knowing if the typical purchases will be available was a fear we needed to get over quickly or the simple task of eating could stunt, or even halt our travel adventures.
To make our lives easier, we luckily enjoy eating more fresh foods and cooking from scratch. I'm a big fan of meal planning and for entrees, we are simple three category eaters of protein, carb, and veggie for most dinners. To be cost effective I like to have a wholesale membership to either BJ's or Costco to purchase bigger ticket items like diapers, meat, and even alcohol (where available, and back when I wasn't pregnant). When staying at a place for longer then one week this can be a big help! Then the next task is to scout out the local grocery stores. Some areas have only one close by, but if you are lucky, there might even be more then two options! Steer clear from the tourist traps markets where souvenirs are sold alongside groceries. If possible, ask someone local where a good grocery store is. Use common sense to look around you when in a grocery store: if all the cars in the parking lot are rentals and people inside are carrying their fanny-packs and cameras its pretty easy to say it's not where the locals are shopping. Worse case scenario, use a quick internet search if you haven't already. Once you picked out your new market, go to the customer service desk for a discount card to add to your keychain while on vacation. If you end up liking this store you are likely going to use it again. And if you end up going to another market, just keep collecting the keychain cards so you can use these "coupons" during your vacation.
Needless to say I've probably talked more about grocery shopping then I actually intended but it's funny how many people go on vacation and forget that they are basically spending double on their market bills just because they aren't getting a keychain shopping card, and it's even more amazing to me when I hear families travel and eat out at resturants the whole time... cha-ching! And not to mention probably an unhealthy amount of calories. We have people ask us all the time how we afford to travel so much, and although of course this is not the only way we save money on our vacations, food can certainly be budgeted better. I suggest that if you can save some money in your food department, you are already one step closer to saving for your next family vacation or yearly adventures!
