Cheap Travel Food Hacks

[JuSp02]

DH is heading out for a buisness trip in a few weeks and I have decided to tag along.  I'll be telecommuting during the week, and we'll get to visit with friends in the city on the weekend.  I just realized that while all of DH's expenses will be reimbursed by his company (which includes some group meals that I won't be able to attend), I will have to go several days in a hotel room with no kitchen.  We'll be eating out with friends on the weekend, but I have zero interest in going to restaurants when I am by myself.  So, mustachios, what are your best travel food hacks?  How can I minimize the unnecessary financial damage?

[shadowmoss]

Will you have a microwave available?  That makes things a lot easier if you do.  I'll be doing some thinking while waiting for your answer.

Along the way I tend to eat breakfast out as it is usually a cheaper meal to find, I can even eat McD's breakfast.  If I eat some protein for the breakfast meal I'm not so stressed to find things later on.

[pbkmaine]

Nuts and nut butters, apples, oranges, carrots, celery, packets of oatmeal, pop top cans of fruits, pop top cans of tuna fish, crackers, pretzels, cheese, cans of vegetable juice. I also take a bunch of flavored teas to drink. There's always a coffeemaker to heat water for tea and oatmeal. If you don't have a refrigerator, you can make a mini fridge out of your ice bucket.

[screwit]

Couscous, instant ramen, buy some premade salads and store them in the minibar.

[SilveradoBojangles]

Will you be near a Trader Joe's? They have tons of pre-made salads and wraps that are about $4. Otherwise, my ideas are pre-cut veggies and hummus, PB&J sandwiches (or PB&Banana), trail mix, yogurt. Meat and cheese sandwiches if you have a fridge. Cured meat if you don't. When we travel we bring a little plastic cutting board, a plastic knife, plastic silverware, and a TSA-friendly corkscrew/bottle opener. It allows us to make some basic foods (slice cheese, cut up a tomato for a sandwich, etc) where ever we are.

[jeromedawg]

Best bet is to find a grocery store nearby with hot food. My local Walmart and Costco sells rotisserie chickens... in fact, most stores these days do. Those should be a good meal or two and are pretty cheap. Just pickup some bread and maybe raw veggies like carrots and celery. Otherwise, just get lunchmeat, cheese and bread from a nearby market or grocery store.

Does the hotel serve breakfast? If so, that's a no-brainer... and make sure to take extra muffins, bread, jam, cheese, etc for a later snack or lunch even.

[Bob W]

  My guess is that your hotel will have at least a fridge and a microwave available on site.   With a fridge and microwave the world is yours.    You can purchase Michalinos dinners for like buck but there are huge options. 

If no fridge or microwave may I suggest peanut butter and jelly,  canned tuna, chicken.   I assume there will be a grocery somewhere nearby so you can pick up nuts,  fruits, veggies,  mustard, chips etc...

[shadowmoss]

Just to clarify my reason for even asking about a microwave is that the casino hotel rooms in Las Vegas usually don't have anything, not even a coffeemaker.  The OP didn't say where they will be.

[Bbqmustache]

Hit up a local thrift store (Goodwill?) and pick up a $5 crockpot!

[forummm]

I bring nuts, crackers, dried fruit, and homemade granola with me whenever I travel. Milk and granola makes a great breakfast. You can buy bread and peanut butter anywhere (TSA won't let you take a jar of PB in carry on since it's a paste). Carrots are also easy to find. And for dinner you can find a cheap dining option for variety (be it fast food or whatever).