How to save food $ at a hotel?

[asauer]

We're going to Puerto Rico for a long weekend and I'm looking for ways to save $ on food.  We're using points for the hotel which limited us to a somewhat remote area and a hotel with no free breakfast.  Any ideas on possibly bringing food?

[Retire-Canada]

If the hotel has a fridge and you can stock up at a grocery store you could get:

- milk
- cereal
- nuts
- crackers
- fruit
- sandwich meat
- bread

[pbkmaine]

We took the kids to a resort years ago and brought the following in our luggage: powdered milk plus quart container to mix and store it in, little boxes of cereal, jars of peanut butter, granola bars and saltine crackers. We bought fruit at the local markets once we got there. There was a fridge, and we had breakfast in the room every morning. Lunch and dinner were on us, and we ate in local rather than resort restaurants. Snacks were from our stash or the kids used their own money. It worked great.

[fitfrugalfab]

We always get:
 a case of bottled water
boost (the meal replacement drink)
fiber one bars
some bag of chips or crackers
lunchables

We use these for our breakfast and lunch and then go out for dinner.

[asauer]

I KNEW you guys would have great ideas!

[bobechs]

If you cruise the halls at just the right time of day you will find room service trays and delivery pizza boxes that have been set out by the room occupants.

The remains tend to toast and muffins, salads, french fries and the crustier part of the pizza slice, but lots of people don't finish their orange juice or even open the little containers of half-and-half.

[gliderpilot567]

I was going to start a thread about business travel, but found this one. Awesome. Almost everything I was going to discuss is applicable to the discussion here.

I travel for work quite frequently, usually leaving on Monday and returning Friday, spending the four nights in between away from home. I get my plane tickets, hotel, rental car, and other expenses reimbursed so those are a wash; but also I get a nominal per diem amount for meals & incidentals. Usually this is only about $35-50 per diem, depending on location, which is about enough to cover one fast food lunch, one dinner at a casual dining type place, a beer or two, and other food throughout the day (job is physically demanding, I also do strength training, and am pretty hungry as a result). But over a weeks' trip, if I come up with more frugal food options, I can make a good $200.

I always try to stay at hotels where there is free breakfast, since I get reimbursed for the hotel anyway. After filling up, grab an apple, muffin, or yogurt or anything portable as I leave breakfast, to eat as second breakfast. For lunch I usually have to end up spending $7-10 due to my schedule, but have had some success with making sandwiches if I can find a half-loaf of bread (the full loaf is more than I can eat in four days). It's easy to use up one pack each of lunch meat and cheese in that time though, which is convenient.

For dinner, I still tend to go to a casual dining type place, but I'll find the highest protein+calorie item on the menu, and similarly choose the highest calorie sides if they are included. Yesterday (I'm in fact on the road now) I found a plate at Ruby Tuesdays with 14oz of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and beans for $10. Way more than I would have paid to cook it myself, but I filled up and got to keep most of my per diem. I'll forego desserts and additional sides, and drink only water (though beer is a weakness of mine!).

I'm the best at this when I travel alone. When traveling with colleagues, they always want to go out and spend as much as they would have spent anyway, PLUS more because they're getting per diem. Doesn't help that one of my frequent work travel destinations is Vegas!

[mxt0133]

I am traveling with the family this weekend for 4 days 3 nights and we are bringing a hot plate, pot, pan, utensils, eggs, canned beef, tuna salad, ect.  We will eat out a few times but it will just be too much work to eat out every meal, with three kids all 5 and under.

[CanuckExpat]

You can take instant oatmeal for breakfast. Most hotel rooms have a coffee maker that can be used to boil water.

[11ducks]

Make cheese sandwiches at home, and wrap in foil. When at the hotel, use the iron to make a grilled cheese :)

[rubybeth]

I've stayed a hotel that didn't have a fridge (well, they advertised having a fridge, but it was full of mini-bar crap so it was unusable), and you'd be surprised at how many foods don't actually need to be refrigerated.

A personal favorite of mine is pepperoni or other cured meat along with a cheese of some type (the kind that come in a little wheel in individually wrapped foil casings come to mind, or a hard cheese that doesn't need refigeration) on a good cracker (those flavored Triscuits are darn good). It's honestly better than a sandwich, kind of like an adult Lunchable but way better. Add in some olives and a sliced pear or two, and you'll feel positively fancy!

Also, any other fruit or snackable veggie, muffins, etc. for breakfast or lunch works well, too. Classic PB&J on plain bread--buy a nice loaf of bread for this.

If you have access to an ice machine, some stuff would be fine in an ice bucket or small cooler since it doesn't need to be kept as cold (if you have a cloth cooler than can be packed into luggage, you can line with a garbage bag and add ice). I'm thinking things like hummus, salad dressing, or even leftovers from a big meal the night before (rice and veggies, noodles, etc.). Hummus would be good on veggies or with pita bread, etc.

Also, I like to go to a nice grocery store and just get things from their deli section. We did this in Paris--bought little individual desserts, sushi, fruit, a bottle of wine, and then went and sat in the prettiest square or park we could find (bring utensils and you're set).

Others also mentioned baked goods--I like buying a pack of muffins or something as a filling snack. Another fave is yoghurt and granola--I bet you could buy small packages of yoghurt and keep on ice for the next morning's breakfast.

[fitfrugalfab]

Make cheese sandwiches at home, and wrap in foil. When at the hotel, use the iron to make a grilled cheese :)

This is brilliant!

[HipGnosis]

Make cheese sandwiches at home, and wrap in foil. When at the hotel, use the iron to make a grilled cheese :)

If you do this, ONLY put the tin foil on the iron.

I traveled a LOT for 14 years and tried quite a few things.
Oatmeal, poptarts, pretzels, thick crackers and peanut butter travel well.  I always brought nylon, camping silverware (including a serrated knife), a small, camping can opener, a very small bottle of dishsoap and some zip-loc bags.
Many convenience foods come in bowls that can be washed and re-used.
For short trips, I'd stock up take out packets of mayo, mustard, honey, pickle relish, etc. for making tuna salad, etc.
You can boil an egg in many coffee makers.
Always rinse fruit extra well.  Always.

Puerto Rico has some awesome snorkeling!

[The_path_less_taken]

If you ever end up at a cheapo hotel with no fridge, you can make one: fill the sink with ice....ta da. You can lay a washcloth on top to retain even more chill factor.

If you're in AZ in July you might need to add ice before you go to bed but still....fine for a day or three of anything that would work in a regular fridge.

If you are going far by car, there are ways to cook on a car engine....I've tried it but I think things like meat require a fairly long distance to cook.

I have little plug in hot pots (some work in the car) and they even make plug in pans for 12v. You can pretty much do anything you can do at home with those. Next time you pass a big interstate truck stop, check out the trucker side store....you'll get to see the appliances in person versus just on the net.

Finally: there are easy to fold solar ovens that literally will fold flat as a big book....you can cook anything in those depending upon sunlight and latitude.

[partgypsy]

It is worth it to get to a grocery store and pick up these things when you are in PR for a week, it will pay for itself. Even a convenience store, if it is not right next to the resorts will be cheaper for things like a loaf of bread, tunafish, pn butter, cheese, drinks, snacks etc.

[lthenderson]

When heading overseas, I find many of the hotels don't have things like mini fridges, irons or such. I usually try finding a local pastry shop in the evenings and buying some for the following morning. It is also interesting to see what constitutes as pastry in other cultures.

[Fishindude]

I do quite a few hunting and fishing trips every year that involve over-night stays in motels.  For convenience we prefer the cheap old motels with outside doors where you can pull your vehicle right in front of the door.   Sometimes we do a little tailgate cooking on a small stove, or grill.   Have cooked; fresh venison, fried fish, steaks, butgers, brats, etc.   A crock pot comes in handy on these excursions too.  Plug it in when you leave in the AM and come back in the evening to hot soup, stew, etc.

We keep the dishes and utensils to a minimum as clean up facilities aren't the best in a motel.

[big_slacker]

Former road warrior and healthy eater here.

First and foremost you should be trying to book something with a fridge and microwave. I used hotels.com to book but even if not just call and make sure.

Every once in a while you'll find one that doesn't have this.

If just a microwave: Potatoes and sweet potatoes, instant oatmeal, steam in bag veggies, steam in bag rice, fruit. I usually brought protein shakes with me. For cold drinks or somethign that needs to be refrigerated as noted above almost all hotels have an ice machine and usually an ice bucket. So fill that up, put your stuff in there, use the sink, etc.

If no microwave or fridge: WTF kind of ghetto hotel did you book? PB sammiches are clutch. Fruit. Avocado is good.

[Dicey]

Loved PR, and the fact that they have Costco! We shopped there the first day, and managed to use up everything.

I always travel with a kitchen/picnic bag, similar to what has been suggested above. I have super tough, lightweight backpacking utensils from REI, including a serrated knife that works surprisingly well, and a tiny, folds-flat can opener which doesn't seem to bother TSA, 'cause it always goes through. Besides the stuff that's been mentioned by others, I include a few pieces of folded heavy-duty foil, as it lasts longer, and a small cloth tablecloth. It's great over suspect surfaces and adds a touch of elegance to our picnics. Everything fits into an old gift with purchase cosmetic bag that's about 4" x 7". It is plastic lined and zips closed. The side seams are flat, so it takes up very little room in my carry-on bag.

FWIW when requesting a refrigerator from the hotel, it helps to say (both in advance and at check-in if necessary.) "We will be traveling with a few items that must be refrigerated." It works. I've even been offered the use of a staff fridge when the hotel really didn't have small ones available.

[HipGnosis]

If you ever end up at a cheapo hotel with no fridge, you can make one: fill the sink with ice....ta da. You can lay a washcloth on top to retain even more chill factor.

But then what do you do when you NEED the sink?  I do NEED a sink...
Get extra towels and wrap a couple around the plastic trash bin.  Put ice in it, your items and lay a folded towel over it.    You can use 'used' towels to wrap it.
If there's not another trash bin, use the bag from the groceries you bought for your trash.

[herbgeek]

If traveling by car, I bring a kettle.  Just having hot water opens up a lot of possibilities- mac and cheese and other just add water single serving items are in a typical grocery store.  If traveling by plane, I bring an immersion heater.  I don't like using the coffee maker for hot water because it makes my food taste like coffee, and who knows if they ever get cleaned.

[bobechs]

If you ever end up at a cheapo hotel with no fridge, you can make one: fill the sink with ice....ta da. You can lay a washcloth on top to retain even more chill factor.

But then what do you do when you NEED the sink?  I do NEED a sink...
Get extra towels and wrap a couple around the plastic trash bin.  Put ice in it, your items and lay a folded towel over it.    You can use 'used' towels to wrap it.
If there's not another trash bin, use the bag from the groceries you bought for your trash.

Just remember,  many. many people have puked in that trash can before it got to you.  The sink too for that matter, but it gets a more effective cleaning.

[YK-Phil]

I don't live in a hotel, but my living arrangements, half office hobo and half house/pet-sitting, makes it hard to cook the way I do at home. I only have access to a small microwave and micro-fridge at the office, so I essentially live off a diet of microwaved scrambled eggs, bacon (it cooks well in the microwave) avocados, nori, fresh fruits and veggies, and lots squash/yam/sweet potatoes (add a bit of molasses or honey to caramelize, a bit of cinnamon, a scoop of raisins or dried cranberries, a few walnuts, and a dollup of sour cream for an awesome breakfast/dessert) that require no refrigeration and can be prepared in a microwave. I supplement it with frozen or fresh salmon fillets (when on special) that can also be prepared in the microwave, canned tuna, sardines, instant oatmeal and other hot/cold cereal, nuts and dried fruits. When eggs are on special, I buy a couple of cartons and I use the electric kettle to make hard-boiled eggs that I can then "pickle" in leftover juice from store-bought pickles. I also make an awesome pilaf rice (cook onions with butter, then rice in the microwave, add a can of chick peas or red/black/white beans), that I eat with olive oil...This diet can be adapted to your own environment and local availability.

[JoJo]

Make sure you eat out too.  The local restaurants aren't too expensive.  I had an amazing king crab mofongo there (sorry, can't remember the place - sort of in a business/residential place thru the middle of town (outside of old town).

[mm1970]

I bought an electric kettle to boil water with, before our last trip to Hawaii.  This particular resort had mini-fridges (really mini), but no microwave.  We got free breakfast.

I used the electric kettle to boil water, and one meal a day was from that.  Noodles that you add water to.  Or soup.  Or those little foil packets of rice and Indian lentils.  So I'd boil the water and put the packets in there for 5 minutes to warm them up, and pour the packets into our bowls.

I don't remember which one I got, but it was one where you could also heat soup up in the directly, not just water.

[asauer]

Make sure you eat out too.  The local restaurants aren't too expensive.  I had an amazing king crab mofongo there (sorry, can't remember the place - sort of in a business/residential place thru the middle of town (outside of old town).

Thanks!  We will eat out for dinner and enjoy it!  But wanted a cheaper option for breakfasts and lunches.

[lebron_james]

Protip:  If you go to the front desk and tell them you forgot your toothbrush, hotels will give you a replacement with a small tube of toothpaste.  I usually ask if I can have a second tube for my wife (even though I am travelling alone).

I go back to the room, and eat my toothpaste.  It usually tides me over and allows me to skip dinner that day.

I can usually only do this 2x on a five day trip, as I grow sick of eating toothpaste if I try to do it any more frequently than that.  I figure I save $20 that week, and lose some weight in the meantime.

[Dicey]

Protip:  If you go to the front desk and tell them you forgot your toothbrush, hotels will give you a replacement with a small tube of toothpaste.  I usually ask if I can have a second tube for my wife (even though I am travelling alone).

I go back to the room, and eat my toothpaste.  It usually tides me over and allows me to skip dinner that day.

I can usually only do this 2x on a five day trip, as I grow sick of eating toothpaste if I try to do it any more frequently than that.  I figure I save $20 that week, and lose some weight in the meantime.

Gosh, I never quite believed those tales of millionaire sports figures who have squandered all their money and ended up in bankruptcy. I am so sorry to hear that LeBron James has joined their ranks. So sorry you have come to this, sir.

[DocMcStuffins]

If not fridge, just take ice and put in one of the sinks.  Refill it with ice as needed.  Great for milk for kids and lunch meet.
Stay at hotel with breakfast and grabs some of the extras (milks, cereals, oatmeals, breakfast bars) which help with snacks.
A good health lunch without ice/refridgeration is one of those smoked salmons in a air tight container with the meat sliced thinly.  If it has a name, I am blanking. 
Always getting local groceries like fruit which doesn't need to be refridgerated is great:  grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, mangos......

[Turnbull]

Make sure you eat out too.  The local restaurants aren't too expensive.  I had an amazing king crab mofongo there (sorry, can't remember the place - sort of in a business/residential place thru the middle of town (outside of old town).

I second this. We were in PR almost exactly a year ago and had a great trip. We found a local shack within walking distance that had delicious empanadas for about $1.50. Needless to say we ate there almost every day for lunch. I think I had tried everything they had on the menu by the time we left.

Look for the little local places.

[JLR]

I'm loving the new tips I've gotten from this thread.

It seems like more and more motels aren't providing fridges and microwaves these days. We stayed just out from Euro Disney last year. The motel was a good price and quite nice, but nothing in the room but a jug, mugs and spoons. I think it is to encourage people to use the motel restaurant.

Luckily, there was a supermarket across the road. We went over each night and bought some things for the next day or two. Butter will keep fine on the bench for a few days in all but the warmest weather. We went fancy and picked up supermarket croissants (well, it was France!), cheese, cured meats, fruit.

We usually travel with peanut butter, jam if we are feeling fancy. If we grow tired of bread we will get those big, round puffed rice crackers you can use for a 'sandwich'. We also travel with fruit (fresh and dried), nuts and pretzels. Hydration packs so we are never without water. To make things a bit nicer we carry a butter knife and a sharp knife. For a longer trip we take a small cutting board, some zip locks, a tea towel, a cloth for washing up. For 5 weeks in Europe I also packed the plastic containers that fit into our hydration pack for our hikes. We used these every day in Europe, walking around 20kms in the cities each day. The containers meant I could make sandwiches for the day ahead and pack the snacks listed above and nothing got squashed.

[AlwaysBeenASaver]

BLTs keep w/o refrigeration for a day or two, we make them at home and bring them along, never had a problem with them spoiling.

[vittelx]

On a recent trip to London the hotel breakfast was £12.5 pr. person pr. day. So it would have been 25 for the wife and i for a total of 4 days = £100...outrageous.

The wife and i are not big eaters especially in the morning. But to our luck there was an Aldi right across from the hotel where they sold freshly baked bread and such. So every morning i went for croissants and yogurt at the cost of around £3 for the both of us pr. day. Coffee was complimentary in the hotel room.

So in the future, given that breakfast is not included in the hotel price, i am making sure there is an Aldi or something similar close by :)

[The_path_less_taken]

If you ever end up at a cheapo hotel with no fridge, you can make one: fill the sink with ice....ta da. You can lay a washcloth on top to retain even more chill factor.

But then what do you do when you NEED the sink?  I do NEED a sink...
Get extra towels and wrap a couple around the plastic trash bin.  Put ice in it, your items and lay a folded towel over it.    You can use 'used' towels to wrap it.
If there's not another trash bin, use the bag from the groceries you bought for your trash.

Considering how few items are in there....not a big deal to take them out. The ice machine doesn't care if you make another trip.

I've also just brushed teeth in the shower and ran hot water in there for a facecloth to wash my face at night....not a big deal.

And I'm with people who balk at using the trash can for food: I was a maid in college. Threw a bag in and on to the next room.

And NEVER trust hotel glasses/implements. Rinse those puppies  yourself in hot hot water.

[sisto]

I was going to start a thread about business travel, but found this one. Awesome. Almost everything I was going to discuss is applicable to the discussion here.

I travel for work quite frequently, usually leaving on Monday and returning Friday, spending the four nights in between away from home. I get my plane tickets, hotel, rental car, and other expenses reimbursed so those are a wash; but also I get a nominal per diem amount for meals & incidentals. Usually this is only about $35-50 per diem, depending on location, which is about enough to cover one fast food lunch, one dinner at a casual dining type place, a beer or two, and other food throughout the day (job is physically demanding, I also do strength training, and am pretty hungry as a result). But over a weeks' trip, if I come up with more frugal food options, I can make a good $200.

I always try to stay at hotels where there is free breakfast, since I get reimbursed for the hotel anyway. After filling up, grab an apple, muffin, or yogurt or anything portable as I leave breakfast, to eat as second breakfast. For lunch I usually have to end up spending $7-10 due to my schedule, but have had some success with making sandwiches if I can find a half-loaf of bread (the full loaf is more than I can eat in four days). It's easy to use up one pack each of lunch meat and cheese in that time though, which is convenient.

For dinner, I still tend to go to a casual dining type place, but I'll find the highest protein+calorie item on the menu, and similarly choose the highest calorie sides if they are included. Yesterday (I'm in fact on the road now) I found a plate at Ruby Tuesdays with 14oz of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and beans for $10. Way more than I would have paid to cook it myself, but I filled up and got to keep most of my per diem. I'll forego desserts and additional sides, and drink only water (though beer is a weakness of mine!).

I'm the best at this when I travel alone. When traveling with colleagues, they always want to go out and spend as much as they would have spent anyway, PLUS more because they're getting per diem. Doesn't help that one of my frequent work travel destinations is Vegas!

I've used many of these while traveling for work too. Another great option is that many of the hotels also have some sort of happy hour where they serve free food too. You can many times get a nice dinner out of that for free. If I go out I order food that makes great left overs and only eat half and save the other half for lunch or dinner the next day.

[Bendigirl]

Interesting/ odd thread.  Remind me never to iron anything in a hotel....
With terrible food allergies I am careful but I don't stress about meals when on a holiday.  I pack a lot of quest bars for emergencies and buy fruit and yogurt locally.  Large bag of unsalted nuts is great too.  No wheat products for me so the easy meals are no applicable to me....no muffins, cereal ....plus I tend to eat on the grain free end of things.
Please don't eat toothpaste....hope that was a joke.
In Mexico this winter we would buy containers of fresh fruit for 10 pesos (less than $1) and yogurt.  The fruit containers were huge!  No minty aftertaste either.;)

[aceyou]

Protip:  If you go to the front desk and tell them you forgot your toothbrush, hotels will give you a replacement with a small tube of toothpaste.  I usually ask if I can have a second tube for my wife (even though I am travelling alone).

I go back to the room, and eat my toothpaste.  It usually tides me over and allows me to skip dinner that day.

I can usually only do this 2x on a five day trip, as I grow sick of eating toothpaste if I try to do it any more frequently than that.  I figure I save $20 that week, and lose some weight in the meantime.

This made me laugh harder than I've laughed in a very long time.  Thank you. 

[aceyou]

Nuts - cashews and almonds are my go to
3 pound bags of clementines
dark chocholate (i usually never get this normally, but when on trips it's just fun!)
water bottle to fill with tap water
bring beer
hard boiled eggs

[chouchouu]

You can cook a lot of things in microwave rice cookers or any microwave container really. Rice, risotto, steamed veggies, soup etc.

[Rosy]

I enjoy a good breakfast with lots of choices:) On vacation, I don't want to mess around with cooking or stashing food in my room. B&B places in particular, usually provide a fine breakfast and will even take a special request without any extra charge and they don't mind if you take your leftovers or your banana or apple or croissant with you, some will even wrap it for you.

That gives me free lunch and I'm good with that - a two for one.

For supper it will be local food - fancy or cheap, like from a street vendor, depending on my budget. I'm a foodie so the culinary experience is always part of our travel experience.

Of course, if I'm staying longer than two weeks - then, I'll get one of those immersion heater/water cookers and I'll bring a couple food containers , silver ware, baggies, alu foil and salt and find the local equivalent of Aldi or bakery plus fruit stands.

[Kimchi Bleu]

DH and I try to split a meal whenever we dine out.  Most US portion sizes are huge so it is easy for us to split a meal.  If dining alone ask the kitchen to box half your meal before bringing it out and you have it for the next day.  Due to diet restrictions I tend to pack a lot of snacks when I travel - granola bars, nuts, dried and fresh fruit, GF pretzels, jerky.

[FrugalFairy]

You already have a lot of replies, and I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but you can bring frozen bottles of water on the plane- as long as it  is completely frozen.
I don't know if flying to pr would be different, but flying around the us I had no problem bringing food that needed to be refrigerated in a large lunch box with ice bottles.  I brought pasta salad (just can't have a bunch of liquid in a pool at the bottom of the dish), oven roasted veggies and garbanzo beans, and a fruit salad.  As long as its not a liquid (they would include melted cheese on a burger a liquid) you can bring it.  I recommend calling the tsa in advance and double checking the foods you plan to make. 
I did all this not just because I am frugal but I am also a strict vegan.

[GreenSheep]

Jumping in late here, as I've been out of town. I apologize if this is not allowed (if so, please delete), but I've recently written two articles on this topic on my blog (link below, in my signature line) -- one on short-term (few days) domestic travel and one on longer, international travel. I happen to be vegan, but the tips I use could obviously work for meat eaters, too. I take all of my food with me for 5-day work-related trips, and for international trips I take at least enough for the (often very long) flights plus snacks to tide me over until I can get some groceries. All in carryons, so there's no bag check fee or hassle! It's amazing how much cheap, healthy food you can pack when you do it thoughtfully!

[Dicey]

Jumping in late here, as I've been out of town. I apologize if this is not allowed (if so, please delete), but I've recently written two articles on this topic on my blog (link below, in my signature line) -- one on short-term (few days) domestic travel and one on longer, international travel. I happen to be vegan, but the tips I use could obviously work for meat eaters, too. I take all of my food with me for 5-day work-related trips, and for international trips I take at least enough for the (often very long) flights plus snacks to tide me over until I can get some groceries. All in carryons, so there's no bag check fee or hassle! It's amazing how much cheap, healthy food you can pack when you do it thoughtfully!

Nice articles! The link for the cooler is wonky. It actually links to a different product. I'm very curious about the cooler, but you didn't mention the name, so help, please!

[GreenSheep]

Oh no! Thanks for letting me know. I think I've fixed it now. It's the eBags Crew Cooler II, here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BNN0MM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004BNN0MM&linkCode=as2&tag=fruvegtra-20&linkId=5ZP75ATLZMMBSPYE

[lunahsol]

Oh no! Thanks for letting me know. I think I've fixed it now. It's the eBags Crew Cooler II, here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BNN0MM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004BNN0MM&linkCode=as2&tag=fruvegtra-20&linkId=5ZP75ATLZMMBSPYE

This is the bag I use for a lunch box, as well.  Highly recommend.

[Chris22]

Protip:  If you go to the front desk and tell them you forgot your toothbrush, hotels will give you a replacement with a small tube of toothpaste.  I usually ask if I can have a second tube for my wife (even though I am travelling alone).

I go back to the room, and eat my toothpaste.  It usually tides me over and allows me to skip dinner that day.

I can usually only do this 2x on a five day trip, as I grow sick of eating toothpaste if I try to do it any more frequently than that.  I figure I save $20 that week, and lose some weight in the meantime.

The fuck?

[gliderpilot567]

Today I tried something that MMM mentioned in one of his blog posts, and took a big bag of raw almonds with me on my plane ride. Saved me from buying expensive airport food, but then almonds ain't exactly cheap either...

[Dicey]

Oh no! Thanks for letting me know. I think I've fixed it now. It's the eBags Crew Cooler II, here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BNN0MM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004BNN0MM&linkCode=as2&tag=fruvegtra-20&linkId=5ZP75ATLZMMBSPYE

Nice! I'll keep it in mind if/when the one I currently have dies.

[fitfrugalfab]

Jumping in late here, as I've been out of town. I apologize if this is not allowed (if so, please delete), but I've recently written two articles on this topic on my blog (link below, in my signature line) -- one on short-term (few days) domestic travel and one on longer, international travel. I happen to be vegan, but the tips I use could obviously work for meat eaters, too. I take all of my food with me for 5-day work-related trips, and for international trips I take at least enough for the (often very long) flights plus snacks to tide me over until I can get some groceries. All in carryons, so there's no bag check fee or hassle! It's amazing how much cheap, healthy food you can pack when you do it thoughtfully!

Great blog!!