Options For Eating On A Budget ($14/day)

When I travel, eating is one of my favorite pastimes.  So why go on a food budget of $14 a day?  Wouldn't I just end up eating fast food all day, every day?

No, I would not.  In fact, I probably won't at all unless the only other option is cannibalism.  Here's some things I could do to save money on food that do not involve fast food or Soylent Green:

• For breakfast, have a pastry and a coffee from a local cafe.

• Have brunch and dinner instead of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Or have breakfast, but eat at a decent, local buffet instead of lunch and dinner. 

• Spend more on lunch (a cheaper main dish) and less on dinner (maybe just a side dish).  Most restaurants charge more for dinner, so I can use that to my favor.

• Go to happy hours at bars and pubs that serve food.

• Food carts are often delicious and always cheap.

• If there's a lunch or dinner special, go for it.  Be cautious about "brunch specials"; they're often expensive.

• Ethnic restaurants are often cheap and good.  Watch out for restaurants specializing in "fusion cuisine", they're often too expensive.

• As a general rule, stay away from places frequented by tourists and go towards those frequented by locals.  Asking locals about their favorite place to eat is usually a good idea.  If you see a person with a camera around his or her neck, wearing a flower-patterned, buttoned t-shirt, and whining loudly about how the city they are visiting did not meet their grandiose expectations, run like the wind.