Comments on: Save Money by Cooking Even When You Are Not Home

By: Pat Walker

Pat Walker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:52:35 +0000

When camping in a tent we took our crockpot( it would work in a room) put on dinner go sightseeing lunch out if the place we were had special places we did not want to miss. When we got back at night supper was ready.

By: Fabulously Broke

Fabulously Broke — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:15:29 +0000

BF and I almost never eat out when we go on vacation. We ALWAYS book a hotel with at least a microwave, and we cook.

By: Amy @ The Q Family

Amy @ The Q Family — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:15:14 +0000

This is a really good idea. I didn’t think that you can cook in the hotel. These days whenever we travel, I try to look for accommodation with full kitchen. I think it’s cheaper and easier on our schedule to be able to have dinner in our room. Kids are less trouble.

By: Funny about Money

Funny about Money — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:52:18 +0000

Okay, now hang onto your hat…

SDXB (Semi-Demi-Exboyfriend, the Emperor of Cheap) loved to travel but he would not, would not, WOULD NOT eat out.

So…what did he do for food while gadding around the country? How did he make do during the long TDY’s to garden spots like the noncommissioned officers’ quarters in San Antonio and Robins, Georgia?

Camping gear. He would pack all his camping cookware (lovingly collected from various yard sales) plus a camp stove. When we’d arrive at our destination, he would run out and buy a propane canister and then hit the grocery store (he’s the only man I know who loves to grocery-shop–he regards it as a competitive sport). We would cook in the motel room, eat on the floor if there was no table, and clean up in the bathroom. Food was often very good: a typical dinner was pork chops, mashed potatoes, salad or veggie, wine, coffee or tea.

You can travel really cheap that way. Yup.

And when you’re on TDY, you know, you get a per diem to buy food, which saner people assume will be taken in restaurants or ordered out from pizzerias. Because he could eat so cheaply out of his traveling kitchen, he would come home with a pocketful of change. Enough, indeed, that he didn’t have to work at all most of the year: a two- or three-month TDY would support him for the other nine or ten months of the year.

Amazing, eh?

By: marci

marci — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:31:17 +0000

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Remember when folks used to go on long drives and wrap a meal in several layers of tin foil and place carefully on the engine compartment of the car so it would cook using the engine for heat?
Boy, that takes me back! Used to be actual cookbooks for on-the-road cooking.

Ok – so now I’m telling how old I am! haha

By: Aries

Aries — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:31:24 +0000

Great Idea for saving money
but I can’t cook

By: Sheila Sultani

Sheila Sultani — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:45:14 +0000

This sounds like such a great idea. I’ve never heard of hotels offering grills. One of my favorite memories of family vacations is the smell of the food cooking – it’s part of the whole atmosphere – I’ll have to look into this next time I’m planning a vacation.

By: Calvin

Calvin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:31:03 +0000

Neat little idea!

I’ve seen those grills around hotels but always wondered whether people uses them. I guess they do!

I will just have to try it next time.

By: Ed Z

Ed Z — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:22:35 +0000

I was just in Vegas too, and spent wayyy to much money eating out, even trying to be frugal (splitting 1 appetizer+1 entree for my wife and I, no cocktails/alcohol etc…)

What hotel was it that had the grill? I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind for my next Vegas trip!