Every time we travel, Roama and I try to plan ahead and think about where we want to spend our 
money to get the biggest bang for our buck. It gets challenging because sometimes you just want everything! However, life has taught me that you can’t always get what you want…except in Roama in whom I have everything (Brownie point!). As such, I’ve prepared the following 5 ideas to help you next time you travel.
ONE: take empty water bottles. You obviously cannot take full water bottles through security, but many of the airports we have been in recently (at least ones in the US) have convenient water filling stations that serve up refreshing filtered water. All you have to do is supply the container. If they don’t, you can always just fill in the water fountain. I say bottle but you could 
actually bring any container. Popular selections include water bottles, empty soda bottles and even those handy dandy backpacks with the water bladder in them or other hydration system. I appreciate my water bottle especially on long, international flights when I wake up after a short nap where my jaw has fallen open and my mouth feels like the Sahara desert.
In addition, when you are at your destination and you are going around and seeing your sights, you can have it with you as well. If you have reasonable trust in the local water supply, you can fill up from the tap in your room. If you don’t like that idea, you can purchase a water bottle with a built in filter. If you have to buy water at your location, having a secondary container (or two or three) allows you to buy water in bulk sizes and split it into smaller containers that you already have. For example, in our local grocery store, Roama and I can buy a gallon (128 ounces) of water in a plastic jug for 75 cents. A 16 ounce bottle of water is $1.50. Double the price, for a lot less water!
Food is probably one of the most expensive items wherever you go. While we are all for sampling the local cuisine, it gets expensive over time. This idea leads me to tips TWO and THREE…
TWO: When reviewing your hotel options, consider making sure you book a hotel that has breakfast either included in the price of your room or for a small fee. Many hotels will include breakfast in both the local style and in 
the continental style. When we were in Italy, our hotels provided what seems to be the Italian style where every day there was sliced meats and cheeses while still providing toasts, muffins and jellies. Think about it, if you go to McDonald’s and get you and your significant other a McGriddle sandwich (which are yummy by the way) and a coffee (OK…plus a hash brown because I cannot resist those either) you are probably going to spend at least $6 each…$12 a day…$120 for a 10 day vacation…that you could be spending somewhere else on something else. Actually, this would be more because who really wants coffee from your McGriddle distributor.
THREE: find the local grocery store and do some shopping. Many grocery stores will have pre-made meals A LOT cheaper than you could buy at a restaurant. If you are more modern and are using the flat rental services, you might have access to a kitchen so you can cook. You can also just default the awesome-est go to meal…PB&J. Don’t get me wrong…we LOVE to eat and try the local cuisine (Roama even got me to try a sandwich out of the 4th stomach of a cow when in Florence…not the first three…but the 4th…called Lampredotto) but if you spend the same amount that you spent on breakfast for lunch and then double the amount for dinner (gotta have one of the local specialties with dinner). This comes to $12 more for lunch and then $24 for dinner totaling $36 more a day or $360 for the previously mentioned 10 day vacation.
Obviously your hotel breakfast has to be reasonably priced and you have to weigh your options and that you are on Vacation after all. I’m just saying that it all adds up. In trying to curb some spending both your wallet and your waistline will thank you.
FOUR: travel light. In today’s age where you are at risk of paying for every bag you either carry on or check the more you carry, the more you pay. The weight of your suitcase can even get you charged more. Instead of the two of you each having a
carry on that you pay for, can you share a checked bag? If you are allowed carry-on luggage but not checked bags, can you each have a carry-on? We have decided that we don’t need a different outfit for every day or every mood we get into. We are not too proud to wear a shirt again during the same trip when possible. Keeping 5 or 6 shirts instead of 10 for a 10 day vacation makes sense most of the time (just make sure to use deodorantJ). Take light-weight pants that can be rinsed in the sink and hung to dry. Take one, maybe two pairs of shoes. Ok, I get it…you want a nice romantic meal in the moonlight at a nice restaurant. Our experience shows that restaurants will take your money most days, even if you are not in a sports coat, slacks and tie…
FIVE: know your “must-do” list. This involves planning ahead but make sure you are hitting the things that are on your bucket list. Research or book in advance so you know how much things cost. Hopefully you have saved enough money from the first 4 suggestions that you can have the vacation of your dreams!
