Feeding Frenzy

By Jamie

June 2, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

It depends where we go on vacation. If we take the kids and rent a condo, heck yeah I am cooking. We will probably eat two meals out (during a week stay) but save a ton of money by cooking the rest. Grown up vacation is a different beast….I’m not lifting a finger in the kitchen…matter of fact…I don’t even LOOK at a kitchen. :o)

By JJ

June 2, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

If it’s a vacation away from home, then sometimes I don’t cook. If I’m taking a week off and saying around town, then Yes I do cook. Sometimes, when at the beach, I like to buy fresh fish and take it back to the condo and cook it.

We hardly ever eat out normally, but on vacation we do. We will not to go chain restaurants while on vacation (I can have Outback at home). We like to find little out of the way places the locals like, and sample the local cuisine.

By Jeff

June 2, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this

Land-based vacations: (Almost exclusively with either my parents or hers as full-family vacations): Breakfast (if any) is typically caffeine (coffee or soft drink) and leftovers. Lunch is more sandwich-based, though there is also considerable eating out. Supper is almost exclusively eating out.

HOWEVER, wife and I both prefer cruises for our vacations, and with that, EVERY meal is eating out - which is GREAT!! Between the selection of food in general and the fact that you can literally get SOMETHING 24/7, in cabin or elsewhere on the ship, it really is by FAR the simplest way to go as far as food is concerned!

Also: Easy way to get introduced to new foods, or to introduce your spouse or kids to new foods, as the selection really is mind-blowing. My first cruise was our honeymoon, and I can’t TELL you how many things I tried for the first time and loved quite a few of!

By Nichelle

June 2, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this

When we go on vacation for 1 week, we always rent a condo or full suite so that we can cook and snack. We will dine out 2 - 3 times mainly for dinner. It’s a huge savings so that we can enjoy spending at the attractions or local shops.

By Fred

June 2, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

I always cook when I go on vacation. I am a grill freak…chicken and chops mostly. At least once a week, we will eat out but otherwise I prefer to grill. It’s part of the fun. I don’t find it to be work, it’s just part of the enjoyment of the week.

By JJ

June 2, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this

Jeff, you are absolutely correct about cruise food. I learned to love Talapia on our “starter” cruise to the Bahamas…….I’m not a big fan of fish, but I do like Talapia.

When on vacation I like to eat what I normally don’t eat at home. When on a cruise, I order something different every night for dinner.

We just cruised to Alaska, and the food on the ship was out of this world delicious……

By Rachel

June 2, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this

Jeff, you took the words right out of my mouth. My favorite vacation is a cruise, but this year, we took our cruise in January so a summer cruise was out. We will be renting a house on Jekyll Island and we plan to cook most of our meals. The biggest selling point for the rental was that a grill is available. It will be a whole lot cheaper to cook for 8 than to eat out. I am glad teenagers eat cereal and sandwiches.

By PHR

June 2, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this

When we rent a house at the beach we almost always cook our dinners there. We try to go out once or twice to have some fresh seafood. There are usually 3 or 4 little kids with us when we vacation and it is just too hard to try and go out every night.

We also enjoy the grill and tend to grill out a lot on vacation! My sister in law prepares their food at home before she leaves on vacation and freezes it. So, it is just ready to be cooked and eaten on vacation.

By Noelle

June 2, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

My vacations tend to be short — I prefer taking several long weekends instead of a week or two at a time. But I do usually do some cooking either way, or at least pseudo-cooking like keeping some basic breakfast, snack, and/or sandwich things on hand. Plus, given the choice, I’d rather eat lunch out and dinner at “home,” since it’s often cheaper.

By Lunatic Fringe

June 2, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

My wife and I go to Amsterdam whenever we can…but it isn’t about the food.

By FCM

June 2, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

When we go on ‘vacation’ it is typically to see relatives. So, even if I do not cook, it’s a home cooked meal. We may go out once or twice and that will depend on whom all is going as to where.

When we went on a vacation to WDW in Orlando, we did dine out. Lunch at Cinderella’s Castle is still spoken of in reverent tones in our home. WDW has some wonderful cuisine so even if I had a condo I would be tempted not to cook big meals. When we did do WDW we did breakfast cereal and snacks in the hotel room. We did lunch or dinner or both out. We are not talking dinner at McDs either.

I have heard Staycations are becoming a big thing. Here in GA I like to go up to Helen (adults only) and typically we dine out then.

However, in recent months, I find myself recreating our favorite dining out experiences at home—except Chinese/Thai I cannot seem to master that.

By micha

June 2, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this

Heck no, I’m not cooking on vacation! I throw all change into a jar for the entire year and that alone covers our meals out. When we travel to an all inclusive like Jamaica, we use that extra cash for buying trinkets and tax free liquor to bring back. You’d be surprised to see how much change can add up when you don’t spend it.

By JJ

June 2, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

LunaticFringe…I am sure food will factor in, after you have induldged in what Amsterdam has to offer, if you get my drift……;)

FYI - I will be there next year, celebrating my 50th!!!!

By micha

June 2, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

Oooh, When I make it to Amersterdam, nothing but salads for me too!

By JJ

June 2, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this

Micha - I do that too. I NEVER spend my change. At the end of the day I dump all my change into a jar. That jar has paid for more vacations than I ever thought it would. Right now I am saving for my Amserdam trip next summer.

It really adds up. My daughter does it too. She has a smaller jar in her room and all her change goes in there. She is a hostess at Applebee’s and the Applebee’s (not the servers) tips her out at the end of the shift. She used to trade in her change for bills, but not anymore. She probably has over $100 in change in her jar……..she’s saving for gas for when she gets a car.

By CBL

June 2, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this

I usually try to eat and drink what’s local when travelling. Shrimp on the Gulf coast, gamefish galore on Hawaii, beef in Texas, jambalaya in Louisiana, or schnitzel in Austria. If I can cook a decent meal myself wherever I’m staying, I’ll do it. Otherwise, I’ll let the pros do it in a local restaurant.

By micha

June 2, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this

JJ - good one, saving for gas instead of the car LOL. I was telling my son yesterday that when we were young the price of gas never even figured into our weekly budget. Now kids are actually experiencing economics and I think it will make them all appreciate when times get better (if they do) the real value of money. Even my 13 year old realizes she only gets one tank of gas a week for her jet ski and how little riding she gets from it. Just 3 years ago we could fill it up 3 times for what it cost for 1 tank now……sad.

By Becky

June 2, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

Most of the time no..Breakfast in the room, light lunch & dinner at a local favorite..JJ, you are going to love Amsterdam..Take lots of pictures, because most people aren’t going to believe half of what you tell them that you saw..

By amy

June 2, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

amsterdam is fun people, I’ve been there several times. but you should also try and go to do cultural things—in the city there is the anne frank huis, van goh musuem, and the Shipyard Museum is way cool too. Also, the local tour companies offer day out bus trips to places like De Hague (the capitol of netherlands) and Delft (where the blue and white pottery is made-also very neat to see.

By JJ

June 2, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

Sorry to get off topic, but micha I love to tell my daughter that when I was in high school and would take my Dad’s car out, I would have my friends all pitch in for gas. Usually it was just a mere 50 CENTS, and we could ride all over town on $2.00 in gas……Oh those were the days…….

By ga girl

June 2, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this

I am a 61 yr old grand mother and my vacations are going to the beach each year with my daughter and family. She has three sons and a friend goes along with the oldest grandson. Some times my husband goes and I carry another grand daughter with me. Now to the subject at hand; we will have a light and quick breakfast in the room and a snack or sandwich for lunch. At supper time we all dress to go out to eat. we go to all kind of amusements for boys afterwards. Also putt-putt. At night we are walking the beach or playing ball or something on the beach. It’s always fun to go and watch my grands have a good time.

By Catch Of The Day

June 2, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this

Every time we go to the coast we rent a house with a pool. We always take a few days and go down to the fishing piers and buy whatever the catch of the day is and either grill it, pan saute it, or make a chowder out of it with a lot of vegetables. It’s always a surprise (sometimes a whole fish, sometimes fish steaks or filets, sometimes shellfish). It’s part of what vacation should be - unplanned and spontaneous. If you’re going to make up frozen packets of food you normally have at home and take them on vacation with you to cook - you might as well stay home or eat fast food. How boring.

By ga girl

June 2, 2008 4:05 PM | Link to this

I was going to comment on the ‘saving change’ subject but I let it slip my mind. Any way, I save change all year for our beach trip and that is what I use to cash in for rolls of quarters for my grands to play games in arcades or game rooms. They look forward to this each year and so do I, just to see the smiles on their facesand watch them have fun.

By Lunatic Fringe

June 2, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this

JJ, where are you staying in Amsterdam? We always stay at the NH Barbizon. Walk out front door, turn left and in the Red Light District. We love the train from the airport to Central Station. If you get a car, DO NOT speed on the A10 ring. They use cameras and will mail you a ticket. Trust me, I know. BTW, my favorite coffee shops are Hunter’s and Blues Brothers.

By Noelle

June 2, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

Also off-topic here, but I save my change for Christmas. I cash it in at a Coinstar machine that gives Amazon gift certificates (so I don’t pay a counting fee). Last year I paid for $170 worth of Christmas gifts that way!

By Jill

June 2, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this

Ha! Ha! Lunatic Fringe….so do we!

By Mick

June 2, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this

We usually eat out once or twice during a vacation. We booth like to cook so we often buy some of the local food and cook it at the house. Eating in restaurants too often can be unhealthy as many of the dishes have lots a fats ans salt. We both travel a lot for work and ge tied of eating out. Last year we camped in Camden Maine, we bought a couple of lobsters and roasted them over a fire. They were really tasty and great fun to cook.

By ginny

June 3, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this

We just came back from vacation and because of the rising costs, we actually went out to eat once for lunch instead of dinner and ate a heavier meal. We brought items that were non perishable from home to the Beach and then bout all perishable items there and made quick meals before and after our visits out. We saved alot of money that way. A bigger cooler than usual helped as well for bringing some leftovers home on ice.

By JJ

June 3, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

Lunatic, I have no idea where we are staying, or who all is going for that matter. (It’s supposed to be a girls only trip for those of us turning 50 in 2009). I was stunned by the prices of flying over in the summer, so I believe we are going to try for the Fall. I understand we will miss the tulips, but will see other things. Thanks for the tips.

By Za Za

June 4, 2008 12:57 AM | Link to this

We take vacations that are free (we have a friend that gives a week in their beach or lake house). We have very simple Christmas, so all our jar change goes to a family in need during the holidays.

That said, our meals are a combo of in and out. We usually like to find a good breakfast joint and eat one breakfast out, just me and my husband. We will get up and walk the beach to see the sunrise and then go have a nice breakfast. We will treat the kids to one nice dinner out at a non-chain place. And my husband and I will do one dinner out without kids. All other meals: we stop at the local Sam’s on our way in and let the kids each pick a meal and foods we would not let them pick or have normally at home. So everyone is happy. A little more expensive than home but cheaper than eating every meal out.

When we are on a couples trip, I/we do not cook. My husband might putter around and fix us something special, but usually we are happy to explore the local eateries and love our finds: the Amish restaurant in Lavonia near Lake Hartwell for one!!!

By vee

June 4, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

Before setting out on the trip of a lifetime (driving cross country for a month on $100/day) we took a few “practice trips” to see how the kids would do. I realized that I would soon grow extremely tired of eating out every meal. This was before you could depend on a fridge and microwave in your room - so I made up a tote box with a crock pot with the crock part sitting on a griddle and basic cooking supplies. We usually ate “local” food when we ate out not things we cold get everyday here. When I tired of eating out we could heat up or actually cook in the room. It was great. To make the $100/day thing work we had to “eat in” if the room was expensive. Most days we used those coupon books found at truck stops or gas stations to get a nice room at a cheap price. The best meal we had was in the middle of nowhere in Texas. An old sheep barn had been converted into a steak restaurant. They only had two kinds of steaks - #1 under a pound and #2 over a pound. I got the small one and had enough left over to have sandwiches for breakfast! The second best was eating at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.