I'm going to Italy in a few days with some friends. The hotel and airplane tickets have been good deals so far. What I'm dreading is the amount of money I'll have to spend on the daily. The people I'll be going with are definitely not frugal.They're on board with doing some grocery shopping tho and not eat out all the time which is good. I'm planning to buy most food I need from the super market to eliminate – lets say – my breakfast and snacking. Lunch and dinner I'll have the cheapest options they have to offer. What else could I do? Give me tips please to spend as little as possible without being annoying to my friends and limiting my experiences.
How can I stay frugal while on my trip to Italy
byu/North-Zebra8268 inFrugal
Posted by North-Zebra8268
8 Comments
Bring a jar of peanut butter with you, buy a fresh roll in the morning and you’ve got a super cheap breakfast with some protein.
I mean you not traveling to Italy frequently right, it is worth to try the new experience while traveling. Not the Michelins, but pasta and street food and pizza are delicious!
I think you should consider how often you get to travel to Italy (or similar places) and, so long as you aren’t eating shrimp covered in gold leaf, emphasize not missing out on experiences rather than saving pennies.
I’m frugal *so I can enjoy myself on holidays.*
That said, make sure you bring advil, Tylenol, cold and flu meds, immodium, laxatives, sun burn treatment, extra sunscreen, and menstrual products. Also pack snacks for the airport, because that’s a huge cost that can easily be avoided.
And double check your health insurance coverage (and add more if needed) because it would be a damn shame to eat crackers in your room and skip breakfast, then get caught with a five or six digit bill because you tried to save $50 on insurance
Try the Too Good To Go app to get restaurant leftovers at the end of the day. I got some excellent sandwiches and pastries from a Jewish bakery and a box of pizza odds and ends.
If I’m going on a trip somewhere, frugality goes out the window. Especially if it takes away the experience.
Italy is known for their food. Sure you can eat PB&J the whole time and it will save you money, but is it worth missing out on some great food?
I can understand going to the supermarket to buy some snacks, but it’s unlikely you’ll save that much going into the supermarket. You’ll also have waste because it’s unlikely you’ll be able to eat everything you buy. Not to mention the extra time you’ll need each morning.
Italy is one of the places where you go for the food. They have excellent food and a huge variety, you’ll be missing out if you don’t eat it or just go with the cheapest option.
There’s a time to go frugal but this isn’t it. I’m not saying for you to buy the most expensive, but being moderate here will be better than frugal. Otherwise, you’re risking not enjoying the trip or alienating your friends.
Ok so I’m the most frugal person on the planet. I just got done watering down my Tide (no kidding). But a trip to Italy? No. Buy the pasta, buy the tickets to the museums, eat, eat, eat. Enjoy yourself every moment. THIS is not the time to be frugal. Have fun!
I live in Italy, here’s a couple of tips about eating.
– For casual snacking during the day, Too Good to Go might be a good app to use, depending on your location. Big cities usually have a good amount of availability at a very good price (at least 50% off), so with about 3 to 5 euros you could get a good number of pizza slices, sandwiches, focaccia, croissant and so on.
– The Fork is another great app to book restaurants with a discount that could range from 20 to even 50%, depending on the place and the day.
– Many bars, mostly in the north, offer an “aperitivo”, which is a pre-dinner meal at a fixed price (around 10€) that usually consists of a drink (often a spritz) and a range of food which could vary vastly both in quantity and in variety. It could be something light like olives, taralli, peanuts and chips but it could also be mini sandwiches, pasta, and other more filling kinds of food.
– Many supermarkets have a deli counter ( “gastronomia”) which offers both cold cuts and cheese and hot dishes to go for a very reasonable price.
– Pizza can be your best option to eat well and be frugal. If you avoid fancy places it’s not a rare thing to eat pizza and a soda or beer for less than 20€ (seated inside, not to go) in most cities. If the weather is nice it’s totally acceptable (and it’s indeed a quite nice experience to have) to just grab a pizza to go eating it in a park.
This is obvious, but avoid tourist places, places with a giant English menu on the outside and places with people inviting you to sit down or enter their restaurant.
If you have any other questions let me know, I’d be glad to help. Which cities are you visiting?