Where Should You Eat Next?
Spin the wheel to discover your next food destination!
Planning a trip doesn't have to be stressful or expensive. After decades of traveling on a budget across four continents I have put together my favorite tools, resources and tips to help you plan the perfect trip without breaking the bank.
✈️ Finding Cheap Flights
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The secret to finding cheap flights is flexibility and timing. I always check multiple platforms before booking and try to be flexible with my travel dates by a day or two — it can save you hundreds of dollars.
My favorite tools for finding cheap flights:
- Google Flights — best for comparing prices across dates
- Skyscanner — great for finding the cheapest month to fly
- Hopper — predicts whether prices will go up or down
- Scott's Cheap Flights — sends alerts when prices drop dramatically
Pro tip: Always book flights on a Tuesday or Wednesday and aim to fly mid-week for the lowest prices!
🏨 Where to Stay
🏨 Find Your Hotel on Booking.comAccommodation is usually the biggest travel expense after flights. Here are the platforms I use to find the best deals:
- Booking.com — best selection of hotels worldwide
- Airbnb — perfect for longer stays and local experiences
- Hostelworld — best for budget travelers and solo trips
- Hotels.com — great loyalty program, every 10th night is free
Pro tip: Always read recent reviews and look for places that include breakfast — it saves money on your daily food budget!
💳 Best Travel Credit Cards
A good travel credit card is one of the smartest investments a traveler can make. The right card can earn you free flights, free hotel nights and save you a fortune in foreign transaction fees.
My top picks for travel credit cards:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred — best overall travel card, excellent rewards
- Capital One Venture — simple flat rate miles on everything
- American Express Gold — perfect for food lovers who travel
- Wise Card — best for avoiding foreign transaction fees abroad
- Charles Schwab Debit Card — refunds ALL ATM fees worldwide
Pro tip: Always pay in the local currency when abroad — never let a merchant convert to dollars for you, it always costs more!
🌐 Stay Connected Abroad
Nothing ruins a trip faster than being without internet in a foreign country. Here are my favorite solutions:
- Airalo — affordable eSIM cards for almost every country
- Google Fi — works in over 200 countries automatically
- Roaming SIM — great for European travel
Pro tip: Download Google Maps offline before you arrive in a new destination — it works without internet and can save you when you get lost!
🛡️ Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is the one thing you should never skip — no matter how healthy you are or how short your trip is. One medical emergency abroad can cost tens of thousands of dollars without it.
My recommended travel insurance providers:
- World Nomads — best for adventure travelers
- Travel Guard — great comprehensive coverage
- Allianz — reliable and widely available
- SafetyWing — most affordable for long term travelers
Pro tip: Always buy travel insurance the same day you book your flights — that way you are covered for trip cancellation from day one!
🎒 My Favorite Travel Gear
After years of travel I have learned that packing light and packing smart makes everything easier. Here are my must have travel items:
- Packing cubes — keep your bag organized and save space
- Portable charger/power bank — never run out of battery
- Universal travel adapter — works in every country
- Reusable water bottle with filter — save money and reduce plastic
- Noise cancelling headphones — essential for long flights
- Lightweight daypack — perfect for day trips and city exploring
🍜 Food Budget Tips
Of course no trip planning guide from Travel Food Hacks would be complete without food budget tips! Here are my golden rules:
- Always research the local food scene before you arrive
- Find the nearest local market on day one
- Ask your accommodation host where locals eat
- Download Google Translate for reading menus
- Carry snacks from home for airports and long travel days
Have a question about planning your trip? Feel free to reach out through my Contact page — I love helping fellow travelers plan amazing food adventures on a budget!
Travel smart. Eat well. Live joyfully.
— Toska 🌍🍜✈️