Dining on a budget - $100 a day with coupons

[dixonsontour]

Dining on a budget - $100 a day with coupons



I have done a trip report for our October 2011 holiday – Everything but Disney - but thought I’d post all the food pictures together on here with details of costs. Apologies if you’ve seen the pictures before!

I’ve used coupons in the past but made a real effort this trip and saved lots. I think for most meals I used some sort of coupon or deal.

Last two trips have been onsite with free DDP (see the links in my signature for my dining reports).

This trip October 2011 we stayed in a condo at Floridays resort on South International Drive.

Before we went i’d lost 2 stone and DH 3 stone with Slimming World. We had no intention to diet on holiday! We were craving burgers and pizza and so they featured heavily (look away now if you want to see healthy food!)



The cast



Me 36 lover of most food

DH 37 will eat most things except seafood and mushrooms

DD 5 not really picky but knows what she likes.

This was our 14th trip to the USA since 1997. Obviously we have our favourites we like to go back to but also tried some new places this trip.



Coupons



I signed up to individual restaurant email clubs two days before we went. The popular chain restaurants have a website and if you go on have a place to sign up to their email club. Most offers are emailed to you within 24 hours of joining and the coupons usually last 14 days. So don’t sign up too early or they will expire before you are away. Just use the zip code and address of where you are staying when you sign up.

It was DH’s birthday so I entered this when signing up and did get sent extra coupons for this. If it’s your birthday or anniversary whilst you are away make sure you enter this.

I did pick up the coupon booklets you find in the doorways to shops or restaurants but didn’t use any as I found I had better coupons from signing up to the email clubs.

I also printed coupons off Valpak.com, orlandocoupons.com and iridetrolley.com.

I checked Groupon.com Orlando in the run up to our holiday. Sometimes they have deals for restaurants. I used one groupon deal for quiznos subs (like subway)

I also used two restaurant.com coupons. Basically you buy a coupon and it saves $25 off a meal at certain places. There are conditions like minimum spend. There are always offers and discount codes for restaurant.com – I paid $2 for each coupon. I paid by paypal and you print the coupons off so no need for a US address.

Kids eat free card. We had one free off a kind Dibber but just used it once at Village inn.



Fedex



We didn’t have access to a printer in the condo but wanted to print a coupon off which was emailed to us whilst we were away.

Fedex on the 535 near Crossroads offers a service where you can print cheaply.

The machine was self service – DH sent the printing to it online or it takes a usb memory stick. 1 A4 black and white sheet was 11 cents inc tax.



Walmart/Publix supermarket



We had several stops at Walmart and one at Publix for supplies. For breakfast some days we had English muffins or bagels with Philadelphia and orange juice/coffee/milk.

I also bought snacks like individual packs of oreos, crisps, goldfish crackers, raisins, little bags of apple slices.

We also buy and freeze bottled water to take into the parks.

I made a packed lunch some days – wraps with ham and cheese. Froze them and used them as a sort of freezer block in our cool bag – didn’t take up a lot of room or get squashed.

DH also bought beer to drink in the room as he is driver he tends to drink in the room in the evening not with meals.



Food I took with me



I took some small boxes of kelloggs cereal for DD, individual snack packs of biscuits like jammy dodgers, party rings (anything non chocolate so it wont melt) and a couple of small tins of Heinz pasta shapes for DD. I also take a small cool bag, cling film, freezer bags and a couple of small pots to decant large packs of snacks into.

I know you can buy everything there but I like getting my Florida bits and bobs in the run up to the holiday and DD likes a few familiar things.



Tipping



I know this is a controversial topic (understatement of the century!)

My understanding is you should tip on the full cost of the meal (before tax) before the discount coupon is taken off – so I always do. I’ve tried to put figures including tip in my dining reports. I usually tip cash so the tip amounts wont be spot on accurate.

I always checked before I ordered if I was ok to use the coupon and showed it the server – servers were very happy to accept the coupons – had no problems at all.



Budget



I aimed to spend about $100 a day on food. Part of my reason for doing this report is to see how much we really did spend on food/drinks/snacks.

So did I manage it? Read along and see!

[dixonsontour]

Food report day 1



Breakfast

Started the day with breakfast at Burger King at Manchester Airport (no receipt)

This has been our traditional start to the holiday since we had DD – she calls it king burger- but was very poor this year and it is expensive - will try Frankie and Benny’s next year.

Cost equivalent of $25

Lunch

On the plane with US Airways. Food was ok – I had pasta and it was edible. DD got her pre ordered kids meal. They served a full meal shortly after take off and a sandwich prior to landing in Philadelphia. Soft drinks were free. The plane from Philly to MCO just offered drinks.

$0 (well included in plane ticket price!)



Dinner

Palm cafe Floridays resort

We ate at the palm cafe at Floridays resort. Well you order from there and can eat inside or by the pool – we took our food and ate by the pool. The food was tasty and cooked to order. I had a chicken Caesar wrap $9.95, DH a Cuban Panini $8.95 and DD a kids grilled cheese$5.95 – all came with fries plus 2 bottles of diet coke. Cost $35

We also had 2 cocktails from the pool bar – I had a pineapple up side down tini (vanilla vodka, coconut run, amaretto and pineapple juice) and DH a ? cocktail. Cost $12.99 for both plus tip.



Total $50

Total spent on food/drink Day 1 $75

[Guest]

what a excellent post! cant wait for day two...im on a budget of the same for me and two children, well done

[dixonsontour]

Food report Day 2



Breakfast

Ohana

We had a 7.30am adr at Ohana at the Disney Polynesian Resort.

First they give you a lei each (to keep) and take your photo but will take with your own camera if you ask. We didn’t buy the photos. As this was the first reservation time the staff sing a little welcoming song as the restaurant opens. We had a good table and nice character interaction – Pluto is my favourite. The food was ok imo, DH really enjoyed it. It is easy as they serve family style – no need to keep going up to the buffet but they will bring more food if you ask. You start with bread and fruit then have a platter with bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs and biscuits then mickey waffles with syrup. We saw Lilo, Stitch, Pluto and Mickey – not rushed at all. After eating we looked around the resort and the beach which is lovely.

Cost $67.48 inc tip

Lunch

We called into Quiznos subs near the resort (next to Regency Publix) and got 2 toasted sub sandwiches to takeaway. I’d bought a coupon for $6 off groupon.com and just had to pay the 39 cent tax. The subs are usually at least $6 each so it was like a BOGOF saving. They were very tasty.

We drove through the McDonalds next to it and got DD a happy meal – cost $3.95 and came in a souvenir bucket for Halloween.

We ate on the balcony at the condo which was nice – had a view over the lake.

Cost $10.34

Snacks

At Seaworld we got a refill cup with soda for $7.45 inc tax. We used this at Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica. Refills of soda (Pepsi products) cost $1.06 inc tax. We used this lots – was well worth getting.

Cost $7.45

Dinner

Flippers pizzeria

We were tired and got a Takeaway pizza from Flippers pizzeria on Westwood Blvd near Seaworld. They are a local pizza chain we have been to several times before. Pizza is very tasty. We had a bit of a wait as it was very busy due to being Seaworld closing time. We shared a 16 inch Carne de Italia one of their specials which was lovely, garlic bread and a Caesar salad. DD had her own pizza plus a kids pepsi. We shared a soda whilst we waited for the pizza. By taking away you save the cost of the tip.

Cost $37.75

Total spent food/drinks Day 2 $123.02

[Guest]

Excellent thread! Can't believe how much you are saving!

[dixonsontour]

Food report Day3



Breakfast

Ihop on the 192 near Disney

We stopped here as it was en route from the resort to Clermont. It was early on a Sunday morning and busy with retired locals and sheriffs which we took as a sign the food was good!

I had a coupon for a free ‘rooty tooty’ breakfast just for signing up to the IHOP email club

I had the rooty tooty fresh n fruity which I highly recommend – you get a cooked breakfast with dessert – pancakes with fruit and cream. Years ago I ordered this for the first time and an American walked in and said i’m having what she’s having! It is always my choice at Ihop.

DH had breakfast with all u can eat pancakes. As we drove up DD read the sign in the window saying all u can eat pancakes and said you should have that daddy so he did. DD had a kids breakfast plus coffee for us and milk for DD. Cost $25 inc a generous tip. We all enjoyed this breakfast and service was good and fast.

Cost $25

Late lunch/early Dinner

FiveGuys Burgers near Florida mall

We had eaten at Five Guys a few times before. They do an excellent burger – regularly win ‘best burger’ awards. Everything is cooked to order and you order with exactly the toppings you want. You collect from a counter when cooked – so no tipping needed. They also do help yourself free soda refills. Whilst you wait for your burger you can eat some of the complimentary peanuts. The Cajun fries are really good and are a huge portion. I had a little cheeseburger (one patty), DH a regular cheeseburger (2 pattys) and DD who isn’t a burger lover a hot dog plus 2 sodas and 2 fries.

Cost $25.17

Snacks

We shared one orange slushy at Showcase of Citrus – you got one free when you did the monster swamp buggy tour.



Coldstone Creamery, 192 near Celebration

For joining the email club I had a coupon for a free creation at Coldstone creamery. I had the birthday cake re mix and DH a mint one – DD shared with us as they are huge and very sweet. Basically they mix the icecream with the toppings on a slab in front of you. Think the creations are $6 something each plus tax.

Cost approx $7.50



Total food/drink day 3 $57.67

[Guest]

Great report ! I am also going to try the email thing before we go !

[sarahewoods]

Brilliant, it is great to see how it all mounts up xx

[ginger ninja]

Great report, very helpful

[TINKERBELL18]

great report will definitely sign up for coupons before we go looking forward to reading more