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Tips to Saving Money When Self-Catering. Côte de Bœuf, Paris, France. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Tips to Saving Money When Self-Catering

In our last post on What Things Cost Around the World, we compared the dockets of our Price Check shopping lists from some 24 destinations we stayed at around the world on our yearlong grand tour. Our goal was to give self-catering travellers who like settling into places for a while an idea of what groceries cost in the destinations we visited.

During our trip, some readers of our Price Check series pointed out that there were cheaper supermarkets than the ones we shopped in a few of the cities we stayed, that Whole Foods was the most expensive supermarket in the USA, that markets are cheaper than supermarkets, and so on.

While some of these things (though not all) are true, as I explained in our methodology in the last post, we chose quality over price, and wherever possible, bought free-range and organic produce from an identifiable farm or supplier, which is nearly always going to be more expensive. There were ways that we could have reduced the cost of our grocery bills on our travels, so in this post I’m going to provide some tips as to how you can do so on your next trip, along with some general shopping advice for self-catering.

12 TIPS TO SAVING MONEY WHEN SELF-CATERING

Stay out of the tourist zone

Grocery stores, mini-marts and supermarkets in city centres, especially near hotels and sights, are nearly always going to be more expensive than supermarkets in residential suburbs, so choose your holiday rental location carefully if you’re on a tight budget or are simply planning to shop and eat in a lot.

Choose everyday ’burbs over hip ’hoods

When self-catering, even when you get out of the tourist zone, you’ll find that you’ll pay significantly more for groceries in affluent areas than you will in ordinary suburbs. In Istanbul, we discovered that the prices at Kadıköy markets on the Asian side were far cheaper than the supermarkets closest to us in cool Cihangir.

Do your research

Before you do that first major shop to stock the fridge and cupboard, find out where the locals shop. Ask around or simply compare the prices of a few basic items in different supermarkets and grocery stores.

To market or supermarket?

Generally local markets, especially farmers’ markets, are where you’ll find the freshest produce, because you’re often buying direct from the producer and cutting out the middle men. But markets might be the cheapest places to shop in cities like Venice and Paris, they won’t always be in places such as Marrakech, where there’ll be different prices for locals and tourists. (The reason why that is warrants a separate post.)

Market tips

In destinations like Marrakech, get a local to introduce you to their favourite stalls (and stallholders!) the first time you shop to avoid being over-charged when self-catering. At most markets, the stalls with the long lines or that sell out of their stuff earliest are generally the best. The freshest and finest produce sells out early, however, close to closing time stallholders will often slash prices to get rid of produce.

Supermarket tips

If you’re renting a place for a couple of weeks, pick up the flyers advertising ‘specials’, just as you might at home, and find out if there’s one day or night of the week when prices are reduced. In many cities we found that it’s a Thursday night to get rid of stock before the weekend. In some places (such as small European towns, like Ceret), this is because the supermarket closes at noon on Saturday and all day Sunday, while elsewhere (in Edinburgh, for example), it’s because the weekend is the busiest time and new stock comes in on Friday.

Price versus quality

Better quality products, including global ‘name’ brands like Twinings tea and Lavazza coffee, are always going to be more expensive than no-name local brands, however, the cheapest cuts of meat can sometimes result in the tastiest dishes, such as this oxtail stew.

Buy local

Local products, such as local teas, coffees, jams, etc, will always be cheaper than imported products, because of the shorter distance they’ve travelled and fewer taxes and duties on them; sometimes they taste better, sometimes they don’t, but buying ‘local’ is more sustainable and affordable.

Drink local

While we make it a habit of drinking whatever the locals drink – from caiparinhas in Rio de Janeiro to homemade liqueurs in Krakow – we like to drink wine with dinner, yet in places such as Bali, where wine is outrageously priced, you’re better off sticking to beer. If you can cope without your favourite tipple you’ll save money by downing whatever the locals drink.

Factory versus free-range

We only buy free-range products and mostly buy organic produce, for ethical reasons and because we don’t want to consume too many chemicals and other crap. These products are always going to be more expensive, but that’s the price we pay. You can shop for less, if you don’t.

Bargain if you can

At markets, do haggle for the best price if it’s the local custom, but don’t even think about it if it’s not! Watch what other shoppers are doing.

Do as the locals do when Self-Catering

We rented our first apartment in Venice 12 years ago and have been shopping the Rialto markets for fresh seafood, fruit and veg ever since. We learnt during that first stay that the best-priced produce is to be found at whichever stall the little old Venetian ladies with their push-carts are crowded around, while the finest produce can be had from wherever you see suave guys in suit jackets with big wads of cash – usually restaurant owners.

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. Valerie McTavish says

    March 5, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    Great tips – we love to self-cater (kinda have to since I’m a gluten-free vegetarian). I’ve got another one for you…travel with tupperware. We hate throwing out food when we’ve cooked too much. A couple of plastic containers help keep food fresh until the next meal or when you want to take it on a picnic. Two little ones that fit together do the trick and don’t take up too much room. We also travel with our favourite spices so that we aren’t constantly having to buy what we need for each meal.

  2. Anne says

    March 5, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    Markets are rarely cheaper than the supermarket in Paris.

  3. Lara Dunston says

    March 5, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    See 1) & 2) – in Paris, like most cities, it depends on the neighbourhood you’re living in – markets in the working class areas are cheapest. Try:
    * the MidEast Barbès market on Rue Poulet (18th) & African Dejean Market on rue Dejean (also in 18th), both most definitely cheaper than local supermarkets – and with beautiful fresh produce and herbs and spices
    * Batignolles Market (17th) – a big buzzy covered market that’s excellent, with great specialty shops too, not too far from Montmartre/Pigalle; there’s also the Organic (Bio) market here on Saturdays on Boulevard des Batignolles on the median strip
    * La Chapelle Market (18th), rue de l’Olive & rue Lemercier – a small but lively local market with local prices
    * the covered Marché Beauveau and outside market on Place d’Aligre (12th) – long been two of the most affordable close to the centre
    * Marché Convention (15th), Rue de la Convention, bet. Rue Alain Chartier and Rue de l’Abbé Groult near Metro Convention – a local morning market on 3 mornings a week; we used to go here when we stayed at a friend’s apartment on Rue de Vaugirard & it was wonderful & cheap; def. off tourist trail

  4. Lara Dunston says

    March 5, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    Travelling with tupperware is a super suggestion actually – even one container. I’ve often thought that over the last 12 months as many apartments/houses we stayed in didn’t have plastic containers to store leftovers, and like you, Terence would often cook a little too much (no doubt thinking of my healthy appetite) and we’d often have leftovers we’d waste cause we also eat out a lot.

    Terence also travels with a basic kitchen kit (inc. a good knife, spatula etc), good salt and pepper, and we’ll often gather spices etc along the way. Can’t take them everywhere of course, but we’ll leave them in one of the rentals if we’re about to get a flight.

    We did this post that might interest you http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/05/19/with-holiday-rentals-the-little-things-make-a-difference/ on the little things that make a difference in holiday rentals, but I’m going to do follow-up post, as more things have come to mind since that one. Any more ideas you have for that post are most welcome!

    Thanks for dropping by!

  5. Kieron says

    March 6, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    Thanks for sharing this Lara – we’re going to be doing a lot of our own cooking on our RTW and these tips are extremely helpful.

    Do you have any specific tips for saving money in the US/Canada?

  6. Bethany says

    March 16, 2011 at 7:14 pm

    I’m so pleased to see your recommendations ~ especially 8-10. I’m a local and sustainable food enthusiast at home in Portland, Oregon, and my husband and I are looking forward to some time overseas in 2012. I’m eager to carry the same ethic into our shopping/cooking/dining habits while traveling, and I appreciate your practical suggestions. Cheers!

  7. Terence Carter says

    March 17, 2011 at 12:07 am

    Thanks Bethany. I wish we could have come to Portland, but Austin won out on the number of properties.

  8. Lara Dunston says

    March 19, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    Hi Kieron – sorry, guys, missed this one. Thanks!

    The tips above come from our year on the road, which included a month in the USA (we haven’t been to Canada yet – only to its airports!), so you could also click on ‘New York’ and ‘Austin’ under our destinations list for more ideas.
    * try to get out of the major tourism destinations, and when you’re in them, rent apartments in more off-the-beaten-track locations rather than the city centre.
    * eat out just once a day, and shop the local markets and cook in for your other two meals.
    * eat in local neighbourhood eateries rather than destination restaurants; lunches and mid-week evenings are often cheapest, when some restos offer cheap business lunches.
    * take advantage of cheap ‘happy hour’ drinks when you feel like hitting a bar or pub.
    * seek out free stuff to do – kick back in local parks, find out when the free days/nights are at museums and galleries, look in local listings magazines for free events, etc.

    Enjoy!

  9. bethany says

    April 2, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Great tips! Totally true about the grocery stores as well. The tip you discovered in Venice is perfect! I am definitely going to use that the next time I am out shopping in a new market. :)

  10. Kay Funk says

    April 7, 2011 at 8:00 am

    I have taken to putting some gallon ziplock freezer bags in my suitcase for those pesky leftovers! We also take cloth bags to carry groceries.

  11. Lara Dunston says

    November 9, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Oh, I somehow missed this comment at the time – so sorry! – I’m eager to know if you have started following little old ladies and men with fat wallets around markets :)

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About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

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It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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