Budget travel in Australia

One of the main reasons I went to Australia is because I wanted to travel without spending a lot. Staying with my sisters took a huge chunk of accommodation and meal expenses. I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford to stay in Melbourne for more than two months if I was traveling on my own.

Finding cheap eats in Australia, while not impossible, means doing your research well ahead in time or having a great luck in stumbling upon such places. A sure fire way to ensure you get good, cheap food though, is to hit the supermarkets.

My sisters and I are traveling in Hobart, Tasmania at the moment, and we’re staying at a serviced apartment. What’s great about this place is that not only is it centrally located, it also has a kitchenette so we can cook most of our meals.

We ate at a casual dining restaurant when we arrived yesterday, and the bill came out to $66. We hit the supermarket for supplies, and was able to prepare breakfast, lunch and two dinners for about $100. Our meals include roast chicken, bacon, eggs, pasta salad, lamb steak, mee goreng (albeit the instant kind), desserts (cups of tiramisu, mud pie, lemon cheesecake, creme caramel), fruits, a bottle of Moscato wine, and of course, the Asian staple, rice.

Don’t know how to cook or don’t have a kitchen? Not a problem, since ready to eat meals are available in the deli section of the market. You have a choice of salads, pies, roast chicken, and sushi rolls. It’s also best to buy your drinks at the supermarket as well, since a $0.79 bottle of water there sells for $2 in the shops.

Of course, treat yourself sometimes and eat out to try the local specialities. Cooking just gives you the option to make your money take you farther and experience more.