Budgeting for Food

Hi, we are a family of four - 2 adults and 2 girls (10 and 12) who are visiting Baltimore in June next year.

We are trying to work out an approximate daily food budget - can anybody help?

We are planning to eat in for breakfast (cereal etc. bought from supermarket), sandwich type food for lunch and mid range food for dinner.

We are unlikely to be doing any fine dining, but also unlikely to hit McDonalds.

Thanks - any help is greatly appreciated as this trip is blowing the budget due to a weak Australian dollar.

Budgeting for Food

A lot depends on where you%26#39;re planning on staying. I too like to put together my family%26#39;s own continental breakfast every day when traveling, but there simply aren%26#39;t a lot of choices for quality groceries near most of the downtown/Harbor hotels.

The two exceptions are in the Harbor East area, where there%26#39;s a Whole Foods Market. You should be able to pick up a quart of milk and a quart of orange juice, four muffins and a few bananas for perhaps $15 (Whole Foods is on the high end of the grocery price scale). You can probably get the same at the Safeway in the Fells Point area for about $10.

These are the only two supermarkets nearest the popular areas where travelers stay. There are two 7-Eleven convenience stores on Baltimore St. and one on Light St. You can probably get the same sample breakfast items (although muffins will likely be pre-packaged)for somewhere between $10-$15.

Sandwich-type lunches from the merchants in Harborplace (as an example)--figure about $8 per person for a sandwich %26amp; bag of potato chips or a couple of slices of pizza and soft drink. Or buy your own sandwich supplies from the supermarket along with a case of water bottles, and you can probably pack your own lunches for about half that amount.

Dinner--any place with a waiter is going to run you at least $15 after figuring tax and gratuity (be sure to add on a gratuity of 15%-20% onto the total bill for table service).

Again, more specific info about where you%26#39;re staying will get you specific recommendations.

Budgeting for Food

Thanks for your advice. We are staying in postcode 21252.

We had budgeted for $240 per day - we may have over done it!

Any other suggestions would also be gratefully accepted.

21252=Towson, outside the city. Long way from the attractions you%26#39;ll want to see in town. But the presence of college students puts plenty of less-expensive dining options at your fingertips and more grocery stores than you%26#39;ll find downtown.

Any particular reason why you%26#39;re staying in Towson?

If you%26#39;re not locked into the property you%26#39;ve chosen and don%26#39;t have a compelling reason to be staying in the Towson area, I%26#39;d strongly consider booking a different hotel closer to the typical tourist points of interest in the city itself.

I agree that you may want to stay downtown. How much have you budgeted for parking?

My suggestion for inexpensive food is to visit the city markets; my favorite is Cross Street in Federal Hill, visit on your way to Fort McHenry but many tourist like Lexington Market in order to check out Faidley%26#39;s crab cakes.

Thanks for the info folks. We are staying in that area because my sister-in-law lives there. I%26#39;m sure she will take us wherever we need to go although we will hire a car if necessary.

traceyjMelbourne,

You may be over budgeting for food depending on where and what you may be going or if you are staying in. I used to live off of Aigburth Road when I used to live in the area. There are several shopping centers that have grocery stores including one adjacent to the Towson Town Center on the Delaney Valley Road side. There is also a shopping center further south on York Road before Walker and Gittings Avenue. The shopping center I usually went to was on Goucher Boulvard across the street from Calvert Hall College High School. I usually used a car for grocery shopping, but I could easily walk to Towson Town Center. If I needed to get downtown or to the Inner Harbor without a car, I usually took the #8 bus that goes up and down York Road. You would take the bus that was going to the Inner Harbor or Downtown. Though the #8 going towards the Inner Harbor takes you through some not so pleasant areas. Another alternative route for me was to take the #8 bus that is going northward to Lutherville. It drops you off near the Lutherville, I believe, stop of the light rail system where you could take the light rail down towards downtown and the Inner Harbor. There are plenty of eateries that vary in price in the Towson area that range from fast food to restaurants. Everything from Papa Johns pizza and Dunkin Donuts to The Orient and Paolo%26#39;s. The area is really not known for crabcakes. I haven%26#39;t been in the area in for a couple of years so things might have changed some since I was last there. Hope this helps. :)

Def go to Pasta Mista in Dulaney Valley shopping center (Superfresh, across from Towson Town). Excellent pizza, italian food, very reasonable.

Also, they are opening PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory at Towson Town this month. These are just options that will be close to where you are staying.

Different people look for different things when they travel but I would never recommend chain restaurants like the previous poster. Towson is a college town so there are many inexpensive eateries. You are close to Belevedere Market with some excellent takeaway food. There are also good crabcakes close by at the Crackpot if you want to try a local favorite. Perhaps your sister- in- law can help you narrow your choices.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will talk to sister-in-law (haven%26#39;t sprung the surprise on her yet!)

Some great suggestions there.