As a team travel coordinator, you probably know all too well how quickly costs can add up when you’re taking a trip with your team. Paying for transportation, lodging, and plenty of other travel-related expenses can make staying under budget seem like an impossible feat.
Luckily, that doesn’t have to be the case.
There are many simple ways to save a ton of money when traveling with a large group like a sports team. One cost that you can cut down on easily no matter where you’re traveling to or who you’re traveling with is the cost of dining. Although it may be tempting to dine out often during your stay, doing so can eat up a lot more of your budget than you would expect.
Before You Go
In order to keep your team’s finances in check, be sure to plan your meals in advance. Not only will this help you get the most bang for your buck, it’ll also take the guesswork out of figuring out what to do when everyone starts getting hungry.
Coming up with a game plan for your team’s three square meals a day isn’t always an easy task however. After all, you’ve got to satisfy the dietary needs of an entire team while also keeping in mind the personal preferences of each player and possibly each of their families too.
If the process of coming up with a suitable dining plan seems overwhelming at first, a good way to start is by taking into consideration the amenities that are offered at the hotel you’ll be staying at. Handy appliances such as a microwave, mini fridge, or a coffee maker are essential if you plan on preparing some of your team’s meals in the hotel room.
Some hotels even offer rooms with fully-equipped kitchens and dining areas. Take this into consideration if you’re looking to avoid the cost of dining out at restaurants for the entirety of your stay. While these rooms are more expensive, you might find that the convenience is worth the additional cost. The money you’ll save by not dining out at all during your trip could potentially outweigh the higher price of the room as well.
Complimentary breakfast service is another thing to look out for when comparing hotel options. Staying at a hotel that provides guests with free breakfast every day means that you’ll have fewer meals to plan for. Many of these complimentary breakfasts feature foods that make for great on-the-go snacks as well, such as pastries, bagels, and fruits like apples and bananas.
What you take with you on the trip can significantly affect how much you spend on food too, so be sure to pack wisely. If you’re traveling to your destination by car, make sure to pack a couple coolers. Coolers are useful to have around if you’re traveling with a team since they can be used to keep perishable foods cold both on the field and in the hotel room once the mini fridge inevitably runs out of free space. Those traveling by car can also take care of shopping for nonperishable food items ahead of time.
If you’re traveling by plane instead, don’t worry; there are plenty of other smaller items you can bring to help keep food costs down as well, such as reusable bottles, thermoses, and Tupperware. They won’t take up too much space in your suitcase and will definitely come in handy many times throughout your trip.
Another important tip to remember for those traveling by plane is to freeze any beverages or non-solid foods like soups and stews that you plan to bring on board with you. Liquids in containers over 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters are not allowed in carry-on baggage unless they are completely frozen. Bags containing unfrozen liquids will need to be checked. Not only does checking a bag cost an additional fee, you’ll also have to spend the duration of your flight worrying about the liquids spilling in your bag as it’s loaded onto and off of the plane.
Dining In
Once you arrive at your destination, one of the first things you should take care of after you get settled in at the hotel is finding a nearby grocery store. Keep in mind that ethnic and local grocery stores typically have cheaper prices than large chain supermarkets.
Before you begin your food shopping spree, double- and triple-check your grocery list to make sure that you wrote down everything you’re going to need for the remainder of your stay. Making only one trip to the grocery store will save you a lot of time. A well-thought-out grocery list can even save you money since you’ll be less likely to buy more food than you actually need.
Finding a way to feed the entire team using only what’s available to you in the hotel room can require a good bit of creativity. One of the easiest solutions is to make and freeze dishes ahead of time that can feed a crowd, such as casseroles and stews. When it comes time to eat, simply thaw, microwave, and serve.
Although most hotel rooms feature a microwave, this isn’t always the case. If you’ll be staying in a room that doesn’t have a microwave, a good solution is to cook a large amount of pasta at home before you leave.
After each batch of pasta is cooked, rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process, drain well, and toss with a good amount of olive oil. In addition to providing flavor, the olive oil will also prevent the pasta from sticking together.
Prior to serving the pasta in the hotel room, pour the noodles into a colander and run them under hot water in the sink or even the shower. After the pasta has been thoroughly heated up you can top it with sauce and Parmesan cheese, turn it into pasta salad, and more; the “pastabilities” are practically endless! Since pasta can often be found for less than a dollar per pound, this is a way to feed a team that’s as economical as it is hassle-free.
Another way to solve the dilemma of staying in a hotel room without a microwave is by bringing a slow cooker with you. These nifty kitchen appliances can cook an entire meal while your team is on the field and all you have to do is put the ingredients in and turn it on. Some hotels do not allow guests to use slow cookers, however, so be sure to inquire about this in advance if you do plan to bring one.
The meal that you should never go out to eat when you’re traveling with a team is breakfast. Whether it’s a complimentary breakfast or just some cereal or oatmeal that you brought with you, eating the most important meal of the day at the hotel can end up saving you a lot of money. It also gives everyone a little extra time to get ready in the morning.
Above all, avoid the allure of room service. Sure, you might be tempted to indulge in some little luxuries here and there since you’re staying in a hotel, but room service food usually isn’t all that good and you end up paying a pricey premium for the convenience.
Dining Out
While your first priority is to save as much money as possible, it’s only fair to treat your team to a nice meal or two at a restaurant during your trip, especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion like a big win. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to dine out with your team without breaking the bank.
The key to keeping dining costs down when you’re traveling with a team is proper planning. Once you’ve found out what hotel you’ll all be staying at, see what restaurants are located nearby. Many restaurants offer money-saving deals, which are important to consider when you’re deciding where to go eat.
Information about a restaurant’s deals can often be found on their website or Facebook page. Other places you can look include websites like Yelp and Groupon, as well as in local travel brochures and newspapers.
You can also ask your hotel’s concierge for assistance. They will be able to let you know if there are any coupons or deals available for nearby restaurants, and if they live in the area, the concierge can even give you the inside scoop on where the locals like to go eat.
Since you’re looking for places that can provide inexpensive meals for large groups, chain restaurants are always a good option. If you and your team prefer to dine at one chain in particular, such as Fuddruckers or T.G.I. Friday’s, look into signing up for their rewards program. It usually doesn’t cost anything to join these kinds of programs and if you dine at a chain often enough, you’ll be earning free food and other perks in no time.
Another reason why dining at chain restaurants is a cheap way to feed an entire team is because many chain’s gift cards can be found on eBay being sold for cheaper than face value. In most cases the discounted price isn’t that much less than the value of the card itself, but when you’re trying to stay under budget, every little bit helps.
Like breakfast, you should avoid going out to eat for dinner when dining with a team. Instead, make lunch your main meal for the day if possible. Generally speaking, lunch and dinnertime portions don’t vary much and in many cases, dining at lunchtime can save you around 30 percent on your bill. Sharing meals or splitting an assortment of appetizers family style can bring the total cost of your meal down even more.
If you and your team do decide to dine out for lunch only, don’t leave without those leftovers! Saving all of the food you don’t finish means that you won’t have to worry about preparing as much food for dinner later on.
As you can see, it doesn’t matter whether you’re eating in the hotel room or a restaurant; there are many ways for you to save money on food costs the next time you’re traveling with the team. All it takes is some planning and a little bit of ingenuity.
Best of all, you’ll be able to take the money that you save and use it to pay for other travel-related expenses like airplane tickets and fuel. Or you could always splurge and take the team out for a meal at everyone’s favorite restaurant. After all, you deserve to reward yourselves for successfully managing to stay under budget!