Question

I’m going to Seattle in 2 weeks and have everything budgeted, but I’m not sure how much I should take for food. Day 1 I will be arriving late and eating dinner at the airport, Day 2 full of sightseeing, Day 3 conferences (will go out to dinner), Day 4 sightseeing, Day 5 conferences (out to dinner), Day 6 Flying home eating at airport. Do you think $150 will cover coffee, breakfast/lunch, and dinner? I plan to pack snacks in my bag and a re-usable water bottle. This is a fun trip so no reimbursements.  

Answer 1

Seattle is expensive so you might want to budget more. I live close to Seattle

Comments

@sororate I did call the hotel and they have keurigs in the rooms so I’ll bring my kcups with me and save $ on coffee.  

Answer 2

Is that per day or for the whole trip. When I travel, I plan $50/person/day for meals. We do a brunch style meal mid/late morning and then go out for supper. One nice meal and one cheap fast food. If you want to cut costs, pack instant oatmeal packets and use the hotel coffee maker for hot water. Lots of protein filled snacks to keep in your bag.  

Comments

@kura723 $150 for the whole trip.  

Answer 3

That seems low to me, but I’m sure it can be done depending on what type of restaurants you choose for your dinners. Maybe search online for places you might want to eat that are nearby and see if their menu is viewable online with prices?  

Comments

@meningitis I’m going with a group, but we aren’t a fancy bunch. Just like good food.  

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@throe My kind of group! Have so much fun!  

Answer 4

I would say probably not. Seattle is SUPER expensive. I would plan for $75 for each full day or $25/meal.  

Answer 5

I would personally budget $300. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. You can eat ramen when you get home  You’ll probably want to get coffee out sometimes as it’s the coffee mecca.  

Answer 6

There are amazing neighborhood market and deli options if you want to make breakfast and lunch picnic style. $150 will probably barely cover the food for the trip because of the airport food and the restaurants.  

Answer 7

I would take food along to eat at the airport. Way to expensive there.  

Comments

@novotny I’ll have to eat something at the airport Bc my total travel time is about 9 hours on both travel days  

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@throe I take meat and cheese

Answer 8

I live near Seattle, and I think you're budgeting low. You're going to want to be careful where you stay and where you sightsee because there are homeless encampments all over the place and the crime rate is UP because of it. SO. you will likely need to be in the more expensive parts of town just for safety sake.  

Comments

@pons5698 we are going to a knitting convention and staying at the Marriott in Bellevue. Sightseeing Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Bainbridge Island, and Chihuly Museum.  

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@throe I’ve been to Madrona twice. It’s in Tacoma. Tacoma was expensive. We stayed at a B&B, but lunch and dinner were pricey. I think you should plan $75/day. You MAY be able to find less expensive food, but I wouldn’t count on it. Be safe and enjoy VKL.  

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@orate thanks! I’ll eat cheap and get my fiber in the marketplace  

Answer 9

$150 is not enough. Double it if you are cash basis. Budget double if you use cards.  

Answer 10

I'm not from Seattle but have visited twice. Portage Bay Cafe is delicious- just throwing that out there. We did brunch there, snacks, then dinner so only 2 meals out. If you can, I'd recommend going outside the city into the cute little neighborhoods. We found some yummy food places that seemed comparable to Denver food prices. Are you staying somewhere that offers free breakfast?  

Comments

@izard no our hotel does not  I plan to take granola bars for breakfast. I’m not a big breakfast eater anyway.  

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@throe oh then that should totally help! Since you're going for a conference, do you get any type of per diem?  

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@izard oh no, it’s a for fun knitting convention. 3 friends and I travel each year to different ones.  

Answer 11

When I went for a work related seminar for 2 days, I baked some banana nut bread to take with me. That was my breakfast and hotel provides free coffee. Employer reimbursed me for meals including breakfast. Bringing some home baked goods might help reduce your cost. Also I splurged on lunch (within max budget allowed) and ate healthy fast food for dinner because lunch is cheap and dinner is more pricey.  

Comments

Also, try not to buy food at the airport. Way too expensive. I usually make my own sandwich and cut up some apples or other fruits for dessert.