Food budget?

[aprilfoolwed]

We are only going to be at WDW for one day this summer, but will be hanging on the Gulf Coast for the rest of the week. I am having a tough time with my budget for this vacation, particularly with the food portion.

We are staying in a 3BR condo with a full kitchen, so we plan on eating all breakfasts and lunches in the condo (with the exception of our travel days and our day at Disney). For dinner, we plan on eating out every other day and making dinner (or doing simple take-out, like pizza) on the off days.

We are a family of 5, but will share some meals with my parents (who are traveling and staying with us). Breakfasts will mostly be cereal-type things and lunches will most likely be leftovers or sandwiches. So cheap.

Dinners at the condo will likely be burgers & dogs, tacos, spaghetti type meals. Restaurants will be moderately-priced family places (no fast food - no fancy places). I put $700 in the budget - does that seem like a fair number for those eating habits over 10 days (6 days at the beach, one day at disney and 3 travel days?).

I am more worried about budgeting too little than too much, but we have some other money factors to consider and I don't want to tie up too much money in our vacation account if it will not be used.

Thoughts?

 

[prncess674]

I would make out a daily meal plan. List out ingredients for each homemade meal and list out likely options for dinner. On the meals out only you know how much your family typically orders at a place back home. I wouldn't just look at the total number, break it out by meal.