Have you ever packed food for a trip?
 

I am going to Maui and Kauai and am trying to be frugal about the food. We are staying in a condo on Kauai so we will need our own food. I understand that even the gorcery stores are pretty expensive (in comparison to the mainland). I was wondering if anyones ever flown food such as jarred spaghetti sauce and canned soup? Can you still do that with all the restrictions? Thanks!

I would think you would have to pack the food so well that it would require extra luggage. Airlines are very strict about transporting food items that might break or spill in luggage. Your luggage getting messy is one thing, but if it got onto other passengers luggage, that would be a big problem. Canned foods shouldn't be a problem. I would grocery store it and try to eat cheap, though.

At the local grocery stores, ask for a local's discount card, tell then you'll be there for a week. It helps hugely. We've rented condos many times, I only take along some bagged cereal and ground coffee. It's fun to buy the local fruit and poke, the prices aren't really THAT bad. I wouldn't bother with taking canned things, personally.

We travel with food all the time because we keep kosher. When we went to Maui we took a box with food (packaged macaronic and cheese for the kids, bakery products, etc). Most other things we purchased in the Costco near the airport or the Star Market near Kanaapali. The airlines (in this case was United) didn't care as long as it wasn't fresh fruit/vegetables or meat/dairy products. Hawaii is very restrictive about anything that might introduce new pests to their animals and crops.

We saw several such "food boxes" come off the luggage turntable in both Alaska and Puerto Rico, so I know it can be done.
Another frugal way to do food is to eat out, but make breakfast and lunch your main meals and then a lite dinner.
This can result in a huge savings.

When we vacation in the Caribbean we typically rent a villa, and try to cook at home part of the time to keep within our budget. One of the most expensive items to buy at a destination is spices. I would highly recommend taking an assortment of the ones you use most to save that expense. Additionally, items that are costly like olive oil are good to bring along. We have a vaccuum sealer and have sealed the breakable items in those bags to pack so that if a jar were to break, the mess would be contained within the bag. Packing & bringing dry ingredients, like pancake mix etc. Might be a good idea, as it's unlikely you'd use a whole box while on a short vacation.

Those are all really great ideas and advice! I think we will bring coffee, cereal, pasta and rice. (Low carb - huh?) That was a good point about the jar breaking - so thats out. Otherwise I think we'll be allright. Thanks for all of your help!

My body building husband has to eat constantly or he is cranky. I always have a couple of soy powerbars in my handbag.

When we travel, I always take coffee, equal and splenda, tuna, and protein bars.

Traveling with a portable bar doesn't count as food does it? :-D

GoTravel - it counts in my book! :D

Karen

Don't forget to pack some laundry detergent and dryer shhets in a ziplock baggie...cheaper and you will only need a small amount.

We stayed in a condo on the Big Island for a week, and we brought cereal, oatmeal bars, brownie mix, and spices for grilling out. Also, a few of the puches of tuna fish and chicken are great! Basically, everything that is either heavy, bulky, or perishable is expensive in Hawaii. DO ask for the local discount card in the grocery stores!

I buy the "tab" laundry detergent (Purex brand) and just stash a few in the suitcase. Dryer sheets in a ziploc bag, too. If your condo has stackable w/d, 1 of the tabs is plenty for a full load of wash.

We pack some things, but mostly things that are easily transportable and items we like to much on.

When we left Freeport this June en route home, a lady behind us in line literally had a cooler on wheels that she pulled and it was taped around with duct tape...it was full of food supplies. Naturally, coming back into the US, she was detained for customs to go through the cooler, but it didn't seem to bother her any.

Someone else mentioned things that are easy to travel and if you buy them for just a week's use in a condo, can be quite expensive. You can easily pack powdered laundry detergent, dryer sheets and those little gel packs for the dishwasher. I always like to pack my own tea which doesn't take up much space and since I like having flavored International Delight creamer in it each morning, I have found those little sealed portion size containers of it in boxes of about 20 or so that don't have to be refrigerated!! Luv having that to take along now, too. I wish I could find a way to easily transport balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil as we usually can't survive a week without it. Buying at destination is expensive and it's cumbersome to pack either going to/from.

Quite some time ago we went to Hawaii (I wish we were going back again!), but I was pregnant and we were traveling with a 13 month old. I packed a suitcase with diapers and canned ready to feed formula. (This was very expensive in Hawaii. ) We were staying in a hotel, but ate our large meal around 3pm . We had dinner at lunch prices. Since there was a 6 hour time change, my daughter and I never quite adapted to, this suited us fine. Then we had icecream at dinner time. Now the kids are 10 and 12 and we pack cereals, snacks, and granola bars to tide them over !

I was supposed to sail the Virgin Islands this summer with my girlfreinds and for different reasons we didn't.

One of my idiot girlfriends wanted to fill a large suitcase with bottled water. I can't even imagine what they would charge her for the extra weight.

On our trip to Maui this summer, we packed a soft-sided cooler about the size of a microwave. We packed it with canned soup, cereal, crackers, powdered drink mix, etc. I double-sealed all boxes with duck tape because I knew the airport screeners would unzip the cooler. We then used the cooler for many of our day trips on the island including the beach. On our return we used the cooler as extra baggage to hold trinkets., etc. we purchased on our vacation.

I take food with me when I travel almost always... Since I travel on business, I have started FedEx'ing a box so I don't have to mess with it.
I have taken whole suitcases full of food. Homemade tortillas, individual cold brew tea bags, Laughing Cow cheese (always) soup, cereal (lots of cereal) oatmeal, etc... As I have said many times, I do not travel for the food.
Cultural foods are often the least expensive... street food in NYC and crepes in Paris.
An added bonus is that I do not gain weight and I have more time to sight see.
PS... I have NEVER had any problems taking food, even cheese, into France, England, Mexico, St Lucia, T&C, Hawaii and many other destinations... never.

I personally have never taken food on vacation, with the exception of my own coffee when staying in an apartment. Now, I have brought food stuff back -- things I can't normally get at home.

If I'm on vacation, I want to try the local stuff, and maybe buy OJ, cheese, bread, etc for the condo. ((b))

Always stay in a condo and cook most meals. Agree with a previous poster and always bring herbs and spices, maybe olive oil, sometimes have Pigs Fly whole grain bread shipped and always take 3 or so of my good kitchen knives. I call the airline ahead - all say they can be packed in checked luggage. Nothing worse than trying to do serious cooking with dull knives. Airlines will let you pack canned goods, etc. in your checked luggage but it takes up too much space and weight so I think one is better off buying that stuff locally. For the rest, we get local market discount cards (free) and shop locally for fish, chicken and produce. Sure do miss Whole Foods Markets and Trader Joes type places in areas where they don't have any. We are an older couple on heart healthy diets and are more concerned with that issue than $$. Amazing to us how many areas of the country, including FL, don't have Whole Foods type stores.

When we camped on St John we took everything we would need. There were lots of coolers coming off the plane in St Thomas. Generally we planned on making our own breakfast (cereal) and lunches (for a day at the beach or hiking). When we spent Thanksgiving at a NC beach house my carry on was a pie basket containing an apple pie. My husband carried an insulated bag containing a pre-cooked pot roast. This was pre-9/11. Our checked luggage included a winter squash. This summer we were supposed to bring a box of frozen Schonland hotdogs with us in a carryon but forgot them. The relatives were were visiting were very miffed because that was they're special request. The new 50lb weight limit is a bit of a hindrance because I did take things to St John like canned tuna. If the spaghetti sauce is in a sealed jar, I would take it in a carryon but wrapped in a towel or tee shirts to help prevent breakage.

I have Celiac Disease (cannot ingest anything with gluten), so I always carry an emergency box of gluten free bars. While I have accepted the limitations of my restricted diet there is nothing worse then being tired and hungry with nothing to eat thats on my diet.