Vacapedia Vacation Rentals Blog

We’ve mentioned before that one of the major perks of staying in a vacation rental for your upcoming trip is the ability to cook your own meals in your own kitchen. In the past, we’ve focused on this perk primarily because for families traveling with small children it’s important to be able to whip up something quickly that you know your kids will eat, whether they’re just being too picky to try something unfamiliar at a local restaurant in the town you’re visiting or you want to have more control over what they’re eating.

Well, here’s yet another reason why having your own kitchen is a great perk for any travelers, whether they’ve got kids or not - it’ll save you money.

You’ve probably heard the news lately about the global food crisis, and how the cost of food is going up all over the world. While in some places there have been riots and food shortages, in the United States the effect has been largely restricted to a simple rise in what you’re paying for what you’re eating.

Of course, even when you’re shopping at a local grocery store or farmer’s market in the town you’re visiting you may be paying a little more for your food, but this pales in comparison to what you will pay at many restaurants. Restaurant owners are being forced to raise the prices on their menus to help compensate for the added costs they’re being charged by suppliers, so even if you splurge now and then during your vacation for fun, you can really cut costs by renting a vacation property and cooking your own meals most of the time.

So, when you’re hunting for the perfect vacation rental for your summer trip, be on the lookout for two things - kitchen amenities and nearby markets. Knowing what you’ll have to cook with in your vacation home is a great start, and then knowing that there are grocery stores or markets nearby where you can stock up is even better.