If you click on the links in this post, we may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post, at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclaimer here.
We’ve been talking about saving money on your Myrtle Beach trip before on this blog. In fact, we recently published a Myrtle Beach Budget Travel Guide. It gives you tips and coupons to help you save one everything from flights to hotels to activities.
But today I want to get a bit more specific. Today I want to talk about saving money on something you will have to do during your vacation, and that is eating and drinking.
Financing for food and drink is something that I have in the past forgotten about when planning a vacation. I will figure out how to budget all the other aspects of the vacation (like hotel, transportation, activities, etc.). But then I blow my budget when I get there by eating out.
And while there are a lot of great restaurants in Myrtle Beach, a lot of them are also quite expensive. But don’t get discouraged! You can still stay under your travel budget during your trip – and eat some great food and drinks too – by following one or a few of these tips.
Tip #1: Stay in a Room with a Kitchen
One way to save money on during your vacation is to cook your own meals. This is something you can do if you have a kitchen in your room. You can get that by renting a condo or house here.
But you could also stay in a hotel and get these advantages. There are a lot of aparthotels around Myrtle Beach where you can get a guest room with a kitchen. My family recently had a wonderful stay at the Sea Crest Oceanfront Resort and it had a kitchen (another money saving tip: you can book the Sea Crest Resort at a discount rate here). You can find other hotels with kitchenettes at cheap prices here.
But let’s say you already booked your hotel stay and it doesn’t have a kitchenette. Or you end up finding a wonderful deal for a hotel in Myrtle Beach that has no kitchen. In this case, you can still save money by having a meal or two in the room. You can pack a protein bar for breakfast or a snack or even meal replacement bars.
And if your hotel at least has a microwave, you could consider bringing one or some of these non-refrigerated microwave meal options. Some hotels that have a free breakfast have an area in the lobby with chairs, tables and a microwave that they will let you use. Which brings me to my next tip…
Tip #2: Stay in a Hotel with a Free Breakfast
Another way to save money on meals is by staying at a hotel with a free breakfast. This way, one of your meals is already taken care of. And you can try to take advantage of this as much as you can by eating a good-sized breakfast so you can eat a smaller lunch (and save money that way).
You can find hotels with a free breakfast in Myrtle Beach here.
Tip #3: Don’t Eat at Oceanfront Restaurants
Eating at an oceanfront restaurant is a really neat experience. And I am not saying you can’t do it.
But if you want to save money on meals, this is not the way to do that. Prime real estate means higher prices. If you look up a restaurant’s website and they don’t tell you prices, that is generally a good idea that the restaurant will be expensive.
So my family has found that if you stick to Myrtle Beach restaurants that aren’t directly on the ocean, you’ll save money. This includes fast food places (I’ve been to McDonald’s many times in Myrtle Beach since the early 1990s, and have always had a good experience). But it also includes local restaurants.
One restaurant my family really likes is Mr. Fry on 224 7th Avenue South. It is very convenient to a lot of oceanfront hotels and is close to Family Kingdom. They have a nice mix of subs, chicken, seafood baskets, and pizza. The pizza especially is great. My family shared a Hawaiian pizza.
Not only was it delicious, but by sharing the pizza, we saved so much money versus paying for separate entrees. Which brings me to my next point…
Tip #4: Share Food & Take Home Leftovers
Sharing food is a great way to save money on food. Pizza is obviously a great way to share food and save money. But there are other family meals and shareables at restaurants you can take advantage of as well.
Similarly, if your hotel room does have a refrigerator and microwave, take advantage of leftovers. Your leftovers from dinner can become lunch the next day, and that saves you money on an entire meal.
Tip #5: Take Advantage of Coupons
One way to go out to eat and save money is to take advantage of coupons. You can find coupon booklets all over Myrtle Beach. They are often in hotel lobbies or you can even find them when walking along the street. Definitely take advantage of these coupons as they can really help you save money on your entire vacation.
Take #6: Earn Swagbucks for Dining Coupons
There are a number of chains in Myrtle Beach where you can use gift cards to pay for your meal. One way to earn free gift cards is by earning Swagbucks. I’ve been using Swagbucks for years to earn money for vacations. We talk about how to earn Swagbucks here.
And some of the gift cards you can get through Swagbucks have restaurants in Myrtle Beach. For example, you can get a Landry’s gift card. You can use it at Landy’s Seafood Restaurant and Joe’s Crab Shack at Broadway at the Beach.
Conclusion
So while a lot of restaurants in Myrtle Beach are quite expensive, you can still save money by trying some of those tips. And you can save money on your overall vacation by checking out these Myrtle Beach vacation budget tips.