Should You Cook When Solo Traveling? (When To + Not To)

When traveling cooking your meals is one way of saving money on the go.

Especially, if you are traveling on a budget you don’t have the luxury to spend hundreds of dollars on a single meal.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to cook as it reduces the money you spend while traveling, but other times it’s not convenient for you to do it.

In this article, I will share some of the instances when you should cook or not when traveling.

When you should cook when solo traveling;

1. If it is your preference.

You should cook when traveling solo if it’s what you like. As a rule of thumb, you should always do things that make you happy.

If you are traveling alone you will have a lot of issues to deal with, not just only with your challenges of moving from one point to another but loneliness too.

So, if cooking your meals is what you like then you should do it.

As long as it makes you happy and keeps you occupied.

Don’t stop yourself from cooking a meal when it’s something that contributes to your happiness.

When you are traveling alone and you feel like getting into the kitchen will make you happy, do it.

2. When you are on a tight budget.

If you are traveling on a budget you won’t have the luxury to eat out in expensive restaurants.

When you are in the middle of the Town Centre it will be hard for you to find a cheap local food spot to enjoy a meal.

You will be surrounded by luxurious restaurants and cafés. This will force you to spend so much money on food.

If you are a foodie lover you won’t hold yourself from spending more money than you budgeted for.

An amazing dish makes you happy, since you are traveling solo, all you need is happiness.

It will just click into your head, “Treat yourself, that’s the only thing you can do in the middle of a strange city.”

Without realizing that you are depleting your account.

So, if you are traveling solo and you have a strict budget to follow, you have no choice but to cook.

Cooking your meals will help you save more money thus ensuring you have more money for your planned activities.

3. When you stay in an Airbnb or a hostel.

You won’t be able to cook when you are in a hotel, but if you stay in an Airbnb or hostel, then you have the option to do it.

The Airbnbs have everything you need to prepare a hot dish.

They have kitchens and plenty of utensils to use. The only thing you will have to do is get your groceries in the nearby market.

Get into the shops and buy the things you need to prepare your food.

The amazing part about this is that you will also get to learn more about the type of groceries you can get in that country, you can roughly estimate the cost of living and you will get to see how the locals handle their lives.

When you are telling someone how much it can cost to live in Nepal, you will have an idea of exactly what to share because you lived like a local for a week or a month while you were there.

So, if you have booked an amazing Airbnb, that kitchen is yours to use. Don’t walk out of that apartment without trying it out.

4. If you don’t like the idea of eating out alone.

Not all of us are comfortable with the idea of eating out alone while we are traveling.

Maybe it feels awkward for you because you are used to dining with someone next to you when you go to these restaurants and hotels.

Now you are all alone— you can’t stand the thought of eating alone while you see other people at the next table having company.

If you are in this position and you have tried so hard to work out this issue but haven’t managed, you will have no choice but to cook at your Airbnb.

Cook your meals and enjoy them in your private space without having people set eyes on you and start judging you.

When you cook your meals you won’t have to go out and deal with these people in the restaurants.

You won’t stress yourself with making reservations when you can spend your night tucked up in your duvet while watching your favorite show.

Have your hot meal on your bed while enjoying your afternoon or evening.

5. If you want to eat healthy.

Maybe you are in a destination where it’s hard for you to find organic foods. And if you can find them, they are super expensive.

All you come across are fast foods and those are what you are trying to avoid because you want to eat healthy.

You don’t want to mess up with your diet when you are working so hard to shape your body.

Traveling solo doesn’t give you the excuse to let go of your routines and diet because you are too reluctant to cook.

You need to keep your body in shape and you need to be healthy, you can only do that by eating healthy meals.

If you are on this path, you will have no choice but to cook your meals.

You will avoid filling your body with junk food and at the same time, you will eat the exact kind of food you wanted in your diet.

When it comes to measuring the amount of proteins and calories you want to ingest it will be easier when you are the chef.

Eating healthy when you are traveling solo will help you maintain your body.

You need the stamina to hike and climb the hills and mountains.

It will also boost your confidence as you are traveling solo; you need it more than anything else right now.

Now that you know when you should cook when traveling alone, let us talk about when you shouldn’t.

This is when you shouldn’t cook when solo traveling;

1. If you don’t like cooking.

Don’t force yourself to get into the kitchen when you don’t like cooking simply because you heard it is one way of saving money.

When you are traveling alone you have to get rid of any stressors.

You don’t have time to fight with things that will only keep making your solo trips exhausting.

The only thing that you should allow to make you feel drained is fatigue because you can’t avoid it.

Don’t make the mistake of doing something that doesn’t make you happy just to save some money.

If you don’t like doing something don’t do it because it will take away your happiness.

You will feel like you are forcing yourself into a tiny hole when your body can’t fit.

So, if you don’t like the idea of cooking your meals when traveling alone don’t force yourself to do it.

It will only make things harder for you and you know that is not a great thing especially now that you are alone.

2. If you don’t know how to cook.

I know you may say that it’s a good idea to teach yourself how to cook when you are traveling but it’s not.

If you have no idea of how to cook don’t spend hours in the kitchen trying to figure it out unless it is a local cuisine of the country you are in.

At least that will be the idea that you are still in the art of exploring the culture of the region you are in.

But if it’s just your usual meals that you are still figuring out how to prepare, just let go of that.

You don’t have time to bore yourself with the process of learning how to cook meals you have seen for almost your entire childhood.

What you have to do right now is explore the new destination you are in and not frustrate yourself by learning things you can do when you get back home.

You have to realize you are racing with time and make the most of it before your visa expires.

3. You love the idea of trying the local cuisine of your destination.

If you want to get into the streets and try some street food and local cuisine you shouldn’t think of cooking.

You only have one stomach, where will you keep the rest of the food that you will cook?

It won’t be a smart idea for you to go out there and spend money trying the local dishes and then spend another money buying groceries and other things you need to cook.

You will have spent twice the amount of money you budgeted on that day.

This will only drain you financially. If you have it planned that you want to try new foods in the destination you are traveling to, make sure you stick to that.

Your goal is to try new foods too and learn the stories behind those incredible dishes.

You will do that when you get yourself out there and go to these local food spots.

4. If cooking will take most of your time.

You don’t have time to waste, especially when you require a visa to stay in that country.

Every single day spent there is a dollar used. This means you have to make the most out of it.

You don’t have the luxury of wasting time right now.

If you have so many activities planned and a large area to explore, you shouldn’t think of cooking your meals.

The time that you could have used to cook, that’s the time you could have used to explore the incredible places you want to.

It won’t be of any use for you to waste your time on something else other than exploring. That was your main goal.

And nothing should come in between the goals you are chasing when solo traveling.

You have to ensure that you make the most out of your trip.

The morning hours you could have wasted on preparing a meal, you could have used that to hike up the hills to get the beautiful sunrise and a view of the entire city.

So, if you know that cooking will do nothing but take most of your time, don’t do it.

Use your time to explore and go places because that is what means a great deal to you.

5. If cooking will make you feel like you are back at home.

When you are traveling alone you have to avoid anything that will take you back home because it will make you homesick and you will start feeling lonely.

This won’t be exciting because it will make the trips feel empty and exhausting.

You have to avoid anything that will result in you feeling lonely when you are traveling alone.

If you know that cooking will make you feel like you are back in your kitchen which will trigger memories you are trying to escape, don’t put yourself in that situation.

You need to feel excited to be in this new destination and enjoy the current moment to make your solo trips exciting.

If you are stuck with old memories that make your current trips boring and lonely, you will never have the fun and satisfaction you are searching for.

6. When you are staying in a hotel that offers bed and breakfast.

The choice of your stay influences whether you can cook your meals or not.

If you are staying in a hotel it will be impossible for you to cook because they don’t provide kitchen and utensils.

At this juncture, you have no option but not to cook.

If your hotel provides bed and breakfast you shouldn’t worry about a thing.

Make use of that meal that they provide and save yourself a few bucks.

Eat the breakfast they provide, if it’s possible carry the remaining food because you will need it later in the afternoon.

7. When you enjoy eating in restaurants with spectacular views.

If you enjoy dining out alone in amazing restaurants with incredible views you will have to do that.

You are traveling to enjoy yourself, explore the place, and get the best out of it.

Don’t waste your time cooking when the places you want to explore have restaurants you plan to visit.

If there are food spots and restaurants that offer great services and you plan to get the experience for yourself, don’t bother cooking.

You need to be out there in these amazing restaurants enjoying the meals with the spectacular views.

Lastly…

When you are traveling alone you should only cook when it’s necessary for you.

Don’t get yourself into the kitchen when you don’t feel like it because you are only going to drain yourself.

You need to enjoy your time traveling from place to place while exploring not cooking.

Use the time to do what took you to that amazing destination.

Cooking saves you money, but if it’s at the expense of your time and exploration, don’t do it.

If cooking makes you happy and it’s what makes your trip exciting when traveling solo, you have no choice but to do it.

Do what makes you happy when you are traveling, this is what will make your trips unforgettable.