Anyone watch "$40 a Day?"

[jacquelynrose]

It is on the Food Network Show on Cable/Satelite.

The show for some reason makes me mad sometimes because this woman travels to different states and visits and then says that if you eat at certain restuarants a day and spend up to $40 a day that You are SAVING money.

I believe you can Save MORE Money when you travel to different states on eating than she says.

Anyway just my opinion,

Jacquelyn

[singinjeannie]

Must be nice to travel around and eat out at restaurants. Doens't seem like advice someone one MY budget can use. Tell me how to feed a family of 6 on a budget (two teenage boys included in this mix) and I'll be interested in watching your show!!!

My 2 cents. Sorry, I haven't seen the show!

-Jean

[PrincessPerky]

The first time I saw a comercial for the show I thought she was talking home cooking, I so thoiught she must be crazy. But on restaurants, I think it is a way for restaurants to get free advertising, and her to get a paid vacation! Isn't she the one that does 30 minute meals? There is no way the meal would be done in 30 minutes in my house, I don't have the luxury of imed comercial breaks, and certainly not all the predone stuff.

[dax248]

Actually on the 30-minute meals, none of her food is predone, and they keep track of the time during the comercials- so she isn't gaining time. I have tried some of her recipies, and the do take about 30 minutes or less.

Also, I have watched the $40 A Day. I think that you can travel and eat for less than she does, but I think the show is fun and might give some good ideas if I were to travel to that place... I wouldn't necissarily eat at all the places she does, but I might try one of them.

[gakline]

I kind of like $40 a Day. I think when most people go on vacation cost is no issue. They're there to enjoy themselves whatever the price. I've been on vacation eating at some fancy places and the food and service was terrible. Yeah I could save a lot more money by eating off the Wendy's dollar menu in DC, but I'm there to get something new. I'd be eating fresh seafood everyday, so spending $40 or less would be great. That and $40 for one person is a lot of food.

A side note, I've also heard she's gained some weight doing the show. She has to spend the $40

[PrincessPerky]

Opps, that is kindof funny, does she have to eat the 40?

I think my channel flicking prolly gets in the way of the 30 minute meals (between flicks a lot gets done), though it was at my SILs so I blame her channel surfing not mine .

[dax248]

Yeah, she has gained some weight. You can tell especially on the 30 minute meals, her face has rounded out some.

[Beeba]

I like the show but I think she spends way too much money on food while eating out. When my family travels we only eat 2 meals a day. I can't imagine packing in all that food. Hopefully someone else on the show helps her eat it.

[byusteeler]

I'm with most of the rest of you. I think you can get good meals at fun places for less money than she spends. She spends a lot on drinks too. I usually just get water. I travel and my company does not give me $40 a day for meals, so if it cost me $40 a day some of the money would have to come from my own pocket and I'm too cheap for that. I think the show is kind of fun though. I don't think I would remember where she had been if I ever went to one of the destinations she has reviewed.

[Armywife]

I caught this show a couple months back when there was a marathon on FoodNetwork... I was quite impressed since most of the areas she went to were "pricey". $40 a day for one person is a bit much when you know the terrain... but if you're on vacation... it's about the average cost, I guess. Of course, when you travel with the kids... that's when you have to turn on the superfrugal radar and keep costs average

[kashi]

I've never seen the show but $40 a day? for one person?? yikes!!!! I guess when I go on vacation, I stay at places with a continental breakfast (so it's free), and then stop at a grocery store to get lunch items (like bread and peanut butter, bananas, water, etc). That way I only pay for dinners. My mom and I did this a few years ago when we took a trip together, and it worked out great! Plus, if you have that extra food money left over, you can spend it on things like museum admissions and stuff. This is making me want to go on a vacation.

[mahanda]

$40! yikes, when we go on vacations we usually stay at places through our timeshare, eat breakfast in the room, dinner is sandwhiches or whatever in room. the big meal is lunch when we go out-- we find we can afford a nicer place at that time of the day

[jacquelynrose]

After reading the posts all day on this topic, I guess I can chime in once again.

I agree, when you go out you should have fun but I also agree with the fact that you can have a nice continental breakfast and make sandwiches for lunch and have a very lovely dinner at some nice restuarant. You could switch off too (the meals).

After watching the show, 1-2 times a week, I noticed she has her own tips to being "cheap" and "frugal" but she just does not seem to apply them well.

I think in this day and age we spend alot of money on what we see and how it is marketed to us and to me this is another marketing scheme to make you believe that you are being "frugal"

The irony of it all is I am Majoring in Marketing and I love Branding and who doesn't like to eat at awesome restuarants and not care how much we are spending? But I have come to realize my future is more important that a cheap moment of glorious food.

But you know, you could always reward yourself for all your hard work and take care of your future and then later enjoy all those glorious meals and travel

Jacquelyn

[ctack2]

I guess this is all why I like to take a cruise for a vacation. It doesn't matter how much you eat or how little you eat......sandwiches, steaks, salads....doesn't matter. It's all paid for! lol
Carol

[nerys]

$40 a day is one of my favorite programs. I have every single episode on dvd and I have pda versions for when I travel :-)

For a family $40 a day per person. not a chance. when we go on a BIG family vacation it can be 10 people thats $400 !! nonono. its eat at the timeshare for breakfast and lunch and then we do dinner maybe 1 in 3 nights. otherwise eat in. when we DO go to dinner its $300 plus ! thats why we only go to cool places and only 1 in 3 nights or so :-)

but for 1 or a couple traveling NOT cooking in and using "prepared" food (ie restaurents) for everything for 3 meals and sometimes a snack $40 is very reasonable and a good deal.

remember the moto of the show is $40 a day no fast food eating nice area centric foods. IE "cool stuff" eating "good"

for THOSE criteria $40 a day is VERY cheap. I have seen menus where $40 "might" cover dinner for one person :-) lets not even get into high scale places :-)

would I eat on $40 a day for my entire trip no off course not. we always look for golden corals when I go to naram since it cheap buffet style "ok" food :-) no breakfast and lunch on the field cheap :-)

Plus you get to see cool food cool places etc.. I was really annoyed that I passed through some of these places at night when I went to naram this year since I went through via oshkosh and passed by Chicago and Milwaukee both of which she has episodes on :-( grrrrr :-)

Really fun show - I hope it persists for many seasons to come :-)

Remember its not an "ultra budget" show. its not a how cheap can you eat show. its a how NICE can you eat within a $40 budget :-) thats cool. $40 is "low enough" for most people (again 1 day not every day of a vacation) to be able to reasonably afford and "enough" to allow you to get nice interesting cool food :-)

Chris Taylor

[cercis]

I would love to do a show $50/day for my family of 4. We'd talk about different ways to eat less expensively but still well. Such as buying coupons through different organizations, splitting meals, snacking more and eating full meals less.

I think it'd be a fun show, especially with my picky eater child.

DH says that he heard Rachel Ray used to be a food pinup girl. I don't like her, I find her voice and fake laugh beyond annoying, so that amused me.

[nerys]

ahh I think she is cute and her laugh is funny :-) different people differents likes etc.. :-)

whats cool is next year naram will be in either phoenix or tucson arizona and there is an episode for both :-)

Chris Taylor

[CRFSaver]

I think part of it is what you will be frugal on as well. Food is the one thing I never mind spending money on and for good food even more. I dont save money on food but I will tell you I eat darn well. $40 a day is not bad for approximately 4 meals. Hell when a steak at Mortons cost's $35 thats a bargain. Either way for some people eating a nice beautiful meal is pure enjoyement. Some day I am going to eat at Charlie Trotters and thats gonna cost an arm and a leg, but well worth it for me. I am also a person, when I am on vacation, I dont cook at home. I let someone else cook for, I am on vacation here! Btu of course many won't agree with me on these. She is a tad bit annoying to me so thats why I don't really watch her. Good Eats (and when it used to be on Naked Chef) were my food TV shows of choice.

[cercis]

I like Good Eats too. Well, like might be too strong. I can deal with DH watching it without sending him to the other room (Rachel Ray annoys me that much, DH says it's like the presidential election all over again with me making annoyed sounds and sassing the TV).

[Snoopy2645]

Ya can u imagine we are a family of 5 that would be $200 a day well that wont happen heck for us going out to eat & spending $40 for a meal for all of us is a real treat we do that only a few times a year LOL