To make lunch from the buffet breakfast at our (frankly) ludicrously expensive hotel in Crete

[luverlyjubberly]

We are off on holiday tomorrow and we booked this a year ago.....before my dh lost his job and before we couldn't really afford it. However, it was too late to cancel without losing our money and we didn't want to disappoint the kids, so we are off anyway. This means we are staying in an expensive 5 star resort on a small budget. I'd already paid for the bed/breakfast so I'm thinking, since they have a massive buffet (we've been before) that we ought to stock up on rolls, cheese, ham, fruit etc and feed ourselves this at lunchtime to save money. We have two kids who would be happy enough with this and I reckon it would save us a small fortune. However dh is really against it saying that it's something he'd never do, we'd have to do it on the quiet - which he hates the idea of - and he thinks it's giving our kids the wrong message (like we are stealing or something)....

Views please.. don't kill me please - I'm just trying not to go into mounds of debt...

the saying is "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper".

So go with that and linger over breakfast, have a few courses and maybe take a banana with you when you leave and have that for lunch. I've often taken a piece of fruit from the breakfast buffet, always openly, and never been stopped or felt guilty. In the heat of the day your apetitde is usually surpressed anyway isn't it?

Enjoy your holiday luverlyjubberly

I can't see the problem in saying to your kids 'Take a piece of fruit with you for later'

I can see the problem with stuffing a picnic hamper under the table

I've done this with the odd bread roll/croissant/pot of nutella/fruit. Quite openly, and no one has ever stopped me.

I wouldn't do it because I am too much of a drip and would be mortified if challenged.

But I don't think it's too bad as long as you don't go mad. Ideas for extended breakfasts/brunches quite good, though as an alternative.

Tempting but no.Just eat loads so that lunch can be small and on holiday appetites do diminish esp in the heat.Have a couple of cheap nights with take away kebabs instead of meals out and buy a few bits like crisps etc and shove them in your case before you go

I don't see the problem with taking a little for lunch. I agree with the concept that you've paid for it, as long as you don't take a suitcase in with you.

My dd eats little to nothing before lunchtime anyway, so the lingering over breakfast thing doesn't cut it with her.

And I don't see it as stealing at all. Going into a hotel you're not staying at and taking food would be stealing. Taking food from the hotel you're paying for? How can that possibly be stealing?

I see it as taking a regular girls intake of food from breakfast and giving it to her when she'll eat it. If she had the appetite of the average child, she'd probably eat more at breakfast than we take anyway.

luverlyjubberly, hope you have a great holiday! Good on you for caring.

I won't repeat what's already said, but would add that this way your dh wouldn't need to be stressed about something he disagrees with either. And the last thing he needs is for someone to try and humiliate him in front of everyone else. So all in all a more relaxed holiday for all.

It also gives you the chance to stock up on local snacks at local supermarkets - cheap and more interesting than hotel food for the children. As a back-up, why not take a couple of cup-a-soup, hot choc etc type things with which you can prepare with boiling water in your room as a late-night snack - if you don't use it, fine, but saves having to order rediculously expensive room service late at night in a "food crisis"?

Not read whole thread but I disagree with anyone who has said do it 'because you have paid for it'. It has NOT been paid for and is theft. This would be like going into one of those 'eat as much as you like' Chinese buffets then taking a whole load of stuff out with you for your next meal.

If I were a journo (or a troll) and I wanted to separate out the Skanks from the Boden Gals in order to work out the demographics of MN, I can't think of a better question to use...

I live in Greece and I don't think that food is terribly expensive here. Just avoid all the obvious tourist traps and go where the locals go. If you go to the bakery, you can get lovely little pastries filled with spinach and cheese (spanakopita, tiropita) at a reasonable price, or if you want things like dolmades, you can buy them in tins in the supermarket - just don't go to the touristy mini supermarkets, go to the proper one. Whereabouts in Crete will you be?

Or choosing the B&B option from a hotel that also offers half Board and 3 full meals a day as different options, but everyone taking enough at breakfast to eat lunch and dinner, and perhaps filling a couple of chiller bags t take home ofr the freezer??
'Paying for it' means you are paying for one meal, not two.

But not saying this from atop any high horse, as I have done it to a small degree.

I do think buffets and 'all you can eat' tend to bring out the worst inpeople. My Mum used to do freelance catering for weddings, and wa always exasperated by people who piled absolutely everything on to their plates to the detriment of the meal - e.g big slices of beef carpaccio slopped onto a wedge of smoked salmon with the vegetarian spicy option balancing on top of the whole lot.

I wouldn't do it to any great extent myself, although I wouldn't have a problem with taking one or two extra bits of fruit, perhaps.

I agree with what others have said - it should be easy enough to buy inexpensive picnic food from local shops, and you can always breakfast late and in effect have brunch rather than just breakfast.

Hope you enjoy the holiday!

Blu - I agree with you on this 'all you can eat' business. It disgusts me to see people piling up their plates so high out of sheer green and then leaving most of it. This happens regularly at our local Toby carvery as well. Some people are absolute pigs. (sorry no disrespect to pigs!)

Sorry meant greed not green!

Not directed at OP btw, but on the topic of greed - some people seem to forget their manners at home when faced with buffets. Just because something's "included", doesn't mean you have to have it. Or have half a plate of something for the off chance that you might like it... It's greedy, shows you're not used to it, and wastes otherwise good food if you don't like it.

You have not seen greed until you have been to Las Vegas and seen the gluttony in the buffet sections there

omg

piled high

and then the porkers ask for skimmed milk or diet coke

ffs

back to the OP - on holiday you do not eat much at lunch, just do what others have said - get bread and cheese and bits from the local shop

take to beach in cooler box if poss - do you have a mini bar? freeze water bottles over night, they will defrost nicely on the beach, keeping food cool and giving you icy water as a bonus

I prefer the taste of diet coke and semi skimmed milk/skimmed milk so I imagine that's why people who ask for either,. even after piling their plates high, do so.

This is one of my pet peeves.

I think it's skanky. What does it cost to buy some bread, cheese and tomatoes from the suypermarket??! Not a lot.
Surely you knew it was an expensive hotel when you booked it?

Stealing,depriving other's,bad manners,manky.awww pipe down everyone

dont imagine she was going to fill a hamper bag, a refrigerated sack and have hand to hand combat with guests over the pastries.

i imagine couple bits of fruit, some bread rolls.Exercise a modicum of discretion yes BUT

go for it
actually you have paid for it
you are cash strapped

bit of sympathy for OP position, some empathy about being skint and trying to be resourceful

She's paid for breakfast, she hasn't paid for lunch.

SM She HASNT paid for it.

i'm sorry but it is stealing. If it was not stealing there would be no need to hide the rolls in your handbag you could just walk out with them.

How about having breakfast as late as possible (when you are really really hungry and can eat loads) and then eating as early as you can in the evening? That way you can miss out lunch altogether and will only need 2 meals a day.