Top Tips for saving cost when traveling Melbourne

Get free transportation — A free tourist shuttle bus runs around the city and part of the inner suburbs from 10am to 4pm. Free city circle trams run in both directions around the perimeter of the central business district and through Docklands from 10 am-6 pm at 10 minute intervals.

Shop at the markets — The best value food is usually found at markets right before close. You can usually purchase food for about a quarter the price you would pay in a supermarket, or barter for a good deal.

Read The Age — Every Saturday and Sunday, The Age newspaper has a supplement with “what’s on” in Melbourne (A2 on Saturdays and M Magazine on Sundays) You can count on a great list of free and interesting events and activities.

Eating Out

If you want to eat cheaply and well in Melbourne, here are a few tips.

• Eat on off-peak days (Monday Tuesday and Wednesday). Eating places often have special offers on these days.
• Eat your main meal in the middle of the day – it will often be cheaper than the same meal at night.
• Avoid food labelled as ‘yummy’ – this is almost invariably a de-natured form of vegetarian food with a uniformly grey taste.
• Eat in the bar area at pubs – you will often be eating an identical meal to those in the lounge area except at half the price.

Events

When attending major events, take your own food and drink if this is possible – particularly at major sporting venues. Organisers take advantage of having a captive audience to greatly increase the price of food and drink. Most sporting venues will allow you to bring your own hamper, but many do not allow you to bring alcohol. Be prepared for your hampers to be inspected and suspicious drink containers to be opened and sniffed for alcohol by the gate staff. It may be a bit of trouble, but it can, for instance, halve the cost of taking the family to the football.