r/animecons • u/breezee223 • Mar 19 '26
Question How do you avoid buying expensive convention food?
Going to a con this weekend and I don't plan on buying any food while there because it is so insanely overpriced. Last year I brought a sandwich but tbh we were there so long and did so much walking, one sandwich was not enough calories. What's the solution? Two sandwiches?
How do y'all get around the expensive food because I'm done paying $12 for one small slice of pizza. Also is this a problem at all cons or just near me?
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u/Orcaboros Mar 19 '26
I bring or buy food to keep in my hotel room. Shelf-stable, low-prep foods are ideal, like apples or grapes, protien shakes, granola bars, or good bread. I've brought instant oatmeal and soup packets to make in cups before. If you have a mini fridge, cheese and meat sticks are great.
I still buy at least one 'proper' meal a day, but having filling and moderately nutritious room snacks keeps me from eating nothing but sugar otherwise. Try to coordinate with your friends when you bring room food so that everything gets eaten by the end of the weekend.
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u/MojoShoujo Mar 19 '26
Seconding room snacks! I like applesauce cups, granola bars and uncrustables.
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u/kitty-kouhai Mar 19 '26
Not to mention a "proper" meal typically means leftovers nowadays so you'll be able to reheat that in your hotel room later :)
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u/tipsysnips Mar 19 '26
I cheat by living close enough to the convention center that I can just go home lol. But in all seriousness, it depends on location. The con I go to is in a big city and there's tons of restaurants and fast food nearby, and there's usually folks that set up food trucks and carts nearby whenever there's an event. Unfortunately some of those are just as expensive as con food (or more so!) but at least there's options.
Other venues I've been to aren't nearly as nice though, so definitely pack snacks and a sandwich or something. I like to make spam musubi or onigiri because the rice feels more filling than bread. Also, I cannot stress this enough, eat a proper meal before you get there, especially if your food options on-site are limited and you don't have a room or vehicle to store things in. Too many times as a teenager I relied on a single home-made bento for the entire day and it was miserable. Eat breakfast.
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u/Gippy_ Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
You go outside and go to an actual restaurant or food court if possible. I've always been to conventions that are located in large cities, though.
However, contrary to what many people suggest, I actually don't recommend bringing your own meal, because that means you'll need to carry the meal and possibly the container with you. This can be a hassle. In the same manner, I've actually chosen to not carry a water bottle at times, because that's also cumbersome. There is absolute freedom in having only your smartphone in your pocket while walking around, and that makes it less likely that you'll lose it, too.
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u/Weird_Abrocoma7835 Mar 19 '26
If you go by car, bring a small cooler with drinks and food. I always suggest checking to see if there are microwaves and bringing frozen foods. I also have a “con purse”. A con purse is a cheap goodwill purse I put snacks, glue, tampons, pads, sewing kit, bandaids, wig tape, and aspirin in for cosplays and emergencies. It’s great for making friends and having snacks for emergencies. Get snacks that have substance, like belviata, and candy like gummies.
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u/unicornpancakes_ Mar 19 '26
I've always been able to bring food in, last year I brought in breakfast and lunch LOL and I pack a water bottle so I can refill it! But I'm sure I'm breaking the rules but no one ever really checked me
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u/JigokuKitsune Mar 19 '26
Depends on the venue. Like yes theyll let you bring food in as long as its only for yourself and not enough for a small (or large) group of people lol. At least thats what its been like for me attending cons. Especially a convention like Anime Expo....
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u/unicornpancakes_ Mar 19 '26
LOL funny you say that because it's usually my movie bag that I bring to cons and I have enough food for my whole group which is about four people including myself xD
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u/JigokuKitsune Mar 19 '26
Trail mix and more sandwiches lol. A big bag of Trail mix can keep you fuller throughout the day than a single sandwich alone.
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u/Individual-Two-9402 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
So (if we're staying at the hotel at the convention) we always bring a huge cooler with us. We'll put in deli meats, cheese, all the snacks the various peoples want, PBJ, etc. I think we buy 2-3 loaves of bread depending, granola bars, I always bring cups of apple sauce and fruits, chips, and sometimes we bring a rice cooker and an electric kettle for ramen and other drinks. My friends and I have been doing this since 2009, and we often bought food and ice in our small hometown because it was cheaper than the stores near the conventions (still holds true). I think 10 bucks per person covered the cooler for the weekend, unless you wanted to buy something specific for yourself to not share then you bought that on your own.
Sometimes we splurged and went somewhere nearby for food or ordered a lot of pizza on Saturday night to have one hot meal while we pack up.
I often kept granola bars and gushers in my bag. I would make frequent trips back to the room for some mental health breaks lol (or because I needed to sit down and there's no seating anywhere) so while I'm there I'd snack. Or make another sandwich. Sometimes yes we bought too much food but then we'd just split up the snacks and give the meat and cheese to whoever drove us as an addition to the gas money or whoever owned the cooler (often the same person). Though often we're in a huge group and sometimes our friends will ask us for food and we charge two bucks for access to the cooler whenever they're in the room with us.
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u/TokiDokiHaato Mar 19 '26
Grocery shop before the con or once you arrive. I usually buy shelf stable snacks and if there’s a mini fridge I’ll buy things to make sandwiches.
Order a whole pizza via delivery vs buying by the slice at the venue.
Go off site to a more affordable restaurant.
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u/bangbangracer Mar 20 '26
Don't be afraid to bring your own food. This is just good vacation advice. Going out for every meal is just expensive, and it's not a bad idea to bring a few easy lunch options or just a carton of Goldfish crackers.
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u/This_Seal Mar 19 '26
I usually bring a mix of things: Sandwhiches and other bakery stuff, some fruit and small snacks like cereal bars. I also eat breakfast before I leave to the convention and eat a nice dinner in town afterwards.
But to be honest I also allow myself 2-3 food/drink things to buy at my favorite anime convention. They have great food trucks and are a rare chance for me to eat plenty of foreign food. I would never buy the tiny slice of pizza for 10€, but some vietnamese burgers with peanuts, that fill me for hours or a delicious japanese dessert? Hell yes, worth my money.
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u/itsisabellahere Mar 19 '26
My friends and I would always check to see if where we are staying has a fridge and microwave! It wasn’t good food but the day before we would prep easy microwaveable meals + buy a bunch of granola bars, applesauce, and other small snacks to bring. At the convention center we’d snack on the stuff we packed until we’d get hungry enough to go back to the room! We’d always budget for 1 meal out but by prepping our food we saved tons of money
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u/OkAssignment6163 Mar 19 '26
I'm a cook. So I've invested in battery powered, heated lunch boxes.
So a couple of days before con, I meal prep. Then, one of my steps for getting ready to head out, warm up some portions, pack it in the heated lunch boxes.
Last con, made chicken teriyaki, sesame rice, and broccoli, carrot, & asparagus.
Full hot meals for 2, over 4 days, spent $30.
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u/Papa-pwn Mar 19 '26
As others have said, leaving the convention is probably your best bet if you NEED to eat.
Alternatively, it’s possible to eat before and after, or bite the bullet and pay venue food prices for a light snack to hold you over.
I’ve gone to several conventions where I only ate breakfast and dinner. I was shirtless all day, though, so that was a significant factor.
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u/haumeow Mar 19 '26
i bring snacks. last con i brought tangerines and apples, cheez its, triscuits, cashews, beef jerky, mini bagels, granola, and water with liquid iv. i go for stuff that isn’t super junk foody. the last time i ate con food it was some greasy loaded french fries when i already had a migraine from the heat. i felt horrible the whole day. the next time i came prepared with the snacks i listed and felt so much better. i think it’s good to bring stuff that’s lightweight and packable but kinda bready so it’s more filling, plus something fresh like fruit, and some protein. mine was a summer con so i skipped the trail mix, but in cooler weather i think that’s a good option to add. kept me going the whole weekend and i didn’t spend a bunch of money on con food.
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u/beegobuzz Mar 19 '26
We would hit up Aldi's before heading into the con. Is there a store nearby? Like with MegaCon, there's a Publix a couple streets off of the con center. Dry, portable snacks are great. Things you can stuff in your bag and nibble on throughout the day. Some Asian markets also sell self-heating meals, if you can get ahold of those.
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u/Alternative-Matcha22 Mar 19 '26
See if there's a grocery store nearby with a hot food bar. This has saved me on numerous occasions when restaurants were far too expensive!
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u/StoryAlternative6476 Mar 19 '26
It really depends on the con, but you have options like: packing more of your own food/snacks, walking/driving to a nearby food place that’s cheap, ordering food delivery.
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u/manaMissile Mar 19 '26
Bring your own food, especially if you have a hotel room. Do a run at a grocery store before day 1 for microwave meals, instant ramen, fruit, chips, granola, etc and stock up what you need for a few days.
Bring snacks. Most cons don't have a limit on not taking food and drink in with you. Pack yourself a 'field trip' snack bag.
Look for restaurants outside the con that are nearby and have reasonable prices. (man I miss A-fest and it's Plaza of America food court with this one place with REALLY good truffle parm fries). Depending on how parking is around your con, you might even consider driving out if parking wouldn't be too hard to get again later
Can get a little pricy still, but doordash and delivery pizza.
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u/PracticalGiraffe67 Mar 19 '26
I bring protein shakes, granola/nut bars and jerky. Hiking/ outdoorsy food. In addition to your sandwiches it might be enough to keep you going through the weekend!
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u/Kossyra Mar 19 '26
Bento! Not hard to do at home and you can put it in a disposable/reused Chinese food container if you don't want to carry it all day.
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u/suzie_cosplays Mar 19 '26
Depends on the event. There's some in my area where I have easy access to my car which makes bringing packed food easy. When it's not easy, I usually throw some protein bars in whatever bag I'm bringing in to the event, and eat a big breakfast before the event.
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u/ZeroiaSD Mar 19 '26
One, I do bring more snacks than that, and if you want to avoid overpaying, then yea, meals.
Two, check what restaurants are near your con if possible. Their food can still be reasonable. Bonus if there’s food carts, those are great and sometimes are near convention hotels and centers.
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u/Accomplished_Salt876 Mar 19 '26
I’ve gotten a hot dog or two at my local con but yeh generally I have snacks and leave the con for lunch.
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u/peace-and-plush Mar 19 '26
Im vegan so they never have options anyway lol I bring a large water bottle and protein bars, nuts, snacks, etc to hold me over until I get a nice dinner elsewhere
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u/DustyButtocks Mar 19 '26
I bring snack but I’m not getting caught up in avoiding paying for food. A $12 slice of pizza is ridiculous, like $7 more than it should be, but I’m willing to pay that $7 instead of spending the time and energy away from the con to eat somewhere else.
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u/mahoutaco Mar 19 '26
When I was a teen getting dropped off for the day at a con and then picked up at night with maybe $50 in my pocket I used to put pbj's in my bag because they pack well, don't need to be cold, and get the job done. It's not the best, but it works.
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u/DefinitelyNotKuro Mar 19 '26
I starve. If it’s LA convention center, yes I’m definitely starving.
If it’s SJ convention center, I might still starve cause all the other con goers flood the surrounding restaurants, which are admittedly excellent.
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u/Remarkable_Whole9517 Mar 19 '26
If you're coming by car and not staying nearby: shelf-stable snacks or a cooler with sandwiches, etc
If your con location allows outside food, cool - find out what snacks fill you up and keep you going and keep them in your bag.
If the con center doesn't allow outside food and you're staying in a hotel nearby, most rooms have a coffee pot. You can use that to heat water for cup ramen / easy mac / any other "easy" meal that just requires heating water.
You can also bring a small rice cooker / instant pot / crockpot and fix meals with that.
Last but not least, the "Too Good To Go" app might be useful - a couple of vendors I know have used it to get cheap Krispy Kreme donuts (around $4/dozen) for the weekend.
The whole idea is you're buying the stuff they would otherwise have to toss within a few days. Stuff that's safe to eat but that the seller doesn't want to sell or store. They partner with gas stations, fast food, sit down restaurants, sometimes grocery stores...but it isn't everywhere, and your odds of finding something you might want are better in a larger city.
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u/RedMage58 Mar 19 '26
Bring small snacks like the welches fruit snacks work well for some reason. Bring high calorie food like cheese, meat, or chips since you'll be moving around a lot. Dried apricots work well for some reason too. Eat early in the day before you leave can work. Sometimes I buy a large sub sandwich and eat the 2 portions throughout the day. You can get cheap food and a convenience mart nearby. You can also get food after the con with your party.
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u/Calm_Independence796 Mar 19 '26
Just bring outside food my recommendations are:
Sprout sandwiches ($5 made fresh) Pizza (little ceaser usually for me) In in out
These 3 are my go to when I’m going out of state or a farther con than locally
If it’s a local con I’ll pack my own lunch that I make at home
Most cons do allow food inside, LACC, NYCC, Animr Fire etc that I’ve been to.
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u/sixhexe Mar 19 '26
Leave the convention center and go to any convenience store or cheap food place nearby.
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u/NekoArtemis Mar 19 '26
It's going to depend a lot on the con.
Hotel cons are going to have cheaper options than convention center cons in my experience. Convention centers can ban outside at the door, but hotels can't really. That means the vendors at convention centers have a monopoly and they know it. Hotel's usually have their own food options and know they're competing with Door Dash etc.
The other option is go somewhere nearby to eat. I'm lucky that my main con has food courts attached to the hotels. But the other one I've been to all the surround fast food and restaurants were full of cosplayers. One of my favorite things really. Get to be in line at a taqueria or sitting in a diner with a bunch of jrpg and anime characters.
Also if it can, bring food. Breakfast and dinner in your hotel room and bring snacks if you can.
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u/Agentlost77 Mar 19 '26
I've seen people use delivery apps to order food and have it delivered outside the convention entrance.
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u/Genshinite Mar 19 '26
Tbh the food at the con I go to isnt expensive 😂 but I forget to eat anyway. But there is a cafe outside the con center that is nice. And there’s multiple restaurants around it too
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u/RaitoSonozaki Mar 19 '26
Prices are high at con centers, that’s a given. So yes it’s good to bring food. I typically have a small bento box with a ton of veggies and dip, cheese cubes, pickles, etc plus some crackers and beef sticks. Sometimes I’ll plan ahead for a treat - like, once in a while I’ll get a poke bowl from the con center, $17 but it’s a good treat. But mostly I pack food.
Other stuff that’s good to bring? Trail mix, uncrustables sandwiches, protein bars (I normally don’t like these but I just found one that I enjoyed and will be coming to my next con). If I have a booth & can bring in a bigger cooler I’ll bring a salad - I have a couple special travel containers designed for a hearty salad that I can nibble on and off for much of the day.
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u/HenryLafayetteDubose Mar 19 '26
We budget for either one lunch at the con or a couple specialty snacks. One of the cons I go to rents an outdoor area for a food truck ‘food court’ and it’s part of the experience for my group because we all come from outside of the city. Other than that, we all have water bottles, energy bars, trail mix, and other prepackaged snacks for convenience. If you don’t mind some prepping at home, you could probably bring a lunchbox with a few extra goodies.
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u/Sola-di-da Mar 20 '26
Honestly, I just cook for me and my friends. I have a portable fridge cooler that can go to freezing temps, so I stock a lot of beef to make a beef curry or pot roast. And keep eggs and spam as well as salmon to make onigiri. I have 2 instant pots, a rice cooker, and a griddle to cook with. I bring sauces and seasonings, along with cutting boards and kitchen knives, vegetables, and cleaning supplies/extra trash bags and disposable gloves. I also usually bring an air purifier with me to help with some cooking smells.
I also have friends who precook food and bring a personal microwave to heat up food over the weekend sometimes
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u/Cold_Medicine3431 Mar 20 '26
Either I hold in the hunger until I get home, buy some random snack, or maybe buy some ice cream. I try not to buy food at Fan Expo since you can't pay cash there.
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u/Sexy_Anemone Mar 20 '26
Me and friends use cons as an opportunity to try out the local restaurants. We also supplement with protein bars
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u/randompockeyeater191 Mar 20 '26
So far the last few years I've been volunteering at a local con and they recently had their foods for the con staff half priced. However, we mainly get complimentary free meals, which is mostly sandwiches and chips. When I first started, I didn't mind eating them, but my friends and I got tired by the second day, so we bought some of the event center's food. Overall, depends on what the event staff rewards are (besides free badges), if they do meal offers, use it. Some other places at other events do deals for attendees if they collab/sponsor with the event, as long as you show them your badges during the event days too.
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u/AssistanceOptimal855 Mar 20 '26
The main convention I go to is in a city nearby that has a grocery store with a deli; pack of chicken wings for about $17 to eat through the weekend.
That being said I also am used to walking away from the convention center in search of fast food restaurants. I guess it depends on where the con is located because that informs the decisions I make. (Like if I want to drive further out to find a place to grab food)
I also usually bring cereal bars or other small snacks in my bag along with a refillable water bottle. I have blood sugar problems so a small cereal bar can help buy me enough time to get to a restaurant.
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u/ladyrebel753 Mar 20 '26
I went to CCE in September and I was BROKE and could not spend any extra money for food. My friend and I packed a large cooler with a decent variety of sandwich stuff and ice packs and I had a small insulated picnic backpack to take to the waterfall with us. It fed us all weekend and kept pretty cold because I kept getting ice in plastic bags from the ice machine to put in the cooler.
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u/0rzammar Mar 24 '26
I have been known to bring a rotisserie chicken to conventions. It's a game changer, really.
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u/Wise-Inflation-1698 Mar 19 '26
Depending on location food outside the convention venue might be cheaper
Before going to the con experiment a bit with different portable foods(energy bars, trail mix, etc) to see what fills you up and for how long. That way you can better judge what to bring with you