I just got back from my trip to Bali and I wanted to share a budget travel tip to lower restaurant bills - explore the side streets to find the best value for restaurant meals.

When we were in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, we went to some great restaurants that had some pretty reasonable prices.  However, when we found some side streets, we found shops and restaurants that had much lower prices with the same quality of food.

The shops and restaurants on the side streets can't depend on the large amount of tourist foot traffic to pay their bills.  Because of this, they need to lure tourists to their side streets by offering lower prices and better quality/service.  If they provide lower prices and better food, word will spread through the tour groups and hotels with more people showing up to fill their tables.

The restaurants on the side streets also cater more to the local population.  This means you will get prices more in line with the local economy rather than paying "tourist" prices.

If you want to be a good budget traveler, learn to avoid the main tourist areas and explore the side streets.