Not everyone can throw themselves headlong into the most disparate culinary offerings of East Asia, sometimes the budget requires to keep even the expenses dedicated to food tight, certain behaviors at the table seem innocent to us while for other peoples they are synonymous with a lack of respect. Now I'll give you a list of some tips and tricks that can be useful to you on any trip.
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
If you are not negotiating a long-term stay in a guest house and if the price difference is minimal or sometimes even non-existent, always choose accommodations that offer breakfast included. If you are lucky and you find the buffet ones you have also done bingo because - without exaggerating I recommend - you can also get an excellent packed lunch: outside Italy, and often in our country, in addition to desserts also bread, cold cuts are offered and cheeses. Pack some sandwiches and take them with you, at that point you will only have to be able to find a place for dinner, or at least you will have solved the physiological holes in the stomach while you are around wandering.
CONDITIONS FOR HOSTEL KITCHEN AND FREE FOOD
Once you have completed the check-in at the hostel, always take a tour of the kitchen, and carefully observe the available utensils. Sometimes these kitchens are dilapidated or have only a few pans or pots available, often burned or dented. It is essential to check all this because more than once I had not done it and I found myself with ingredients to throw away or I had to leave the other guests of the hostel with a dry mouth ...
All hostels, and often even guest houses with kitchens, have a shelf with a note attached and the word free food. It means that it is food leftover by other guests and made available for free: often you can find pasta, rice, various condiments, salt, fruit, onions and once, I assure you, I even found half a jar of Nutella!
Do the same yourself, before completing the check-out and recovering the stuff in the kitchen appropriately crammed into boxes or bags with your name indicated and the release date, leave something that maybe you no longer need or that, simply, weighs you more in your backpack; or even foods that release bad smells like an onion already cut. Don't take more than what you need, the hostel is one of those places where respect for others reigns supreme!
BAKERY
Sometimes I really happened to stop in places where the accommodation was quite expensive and I found myself with very few coins in my pocket to be able to buy food: in those cases, take a tour in the bakeries at sunset asking if they have some old bread that doesn't they sell more. At worst you will find food for half the price, but it is also true that few will deny you a free bag of bread. Always do it with a smile and not as a scrounger: focus on food waste and on the fact that you are spending all your money to chase a dream: the results will amaze you.
TIPS
Pay close attention and above all be very well informed about the country you are visiting. Often, tips are the only way for waiters to support themselves and they are more than a cultural and optional phenomenon. In the United States, for example, you will find many young boys and girls to serve you, the water is free and the service will always be very attentive. These have a recognized minimum wage and often the only way they have to pay for their studies is to count on tips which, among other things, in this country affect the final bill and not a little: from 15 to 20% is due if you have had a polite, friendly and helpful service. Leaving less or even not tipping is a sign of serious disservice and the restaurant manager will worry so much that he may even leave the waiter at home. In many other countries, however, it is exactly the opposite as in Japan where leaving a tip is not a thing. At most, if you were particularly happy, put a few coins in an envelope and hand them directly to the waiter: if he refuses to accept them, don't insist.