PSA: the free walking tour in Lisbon saved me $180 on food in 4 days
The guide took our group to a tiny market in Alfama where locals eat, and I ended up paying $4 a meal instead of the $18 I was spending near my hostel in Baixa, so has anyone else found a tour guide that doubled as a cheap food map?
The "$18 I was spending near my hostel in Baixa" is the real problem here, not the tour. Baixa is the most tourist heavy part of the city, so of course meals cost triple what they should, and walking ten minutes in any direction gets you the same cheap food without a guide holding your hand. The tour didn't save you money, it just showed you that you were overpaying in the first place.