DINING OUT ON A BUDGET
This is a great basic list of ways that you can easily save some money when dining out at Restaurants. If you are like my husband and I, we often try to avoid eating out often because we save way more money eating at home. That however is not always possible because of our busy lifestyles. Most of us love to have someone cook for us once in a while and I am certainly no exception to that. If you are the one who does most of the cooking at home this is probably something you really look forward to like I do because a night off of cooking and dishes can be priceless. If this is you, and you are just looking for some ways to save a few bucks while still eating out occasionally, then you have come to the right place.
This is my list of the best ways to save money eating out
Order water to drink.... The most basic simple way to begin saving money eating out is to commit to only drinking water when eating out. You might hate to drink water and if so we have a lot in common. Water is also healthier for you so you are doing your body a favor drinking it instead of other sweetened beverages. Ask for lemon if you must have some taste, or buy one of those water enhancers from the supermarket to take with you in your pocket or purse on the go.
Skip The Alcohol, Appetizers and Desserts.... These are all extra unnecessary expenses when going out for a meal at a restaurant. I know that all of these are things that we love to order, but do you know how easily they can add up on your bill if you do? Alcohol purchased at restaurants is very costly, especially if you purchase more than one alcoholic beverage and have at least two adults on your bill can really add up. Do yourself a favor and buy alcohol cheaper at the grocery stores and take it home to enjoy it. You can still drink occasionally when out but don't make it a habit whenever you are out to eat.
Share a meal....A great way to save can be to share a meal with someone you are dining out with. Most restaurants find this acceptable and will even offer to bring you a send plate without you even asking for it. Another great benefit to sharing is the portions sizes at restaurants today are way too large and this saves you from over eating. If you do not share a meal another way to stretch the money spent on one meal, and as a bonus save the calories, is to ask for a box and put half aside for tomorrows lunch.
Check for Coupons or Apps for Restaurants.... Start saving coupons for Restaurants you frequent either in your vehicle or your purse just in case. I have a small file I keep in the car just for this that has coupons for specific restaurants we go to frequently. I keep it up to date as much as possible with coupons just in case we are out and need to stop eat somewhere. Today however so many Restaurants have apps and you can simply show these right on your smart phone or tablet and never have to worry about a coupon for many people this works better much better. There are Many restaurants that have Apps and rewards programs designed to help you save money as a frequent customer because they want to keep you coming back.
Go out to coffee instead of a meal.... If the reason you are going out is just to meet up with a friend and catch up then going out to coffee can be just as good as dinner. You can still enjoy the quality time spent with your friend and yet spend far less than you would have on beverages, food, and tips.
Go to breakfast instead of lunch or dinner.... The biggest reason I say go to breakfast instead, is because often breakfast foods and restaurants that you would go to for breakfast are cheaper than lunch or dinner. Also if you have a hard time resisting the urge to drink with your friends or buy expensive Appetizers with your meal, you will not struggle to pass these up when eating out for breakfast.
Try eating out on Monday's and Tuesday's.....Monday's and Tuesdays can be cheaper at a lot of Restaurants because of the fact that people do not go out as much on these days. Many Restaurants offer promotions and discounts exclusive to these days because they want to bring in more customers.
Use Groupon.....Groupon offers a lot of great discounts at local restaurants that you can take advantage of that will really save you some extra money when eating out. Just go to the Groupon website and search for food and drink under the local section for these deals. https://www.groupon.com/
Entertainment books....... can save you quite a bit as well however they also cost about $35 a book and that can be a huge extra expense. What you can do thought is wait until it is later in the year and check the website they sell Entertainment books for each area discounted at various times. https://www.entertainment.com/
Costco gift cards and Entertainment books.....Costco sells Entertainment books discounted when they first come out every year, this can save you money if you use them throughout the year and have a Costco membership. Costco has many Restaurant gift cards available at a discounted price saving you $10-$20 when you eat out at those specific Restaurants.
These are just some simple tips I have for saving Money eating out and I really hope you find them helpful in the future.
A few more ways you can save money eating out
If you need some ideas of Restaurants that offer free birthday meals, I have some blog postings that link to some great Restaurant rewards programs. These can earn you free food items for your birthday and many of them are also great rewards programs in general, and offer other freebies and deals just to sign up.
BEST RESTAURANT REWARDS PROGRAMS AND APPS