Save Some Money While Eating Out
Although it seems to be a tad of an oxymoron to write about saving money while eating out (it is much less expensive to eat a meal at home than to go out to eat at a restaurant), you can enjoy a meal out with your family and not spend a small fortune.
Here are some tips on how to dine out and save some money:
- Be an early-bird. Restaurants may offer “early-bird” specials to customers who visit during non-peak hours. If you don’t mind eating a little early, this can result in significant savings. (For us, with two small children, we prefer to eat early.)
- Drink water with lemon/lime instead of a beverage. Soft drinks at restaurants usually run $2 – $3 dollars. And many don’t come with free refills.
- Skip the appetizer. Most restaurants provide free bread and rolls (or even peanuts) that are usually super tasty.
- Don’t order a “starter salad” unless it comes with your meal. At the last restaurant my husband and I ate at, a small side salad was $4. Yikes.
- Order an appetizer – as a meal. Appetizers are designed to feed several people, so most of the time they are big enough to eat as a dinner.
- Forget dessert. I am usually sooooo full at the end of the meal, the last thing on my mind is ordering dessert. If that 16-Layer Chocolate Tort just calls your name, though, order it and share it with others at your table.