Save Money at Restaurants
Use Coupons, Discount Nights, Early-Bird Specials to Dine Out Cheap
Dining out at a restaurant is any easy way to sabotage your family budget. Keep these tips in mind to save money when your family eats out.
Make it special—dine out less often
According to the National Restaurant Association, the average household expenditure for food away from home in 2005 was $2,634, or $1,054 per person. That means an average family spends $219.50 eating outside the home each month. Packing a lunch and restricting restaurant dinners to special occasions or perhaps once-a-month excursions, can cut down on your dining out expenses.
Make a budget for restaurant meals and use cash
It’s much more difficult to part with actual greenbacks than to slip your waiter your credit or debit card. Decide on an amount your family will use on dining out each month—say, $100—and stick it in an envelope. That should be enough for a couple of dinners at a family-style restaurant or a handful at a fast-food or burrito joint. An additional benefit: when your envelope contains only a few bills near the end of the month, you’re less likely to venture out. Bank the leftovers in a savings account or put the money toward a vacation fund.
Use coupons, 2-for-1 deals, entertainment books
Restaurants try to fill tables during the week, so look for specials Sunday through Thursday. Family-style restaurants often feature “kids-eat-free” nights early in the week. Newspapers, free weeklies and the backs of grocery store register receipts often include coupons for local restaurants, usually 2-for-1 entrée deals. Finally, purchase a local discount card many schools sell as a fundraiser. These usually offer deals at local merchants and restaurants. Almost all larger cities have Entertainment Books, which cost less than $20 and include an impressive selection of dining deals, from fancy to fast-food.
Make smart menu choices
Avoid the appetizers if you are ordering an entrée. Or, cheaper still, treat the appetizer as your main meal. At some Mexican restaurants, for example, a nachos appetizer is more than filling as an entrée. Desserts and drinks are budget killers; opt for water and keep your wallet fat (and your waistline slim) and pass on dessert.
On the other hand, if sweets are the restaurant’s specialty, try splitting the main meal with a family member or friend and order individual desserts. What a decadent way to save!
Be frugal, but not a cheapskate—tip your servers
Don’t give frugal families a bad name. Tip your server at least 15 percent of the cost of the meal before any coupons or restaurant discounts. These workers depend on tips for a large part of their salary. If you resent adding gratuity to your restaurant bill, opt for take out or eat at a restaurant where you place your order at a counter.
Another idea: Restaurant.com discount gift certificates.
Read more about the envelope budget system.
Save at these restaurants: Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday.
