Even though the goal of this website is to show you how to save and make money, we still understand that you sometimes have to enjoy yourself. We’re like that too, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
However, we do want to show you how you can be frugal even while you’re dining out with friends. There is little point in wasting money in this and any other occasion for that matter. You do want to enjoy the meal and the whole experience, and by taking care of little things, you will be able to do eat out more often — rather than, say, once a month when you spend much more than you have to.
Here are 7 few tips that could help you save and enjoy dining out:
1. Share the meal
This is not uncommon. If you’re not that hungry why not get one meal two of you could eat. These days many restaurants serve big portions and most cases, a single meal will be enough for two people. Or if you don’t want to share the main dish, you can do that with an entree and a salad.
2. Skip the drinks
Drinks could easily be the most expensive item on the bill. If you can/want, just get the water. Or if you have to drink some other beverage, try getting something that isn’t too expensive. Beware of foreign wines which could easily cost a few dozen dollars or even a hundred. So if wine is your “drug” of choice, go for the local variety.
3. Go for a lunch rather than dinner
If you can choose the time, it’s more frugal to go for the lunch, since dinners are easily twice as expensive. If you just want to eat and meet with friends, there’s nothing wrong with having a lunch together.
4. Happy Hour = Happy You
Happy Hours used to be just for drinks; today many restaurants are also offering the same promotions for entire menus. Typically you will have to visit a restaurant before 5 or 6 pm, but no one forces you to leave it within 15 minutes. Take your time to enjoy the meal and conversation (if you’re not eating alone).
5. Save on kids
It may sound kinda awful, but that’s not the case. Some restaurants want to have entire families having a lunch or dinner at their premises so they are offering free menus for kids. For a family of 4 this could significantly reduce their bill. Use this to your advantage… And make sure to find out which restaurants offer this sort of promotion.
6. Couponing
A few good sites to check for restaurant coupons and deals are Valpak.com, SmartSource.com and Groupon. Using these services you can shave a huge chunk off your bill, as well as discover new places to visit.
7. Sign-up to rewards programs
Some of the bigger restaurants and restaurant chains offer rewards programs, signing-up to which could get you free drinks or even entire meals after some time. This, of course, presumes that you plan to eat there at least once a month. Heck, some chains will get you a free drink just for signing-up. So do it.
See how easy it is to save money when dining out? And if you have some other tip you want to share, feel free to drop it in the comments below. 😉