17 Tips for Dining Out on a Budget!

I absolutely love going out to eat. I really enjoy trying new food and not having to do dishes. However, restaurants can be pretty costly. Even fast food meals can add up fast if you’re not careful. Follow these tips for saving money at restaurants.

1. Use Coupons.

• There are many places to find restaurant coupons: your mailbox, the phone book, the restaurant’s website, etc.
• Check all receipts. Many restaurants will have a suvery printed on the bottom that will get you a free dessert or appetizer for completing the survey within the given time frame.
• Val-pak offers free printable restaurants (and more). Click here to find restaurant coupons for your zip code.
• Purchase an Entertainment Book. It is loaded with valuable restaurant coupons. Click below to reserve your 2010 copy and you will get a 2009 absolutely FREE! Get a free eBook that offers tips for making the most out of your Entertainment Book. from Hot Coupon World by clicking here.

2. Opt for restaurants that offer freebie starters.
I realize it isn’t the healthiest option but filling up on freebies will cause you to eat (and spend) less.

• Enjoy the complimentary chips & salsa at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
• Fill up on the bottomless breadsticks at Olive Garden.
• Devour the free hummus and pita bread at your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant.

3. Go to restaurants where kids eat free.
There are several restaurants that cater to families by offering certain times or days where kids eat for free. Use the following links to find restaurants near you that offer free kids meals: My Kids Eat Free or Kids Meal Deals. It is always a good idea to call ahead and double check, just in case.

4. Take Advantage of Happy Hour.
Many restaurants offer specials on drinks and appetizers during certain hours. Click here to find Happy Hour specials near you. Once again, it is always smart to phone first and confirm.

5. Eat Less.
Restaurant portions have gotten so out of control we are fooled to think that we need to eat much more than our bodies actually need.

• Stretch your meals. Get two meals out of your dinner instead of just one. As soon as you receive your food at a restaurant, ask for a box. Immediately box up half of your meal and save it for lunch the next day.
• Order an appetizer for your main course. They are often just as big as the entrees.
• Share a meal with a friend or relative. Often times one meal is the perfect amount of food for two people.
• Skip dinner. Eat at home and just go out for drinks and/or desserts.

6. Eat More.
Go for buffets. Personally, I am not a fan of buffets. But, if you have a hungry husband and/or a house full of starving teenagers, buffets can be extremely budget friendly.

7. Sign up for Upromise.

• Join Upromise for FREE and earn up to 8% of your bill in college savings rewards when you dine out at any of over 8,000 participating restaurants. You can use your earnings to pay back student loans, invest them in a 529 savings plan, or you can even get a check if you prefer. FYI: You will need to use a debit or credit card that you register on Upromise in order to get your earnings. New restaurants are added frequently!
  

8. Meet your new best friend, Restaurant.com.
Click here to purchase $25 restaurant gift cards for only $10 or $10 gift cards for only $3! (Minimum purchase may apply.)

9. Earn restaurant gift cards by completing surveys.
Earn points that can be converted into restaurant gift cards by joining Ipos i-Say. Click below to join.

• Join My Points and the points that you earn can be redeemed for gift cards to restaurants including Cracker Barrel, Red Robin, Applebees, California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Hut, Steak n Shake, Panera Bread, TGI FRidays, Subway, Papa John’s, Outback Steakhouse, and Baja Fresh.

10. Eat Ethnically
Broaden your culinary horizons and save. Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean, and African restaurants can offer delicious, unique meals at a low price.

11. Ordering In? Utilize coupon codes.
Want to have pizza delivered? Log onto Retail Me Not or Coupon Cabin, find promo codes for your order and save big. You can also find printable restaurant coupons on these sites.

12. Like spirits with your meals? Find BYOB restaurants.
Yes, they actually exist. I know, I was shocked too. Use the Urbanspoon to find one near you. Enter your city, then scroll down to Special Features and click on BYOB. (BYOB restaurants are not found in all cities.) Urbanspoon will also let you search for restaurants with delivery, free Wi-Fi, live music, and much more.

13. Become a Mystery Shopper.
Many restaurants hire mystery shoppers to ensure that their guests are receive quality service. This means free meals for you. Carrie at Money Saving Methods is the leading expert on Mystery Shopping. Click here to visit her Mystery Shopping webpage.

14. Keep your eyes peeled for restaurant events.

• Many big cities have Restaurant Weeks which offer special meals from different local restaurants at super low prices. Try Googling the name of your city + restaurant week to find one near you.
• Look for new restaurant openings in your city. You might be able to sample food for free.
• Scan your local paper or the Chamber of Commerce website to find local food sampling events. My hometown sponsored a Restaurant Rally where we got to sample tons of food from over 15 different local restaurants. We only had to pay $20 and got a free trolley ride to all the restaurants AND a free tee shirt.

15. Check out Rewards Network.

Enroll for free and earn up to 15% cash back on your restaurant meals. Earn double rewards on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at participating restaurants. You can even earn cash back at bars and clubs!

16. Drink water with your meals.

Restaurants make the most money off of their drink sales. One restaurant I worked sold a 20 oz pop for $1.39 even though it only cost the restaurant 15 cents! I know that water is boring. Try adding a lemon, lime, or orange slice to your water. Wait until you get home to have soft drinks or alcoholic beverages.

17. Choose breakfast, brunch, or lunch over dinner.

Dinner is the most expensive meal to enjoy at a restaurant. Instead, decide to go out earlier in your day and keep more of your hard earned money!

See, dining out can be done on any budget now that you have the necessary tools to save big on restaurant meals!

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