Eating at home is one of the surer ways to save money, but you can save money eating out, too. Here are a few ways to do it …
1. Order water instead of soda
Order water. Once in a while, we'll get a special drink, but more often than not we just get water because it's free. (I have to remember that it's often not free in North Carolina, which is annoying.) Paying $2 or more for a soda in a restaurant, even with unlimited refills, is a huge markup, and therefore a huge profit center for the restaurant.
2. Don't buy alcohol
Don’t buy alcohol. Like sodas, alcohol is a huge profit center for the restaurant. If the restaurant has a lot of weird beers on tap, OK, I'll bite, but if it's just the usual suspects then no. Another trick if you really like trying beers is to ask for a sampler tray, which gives a taste of five or six beers five ounces at a time.
3. Sign up for email alerts
Sign up for emails alerts to get coupons. Whether the coupons are any good or not depends on the restaurant, of course. For some restaurants, the emails come with coupons that are worthwhile; other times, they're just regular reminders to come in and spend money at regular price.
4. Share an entrée
Share an entrée. Regular restaurants tend to give you a lot of food on your plate. Often it's so much food that it can feed two people; in this case, you can ask to share an entree. This can cut the cost of your meal nearly in half. Or, if you do order two entrees, you can eat until you're satisfied and then take the leftovers home.
5. Eat at buffets
Eat at buffets. This is a great deal if you can really pack it away. Otherwise … not so much, but you can get a good variety of foods. (If you're trying to lose weight, it's usually best to stay away from all-you-can-eat buffets, because there's the temptation to get your money's worth!)
Warning: “All you can eat” isn't actually all you can eat. Buffet owners are well within their rights to show you the door if you abuse it.
6. Buy discounted gift cards
Buy discounted gift cards. Sometimes people have gifts cards that they either didn't want or no longer need. There are websites that will buy them at a discount to face value, sell them at a smaller discount to face value, and keep the difference. You can save on meals by, say, getting a $50 gift card for $40. A $50 meal is therefore at a 20% discount.
One discounted gift card site I use regularly is CardPool. Here's a list of other discounted gift card sites and how to buy them with less risk.
7. Get free food on your birthday
Getting free food on your birthday isn't an every-day thing, of course, but if you can stand the waitstaff singing with questionable intonation, you might get a free dessert out of it. (This post from Dollar Sprout has several restaurants that offer birthday freebies!)
8. Skip desserts
Pass on the desserts at the restaurant. Some places we dine at because of the desserts, but for most meals out the desserts are run of the mill. If dessert is a thing, then a carton of ice cream from the grocery store will cost less than a dessert for one person at a restaurant. Another option is to share a dessert if you're comfortable with it.
9. Have a small snack at home
Have a small snack at home first so you don’t order too much at the restaurant. Or, alternatively, you can order a smaller plate and eat the bread, tortilla chips, or whatever complimentary food they offer while your order is being prepared. Mexican restaurants will usually bring out tortilla chips with some kind of sauce. Olive Garden brings out awesome breadsticks.
10. Use dining certificates
Use dining certificates, but be sure to read the fine print before you buy. Restaurant.com offers dining certificates for 60% off, and there are often coupons
11. Go to places where kids eat free
Go to restaurants where kids eat free. This only works if you have kids in your family. (Adults acting like kids don't count.)
12. Hit the value menu
Order from the value/specials menu. Restaurants have a full range of entrees for many budgets. Value menus are great for smaller budgets, or for those who don't want to spend a whole lot, even if they do have the budget for it. Specials may be a mixed bag because the restaurant may be promoting it to make way for fresher food. (This isn't always the case, but it can be.) One fairly well-known value menu is McDonald's Dollar Menu.
13. Use an appetizer as your meal
Buy an appetizer instead of a meal. When we go to our local Mexican restaurant, she gets an appetizer that she likes, and asks it to be brought out with the meal.
What other ways do you save money eating out?
