




You’ve heard about this over and over again: dining in is the smarter financial choice when it comes to food spending for your household. However, many Americans often find themselves forking over hard-earned cash for lunch or dinner out. A recent Gallup survey says Americans spend, on average, $150 a week on food. Whether because of work or time constraints, your restaurant experience can be more wallet-friendly. Here are some tips to help you save on restaurant food bills and avoid breaking the bank:
Time Your Meals
Timing is everything, especially when it comes to food. Several deals for restaurant food have to do with the day of the week and time of day you’re eating your meal. If you’re a weekend restaurant diner, try switching your outings to the beginning and middle of the week. Restaurants get fewer people on a Wednesday than a Saturday, so they often offer better deals or reduced prices midweek. Combine dinner out on Wednesday with an early-bird special or extended lunchtime hours to get the best prices on your favorite dishes. Dinner menus are often more expensive than lunch, and most items on the menu remain the same. Have an early dinner, avoid the crowds, and save a couple of bucks while you’re at it.
Share If You Care (For Your Cash)
Restaurant entrĂ©es have been growing in size throughout the U.S. Today, you can easily share your favorite meal with someone or save half to take home. You’ll enjoy your meal, and then tomorrow’s lunch will be “free” since you took a doggie bag home with you. Some restaurants have gotten the hang of this money-conscious trend and now offer a 3-for-1 menu option that includes two salads and one main course to share. But this can still be a lot of food, so know portion sizes and order accordingly to save a few dollars.
Go Social
It’s no secret that all sorts of restaurants have taken advantage of social media to establish a closer relationship with their customers. The good thing about restaurants reaching out to you via social media is that they are offering special prices and discounts to their followers and fans. If you are particularly fond of certain types of food, find restaurants on Facebook, Twitter, etc. that serve these foods and start following them!
Ban The Booze
As nice as it is to have a glass of wine with your restaurant dinner, alcoholic beverages at restaurants are always overpriced. Whether you order by the glass or by the bottle, wine can turn an inexpensive dinner into an out-of-budget one. While cocktails and imported beers can be more affordable, the higher prices at restaurants still make them an unnecessary expense. Try mixing things up by having a nice cocktail at home after dinner. It’s a great way to finish off an evening, and it’ll cost you several dollars less.
Munch on Groupon
Last but not least, you can take advantage of the wide variety of coupons available today in the market. Whether it’s online coupons you can print or coupons clipped from a newspaper, several restaurants offer discounts and free product coupons to patrons looking for a good deal on food. Popular sites like Groupon offer a great variety of restaurant and food coupons with significant discounts, but a quick search online can soon render a plethora of options for you to choose from. You can also search for restaurant-specific coupons online or on the restaurant’s website — more likely than not, you’ll find something you can use.
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