While most of us like to enjoy a meal at a restaurant every once in a while, the regular cost of an evening out can be staggering. Here are some tips from stretcher.com to help you save on restaurant meals all around town.
In addition to the great tips mentioned in the article below, I also recommend the following:
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* Sign up for the rewards programs for all your favorite restaurants. Many offer a freebie when you sign up and another on your birthday plus additional discounts throughout the year. If there is an option to receive text messages, sign up for those as well because many restaurants send text only offers. See details on the many birthday freebie offers available HERE.
* Use coupon sites like Groupon.com to save on restaurant meals from casual to fancy. Often the discounts are 50% off or more. Through Wednesday, August 1, 2018, save an additional 20% off the Groupon discount restaurant vouchers with the code SUN20 at Groupon.com HERE.
* Get take-out and provide your own drinks at home.
Please share your favorite tips for saving on restaurant meals in the comments section.
An Insider's Guide to Saving Money at Restaurants
by Irene Akatsui
Everyone wants a good deal when dining out, but sometimes it pays to be a little creative when visiting restaurants. It also helps if you are flexible in your dining habits. As a former restaurant owner who co-owned and managed restaurants for over 10 years, here are a few of my tips on how to plan ahead and tweak your dining style, so you can take advantage of the many deals that different types of restaurants offer.
* Instead of ordering a soda or wine, drink water. Beverages, especially alcohol, drive up the cost of the bill considerably. Alcohol is the top money-making item for restaurant owners, as its actual cost is a mere 20% of the selling price. But if you do order a beverage, ask for ice in a separate glass. This way, you can control the amount of ice in your drink. Plus, you will get up to 50% more beverage.
* Go with someone who is willing to split a dish. If you decide to eat cheaply and share a dish, go early. Restaurants don't mind small spenders, as long as they come at a slow time before the big spenders arrive.
* Find out if there are any early bird specials from your server. These are meals that the restaurant is willing to offer cheaply, so they can get customers to come during their "slow times." After all, the cooks, servers, and kitchen helpers get paid regardless of how many people come, so restaurants need to have them generate income at all times in order to stay profitable.
* Although it's well-known that at American coffee shops, you can order free refills on coffee, you might not think about your options for free refills at other places. At some Asian restaurants, you may be able to order an extra bowl of rice for free. In some ethnic restaurants, Korean restaurants for example, you can order "seconds" and even "thirds" on side dishes (like marinated bean sprouts, kimchi, and even potato salad) for free and fill up on the scrumptious plates that come with your meal. Look around at the other customers and see whether they are ordering refills. Then ask your server about their policy.
* Eat out at lunch instead of dinner. You can probably get a similar-tasting meal with a slightly smaller portion. The cook is often the same person for lunch and dinner. If you frequent a restaurant often, get to know who the chef is and when his/her days off are (when a substitute cook will be cooking).
* Visit a family restaurant that has just opened. Small, ethnic family restaurants can be real gems. These types of restaurants often have a limited marketing budget and tend not to advertise heavily. They offer more bang for your buck. However, once they get popular, they may raise prices. Go when they are still relatively unknown.
* Ask for a senior citizen discount, especially at chain restaurants. These discounts are often not given at small family restaurants. The required age varies with locations and with the particular establishment. Some start at 65 and some at 55. It's worth a 10% or more discount.
* If it's your birthday, let the restaurant know in advance when you make a reservation. Then remind them again when you arrive. They may prepare a small dish of ice cream or dessert for you on .....To read the rest of the article, please head to Stretcher.com HERE.
What other ways do you save at restaurants?
My thanks to Gary with The Dollar Stretcher for sharing this excerpt. See Stretcher.com for many more frugal living articles.
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