Save money while you eat out

deemom · **Save money while you eat out**

1. Limit the number of times your family eats out-set a budget and stick to it.
2. Use coupons from the Sunday paper, mailings, or we have a weekly little newspaper called The Pennysaver and it has coupons.
3. Some restaurants have a certain day where kids eat free.
4. Order water, skip the pop--huge markup.
5. Take home leftovers for lunch the next day.
6. Breakfast items tend to be cheaper.
7. Chinese food is cheaper at lunch than at supper in most places.
8. Order from the sides menu or ala carte if you aren't that hungry. Smaller portions and cheaper prices.

ember15 · 06-29-2007, 09:07 AM

9. In the spring and summer the current year so that would be 2007 entertainment book is greatly discounted. Spending $10 on a coupon book can easily save you with all the buy one meal get one free deals.
10. Ordering take out or from a self serve restraunt mean you don't have someone to tip.
11. Skip the add ons ask before you order sides by accedent. Some places charge for sour creame or extra cheese and it isn't worth it.

vioburn · 06-29-2007, 01:26 PM

12. Chinese places aren't the only ones that have cheaper lunches than dinners.

13. Just because you are at a steak house, doesn't mean you have to order steak. Check some of their other menu items and you might be surprised.
14. Split a meal with someone at your table

newlywed0610 · 06-29-2007, 01:31 PM

15. Split a drink with someone, or order water.
16. Consider buying your children something other than a Happy Meal at a fast food place. How often do they play with those toys anyway?
17. Use gift certificates from restaurant.com.

vioburn · 06-29-2007, 01:35 PM

about #16. My kids only want the toy, not the meal. They hate McD's food, but love the toys. So, we will go and order some ice cream or something and buy the toys separately for the kids.

mommy&wifeisme · 06-29-2007, 01:37 PM

18. check the menu online before you go and decide what you want
19. eat dinner at home and just get desert
20. split meals
21. bring kids drinks with you
22. some places will allow adults to order from the child menu with a small upgraded charge I know Bob Evans does)
23. order a couple of meals and side plates & eat family style

ember15 · 06-29-2007, 02:04 PM

24 have your child eat off your plate
25. If you are doing fast food check out the dollar menu ordering 3 things from it is often cheeper then a meal. Instead of chicken nugets I get DC a McChicken sandwich and break the chicken breast into pieces.

britx18 · 07-03-2007, 08:04 PM

26. I order an appitizer as a meal most of the time and split that with dh. He will usually get a meal. Considering that dh used to get a meal and I would get a meal and we would split an appitizer, this is a huge savings for us.

Stacey Chambers · 07-03-2007, 08:08 PM

27. Have your kids split something on the children's menu if they can not eat a whole one by themselves.

LJGZsmom · 07-12-2007, 10:35 AM

28. What we do: order one adult meal, three kids split that, I split with the other kid and husband gets his own. So three meals instead of six. It is even cheaper than the kids getting kids meals! And at fast food, dollar menu is much cheaper than a meal!!