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Eating Out: Money Saving Tips Site Directory >> Your Money >> Money Saving Ideas >> Entertainment
Enjoy eating out? It is a welcome luxury for most families. Our readers share their best money saving tips, which chains offer discounts, specials, free meals for kids, etc. Scroll down to see deals available at specific restaurants, plus coupons to print from your computer.
*Note: Not all the deals mentioned below are available in all areas. We haven't verified reader submitted deals, so please do your own investigating.
Our kids are 2 and 5, and we recently discovered how expensive it is to order 2 kids meals at a sit-down restaurant. So, unless it's a special occasion, our kids have to share 1 meal. We tell them that we will have ice cream or a special dessert when we get home, and that makes them happy. They didn't ever eat the whole meal when we ordered them each one anyway, and they are usually too distracted by all the sights and sounds of a restaurant to eat a lot. It really cuts down on the price of the meal. We also don't order appetizers or dessert and we drink water so the kids can have lemonade or Hi-C. -- Julie from TX
http://www.restaurant.com this is a nice idea for gifts and also for those who hate paying full price. -- Donna from PA
Tuesday nights in our area find lots of restaurants with Kids Eat Free and special fun things. Some of the bigger steak restaurants have kids eat free Monday thru Thursday. Something I do is just order water for myself at dinner this saves $1.50 right there. -- Kelli from OK
I drink water at restaurants-I am amazed at the price of a glass of pop! We went out to eat for lunch today and my husband's pop was $1.79!!! We have an 11 month old so I always take her something to eat in case we order something that she is not able to eat yet. We got ice cream a few weeks ago and I ordered her a baby cone, not knowing we would be charged for it. The cost for that small cone was 85 cents-I would have shared mine if I knew we were going to be charged! -- Amanda from OH
Most restaurants have family night where the kids eat free with an adult entree. Some restaurants will give you 2 free kids' meals with one adult purchase...just call. My kids (5, 4 and 1) never finish their food, therefore, the older ones split one and the younger one shares mine or I take stuff with me from home that is more nutritious. We also order water which saves anywhere from $3.50-5.00! If only one drink comes with the kids meal, then they share. I just ask for another glass. Coupons help too! And at a sit down restaurant I always tip the server at least 15% before the discount. I remember working for the tips. -- Stacey from IN
Okay, this is very innovative & clever...Whenever I go out to eat I always carry a Ziplock baggie of grilled chicken bits. I order a vegetarian meal, and eat half of the meal. Then I pull out a piece of the chicken and place it on the plate and viola! A free meal! And they will throw in an extra meal on the house! It works at most restaurants, but don't try it at McDonald's, they won't work with you. ;) Just kidding (lol) I thought you guys might need a little laugh (:0) -- Nakita from OK
My husband loves to eat out. To
save $, we purchased an Entertainment
Book. It costs approximately
$20 and it comes with at least 100 "buy one entree, get one free"
coupons to both upscale and fast food restaurants in our area. It also
contains coupons for services such as dry cleaning, car washes, etc.
Another thing we do, is try to frequent restaurants that will contribute to our
son's 529 account via We have # boys under 4yo...when we do go out for dinner we look for "family friendly" places (good kids menu, lots of isle space for our stroller, fun atmosphere)....
-- Debbie from MI
Due to both our and our kids activities, we eat out A LOT and have found some ways to save money. We eat at Skyline Chili almost every Wednesday before church activities when kids eat free. They also have a punch card which we get punched so that every 10 visits we get an adult meal free. Our kids love BW3 which has $.25 wings on Wednesdays which is the only way that we can afford to go there! The Entertainment Book and Gold C books that our schools sell offer lots of Buy One/Get One Free deals that have saved us 100 of dollars every year. We also like to trade those coupons with friends and co-workers as everyone has different favorite restaurants. Especially in the summer we have found that we can meet Dad for a big lunch at many restaurants and save money over eating dinner out. -- Joanne from OH
In our community, and in most larger cities, there is a coupon book put out each year called an Entertainment Book. It is full of coupons good towards goods and services, food, etc. It costs 20-25 dollars, but is well worth it. My husband and I receive one each year from a dear friend for Christmas, and have now started giving them to other 'budgeting' couple friends-it is always a hit. It has different sections for restaurants-up-scale down to fast food. Most of the coupons are like buy one meal get one half price, but some are buy one get one free. Some have restrictions, but are usually no big deal, like up to a certain amount (15-30 dollars). We have kept track of our savings different years, and have saved several hundred dollars in one year using this book. Another great thing is that it gives my husband and I an excuse to try one really "fancy" restaurant each year. We get dressed up and leave the baby at home!! These can usually be bought at banks, through the chamber of commerce, or some of the eating establishments...check around. Good luck, and happy eating!!! -- Rachel from OK
My 3 year old son and I love to go
out to breakfast or lunch as a treat. We often do this on "grocery
shopping-bank-errands" day. -- Tracey from MA
Always order WATER unless a
"free" drink comes with the meal. (Our exception is a special night
out without the kids when my husband and I might splurge or a glass of beer or
wine). Watch for coupons! Several local restaurants in our area offer a
buy-one-get one-free deals. My husband and I will select two moderately priced
meals. Because the portions are typically so large, we can often share part of
our meals with the kids. We had a nice meal at American Cafe recently for about
$12.00 including a 20% tip! Share a "BIG" meal, like an Italian
sampler platter or plate of fajitas. When we don't have a buy-one-get-one-free
coupon, we will often order a large meal to split. We shared an Italian platter
at Spaghetti Warehouse and ordered a kids meal recently...total including tip
was $15. Make a lunch date. One of our favorite restaurants is Red
Lobster. They have a very reasonably priced lunch menu. While the kids are in
preschool (no baby sitter expense!), my husband and I meet for a romantic lunch
date that costs less than $20 bucks. Look for FREE kids meals (IHOP
rules!) or inexpensive kid meals. When all else fails, make "fast
food" more fun. Order from the value menu and split ridiculously large fries.
Splurge on a kids meal. Have a picnic at a local park, your backyard or even on
a blanket in the living room. -- Lori from GA
I usually only go where I have a
coupon unless its a large extended family event. Also instead of Fast Food
I go to the deli at Cub Foods, you can get a whole rotisserie chicken or 8
pieces of fried chicken for $4.99 then I either get whatever salad is on sale or
nothing and take it home and make a light meal. I am not a cook but I feel
better that the chicken is fresh and real! -- Mary from MN In our city, and many others, a book
is put out yearly called an
Entertainment
Book. It is full of coupons for
various businesses nearby. One of our favorite sections is the food
coupons. They have a section for "fast food" type stuff, and
then a section for more "pricey" meals. The coupons are usually
for buy one, get one free, or buy one meal, get one half off. Some of the
restaurants have restrictions, like only during certain hours, but they are
usually reasonable and easy to work around. We receive ours each year as a
gift at Christmas, but we have started giving these out to our 'budgeting'
couple friends as gifts also. Around here, they run about 20 to 25
dollars, but are worth so much more. One year, we kept track of our
savings, and it was several hundred dollars. -- Rachel from OK We have learned which restaurants
offer family specials different days of the week. A great savings for our
family of three. They also have large meals that my husband and I can
split to even lower our savings. Always ask a new restaurant if all kids
are free or it is one child per adult. We also have the children drink
water to save money. My kindergartener often brings home free restaurant
coupons from school for her good behavior or reading a certain number of books.
We combine her coupon with those we purchase from school fundraisers and have a
cheap meal. -- Michelle from TX My husband and I always choose Sports themed restaurants. Most have both TVs and video games to occupy our kids, and we find the money spent on video games comes to much less than it would cost to pay a babysitter. -- Christy from FL
Instead of ordering a beverage at a
restaurant, ask for water with a slice of lemon. Squeeze lemon into water
and add sweetner. Instant lemonade! (Your older kids will think you
are a genius!) -- Sharon from AZ This past spring I bought an
In my never ending quest to eat right
and save money, I like to frequent the "Yuppie" restaurants like
Applebees, TGIF and the like. To save money and calories, I order side
items. I might order two orders of the steamed vegetables, an order of
mashed potatoes and one piece of garlic bread with water to drink. I feel
very happy, satisfied, and can leave with a few extra coins in my purse.
It works for me! -- Mitzi from FL
We try to eat out to buffets (Chinese, Ponderosa, etc.) we all get full and a lot of them are free under 4. -- Heidi from NY
Join a secret or mystery shopper group. You pay up front and they reimburse you a certain amount. We get to eat out at restaurants where we would previously feel guilty or frivolous for having gone to before. Sometimes they even pay you for ordering pizza! It's great! -- Lisa from NC
When it comes to going to lunch, its easy for me my daughter only likes French fries and of course loves the toy so I just simply order a big kids meal at McDonalds or Burger King and I eat the sandwich and she gets the fries and toy the drink we just share and refill. -- Maryellen from OH
We're a family of 6 w/ two teenage
boys, so here's some tips who may help "Mommys" of not-so-little-ones:
Tips for Mom and Dad: I always bring activity books for the kids to play puzzles, draw, work on their math, color, play games, etc - they are never bored or restless while waiting on their food. Second tip: The children know they will always get water at the beginning of a meal; if they finish their food or at least do a good job of eating it - then they are rewarded with a kids drink of their choice or we give them the money (cost of kids drink) to add to their banks. Most times they forget to ask for a kids drink or they are full and not interested. -- Kathy from CO
In the fall, we always buy an Entertainment Book. They run $35-40 and offer two-for-one or half-off discounts at restaurants (everything from very fancy to fast food), local activities like zoos, plays and movies, oil changes, car rentals and hotels. One dinner at a nice restaurant, or a night in a hotel at 50% off and the book has already paid for itself! -- Kathi from WA
Tips for eating out with kids: If you like to have Chinese takeout for dinner, go earlier in the day and buy the lunch specials. The same meal I buy at lunchtime for $3.85 is $6.25 at dinnertime. When feeding the whole family, that makes a huge difference. Just stick the containers in the refrigerator and reheat at dinner. -- Kathy from AZ
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