No matter what anyone says, it is more expensive to go out to eat. When we were really tightening the budget we never went out. NEVER. In fact I remember one year we went to Pizza Hut, once. No take out, no drive-thru, no delivery, nothing.
It wasn’t my favorite year, but it allowed us to get out of debt and improve our financial situation.
I love going out to eat. In fact, I’d rather go to dinner than to a movie or other form of entertainment. There’s just something about someone else making my food (and cleaning it up) that makes me super happy.
However, I don’t like spending ten times more on a meal that I could make at home.
With a large family we don’t go out very often, but when we do we use many of these tips to help save money at restaurants.
- Skip the drinks. Soda and alcohol can really increase your bill. Stick with water.
- Skip the dessert and appetizers. Desserts are huge money makers for restaurants. If you are really craving something sweet pick up pint of Ben and Jerry’s on the way home.
- Order an appetizer as your entree’. Many appetizers these days are huge!
- Split an entree’.
- Dine at lunch, it is almost always cheaper and the portions aren’t significantly smaller.
- Use a coupon.
- Go early, many restaurants offer an early bird menu with items under $10.
- Seek out local, ethnic places. Many Mexican and Asian restaurants offer great authentic food for less money.
- Dine somewhere that doesn’t require a tip. Places like Panera, Chipotle, and Jason’s Deli serve good food at a decent price. Since they have counter service no tip is necessary.
- Forget dining in and order take out. No drinks and smaller tip.
- If you are dining with kids find a place that has a kids eat free night. When we lived in Virginia Beach we would occasionally eat at Joe’s Crab Shack. They had a special where kids eat for $0.99 on Tuesdays. Our family of 8 could eat for about $30.
- Another way to save money with kids is to order several kids an adult meal to share. Kids meals have become very expensive, by sharing an adult meal they usually are getting something slightly healthier (no nuggets and fries) and you might save a few dollars too.
- Stay home. I had to add this one, a gourmet meal cooked at home will cost you less than any meal at a fancy restaurant. Put the kids to bed, light some candles, get out your china and enjoy a fancy meal at home.
If you are really dying for the restaurant atmosphere, have one of your kids interrupt you every so often and ask how you are doing and have some total strangers come into your home and talk loudly at a table next to you.
Remember when dining out, please tip on the whole amount of the bill before coupons or discounts are taken. Waiting tables is a hard job, many people are trying to support their families, pay for school, or even get out of debt. If you can’t afford to tip appropriately order take out or stay home.
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Photo credit: Thomas Hawk
Nicholas says
Some good advice there. I sometimes do have an appetizer as an entree because restaurant portions are so huge. I hate to think of the amount of food that is wasted that way. But I would never go out for a meal and ruin it by washing it down with water (ugh!).
Kay says
Good job. You’ve nailed all the ways to cut costs–except let’s add that by staying home we save gas, too!
Adelle Laudan says
LOLOL LOVED number 13! Now that’s more my style lol Happy T13!
On a Limb with Claudia says
Great advice. We don’t go out as much any more – but we will try some of these ideas. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Happy TT!
SandyCarlson says
Great ideas. Our favorite way to eat out is to bring it home! We like to be comfy and lazy and use our own drinks and plates and silver, but it’s always great when someone else cooks.
Lori says
What great ideas. Im going to have to try a few of those. Although, I always like a Margarita with my dinner…hey, if I just skip the food, I can have 2;) Happy TT.
Melanie says
Those are some really great tips. We don’t eat out very often but when we do we are very careful not to spend too much.
Laura@HeavenlyHomeMakers says
Great tips, but #13 takes the cake!! SOOO funny!! And so true! Hey, I can have kids crawling all over my lap at home just as well as I can…for more money…in a restaraunt booth.
Chrissy (joyfilledwifemom) says
I like the Entertainment Books they are so neat to have and a money saver. I live in a Metro area around St. Louis and everything is high it is nice to go have a treat 2 or 3 times at a nice place with these coupons we can get.
I like the splitting a entree.
Thanks!
SJ Reidhead says
I don’t eat meat or seafood, so I’m a cheap date. I rarely drink because I’m usually driving.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
pussreboots says
#13 is the best advice. Happy TT.
Pretty Life Online says
Thanks for sharing… Happy TT! I have an awards waiting for you in my site, hope you get time to visit!
Jennifer says
You are so right on with this list. Great suggestions!
marnini says
We just took the kids to T.G.I.F’s last night and were pleasantly surprised to find that kids eat for free.
The diner in me can appreciate these tips, the waitress in me cringes-the less amount spent is the lower the tip.
Maribeth:)
Sarah says
Hee hee . . . I love number 13 – so true! Thanks for a great and helpful list!
Krista says
Your tips are right on! We have been using these tips for years. My kids are teenagers now so I usually split a meal with my daughter, but my DS & DH are big eaters so they usually want their own meal.
I always drink water with lemon. My DH uses lots of lemons and sweet & low to make his own version of lemonade!
Krista
notsosahm says
Restaurant.com is a good way to save a little money too.
Also, the leftovers from those huge portions saves you from having to make a lunch the next day.
yp2m says
Great tips – I like #13 best. At my house, the cook goes on strike on the weekends so we use restaurant.com a lot, especially when you have a coupon to use. It lets you save 60% off – you get to eat $25 meal for only $10.
Grandmother Wren says
A very useful list –
thank you!
Can I add one more?
Get old-
they have great senior specials!
Shoshana says
Sounds like great ideas for frugal dining out…staying at home certainly is the cheapest, unless you do a take-out.
Jane @ What About Mom? says
#13 made me laugh!
I love the hole-in-the-wall places, and oh, I miss Panera soooo much. Used to spend way to much money (and calorie-allotment) there! Enjoy some cinnamon crunch bagels for me!
Stephanie Bowman says
When we go out we usually order on meal for the kids to split. That helps with the cost.
How to save money says
Interesting ideas. The tip on dining out is definitely a big one. I know I’ve eaten out at places where gratuity is required at 15% but the staff expects more like 20%.
I’ve also done #3 many times. Not because I was trying to eat on the cheap, but because legitimately some of them are huge…like the Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse!
Joyce says
Great suggestions. We have done them all. With nine children, we mainly didn’t eat out for many-a-year!
Jenni says
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog! It is great to have visitors.
You can feel free to live vicariously through our home improvements any time 🙂
I love reading your blog.
Blessings,
Jenni
Jenni says
WOW! I just noticed your grocery goal….I am thoroughly impressed! You put me to shame, I only have five mouths total to feed and one of those is still nursing exclusively. I am happy if I make it below $400 for the month.
This month I will definitely be waaaay over, these impacted wisdom teeth make it difficult to eat much of anything but liquid nutritional drinks. (Thank God I am getting them pulled on Monday!) But, as I was saying, those drinks are EXPENSIVE…hence going over the budget. Sigh. Oh well, I’m going to try for next month. Thanks for the inspiration!
Blessings,
Jenni
Michelle says
Those are all good ideas! Sometimes places will let you order a “lunch” portion for dinner–usually a better size at a better price. If we do get a dinner portion and get separate entrees, we always bring home a doggie bag, and have lunch for one, if not two days….
Vera says
Yeah, I usually skip the drinks. I opt for a lighter (on the pocket) entree when I really really want to have dessert.
Thanks for the tips!
KayleighJeanne says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for mentioning that the tip should be on the “normal” price. When I worked in Mississippi and Tennessee the hourly wage was $2.13 an hour. And most of that went to taxes.
maria says
Great ideas. Love the blog. Thanks for checking my TT out.
Niki says
great minds think alike…i posted about the very same topic today!
🙂
love your blog!
Tamy says
Fantastic list and as someone who waited tables through college I really appreciated your ‘tip’ about tips.
mom2fur says
Great tips! We try to order water at restaurants as much as possible. I also prefer to eat home most nights, too–except for really special occasions.
White mini blinds, huh? My heart goes out to you. I hope that you soon get to make ‘real’ curtains, LOL!
Cindy A says
Ok, been there done that! I LOVE GOING OUT TO DINNER… IT IS MY HOBBY!! I MAKE RESERVATIONS BETTER THAN ANYBODY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD and I learned it all through years of practice. It wasn’t an easy task but I did it!
There are a few things I really enjoy that are excessive, having my hair done (don’t even think about messing with my hair day), getting my nails done (my husband doesn’t even call me when he knows it’s my nail time), and dining out at nice restaurants!
But think if you save now while you are young, you can be wild and crazy when you are old!
Stick with the program… the benefits are long lasting! Pay your dues now while you are young. Good Luck, I hope you enjoy your golden years!
Connie says
Great advice. Sometimes I’m tempted to get the half order to save a buck or two (half orders are rarely half price), but I always get the full order and just eat half. That way my hubby gets a good lunch the next day and it’s “free.” And some of our favorite restaurants have fun take-out boxes that I can reuse, too.
Tracy says
Just so you know, you should still tip for to-go food from a restaurant.
Montana says
I am so happy you included the part about staying home of you can’t afford to tip! I waited tables for 5 years to get through school ! It is shocking the amount of people who leave little or no tip!
sarah says
I have to say one of the best things you added to this is about tipping at the bottom. I have been a server since I was 18 putting myself through school and the job is not easy and we work very hard for the tips we get. Not to mention servers don’t get paid a minimum wage everywhere so some servers don’t get a pay check at all all they make are there tips. It was incredibly nice of you to put that on there.