Eating Out for Less

I love to go out to eat! I mean, who wouldn’t…someone else prepares the food for you and there’s no cleanup. There’s one catch, though…the cost.

Eating out can be a budget killer, especially these days when it seems like the prices on the menu just seem to be going up and up. However, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the cost when you do go out to eat:

• Use coupons: I usually check all my junk mail (like the Valpak coupons) for restaurant coupons, sometimes there are coupons included in the Red Plum inserts I get in the mail on Mondays, and if you go out to eat a lot, you could order an Entertainment Book and save well more than the cost of the book using the coupons. Plus, before you go, do a quick internet search to make sure you’re not missing any printable coupons.

• Sign up for Restaurant Loyalty Clubs – When you sign up to receive e-mails from restaurants, you will often get meal coupons when they send out their newsletter. For example, when I signed up for the Chilis club at the beginning of March, I received an e-mail for a free chips and salsa with an entree purchase. Plus, I received e-mails just this week letting me know about Easter specials they were running. Thanks, Tracy for reminding me of this one!

• Sign up Birthday Freebies – When your birthday rolls around, you’ll get inundated with e-mails for free or discounted items at restaurants. For example, my husband just had a birthday at the end of March, and we had coupons for a free ice cream at Baskin Robbins and Coldstone Creamery. Plus, he received a free burger coupon for Red Robin, free cake at Chilis, etc. To find out more about the birthday freebies, check out Free Birthday Treats or Freebies 4 Mom’s List. Thanks again Tracey for the reminder!

• Check out UPromise’s Dining Program: Did you know that you can earn up to 8% in UPromise college savings when you visit a participating restaurant and use a credit card that you have linked to your account? Plus, if you frequent McDonalds, you can make your purchases using a registered Arch card (which is reloadable) and earn 1% in college savings. Don’t know what Upromise is? Click here for more info.

• Purchase a Restaurant.com gift certificate: Click here to view participating restaurants. Right now, you can purchase a $10 gift certificate for $3 or a $25 gift certificate for $10. Make sure you check out the details before you purchase, because many restaurants require a minimum purchase over and above the gift certificate amount. But, if you were going to spend this amount anyway, it can be a good deal.

• Visit the restaurant on a day when Kids Eat Free: KidsMealDeals.com has a great searchable list of restaurants that offer specials for kids. You can search by zip code and day of the week. If you hit a restaurant on the right day of the week, you can often get a free kids meal with your adult entrees.

• Check your Receipt: Before you throw away your receipt, check it for any surveys that offer a $/$$ coupon or a free item on your next visit. For just a few minutes of your time, you can saving on your dining out expenses the next time you go out. Thanks Tia for the tip!

• Other money saving tips: Some of the obvious tips are to drink water rather than order a drink to save about $2 a person on drinks. Also, depending on the portion sizes, share an entree or have your kids share a kids meal.

How do you save money when you go out to eat? Any tips I need to add to my list? It’s pretty easy for us to reduce our eating out these days, because it’s not very relaxing to bring our boys with us . For more frugal ideas, visit Life As Mom.