The kids are tired of sandwiches or mac and cheese. You are tired of cooking and washing dishes. So the only choice left is to head out to eat and leave the cooking to someone else. Sure, it can be a nice break but you don’t want eating out to break the bank either. So how can you have your cake and eat it too?
Here’s how to have fun eating out and still keep smiling once you receive the check.
Change Your Choices
The most important thing to do to save money is to change your decision making. When deciding where to go don’t ask whether you are in the mood for Italian or Mexican food. Instead, ask where can I take advantage of coupons or special discounts?
Where to Find Coupons & Discounts
- Sign up for email newsletters and coupons – This is the number one way to get great discounts. Most restaurants ranging from large chains to small mom and pop cafes now have an email newsletter where they regularly send out coupons and special promotions to their loyal fans. Even restaurants who advertise coupons in the Sunday paper tend to send out better coupons in email. You can sometimes sign up online other times you can do it in person. Many of the coupons are featured on www.ShoppingQueen.com but I can’t feature all coupons.
- Ask about promotions – The most overlooked way to save at restaurants is to simply ask. With this economy most restaurants have special promotions and you just have to be in the know. Promotions range from early bird discounts, free kids meals, multi-course package deals and more. Call up your favorite restaurants and ask them what promotions they have. And don’t think this is a one-time thing. Specials and promotions change regularly so whenever you are dining make sure to ask.
- Do an online search – Many restaurants now offer coupons on their website, so check out the restaurant’s website. You can go even further by doing an online search for the restaurant name and the word coupon.
- Try Restaurant.com and HalfOffDepot.com (with caution) – These websites offer gift certificates to restaurants at prices less than the value of the gift certificate. This is a great way to try a new restaurant without spending more than you like. However, these gift certificates can come with a lot of fine print and exclusions so make sure you read all of the mice-type before you buy. You can frequently find extra off promo codes for Restaurant.com, so you can get an even better deal.
- Take advantage of special events – Restaurant chains and even cities and counties constantly serve up special events. Restaurant weeks have become quite popular nationwide. Do a search for the name of your city or county and the words restaurant week. During Atlanta’s Restaurant Week for example, you can get three course meals at some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants for only $25. For more casual food, dress in cow attire and get a free sandwich or a free meal at Chick-fil-A this Friday, July 10th for Cow Appreciation Day.
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