How to Save Money Dining Out With Your Spouse

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By pfincome
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Economic times are tough right now, so a lot of people have stopped dining out to save money. There are ways that you can still enjoy good food at your local restaurant that won't break your budget. Try following some of the steps my wife and I use when eating out.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Coupons
Appetite
Flexible Schedule
Budget

Step 1

Skip ordering any soft drinks, ice tea, coffee, alcohol, etc. Instead, order water to save money on your bill. Depending on the restaurant and what drink you order, a couple can spend $3 - $15 just on drinks. Try asking for lemons with your water for additional flavoring. Remember, restaurants make a lot of their money from drink orders.
Step 2

Forget ordering appetizers and desert. An appetizer can run around $10 and desert varies but could exceed $10 for a couple. By skipping these orders, you can cut over $20 from your bill.
Step 3

Plan ahead with a budget. Always have an idea of how much you want to spend before you go out to eat. My wife and I usually set a limit of $25 combined including tip and tax. This limit allows us to only pick items from restaurant menus that will get us under our budget.
Step 4

Think about going out to eat during the week instead of on the weekend. Restaurants typically have cheaper specials during the week to try and lure in customers during slow times. Monday’s seem to be one of the best days for deals as most people go out to eat on Saturday’s and Sunday’s and take a break early in the week. Check out your local restaurant guide for notices on these specials.
Step 5

If you want to dine out during the weekend, consider going for a late afternoon lunch. Many restaurants have their lunch menu’s available well into the afternoon on Saturday’s. My wife and I enjoy going out to eat on Saturday’s around 3:00 or 4:00 PM so we can still get the lunch specials.
Step 6

Look for meals that come with all you can eat soup and salad. I typically order meals that come with soup and/or salad, so that I can fill up on these items and will take my main course home. I will often eat the main course the next day.
Step 7

Consider splitting a meal with your spouse. If you decide to dine at a restaurant that is known for it’s large portions, you can easily split a meal with your spouse. Ordering 1 meal instead of 2 can really help on your final bill!
Step 8

Always look for coupons. Many restaurants offer coupons for certain days of the week. Some offer free deserts or appetizers. Coupons can save an enormous amount of money when dining out. Try looking at Restaurant.com for additional savings!

Comments

reamere said

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on 1/1/2009 Servers are going to hate these tips.

Very true tips for saving money though.

StreetBloggers said

on 11/19/2008 we dine out a lot especially mexican food. The best way I discovered to save money dining out with my wife was to Dine in and cook..she love sit when I cook