Save Money Eating Out - 5 Ways To Save On Your Bill Dining Out

Be sure that your selection agrees not only with your appetite, but also your budget.

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Eat Out

We all love a home-cooked meal. No question there. But, sometimes you just don’t have the time to put one together. And you can only eat so many microwave dinners and sandwiches.

The fact is, sometimes you just need to eat out. If nothing else, just for the experience of getting out into the world and being around people.

Unfortunately, too often our dining excursions turn into budget busting events. I hope that in this post I can offer you some simple ways to trim the bill and still be able to enjoy the occasional night out with family and friends.

Save Money Eating Out Tip #1: Check Out The Menu Beforehand

My wife is VERY good at this. I’m a work in progress. The idea here is simple. Most restaurants have their menu posted online for browsing. Once you’ve decided where you’re going, pull the menu up while you’re still at home and not too hungry.

Look it over and get a feel for the price range of the restaurant. You may decide a change of venue is in order. It’s a little awkward to make that decision once you’re already seated.

If the price range checks out, decide what you’re going to eat beforehand. That way you can be sure that your selection agrees not only with your appetite, but also your budget. You’ll be less likely to be persuaded to order something more expensive based on a recommendation or someone else’s order.

Save Money Eating Out Tip #2: Make It One Course

As you’re making your selection, go ahead and decide that it’s going to be a one-course meal.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever go out and do the full appetizer, meal, and dessert party. But save that for when you’re going out for an experience, not when you’re just going out for a meal.

Pick something you know will be enough food to get you full, and decide beforehand to politely decline on the appetizer and dessert. Those two add ons can quickly double the cost of a meal!

Alright, this one isn’t for everybody and probably isn’t for every outing either, but if you can ever find an opportunity to go halfsies with someone, go for it! You just ate for 50% off. This might be your spouse (though I’ll admit that my wife and I share some different opinions on what constitutes a good meal) or maybe one of your children. In that case maybe 75-ies 25-ies is a more appropriate portioning.

This is a great way to save big! A good variation of this might be to share an appetizer and a plate. This is almost guaranteed to be less expensive than two plate and just as filling.

Save Money Eating Out Tip #4: Avoid Substitutions And Add Ons

I’m a sucker for this one. When I see sweet potato fries as an option, I’m there. Problem is, that’s almost always an extra $1.95 for some reason. Same goes for adding cheese, extra sauce, side salad, and on and on. You see my point. These little “bonus” charges can add up fast. So, pick a meal you know you can enjoy as is, and say no to the add ons.

Save Money Eating Out Tip #5: Skip The Soda

And finally, just skip the soda! Have you noticed how much a soda costs at restaurants lately? It’s crazy! You can buy a two liter of generic soda for $0.92. No joke. But at any given restaurant they’re going to want about $2.45 for a glass. Now here in America, that includes refills, but still. For a family of four with older kids, you can easily spend $12 on soda!

Here’s the truth none of us like to face: It’s bad for your body and your budget. Just say no.

Bon Appetit

And there you have them, five ways my family has learned to cut costs when eating out. These ideas have worked great for us. I hope they work equally well for you!

And remember, regardless of your money goals, you can “Bank on a Budget” to get you from where you are to where you want to be!

For a family of four with older kids, you can easily spend $12 on soda when eating out!

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Alex

Hello, my name is Alex! I'm a public school teacher who has achieved some big financial goals just by getting control of my money using some simple strategies like using a monthly budget. Now I'd like to share what I've learned with you. Welcome to "Bank on a Budget!"