7 Tips Frugal People Use To Save Money When Dining Out

If the dinner bill gave you more indigestion than the chile relleno the last time you visited a restaurant, it wasn’t your imagination. It’s not just big-city dining meccas, either. People from across the country now pay triple-digit sums for meals that used to cost their families $60 or $70 before the pandemic.

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It’s always been more expensive to dine out than to cook at home, but in the last few years, restaurants have become hard to afford for anyone except the wealthy and the frugal. If you’re not one of the former, you’ll have to adopt the tactics of the latter. Here’s how to enjoy a meal you didn’t cook without getting heartburn from the tab.

Choose Your Spot Based on Deals, Discounts and Coupons

Your first opportunity to save comes before you even leave the house with a bit of preparatory research.

Some restaurants let kids eat free on certain nights. Others offer day-specific discounts for particular entrees, like taco Tuesdays or prime rib Wednesdays. Others include a free dessert on a particular night or with a specific dinner.

That alone could be enough to steer your decision, but you should also shop around for coupons — both from any restaurants you’re considering directly and from third-party coupon sites like RetailMeNot and Honey.

“Be sure you read the fine print before you order,” said Hope Ware, frugal living expert and founder of the personal finance site Under the Median. “Some coupons can only be used for online or pick-up orders, but not when you are dining in.”

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Pick a Place That Rewards Loyalty

If your family has a favorite restaurant, find out if it offers special deals, discounts and offers to frequent customers. If it doesn’t, find a new favorite restaurant that does and stick with it.

“Join a restaurant’s loyalty club,” said Ware. “You’ll often receive a free entree or dessert on your birthday and other high-value coupons throughout the year.”

Don’t Buy Drinks — Especially Not the Fun Ones

Servers love tables with lots of orders from the bar — not because it’s fun dealing with tipsy patrons, but because adult beverages jack up dinner bills. And nowadays, anything that isn’t H2O can run up your tab.

“Don’t buy drinks,” said Melanie Musson, a finance expert with Clearsurance. “Even soft drinks cost $4 a person and alcoholic drinks can quickly exceed the cost of a meal. Water will provide the hydration you need, and you can more easily afford your meal.”

If you’re looking for a little more excitement than tap water can provide, find a BYOB restaurant or one that offers free refills on soft drinks.

Get the Worm

Just like movie theaters offer reduced matinee prices in the daytime when seats are empty, restaurants incentivize dining out when business is slow.

“Look for early bird specials or lunch specials,” said Musson. “If you’re flexible enough to eat before the dinner rush, you may find lower-priced meal options.”

The same goes for happy hours and prix fixe specials that restaurants usually offer in the late afternoon or early evening between peak lunch and dinner.

Double Up on Date Night

If you’re out on a date with a romantic partner or anyone else you’re cozy enough to split a plate with, pull a “Lady and the Tramp” and dig into a single entree.

“If you’re eating with a partner, you may find that you get plenty of food by sharing a big meal,” said Musson. “For example, a steak and ribs dinner with a side may be sufficient for two people. If you don’t know if you’ll have enough, you can buy an extra side.”

You might encounter a modest upcharge, but it will still be cheaper than a second entree.

“Be aware that some restaurants have rules about plate-sharing and will charge you an additional fee for that extra plate,” said Ware. “So, ask before you split and determine if it’s worth the extra cost to you.”

Ditch the Apps and Desserts

Three courses are much more expensive than one. Several experts recommended eating a light snack before you go so you don’t arrive famished and unable to resist the lure of starters before your entree with room left over for dessert.

Go All Out, but Go Out Rarely

If a shared meal with no appetizers, drinks or desserts in the middle of the day robs you of the pleasure that the experience used to bring, then accept that restaurants are now a rare treat more akin to concerts or ball games.

Budget and save for the moment, and when you have enough cash for all the trimmings and a tip, let your hair down. Spend big and treat it like the special occasion that it is.

Other Tips Include…

The experts GOBankingRates spoke with offered a few additional tips, including:

• Ask for gift cards to your favorite restaurants during the holidays or on your birthday, or buy them online at discount gift card sites or in bulk at a reduced price at Costco or Sam’s Club.

• Use credit cards that reward restaurant spending, which many travel cards and rotating category cards do.

• Fill up on freebies like pre-dinner rolls or breadsticks so you won’t over-order and are more likely to go home with leftovers.

• Order sides and apps as entrees and consider vegetarian dishes, which are often less expensive.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Tips Frugal People Use To Save Money When Dining Out