Consumerist
RacerX at "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money" has posted the 6 ways he and his wife save money when they go out to eat. Following all of them would make for a noticeably different experience at your favorite restaurant—perhaps more than you'd like. But even adopting a couple of these tips could knock 10% or more off your next fancy meal with the significant other.
Have cocktails at home — He says to have one at home to avoid the restaurant's crazy cocktail markup. We're not sure if he means before you go out to eat, and if so, the whole driving-around-with-scotch-on-your-breath approach might not be the wisest choice. There are plenty of ways to enjoy an aperitif or the cocktail hour before leaving your home, however.
Have appetizers at home — "We plan out those dining nights and there is a great little Harry and David store here that has amazing appetizers (Stuffed Bacon Brie! mmm) that just has to be heated up. I will pick it up on the way home the night before, Mrs. X pops it in at the right time and with the drink above and we are half way through dinner before we leave!"
Try the specials — You'll get to try new things as well as take advantage of dishes the restaurant is trying out.
Drink water, or a single glass of wine, or bring your own bottle — You'll likely have to pay a cork fee, and wine by the glass is certainly expensive per ounce, but either route is cheaper than buying a full bottle at the restaurant's high markup.
Pay cash — You'll be more mindful of the total cost of the evening and stick to your budget.
Have dessert elsewhere — "Have it, but not at the restaurant! Find a great little bakery and pickup some neat little deserts there. Or even go for Ice Cream together! A third the price of having it at dinner!"
"Save 50% When You Dine Out" [Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money]
(Photo: buncheduptv)
Comments
Don't leave a tip! Instant 15% discount! Now that is a slickdeal!
Not super sizing your value meal is another option.
@NoNamesLeft: Thats how Rachel Ray lives off $40 a day for dining.
Entertainment book and Restaurant.com Dining Certificates can sometimes get you a deal
So what you're saying is that I can save money when I eat out, if I buy less things.
Split the entree. You'll lose weight as well. Today's American portions are ridiculous. Just take a look at the local Claimjumper sometime.
Tip #6: Why eat out? Your dinner is the restaurants profit center. Next time just make yourself a sandwich at home and bring it with you. The restaurant will probably try to figure out why your eating out if you can in no way afford it, but who cares, you just saved $20!!
@hollywood2590:
I don't mind paying for the service of someone else cooking, serving, and cleaning up after me. That's why I eat out sometimes (but not very oftent). I don't usually look for "deals" on that. Single Mom needs someone to cook for her every once and awhile! And I always add $$ to the tip since I have a child - he makes a bigger mess than adults do.
Why bother even going out to eat? Geez. Dumb.
@rdldr1:
That show kills me. She makes it seem like it's so hard to eat on only $40 perday. There are some days where I spend less than $10 and most days I rarely spend $20. Even if you eat out 3 times a day you can get by on less than $20. Spend $5 at a diner for breakfast for 2 eggs, potatoes, and 2 slices of toast. Then go to McDonalds for lunch. That will set you back another 5$5 or $6. Then for supper get 2 slices of pizza at a pizzeria for about $4
@Pro-Pain: That's what I wonder.
"Another handy tip is to only date anorexic girls, you'll save 50% on ALL your meals!"
And this is good advice? How?
Recommending specials is a fine tip, but Anthony Bourdain's and other chef's detailing how the specials are determined (what's left in the freezer that's just about ready to turn?) might make one reconsider.
How sad.
Better to take the same effort and make a good meal at home, light candles, put on some nice music, and enjoy oneself while indulging one's self.
Specials by zip is worth checking, as they often have significant offers that can end up being worth $25 or $30, but eating out and trying to leverage savings like the ones listed are just mind-numbingly cheap.
Better to eat out less often than to make it an exercise in enforced, Bataan Death-March frugality.
How very sad.
For god sakes, if you can't afford to go out to eat every night, then don't go out to eat every night. You are supposed to go out to eat to enjoy yourself, or enjoy what they are making. We are people that have a $2500 a month restaurant bill, we go out to eat every single night, back when we did not have the money, we did not spend the money, if we could only afford to go out one day a week, well, we would go out one day a week. Cheap bastards! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
If you are in a major city then you don't necessarily have to drive if you pregame with drinks at home. also, the mention of a cork fee surprised me. I've never heard of that. do places actually charge you for opening the bottle you brought? i think i would seriously argue that fee with the manager depending on how much it is. it better be something stupid like .10 or .15 or else i'd probably take it out of the tip. have all the industries gone fee crazy? sheesh
So if I eat the appetizer and desert at home I will save money? Do you have any other gems?
How about "Stay home the first 3 days of your week vacation, you will save almost 50%"?
If Im going out for dinner, it for the experience and so I dont have to cook myself. If Im firing up the stove to heat up some brie, I might as well have the entire meal at home.
@bravo369: Its not a fee for opening exactly, more like a fee for letting you bring in your own bottle. Why would a restaurant let you do that and cost themselves their biggest profits (alcohol) without ensuring themselves a piece?
followup - just did a quick search and seems like normal cork fees are $10-$20. am i the only one who feels that is insance? i have a corkscrew on my pocketknife, i'll open my own wine then. maybe i'm not cultured enough.
Wow, this article is a total waste of binary. My bet is these people are the most high maintenance, bitchy customers in the restaurant...and the tip is rarely left (but not mentioned in the article).
If you truly want to be cheap, go to your favourite little Scottish restaurant...McDonalds.
My favorite 'cheap date' is going to Bertuccis and splitting a salad, a pizza, and drinking water. Two can eat for $15 plus tip. Of course, you will look really tacky unless you're a college student. Oh, and ask for extra rolls. Damn their rolls are good. If you somehow have leftovers, make sure to ask for more rolls. Free rolls!
My less snarky tip for 'high value' restaurant meals is to avoid salad-based meals, the often seem like a cheap option, but you can't take the leftovers for a doggy-bag for lunch tomorrow.
@Gorky: Wow, I was going to be the d-bag that points out that you're gonna die with a diet like that, but it only came out to be 2,092 calories per day. A little heavy on the fat and sodium, and a little light on the fiber and protein, but wow.
Calories Protein Fat Carbs Fiber Sodium
2,092.2 69.6 101.2 229.8 13.0 3,075.4
% of Calories: 13% 43% 44%
Pepperoni 14" Large Pan Pizza
1 slice or 1/12 pizza, 3.4 oz=95 g
2 servings: 540.0 22.0 28.0 50.0 2.0 1,200.0
Soft Drink, Coke, Cherry [Coca-Cola]
1 can, 12 fl oz=355 ml
150.0 0.0 0.0 42.0 M 35.0
French Fries - medium
4 oz=114 g
380.0 4.0 20.0 47.0 5.0 220.0
Big Mac
7.5 oz=214 g
540.0 25.0 29.0 45.0 3.0 1,040.0
Hash Brown Potatoes, shredded, frozen [Ore Ida]
1 cup=237 ml or 2.7 oz=76 g without cooking oil
70.0 2.0 0.0 15.0 1.0 15.0
Butter & Spreads, Butter - 1 pat
1 pat, 1"=25.4 cm sq by 1/3"=0.85 cm high or 0.18 oz=5 g
2 servings: 71.8 R 8.2 R 0.0 57.6
Bread, White [Franz]
1 slice, 1.1 oz=32 g
2 servings: 160.0 4.0 2.0 30.0 2.0 320.0
Eggs, Chicken, fried
1 large, 1.6 oz=46 g
2 servings: 180.4 12.6 14.0 0.8 0.0 187.8
Dine and dash! Dirt cheap and adds the thrill of the escape. Note to self: not compatible with valet parking.
Yes its normal to charge a cork fee. its there because on special occasions customers want a certain wine, and the restaurant needs a cut. Do you think a restaurant should let you bring in a steak from somewhere else and a wine bottle from another place, so you can sit at the table and take up a seat that would generate cash, all so you can order dessert there? no. If you want to bring in outside things and take away from their profit, then you should pay a cut for taking up their space.
the fee discourages cheap customers from bringing in their own drinks, and still gives an option for people that absolutely want their own wine but can pay for it. perfectly fair.
Please disregard the above article. As an individual who earns tips, your insight is destroying my earnings. :P
DING DING DING! The 7th Way to Save Money When Dining Out-- Bring your own food!
Gee, so you mean that the best way to dine out on the cheap is to...not dine out? What the fuck! C'mon guys, if you're going to give us consumer advice, please make it advice which allows us to be consumers. Here are a few legit tips.
1: Become a member of your local NPR station (or school booster club, or be a paying supporter of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, or something like that). I know here in SC, if you're a full paying member of NPR (at about $40 a year) you get a member card which can score some fairly decent discounts to local eateries. I've saved about 10% on all dining to Olive Garden, 25% on our local Ruby Tuesday's restaurants, and a whopping 50% at Sticky Fingers.
2: Dine at restaurants which give discounts to locals. Some places do, you never know until you ask.
3: Come in at happy hour, or on a day or at a time where there are specials as a matter of course.
4: Chat up the waiter/waitress. I've been given freebies by wait staff by being plesant. Not that it happens often, but you'll usually get better service to boot.
5: Be a regular. If you go to a restaurant often enough that the wait staff, manager, or owner know you by name, it'll be more likely that 4 will happen.
6: Be sensible. If you're looking to save dough, don't go to some five star establishment. If you're looking to have a nice evening out, spend the extra money and don't be a fucking cheapskate.
With friends, we go to a late lunch. The prices are great. We've figured that most places are only $3 more than a fast food meal which, considering the ambiance, the service, and the food quality of food, is totally worth it.
@BuddyHinton: When I order, I ask for a to go box with the entree. I put half away immediately for leftovers the next day. Even with only half the portion I still can't finish it all. Lost 10 pounds to boot.
You people are pleebs
How about just cook at home?
@Sherryness: As a single dad, I hear you. On the other hand, I'm a good cook, so I usually only eat out when I really need a break or when it's a special occasion.
I'd suggest dating models, but the cocaine bills are simply insaaane.
Have to agree with some of the others here -- if you're telling people to have drinks, appetizers, dessert at home to save money, why even pretend like you're going out to eat? Do something different -- treat yourself at home, or don't eat out so much and do it right the times that you do. Or the other tips are reasonable, about finding specials or times of day/week when it's cheap at a favorite restaurant. But it's not very classy to piecemeal skimp when you want a nice experience.
by the way, restaurants barely make money on the food. Drinks are where the profit comes from.
Save on drinks by sneaking a flask in and spiking your sodas. :P I actually used to do that before I was of drinking age.
Tip 7
One Word: cannibalism!
Wow, way to class it up. May as well just stay home. This is like my dear grandfather who would reuse teabags 4 times and literally wring them out after the 4th cup to ensure he obtained the most "value" per bag.
Simply not as fun and frankly, a bit tacky. If pressed for cash I'd half or quarter the number of nights out, or cook at home (usually a tiny fraction of the price for a meal of similar quality), which is romantic and fun. If one wishes to spend time with friends but cannot afford the high price of restaurant meals/drinks, why not explore alternatives, like having said friends over for dessert/drinks after their meal out, hitting a movie (even at today's high costs if you eat in you'll save loads) with them, or suggesting inexpensive takeout and a relaxed, at-home activity.
This is really lame. Seriously you go out and have a nice dinner with wine for the pleasure, convenience, intimacy and elegance of it -- not when you're trying to save pennies.
Also: dessert elsewhere? And pay another tip? Huh?
There are a lot of flaws in this tip list but the biggest one is the fact that the OP suggests eating half a meal at home. First, that $8 appetizer is only probably $3 more than the money you spent getting it, plus the fact that you've got to prepare it - one of the several reasons to eat out (and I don't mean Applebees - we're talking about REAL food).
A tip that is actually useful would be to suggest not ordering an appetizer AT ALL because of the proportions of meals. By the time you finish that appetizer, the meal will have come and you'll be half full already. Order a meal with a lot of variety (meat, veggies, starch).
My roommate and I used to eat at this Indian restaurant...we found out that we got more food by ordering it for pickup, rather than eating in the restaurant because they had to fill the container. Not only that, in the restaurant, even if we didn't order appetizers, the plates themselves were smaller than the containers, and could hold less food.
This same principle could be applied to restaurants - order a big appetizer, and you probably wouldn't notice if your plate was just a little less full. This isn't the case of most of the restaurants I've been to, but it could happen.
And suggesting you have a cocktail at home before going to dinner? That's not a good idea, unless you're taking public transportation.
And the "specials"? Sometimes specials are more expensive than a regular meal, and don't actually give you more food. And a lot of specials are market priced - possibly even more expensive. Yes, specials tend to be the most appetizing when the waiter/waitress recites them but they never give you the price, or they slip it in really fast at the end. A better tip would probably be to gauge what you actually want and then choose something you've never had or something you enjoy but a less expensive version. After all, the same cut of salmon is used for the $15 dish and the $25 dish but it's all about the side items and the veggies. There is no reason that seasonal veggies and potatoes should be an extra $10.
i would like to read this guy's list of 6 ways to save water and electricity. #1. be sure to finish all activities that require light before the sun goes down. #2 urine can be re-used as drinking water... etc.
@yesteryear: #3 Get a key to your neighbor's house and while he/she is gone, take over buckets of water and fill them for your shower later.
pretend to be an important food critic!
Use a credit card that gives you 5% back at restaurants (prerequisite: mental discipline).
@yesteryear: ha! I live in a house previously owned by my uncle, who used it as a weekday pied-a-terre. We were about to have our first child and I called him to tell him I'd finished switching the utilities to my name. He said, "Be sure you stay on the yadayada measured service!" I said: the what? He said, "Under that plan, you use most of your power after 5 PM. So just wait until after 5 PM to do your laundry and things like that."
"What? Do you realize I'm about to have a BABY?"
"You should go on that plan! It's cheap!"
I'm with y'all that this guy's suggestions are idiotic. Actually, my BF and I save a bundle on eating out by not eating like fucking pigs. It should be appetizers and dessert OR an entree, not both. In our case, it's one entree split between the 2 of us, plus one cocktail apiece. Any more than that, and I'd feel like the dude in the Monty Python movie who needs a bucket to spew in. (Now THAT'S an appetizing image!)
Drink good beer instead of wine. WAY cheaper, and just as enjoyable, for me. The only thing that kills me is going into a nice restaurant and seeing only Bud, Coors, etc on the menu. No idea why they believe customers would want crap beer if they wouldn't drink bad wine.
Wine is a much better deal from a local wine shop than a restaurant. I can afford to drink much better wine that way.
Instead, why not make it a late night gourmet dinner in?
Head out to your local fave restaurant at closing time. Wait for the the dishwashers to fill the dumpster with the nights leftovers and uneaten portions, pick through carefully (your almost sure to scrounge up a full portion of most items), scrape the gravy and cheese off of your nice outfit and head back home. While your lady is getting ready in the bathroom having a romantic sponge bath (saving big $$ on water and soap) pop your treats into the microwave, then tastefully arrange them on gently washed plates from lunch.
After dinner spend some quality time on the couch imagining things. Your sure to come up with some real doozies that will entertain you for the rest of the evening. To add a little romantic zing to the night try acting out Steel Magnolias or Bridget Jones' Diary with Fandango-style (or plain) decorated paper bags!
As a bonus, try drinking enough booze the night before to last you through tonight's dinner.
Remember, life totally sucks and you wish you were dead but she is worth it!
Where I grew up, there were a TON of all-you-can-eat buffets scattered around town. Its cheap and everything is included, if you dont mind the lack of quality. Hmm, no wonder I moved out of there.