HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak

Or pay for your meal like and adult.

SmellyGatto

Rode2008

However, if you treat me like crap because you think I'll undertip, then I'm less likely to tip you well.

Not all frugal people are cheap. Sometimes you have to take responsibility for getting a bad tip. On the other hand, I tipped a waitress 100% for good service when I was having an appetizer/drink during happy hour.

MrsMicah

EYESONLY

Let the place pay for their workers. BFD carrying a plate of food and a couple of drinks, yea thats worth $15.

/Well I might actually leave a buck or two

kable2

ManicPanic

Garbanzo

HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak

If you really want to eat on the cheap but make it look good, there are a few classy buffet style places. Or if you want it served on plates, try Indian, Chinese or other Asian restaurants where you can pick courses, mixing and matching or sharing them.

KJones

A couple tips I might add:
The markups on wine decrease as the retail price increases, so often the best deals are found in the middle of the list.
Ordering a bunch of appetizers and sharing them is a fun way to try a lot of different things and is a lighter way to eat than each person having an entree to themselves.

The "have a cocktail before" thing is a good idea, but I usually do this before going out to see a show, rather than dinner. Regardless, one cocktail isn't going to put anyone over the limit.

Mr. Gunn

Specials are not always food ready to go bad, they can also be ultra low-cost ingredients prepared in such a way that it creates a high profit margin.

And lastly, specials can be dishes that are partially prepared ahead of time, so they can be quickly served during a busy time. Keep all of these things in mind before ordering the "special."

biffybeans

nothing makes you look more like a cheap college kid than going to a fairly nice restaurant and only having water and chicken parm. especially if you do that over and over again at the same place, most servers will avoid serving you if they know who you are. it happens all the time in the places ive worked 'oh man...so and so...i don't want to wait on them...'

seriously, if you want to make it a nice evening because it's a special occasion, it's better to share a whole lot of stuff with your date (which i do, AND i have enough for dessert, AND manage to have enough to tip well) than just having spaghetti and meatballs and calling it a night.

no.no.notorious

- Avoid eating out on Fridays and Saturdays and holidays like Valentine's Day. Your wait is longer, the quality of service is lower and the prices are often higher. If you do choose to go out on a big night, order off the menu, the specials are likely to be overpriced on a big day. Friday and Saturdays are a good day to opt for the prix fixe menu. A la carte on weekedays.

- Avoid chain restaurants, find good local places who will appreciate your business. They will often comp repeat customers they like with a new dessert or appetizer they are trying out. Further, you are supporting your local economy. If you like them, talk them up to your local paper and on local city sites.

- Ask the waiter for a wine recommendation or two. Often the waiter won't suggest the most expensive wine, but the one that will go best with your food. If he does this, tip him a little extra so he continues this practice. Yes wine in a restaurant is expensive, but it is a good way to discover new wines.

- Don't order the most expensive thing on the menu or chicken. Chicken is usually marked up to cover the prices of other expensive ingredients. Fish (if fresh) is often your best value.

- If the desserts are made in the establishment, then order them, they won't be too expensive and they are usually good. If they are ordered in, I agree with the OP and suggest that you go to a nice bakery instead. The overhead on ordered desserts is high and the freshness can be suspect.

And as a final note, be nice to your waiter, treat them with respect and if possible tip in cash. It won't improve your service, but it will make up for cheap schmucks like the OP.

ElenorR

As far as bringing your own wine and paying the corkage fee, consider that you're likely to be bringing a $15-30 bottle, and then paying $15 on top of that. Unless you've got a bottle of Two Buck Chuck or some other cheap plonk, Is it worth the trouble to save a couple of bucks and end up with (likely) crappier wine than a restaurant with a decent cellar could provide? Again, why bother going out if you're just going to bring all your own food with you?

This is almost as dumb as that one post from the car rental guy that quickly turns into abuse of people who try to save money on car rentals...

solipsistnation

Superborty

gtbernstein

SaraAB87

WOW. You have ZERO idea what you are talking about. BYOB doesn't mean you can't get a license, in most cases it means you opt not to sell liquor. The corkage fee in a BYOB is traditionally instituted to cover the cost of stemware on hand to serve various types of beverages in (Red, white, port wine glasses etc.). The corkage fee in a restaurant that has a wine list can vary and in many cases is calculated based on the estimated expense of the selction you bring in. the logic is that the restaurant loses a sale of wine in the same price category. So, if you bring in a $100 bottle of wine that is in a a class with wines they sell for $250-300 then you might expect a $50 to $100 corkage fee. Sometimes you get lucky and the fee is $5-25. The tacky thing to do in that type of restaurant is to bring in a cheapassed bottle of wine or bring a wine they have on their very own list. sure, you paid 3 to 4 times less for the same bottle at the liquor store, but it stil a very tacky move.

SmellyGatto

nick_r

As somebody who almost never finishes my entree so I rarely order appetizers or dessert, these tips become completely useless. Ah well.

Meiran

bigmac12

hydrargyrum

OsiUmenyiora

timsgm1418

Best way to save money is to not drink; I'm a teetotaler and I am floored by how much people will spend on a 1-oz. beverage.

lihtox

Of course, the more you order at the actual restaurant, the more you actually have to tip. So that right there is another money saving idea: spend less so your tip is smaller!

DrGirlfriend

This is a reasonable way to approach it that doesn't involve shortchanging anyone (he doesn't say to stiff the waitstaff, for example) while avoiding those things on the menu that have the steepest mark-up.

Now, I personally wouldn't go this entire route, but splitting an appetizer or one of those too-huge entrees most places serve and having a drink at home first (you get drunk on one lousy high-ball?) isn't ripping anybody off. You can still enjoy the atmosphere and service of a really good restaurant and pay a fair price, and have a better experience than hitting the local TGIBenniganbee's. It's better to buy a couple entrees and support a good, independent local restaurant than go whole hog at a cheap chain or sit home and order from Domino's.

Yeah, cheapskates are tacky and often cheat themselves to the point of "Why bother?" but there's nothing wrong with saving a buck or two when things are tight. You don't have to do ALL these things, but applying one or two of these hints is a good way to dine out and not break the bank.

As a young couple saving our money, my wife and I found this type of approach to work very well. And no waiter or restaurant owner ever complained that we weren't ordering a three-course meal that we couldn't afford and that our waistlines didn't need.

Let's hear it for the battle-cry of the marrieds: "Weeknight date with a coupon!"

PaperBoy

I'd leave that little scenario off your eHarmony profile. :)

SmellyGatto

SmellyGatto

Morton Fox

Complain about something and get a dessert or drink.

If your table is not ready for your reservation when you arrive, look really pissed and you will get free drinks.

BTW, always tip on the PRE-DISCOUNTED price of your meal.

bbbici

Also, be VERY wary of specials, especially the ones not on the printed menu that your server tells you about. Because no one wants to be the cheap douche that asks how much the special costs, they are usually the worst value on the menu. That, and the special is often something created to use up random leftover ingredients the restaurant had.

truthie

evilinkblot

If you have to eat like this on a trip (I know, I have), bring Metamucil or some apples. ;)

reznicek111

thaddius

SmellyGatto

spinachdip

Another thing is we never get appetizers or desserts, I see no point in it. Appetizers nowadays are so big it can practically be a meal itself (and sometimes I order one as my meal). Adding in that restaurant meals are too large of portions, it just seems like a death wish to order appetizer, entree, dessert.

Oh, and on the "you can save money by not eating out" debate... of course that's true, but sometimes it's just nice to get out. Especially if you and your significant other can't cook well. Our methods of eating out doesn't feel like we're scrimping by, as we have no ambition to eat too much food. I feel much better when we split meals than if we both ordered an entree and overeat. Also, I hate left overs, they always pile up in the fridge forgotten. Though it is an adventure cleaning out the fridge and seeing what ecosystems are living in there.

Pugcake

sixseeds

Mr. Guy

b612markt

Thank, you, Mr. Romero!

UTC

Sometimes it's because "Dear God, I can't stand the thought of cooking and I want a STEAK, not McFood."

(Actually, we're somewhat more likely to eat in for a special occasion and cook for ourselves!)

Eyebrows McGee

Real tip: Share appetizers and desserts, it's kind of romantic too.

sir_eccles

realist.com

harryhoody

ath0

Diet-Orange-Soda

My wife and I don't eat out as much as we used to (more take-out now... blegh) but when we did often times we would split the massive portions that we probably would've wasted in a doggy bag anyway. Plus it makes the 1000+ calorie meal a little less guilt-stricken when you chop it in two.

Diet-Orange-Soda

Victo

realist.com

if you are going out to eat it should be for a special occasion, and there shouldn't be any cheapness (god could you imagine having a date take you out and saying, oh lets eat half the meal at home first)

People who eat out all the time are lazy, and probally fat...ya, i said it.

realist.com

Eyebrows McGee

I regularly go out on Tuesdays/Thursdays to take advantage of free corkage or other deals that restaurants might offer on less busy nights. Surprised that going out on non-weekends/Fridays wasn't one of the recommendations.

kimsama

I do sometimes drink water to save a couple bucks, especially when out to lunch with co-workers.

flyingphotog

Maulleigh

jeff303

bravo

UTC

nadmonk

It's actually almost too much food. There have been mornings where I almost couldn't finish the meal.

SexCpotatoes

missdona

rpm773

AnonyLawyer

I had a roomate in college who told similar horror stories working as a dishwasher and then a line cook for a reseraint chain the Starts witha D and rhymes with Lenny.

Ham smells funny? "Special of the day!"

His manager believed that if you deep-fried bad food it magically unspoiled.

Also, in the two years he was a dishwasher he never once washed one of the thermal carafe coffee-pots.

Learethak

purplegrog

rdldr1

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!

Jackasimov

Wine is a much better deal from a local wine shop than a restaurant. I can afford to drink much better wine that way.

johnva

misslisa

"What? Do you realize I'm about to have a BABY?"

"You should go on that plan! It's cheap!"

MissedTheExit

nonzenze

ironchef

UpsetPanda

yesteryear

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.

UpsetPanda

Also: dessert elsewhere? And pay another tip? Huh?

richtaur

generalhousewifery

humorbot

Bay State Darren

sleepydumbdude

by the way, restaurants barely make money on the food. Drinks are where the profit comes from.

kepler11

Trai_Dep

paco

tme2nsb

Mr_Human

ceejeemcbeegee

Me.

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.

ivanthemute

Do you think a restaurant should let you bring in a steak from somewhere else...

DING DING DING! The 7th Way to Save Money When Dining Out-- Bring your own food!

scoosdad

Sorter42o

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.

irfan

barfoo

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

jpx72x

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.

HungryGrrl

If you truly want to be cheap, go to your favourite little Scottish restaurant...McDonalds.

TheSpatulaOfLove

bravo369

Steve Trachsel, Ace

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.

jeadie5

bravo369

coold8

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.

jfischer

luckybob343

StevieD

"Another handy tip is to only date anorexic girls, you'll save 50% on ALL your meals!"

sketchy

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

Gorky

Pro-Pain

Sherryness

hollywood2590

BuddyHinton

se7a7n7

laserjobs

rdldr1

rdldr1

NoNamesLeft