Ten MORE Tips for Saving Money at Restaurants
1. Look for coupons on-line.
Google the name of the restaurant and the words "current coupons". The most reliable source of discount coupons is the restraurant's own website. However, another website which I have had good luck finding coupons which are valid is Retail Me Not. According to my tech savvy 20 year old, you have to watch some sites carefully. They may be scams. I'd love to know what other discount and coupon websites you've had good luck with. If you'd leave a comment, that would be great!2. Join their customer loyalty program
While you are perusing their website, you may want to join their loyalty program. They periodically send you discount coupons, notices of special deals, and even offer you things like a free appetizer or a free meal on your birthday. I've joined a number of these and never been inundated with countless e-mails or texts. Just be certain that you are not going to be tempted to eat out more than you generally would or overspend your restaurant budget.3. Look in local business mailers.
We periodically get small booklets in the mail, filled with advertisements and coupons for local businesses. Sometimes you'll find really great coupons in these flyers. At one time a local Italian restaurant was celebrating their 30th year in business and placed a series of coupons in one of these booklets. Their food was reasonably priced even at full price! We used the first set of coupons and then watched like a hawk for the next coupons to arrive.4. Buy gift cards from Kroger when they offer 4X fuel points.
Kroger periodically offers a couple of days when you receive 4X gas points on the purchase of all gift cards. Normally, you receive 1 gas point for each dollar spent at Kroger. So, if you spend $100, you can get 10¢ off per gallon at your local Kroger gas station. But, during these special days, if you spent $100 on restaurant gift cards, your loyalty card would be loaded with an amazing 40¢ off per gallon on your next fill-up. Only buy cards to restaurants you would normally visit so that you don't overspend your restaurant budget.
5. Buy used gift cards
You'll pay up to 35% less than the face value when you purchase gift cards from sites like https://www.cardpool.com/ or https://www.cardcash.com/. Although I've never used either of these services, I did look up reviews on each of them and it is a mixed bag. Some folks are thrilled, while others are less than enthusiastic. The best advice I found on-line was to be sure to check the card balance immediately when you receive it. Most of these sites offer a guarantee, but only for a limited amount of time. Another tip is to be sure to spend that card when you get it. Remember that any gift card could begin losing value after 12 months, depending on who issued it and the terms on the card.6. Buy gift cards around major holidays.
Around major holidays, like Christmas, Mother's Day, and Father's Day, restaurants often offer free bonus gift certificates for a lesser amount. We did this recently. We went out to eat at the Flattop Grill on a date night in early June. It was near Father's Day and they were offering a gift card special. When you bought a $25 gift card, you received another $5 at no additional charge. We knew that we were taking our kids out to this restaurant to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in early July. So, we bought $125 worth of gift cards and received $25 of gift cards for free! Do be sure to check the expiration date of those "incentive" cards though. Sometimes they expire 30 or 60 days after purchase.
7. Check social sites like Groupon.
If you've never explored Groupon, you can get discounts to all kinds of places in your local area: stores, restaurants, shows, museums, and other attractions. These deals come and go fast! There are generally only a certain number of discount coupons or cards available for purchase and once they are gone, they are gone! But, my sister has scored fantastic deals on her local site.8. Follow restaurants on social media.
It's worth it to follow your favorite haunts on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If the chef has seriously overstocked on cod, you might find a deal for fish dinners that night. These specials will be posted on social media only and you often have to mention where you saw the coupon to take advantage of the special deal.9. Bake it at home.
Pizza joints like Papa Murphy's have become super popular and with good reason. We used to be regular Friday night customers. You can order pizza at a discounted price and then bake it at home yourself, saving money and eating in the comfort of your own home. Papa Murphy's also has a frequent buyer program and offers an array of discount coupons every month.10. Order the main dish as carry out and add your own sides at home.
We were once given a generous gift card to a rather expensive local eatery.But, there was no way that we could afford to take all the kids with us.Eating out is such a special occasion that we really enjoy treating the kids.We looked at their on-line menu and realized that we could afford to purchase a couple of platters of beef barbecue(their specialty).We then scoured the internet and their website for coupons and special offers.We used these discounts and then picked up our order at the restaurant.We added our own sides at home.By doing it this way, we were able to order from them not once, but twice!Your turn!
Did I miss anything? Do you have a favorite restaurant hack that I didn't cover in this post or the original post on Ten Tips for Saving Money at Restaurants? I'd love to have you share the with us! Leave your response or tip in the comments section below.
Hope
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