We all love fine dining, am I right? Whether it’s to try out new places, your favorite choice for a date night or simply because you don’t like to cook. I’m one of those people 🙋🏽♀️. Dining out will always be one of my favorite pastimes. But the more I experience different restaurants and what they have to offer, I’ve come to realize that things can get a bit pricey (especially if you’re a self proclaimed Restaurateur like myself 😆). But there is a way to enjoy every menu item you want, while paying less for it. Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up on…
GET ONE
Now obviously, if you’re dining alone, you have no choice but to order one whole meal (unless half a meal is an option 🤔). But if you’re going with a few friends, and let’s say, you all want the same dish, try just purchasing one! Especially if you only want it for an Instagram pic, like I usually do. This gives you the opportunity to purchase a few more entrée’s, at a fraction of the cost.
GO ON ‘DEAL DAYS’
We’ve all heard of Taco Tuesdays and Happy Hour right? Most restaurants offer discounted drinks and other menu items at a set time or day, where you can partake in the food you love for less. Sometimes, you’ll even come across some pretty good 2 for 1 deals, so why not take advantage?
EAT FIRST
You know what they say, if you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach, you’ll end up buying more than you need. Well, the same goes for dining out. If you eat a little snack just before heading to a restaurant, you won’t be so inclined to order more than you’d end up eating. Our eyes are definitely bigger than our stomachs.
DON’T SPLURGE TOO OFTEN
How regularly do you eat out? Simply put, the more you do, the more money you’ll spend. I used to splurge at least once to twice a week on restaurants, and let me be the first to tell you, it adds up quick! You can very easily find yourself spending over 1k per month if you’re not too careful. Remember, you have food at home! 🤭
SET A SPENDING LIMIT
Having a set spending limit typically works well for me. First, I like to skim through the menu and scout out the meals and drinks I want to order. After adding up the price, not forgetting to include a tip, I would be sure to have ONLY that amount of cash on hand or on my debit card. Another way to do this is to set your spending limit first, then find menu items that are within your range (again, not forgetting to include your tip in this). Either way, the goal here to have limit and stick to it.
PAY FOR YOUR OWN FOOD
And last but not least (and don’t fight me on this), don’t eat in a group where everyone wants to split the bill evenly, if it’s going to exceed what you’re trying to spend. We know most friend groups enjoy doing this, just because it’s easier (me and my bff do this all the time). But if this type of arrangement is only going to have you spend more money then you’d spend on your own, don’t do it.
How do you save money dining out?
TTYL,
LEXI 💋
