Yahoo Lifestyle People Are Sharing The Restaurant Hacks They Use To Help Then Save Money While Eating Out, And They're Genuinely Useful
Recently, we asked our BuzzFeed Community to share their personal restaurant hacks for saving money when they're out to eat, and they absolutely came through. Here are some tips if you're looking to save a buck or two:
*Obviously the number one way to save money at a restaurant is by...eating at home. But this is for those nights when you want a night off from cooking!
1."I'm a big fan of ordering somewhere with large portions that I know will leave me with leftovers. Spending $18 on a meal feels better when I can get three meals out of it than when I only get one."
2."If you’re going out to eat, try something new and be willing to spend money on something you might not like instead of buying a plain pizza/pasta you could make at home for a fraction of the price."
3."My husband and I often get sampler platters of things and split them. At a well-known 'Italian' place they have one entree that is essentially three smaller entrees. Or at barbecue places, we get two or three meat plates and split them, instead of getting our own stuff and paying twice as much."
4."I hardly ever drink water with meals at home, but at restaurants, it's all I'll get. I cannot in any way justify paying $3.75 for a glass of Pepsi when I could go buy a 2 liter of it for $1."
5."DO NOT GET ALCOHOL. That stuff is so damn expensive. If you really want some, go to your local pub after dinner and get some."
6."When it comes to sides, if you want a salad, and it's offered as a side, get that! Then if you still want potatoes or something get that as an extra side, it's usually much cheaper than a side salad."
7."If your city has a restaurant week or month, definitely take advantage of it. A ton of restaurants have three-course lunch and dinner menus at a deep discount. We went to lunch at a VERY expensive restaurant, got three exquisite courses, and only paid $22 each. That was the same cost as a sandwich from their regular menu. These types of things only usually happen once a year, but it’s a great way to enjoy a few very fancy meals at an affordable price. Look up your city’s name and 'restaurant week,' and there’s usually a website to sign up at so they’ll let you know when it’s happening and what the menus are at each restaurant."
8."Split your meal with your dinner companion! Oftentimes, they will bring you two separate plates around the size of a regular plate. If you’re still hungry or unsatisfied with the portion, you can order more. You can even split a beer and ask them to pour it into two glasses."
9."Go to your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. I have found in any town that the lunch specials can't be beaten. For usually about $8, you get fried rice, soup or an egg roll, and a main dish like garlic chicken."
10."Eat out during lunch rather than dinner. Oftentimes, restaurants will charge a premium for dinner. Said another way, lunch prices will be cheaper."
11."Take a look at restaurants’ websites for deals and specials. Many restaurants offer half-price wine or a meal special on Sundays, Mondays, or Tuesdays when many restaurants are slow."
12."Skip the weekends. Skip inflated holidays (e.g. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day)."
13."Many rewards programs give birthday discounts. I had $5 off for my birthday month at about seven different local restaurants."
14."Don’t go crazy on desserts because they are upcharged like mad. If you’re still hungry, wait until you get home."
15."Some dine-in restaurants have similar promotions to what fast food restaurants have. If you get a receipt to fill out a survey for a free coffee or side or some percentage off a dish, absolutely take advantage of it. We used to offer free coffee and small sides of fries (separately), and with the receipts we kept from people saying they didn't want a receipt, we'd use the codes on those to give unhoused people the free coffee or fries. Jack In The Box offers full breakfast sandwiches on their receipts, too."
16."Former Five Guys employee. If you order a solo patty with some sides, you can get a single patty burger for $4 instead of $12 or whatever they're charging now. Or conversely, you could order a BLT or grilled cheese with a patty and it'll cost you around $5 to $6."
17."Utilizing the apps for fast food restaurants can go a long way in saving you money. Most have loyalty points you accumulate with each purchase, which can earn you free food on future visits. Many also have special deals or coupons that you can use to save money on the food you actually want to eat."
18."At some restaurants, you can get nearly identical items by ordering in a slightly unorthodox manner. For example, instead of ordering a Big Mac at McDonald's, you can order a McDouble with lettuce and Big Mac sauce on it. Similarly, at Subway, you can get a cheaper version of the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich by ordering double steak and cheese. At Jack in the Box, it's cheaper to get two mini bacon burgers instead of a double bacon burger, and it is cheaper to get multiple four-piece nuggets from McDonald's rather than a 12 or 24-piece (and you get more sauces as well)."
19."Sounds simple, but when I started delivering pizza in college I realized how much more expensive it is to get food that has been sitting around for 20 minutes. Unless I’m drinking, I pick up my takeout."
20."Use Groupon. Use Restaurant.com. Sign up for all the rewards programs. You get lots of free stuff to entice you to visit again."
21."I like going out to eat occasionally, so I save in other areas. That's the point of a budget, in my opinion. To identify loss or wastage of money so you can stop it and redirect it to the spending areas that are important for you."
What other restaurant, fast food, or takeout tips do you have? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
