Let’s save when dining out
We love, love love, dining out. We didn’t realize how much until we realized we had $51,000 in credit card debt due to dining out. So, we’ve devised five unique ways to save when dining out.
How to save when dining out
Dining out doesn’t have to put a dent in your budget. Through our years of becoming and staying debt-free, we’ve learned how to save money when dining out. Similar articles are on blogs all over the internet. That’s why we did our homework to create two unique ways to save money when dining out that you won’t find anywhere else.
Hear about the most unique ways to save when dining out:
Topics covered about how to save when dining out
1. Split meals
Our favorite and most frequently used tip is splitting meals with each other. This helps us save money and save on calories, which are both goals. The restaurants we mostly frequent are Garbanzo’s, Chipotle, and a local place called Spicy Bombay.
We can split an essential meal at each place and spend less than $12, $6 each. Chipotle is usually more expensive because, along with the naked burrito bowl we split, we buy salsa, guac, and chips.
2. Have apps and drinks out, eat dinner at home
Another way of saving when dining out is eating the expensive course at home. Usually, we’ll ride bikes or walk to a favorite restaurant, split an appetizer and drink each, then pick up something fresh to grill, like steaks or salmon filet, for dinner on the way home.
This is another healthy date that helps us not overblow our budget. We get some walking or riding in, and our main course is healthy from the grill, accompanied by a fresh vegetable or two. Add a bottle of wine, and that’s a perfect night in our book.
You could also flip this on its head by eating your main course at home and then walking or biking somewhere for dessert.
3. Use only cash
If you’ve read 4: The Four Principles of a Debt-Free Life, you know that we think cash is king. Studies show that using cash can save anywhere from 12% to 18% because humans are inclined to overspend by 12% to 18% when using credit or debit cards.
On this episode of Queer Money™, David shares our formula for including tax and tip on your meal when using only cash. That way, you don’t fall short.
4. Restaurant crawl
You won’t find this recommendation to save when dining out anywhere else. Choose three to five restaurants you want to hit in one night. In advance, choose the cheapest option for each course that you plan to have at each of the three to five restaurants that you plan to visit.
Sync some courses with each restaurant’s specials and find coupons online or on Groupon to make your dining excursion even cheaper. This is fun to do with your friends or your man, but remember that the more people you include, the more likely you are to overspend because it becomes a party.
5. Order efficiently
Our final recommendation and second unique recommendation when dining out is to order efficiently. This is why I rarely get chicken or spaghetti when we dine out. There’s no point in paying top dollar for something you can easily make at home, like a salad that costs $15 at a restaurant. There’s also no reason to pay a lot for low-calorie and low-nutrition food, like iceberg lettuce, which costs $0.80 at a store.
To save money when dining out, order efficiently and get your money’s worth.
Now, go out, dine out, and have fun with your other friends or yourself because now you have a plan to save when dining out.