photo by AMagill
One of the most common money leaks in the family budget is frequent dining out at restaurants. For many, cutting it from the budget entirely isn’t a viable option, so I’m sharing some frugal solutions that can make eating out lighter on your wallet.
PLATE SHARE: Share an entree. We always drink water instead of soda, too. — Deb, Kansas
Ask for an extra plate and let the little ones eat off your plate instead of buying them their own separate kid’s meal that they only half eat anyway. If you have two little ones, they could split one kid’s meal. — cdmom, North Carolina
KIDS EAT FREE: If you have children, look for family-friendly places that have kids-eat-free nights. Also, skip the appetizers and don’t order desserts. — MrsMcdowell, Iowa
EAT LIGHT: I often get an appetizer, a small salad and water. — cab54, e-mail
USE COUPONS: We never go out to eat unless we have a coupon. We do tip 20 percent before the coupon, though. –Debra, Nebraska
TWO MEALS IN ONE: Many restaurants offer entrees with a small additional amount to add on the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar or complimentary foods, such as chips and dips or bread. You can fill up on the soup and salad bar and complimentary foods and take the entree home for another meal. Many restaurants offer senior discounts for those 55 and older. Eat at home and go out for coffee and dessert, too. — Staceyy, Pennsylvania
DISCOUNTED GIFT CERTIFICATES: We usually frequent restaurants from which we can buy a restaurants.com gift certificate. They are always discounted, and there is usually a code on top of that, so when a $25 gift certificate goes to $4, I buy one. Usually, you have to spend a minimum of $35, but, still, a $35 meal for $14 is a steal. Last time we had family in town, we got one for the local pizza place, and we fed seven people two extra-large pizzas, pop, tip, etc., for $18. — Denise, Colorado
GO DURING HAPPY HOUR: I’ve ordered appetizers in the bar during happy hour. I can usually get it for half the menu price and rarely order an alcoholic beverage. — Jenna, e-mail
ASK ABOUT SPECIALS: It never hurts to ask whether they sell lunch portion/prices at dinnertime. I know at some restaurants you can order from the lunch menu at night. Less food and lower prices. At other restaurants, on the weekend, you can order off the lunch menu until about 3 p.m. — Sunshinemb, Michigan
SMALLER PORTIONS: If I eat out and want fast food, I order kid’s meals for myself and for my child. Also, remember to sign kids up for the birthday club and get a free kid’s meal each year on their birthday. — Handymom, e-mail
MAKE CHOICES: Consider how many hours you have to work in order to eat out and decide whether it is worth it. — Freesiae, Kentucky
CUT BACK ON FREQUENCY: I would say to limit the visits. I like to enjoy myself when I eat out, not worry about the cost. So I limit my visits; then I can have the best of both. — Annymoll, e-mail
EAT EARLY: We try and go eat dinner at 3:45 p.m., because at 4 p.m., the same buffet goes up $2.50 per plate. So, in the end, we save. — Brenda, Arkansas
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Post from: Frugal Village
Spend less, eat better at restaurants
译文:
在餐馆里如何花钱少，却吃得好
图片由AMagill提供
在家庭预算中，经常外出就餐是最常见的消费方式之一。对于许多人而言，把它完全从预算中剔除是不可能的，所以我向大家分享一些省钱方式，可以让你外出就餐时尽量少花费。
共享食物: 可以共享主菜。除此以外，我们要多喝水，少喝苏打。 ——堪萨斯的德布
向服务员要一个盘子，和孩子分享你盘子里的食物，而不要给他们单独买一份他们只能吃掉一半的儿童餐。如果你有两个孩子的话，可以让他们分享一份儿童餐。 ——北卡罗莱纳州的斯蒂摩
儿童免费: 如果你有孩子，不妨去家庭友好型的餐馆，那里有些晚上儿童是可以免费的。还有，不要吃开胃菜，不要点甜点。 ——爱荷华州的麦克道尔
少吃一点: 我常会要份开胃菜，一小份色拉和水。 ——来自 cab54的电子邮件
使用优惠券: 除非有优惠券，不然我们不会出去吃的。虽然使用优惠券前，我们会给20%的小费。——内布拉斯加州的黛布拉
买一送一: 许多餐馆提供主菜的时候，会附送即时汤和色拉棒或者免费的食物，比如说，炸洋芋片和调味汁或者面包。 你可以喝汤，吃色拉棒和免费的食物，填饱肚子后，把主菜带回家下一顿再吃。许多高级餐馆会给55岁以上的老人提供折扣。你也可以在家就餐，再去外面喝咖啡，吃甜点。——宾夕法尼亚州的史泰西
折扣礼券: 我们常去那些可以买到餐馆网礼券的餐馆就餐。它们总是打折，而且礼券顶部通常有一个代码，当25美元的礼券标价4美元时，我就会买一张。通常情况下就餐至少要花费你最低35美元，但是，可以用14美元的折扣礼券买到一份价值35美元餐，实在是便宜。上一次，我们住在城里的家庭时，得到了一个当地披萨店的礼券，我们七人吃了两个特大比萨饼，听了流行音乐，付了小费等等，才付了18美金。 ——科罗拉多州的丹尼斯
开心的时候去: 开心的时候，我就在酒吧点开胃菜。通常我可以半价买到且不用买酒精饮料。 ——来自珍娜的电子邮件
询问大优惠: 询问餐馆是否一部分午餐/晚餐票出售永远不会有坏处。我知道在一些餐馆，你可以在夜间订购午餐菜单上的菜。你点的菜越少，付的钱就越少。周末在其它餐馆，在下午3:00之前你可以在任何时候订购午餐。——密歇根州的阳光
较少部分: 假如我在外就餐并点了快餐，我会给自己和孩子们点儿童套餐。还要记住在生日俱乐部填上孩子们的生日，这样他们每年生日时就可以免费吃上一顿。 ——来自韩第妈妈的电子邮件
做出选择: 仔细想一下，为了外出就餐你不得不工作多少小时，然后再决定它是否值得。——肯塔基州的福力霞
减少频率: 我想说的是限制外出就餐的次数。我想享受外出就餐的欢乐，也不想去担心钱的问题。所以，我限制我外出就餐的次数，这样我就可以享受两者。 ——来自安尼摩的电子邮件
吃得早一点: 我们试着在下午3:45 就餐，因为在4：00相同的自助餐每盘就要多花费2.50美元。这样，我们就可以省钱了。 ——阿肯色的布兰达
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摘自: 节俭频道
在餐馆里如何花钱少，却吃得好