Save Money When Eating Out

We all like to go out for a meal every now and again. It's a great way to unwind and enjoy ourselves with family and friends. But the costs can and do add up really quickly. How often have you got the bill at the end of the meal and secretly thought "HOW MUCH?" while outwardly smiling to everyone else? 

The main course is what we generally consider the most expensive part of any meal but this can easily end up being less than half of the total when starters, desserts and drinks get added on. And that's not including a tip! That's why we get a shock with the final total because we subconsciously consider the price of our meal as being more or less how much the main course itself costs.

So if you could save a little on your meals out that would help wouldn't it? If nothing else it would allow you to go out for more meals although in the spirit of this blog I ought to be recommending strongly that you use what you save to pay off high priced debt instead. 

Some tips that I find keep the price of meals to more reasonable levels are:

1. Choosing 2 courses instead of 3 or if you want, just go for the one main course
2. Look at any special offers for set meals, many restaurants have cut down versions of their à la carte menus
3. Thinking carefully about the drinks you have with your meal - there's nothing wrong with having chilled water instead of or as well as other drinks (just make sure it's tap water and not expensive mineral water)
4. Don't bother with the coffee at the end of the meal, you can probably make a better one at home

Using these 4 simple ideas it's possible to reduce the price of a meal out by around 50% and that's money that can be put to good use elsewhere. 

How do you save money when going out for a meal?