Ways to Save Money while Eating Out!

Not everyone is a good cook.  And not everyone has the privilege of eating at home every meal.  So, they must eat out. 

The average America today spends probably close to 20 or even 30% of his income on eating out at restaurants, be they either fast food or fancy dining locations.  This means they spend a ton of cash on filling their bellies!  And where does it go?  Well, er, um, yeah....  Let's don't go there.  Cause that's not a pleasant thought.  Let's just say that if you spend a lot, then you don't really get a lot back.  Cause once you eat it, it's gone.  (Except of course when it goes to your belly and thighs, and boy does it go!  Most Americas are viewed as obese by the rest of the world.  That means they are actually paying to fatten themselves up!)

So if you do eat out, the question is: "Do you really have to pay that much for your meal?"  I mean, come on.  Think about it.  Do you really get your monies worth when you eat out? 

If you want to save a good 10 to even 20% of your monthly income, below are some great tips to help you save when you eat out.  They aren't only just plain common sense, but they may even make you healthier!  For the less you eat, the less you'll weigh, and who doesn't want to lose a few pounds, right?

Ways to save money on your eating out...

1.  Don't eat at expensive places, rather eat on the street!  

In places like New York, there are very fancy restaurants, as well as your typical fast food joints.  But there are also street vendors on almost every block.  And often, they have some very fresh and very good food.  And usually (not always) it is a lot cheaper than eating at a restaurant.  So why do you have to go and sit down for a meal all the time?  Especially when you have to pay a waitress a TIP afterwards on top of the price of the bill?  Why not take a walk and go get some vendor food, and after you enjoy it, walk it off on your way back to work.  It'll save money, and it will get you some exercise!

2.  Don't eat too far away from home!

Lots of people get in the mindset that they actually deserve to splurge on themselves and spend a lot of money on going out to eat at certain places.  This usually consists on them going across town to the fanciest places.  But often there is a place just as good just down the street.   And guess what?  It's a lot closer, and thus, a lot cheaper!  That's right.  You actually save money on gas or on taxi rides by not going half-way across town to go and eat, when you can eat right close to where you are.
Consider trying this.  For one month, count exactly how much you spend on food and on travel to the restuarant, deli, or grocery store.  Then for the following month, don't go more than five to ten miles away to eat for one solid month.  Then compare how much money you saved.  Was it a lot? 
People often don't take into account the cost of eating.  It's not just the cost of the food.  It's also the cost of travel.  And if you don't eat healthy, there may even be medical expenses years in the future!

3.  Don't order soft drinks, liquor, or expensive libaciones.

If you must go out to eat, why waste money on drinks?  Today most restaurants charge outrageous prices on their drinks.  It used to be you could get a soda for .99 cents and you even got free refills.  But not today.  Instead, they charge you three or four dollars, and some restaurants even charge you extra for each time they refill your glass!

So why not do what I do.  Rather than allow them to suck you into paying three times the cost for your drink, why not just order water with lemon?  Water is almost always free!  And usually so are lemons.  So ask them to give you a small place of cut lemons and if you don't like water with lemon, add a little sugar (which is usually already there in front of you on the table) for some free lemonade!  It saves money, and it's even healthier for you as well!

Also, why not eat Mexican food more often?  For usually they bring you out chips and salsa before the meal, and most of the time they don't charge you for it.  You can fill up on those, and not have to order that large burrito, which you and I both know you usually end up taking home in a doggie bag and leaving in the fridge, and eventually end up throwing out anyway.

Don't laugh on this next tip, please.  It's from a homeless man.  He said he used to go into restaurants and ask for a bowl of hot water.  He would then poor in some ketchup and make his own "Tomato Soup" and eat it.  The restaurants would usually get mad, so he'd buy something from their "dollar menu."  That might be a little extreme, and maybe a little silly, but hey, even a homeless guy knows how to save money!

4.  Don't go to buffets!

America is one of the only countries in the world to have as many "All-You-Can-Eat" Buffets as it does.  They are just every where!  And because people pay exhorborant prices for the A.Y.C.E. plates, they often feel like they HAVE to eat all they CAN!  So they go back again and again to the trough.  And what happens?  Usually they leave feeling bloated, gassy, and just down right ready for a nap.  You don't have to fill up just because a sign says you can.  You can learn to avoid those places and get meals for cheaper.  You can even eat better food for less and feel even more full if you know how to eat right!

5.  Don't order out! 

Often people in the cities order out.  That entails not only paying for the food, but also for fees to deliver the food.  But if you pick-up you can save money!  Futher, you can usually get online and order for even cheaper than calling on the phone, and often many restaurants offer discounts to those who are continual internet order customers, as it makes them have to spend less money on employees answering phones.  Plus, if the restaurant is just down the street, what's wrong with a little "excercise" to go get your dinner? 

6.  Learn to cook more yourself.

It's amazing how much money people are willing to waste on meals, especiallly when they can make the exact same meal at home for way below half the price they are charged at a restaurant.  So what's wrong with going to the grocery store, buying the same ingredients and cooking the food yourself?  In fact, it will save you a ton of money, as often you will find you've cooked more than enough for yourself, and what's left over makes a great meal for the following day.  Sure we all hated "left overs" when we were younger, but there is sure something to be said about getting two or even three meals for the price of one! 

7.  Eat less and eat cheaper, and then set aside the money you save to spurge a little!

Eating fast food all the time is not fun.  After a while you get sick of it.  But still, many people get hooked, and just eat it time and again, and often it's not anything special to them.  It's just their average meal.

So why not learn to eat at home more, balance your diet, and learn to save meny?  That way you can look forward to eating out, and with the money you save from eating cheaper at home, you can spend it on nice meals every so often that you really will enjoy.

I remember in my teenage years we had our own click of popular people.  There were about four or five of us, and we made a pact to eat out every weekend; each time at a different fancy restaurant until we had tried them all in town.  But our pact got a little pricey.  So we all learned how to stop eating out all the time and wasting money.  That helped us save for the weekend and boy did we look forward to it!  It was not only a great meal, but a good time of fellowship!  But had we not learned to save, we might not have learned to enjoy!

Summary

These a just a couple ideas to help you cut your food bill.  Sure we all like to go out and eat.  But isn't it more fun to go with friends?  Isn't it better to eat cheaper, healthier, and closer to home?  What's wrong with not paying for drinks, when lemon water is better?  What's wrong with saving and having a salad instead of a hamburger every so often?  You'd be surprised how much money you could save if you would only follow this few simple tips.

How about trying it and letting me know how much you saved?  Or how about trying it and letting me know how it went?  I'd love to hear about it!

Mr. Frugal