Eating out doesn’t have to be $$$!

Taco Loco Receipt after Groupon Voucher

It makes sense, to cut back on spending unnecessarily, if you’re feeling the crunch of the times.  Raises for most people are on pause, jobs continue to come or go, and prices on our basic necessities keep climbing to ridiculous highs.  Ten years ago I can honestly remember eating out almost every night and not worrying about the cost (my body suffered more than my wallet :/ ).  Today I think about eating out differently.  As I do with everything I spend money on these days, my first thought goes to how can I pay less.  With so many different programs out there it is hard NOT to save money on your favorite dining out experiences.  The photo on the left depicts my Groupon deal at a local Mexican Restaurant.  The deal was $12.00 for a $25.00 voucher good for Lunch.  I just cut my bill in half without even ordering anything!  My niece and I enjoyed a yummy meal and after tip I spent $5.33.  A total of $17.33.  I could have spent an additional $3.00 but we were running short on time.

Here are a few of the sites I have found to get deals:
groupon, restaurant.com*, living social, spotlight deals on OpenTable, the facebook page of your favorite restaurant and of course the twitter page of your favorite restaurant

Finding and using deals gives local businesses, well, business.  It gives you a break from the kitchen.  You can try out new locales you might not have thought of going to OR where you’ve always wanted to go to.  You might hear additional specials along the way that do not require a coupon or voucher.  You might find that most restaurants now feature a Pre-Fixe menu on certain days of the week to strum up hungry tummies. 

My only tip is that you read the fine print, ALWAYS before purchasing.  While you can find a CRAZY deal on you favorite restaurants, there is ALWAYS the fine print.  Some restaurants restrict what night it can be used, what time of day it can be used, specials and location restrictions, number of minimum guests, minimum amount to be used, and gratuity automatically added.  The point is you can go out for a night on the town without breaking the bank, with some planning before hand.

Where do you look for deals on eating out?

*I find that restaurant.com saves the most once you catch their discount code deals (acquired from their facebook page) overall.