With the state of the economy still looming around recovery in many areas, plenty of families have been forced to tighten up their budgets and cut spending in a number of areas. This commonly includes cutting spending money on going out and eating out, as these aren't exactly necessities when it comes to taking care of a family on a budget.
But tightening the belt loop in lean times does not have to mean that you fill your belly with less appetizing foods. Families can still still have the opportunity to eat out on a budget, they just need to know a little about finding deals for dining out. Here's how:
1. Check the Internet for deals.
Many local companies strike bargains with Internet coupon sites for exclusive deals. Groupon.com and Budgetcents.net, and LA.com are just a few web sites that specialize in offering great deals to consumers, especially first time consumers and those with families. Check sites such as these on a regular basis and they often have good 2-for1 deals or specials on appetizers and main entrees.
2. Call ahead for specials.
Many restaurants have kids eat free specials, margarita Mondays, happy hour specials, and the list goes on. Call ahead to your favorite restaurants and eateries to see what kind of specials they have going on before you start driving. You can also ask their weekly specials to see when certain dishes or on special or ask for lunch and dinner specials.
3. Invest in a geographically monitored opportunity provider (GMOP) app for your mobile phone.
Many companies, in an attempt to segue into the mobile market, have opt in lists that give offers straight to your smartphone when you come within a certain radius of the location of the restaurant. If you have places that you frequent and would not mind receiving correspondence from, this can be a real money saving option.
Many restaurants offer deals on smartphones that are simply not available anywhere else, because of the importance of getting into that market. Make sure to take advantage of their marketing effort.
4. Have a potluck.
If you simply can not find a deal, you can still get great food by simply throwing a neighborhood party! Ask everyone to bring their own dish so that there is plenty of food to go around. Set up a time and date and let everyone know, and enjoy the fruits of your low cost efforts.
Megan Perry is a writer who enjoys sharing her experiences, knowledge, and advice on a number of different subjects. For more information about eating out, The Buck List offers readers information for restaurants where kids can eat free.
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1 comments:
Great ideas! We also find that when eating out with a large family, we have to be creative and think outside the box. We find that going somewhere where we can share dishes (like pizza or a variety of plates in an asian restaurant) is far cheaper than ordering one meal for everyone. Instead of fast food meals, which we were rarely getting anyway, we now will go to a Subway and order a few footlongs and have them cut into three pieces each. Doing things like this and using Groupons and other coupons is the only way we are ever able to eat out.
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