Eating Out on a Budget

There are plenty of ways to save money and still be able to enjoy a great meal out on the town. There are, of course, coupon books like the Entertainment Book and the Zoobook that you can utilize in most cities. I will do a separate post on those books.

My favorite on-line resource is a website called "Restaurant.com". This site allows you to buy gift certificates to restaurants in your area at a discount rate. The certificates actually act more like a coupon as each place has different restrictions and amounts that you can take off. For instance, our personal favorite has a gift certificate that is good for $10 off of $20 or $25 off of $50. Normally the gift certificates cost $3 and $10, but later in the month the website will send you an email to let you know that the certificates are discounted. Sometimes late in the month you can get a $25 off of $50 one for $2! (That is 80% off of the usual price of $10) The certificates are good for 1 year and I have NEVER had a problem redeeming any of them. Just make sure to read any restrictions before you buy one. Restaurant.com will even let you exchange the gift certificates if there was a problem with the one you bought. (For instance, one place had closed and another one was a lot further south of town than I thought.)

This is a great way to take a group out rather than just having a little $5 off coupon that basically covers tip. Let me know if you have any questions!