Fun Friday: Eating Out on a Budget

One of the biggest potential budget busters is eating out. Try to limit eating out as much as possible, by doing the following:

1. Plan weekly menus, so you can cook and eat dinner at home each night. Helpful Tip: Use a slow cooker often!
2. Save extra dinner, and eat leftovers for lunches; or have a leftover dinner night.
3. Take lunch (use those leftovers) with you to work, or go home if you live close enough.
4. Keep the fridge and pantry stocked with essentials, so you can always make quick and easy meals.

That being said, our family enjoys eating out! As you know, I like to get good deals on everything; so here are some ways I like to save on restaurants:

1. Not all junk mail is junk - watch for restaurant coupons in the mailbox. I keep a stack of coupons in the car, so we can use them when we are out and need to grab a quick meal. Coupons are also a good way to try new places without paying full price.

2. Fundraiser coupon cards can be a great way to get a year's worth of restaurant coupons for a great price, and it's always good to donate to a good cause. The current card I have was $25, which paid for itself in just two restaurant visits! Not all of these are created equal, so make sure you look through the list to make sure you will take advantage of enough deals to make it worth your while.

3. Join rewards programs online for some of your favorite restaurants. You will get emails that let you know about special deals, as well as occasional coupons. Many places will send you a free coupon for your birthday, and some will even send one for each member of your family on their birthdays (our favorite is Texas Roadhouse). It may be a point system, where you can earn free items by earning points on every purchase (Chili's has a new point system, and Papa John's has a really awesome point system where you can earn free pizza).

4. Go out for lunch instead of dinner. Most restaurants have lunch specials that are really great deals. My husband and I enjoy going to lunch with just the little girls who aren't in school yet. We're able to go to restaurants our kids don't like; and in addition to getting a great deal, we only have to deal with 2 kids instead of 4. It's great!

5. Eat dinner on off nights. If you can, have date nights on days that people don't typically go out; that is when the great deals happen. Movie theaters (ours has $5 Tuesdays), bowling alleys, and restaurants all have nights with amazing specials to try and lure some people in when business is typically slower. If you are taking the kids, find out when restaurants have "Kid's Eat Free" nights.

**Bonus Tip: If you need to hit the grocery store before you make dinner at home, and your kids are begging for a snack; go to a place that offers free samples! Costco and Sam's Club are famous for handing out lots of free samples, and my kids love it! Our local grocery store gives each kid a "Cookie Credit Card", and they can eat a chocolate chip cookie each time you shop.