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Save Money On Restaurant Food
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Restaurants are a great source of food and companionship. I am known to be a bit of a restaurant junkie, though we have cut that down in the past year or so. If you do find yourself needing to eat out, though, there are ways that you can cut down on the cost.

First see if the restaurant you choose has half portions. Many restaurants are responding to the health craze that is facing America right now and are offering up smaller portions. The benefit to your health is great, but they also are great for your pocketbook. You will not spend on meals that you cannot eat completely. If you do have to get a large portion or if you do not eat all of it, you should ask for a to-go bag. Take the food home. After all, you paid for it. You can have lunch for the next day and will save a little money.

On this note, you can allow your kids to share. My one-year-old son still eats with Mommy and Daddy. There is no way that he could eat an entire meal by himself besides the fact that children's meals typically are not good for you at all. We let him eat off of our dishes after we order him a side dish that he can enjoy on his own. You can always order more food, but you cannot send back what you ordered and did not eat.

Look for restaurants with specials. Some restaurants allow children to eat free on certain nights of the week, or they offer specials, such as 1/2 certain meals at certain times. Keep a mental log of those restaurants so that if you decide to go out at the last minute, you will know where to go to get the best deal.

Beware of buffets. They can be wonderful places to fill up, but you can spend more money than you would if you purchased meals. You also may not eat as much food. When you want to go to a buffet, be sure that you find out how much it costs. Some restaurants have a bad habit (and poor customer service decision) to put up several prices for the same buffet because some are for lunch, some for dinner, and some for special occasions. Be sure that you find out how much it costs and compare that cost with the price of a full meal. Also avoid filling up on salad or high carbohydrate foods, such as mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. While it may sound silly, the restaurant pours out those foods because they know that they are cheap, and people love them. You will go home full but be hungry again soon.

Keep coupons with you for local restaurants. If you know that you sometimes grab something at the local deli after soccer practice, cut out their coupon from the Sunday paper. Then keep the coupons in your wallet so that you can be sure that you have them available when you want to stop by for a quick meal after a long day.

Watch for semi-healthy fast food. Some restaurants, such as delis, are not as bad for you as other fast food restaurants. At the same time, they are not as expensive as sit-down restaurants. By going to these restaurants, you can split the difference between the price and the health and get something that works for both areas of your life.

You should get only a small amount of food. If you are running late, the kids may be dying of hunger, or so they claim. The reality is that they just need something to tide them over. Instead of going all out at a restaurant, buy them something small and let that hold them until you can cook at home. You can stop the kids' whining and hunger pains (as well as your own) while you are not spending too much money on food that will not be nutritious for them.

Eating at restaurants is not bad if you can get yourself into the habit of watching what you eat and what you spend. You just have to be careful.

By Julia Mercer

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