How to Eat Out - for Cheap!
Kathi
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With a family of four hungry people, eating out inexpensively has been very difficult for us. We have a small budget for such things and like to make our money stretch, so we've come up with 
a few ways families can enjoy a night out without breaking the bank.
#1 - If you have younger children, scout out the "kids nights" in your area. Many restaurants offer a buy-one-get-one scheme one night a week, where if you buy an adult meal, you get one or more kids meals for free. They also tend to have fun things to keep the kids occupied while Mom and Dad sneak in a quiet moment!
#2 - Choose your time wisely. If you can eat out at lunch, rather than dinner, you can often get the same exact meal for nearly half price! Also, if you're needing to be out late, call around to find out which restaurants change their menus over after a certain hour - and either go before then, or choose a different restaurant. One popular all-night restaurant has the same menu 24 hours a day - but at 10pm and 1am, they hike the prices up. (A helpful waitress explained that this is to discourage "a certain class of people from hanging around" - my thought was, "Who? Working people? Families who are travelling?" We haven't gone back there since.)
#3 - Ask if you can order off the children's or senior's menu, even if you're neither. Many restaurants simply offer too much food. If you can get by with a smaller portion, explain this your waiter. Most establishments will allow you to order these meals if you ask - even if their stated policy is "Under 12 and over 65".
#4 - Make a meal of appetizers. These days, appetizer portions are large, and varied enough that if you order four appetizers at a "fancy" restaurant, you can make a meal for at least half the price of ordering four meals. Just share them around and enjoy!
#5 - Become a mystery shopper. There are several places where you can sign up to secretly eat at restaurants and report back how you were treated. Most supply at least one free meal as payment (some pay cash, too). Be sure to thoroughly check out any company before you become an independent contractor or employee for this purpose.
#1 - If you have younger children, scout out the "kids nights" in your area. Many restaurants offer a buy-one-get-one scheme one night a week, where if you buy an adult meal, you get one or more kids meals for free. They also tend to have fun things to keep the kids occupied while Mom and Dad sneak in a quiet moment!
#2 - Choose your time wisely. If you can eat out at lunch, rather than dinner, you can often get the same exact meal for nearly half price! Also, if you're needing to be out late, call around to find out which restaurants change their menus over after a certain hour - and either go before then, or choose a different restaurant. One popular all-night restaurant has the same menu 24 hours a day - but at 10pm and 1am, they hike the prices up. (A helpful waitress explained that this is to discourage "a certain class of people from hanging around" - my thought was, "Who? Working people? Families who are travelling?" We haven't gone back there since.)
#3 - Ask if you can order off the children's or senior's menu, even if you're neither. Many restaurants simply offer too much food. If you can get by with a smaller portion, explain this your waiter. Most establishments will allow you to order these meals if you ask - even if their stated policy is "Under 12 and over 65".
#4 - Make a meal of appetizers. These days, appetizer portions are large, and varied enough that if you order four appetizers at a "fancy" restaurant, you can make a meal for at least half the price of ordering four meals. Just share them around and enjoy!
#5 - Become a mystery shopper. There are several places where you can sign up to secretly eat at restaurants and report back how you were treated. Most supply at least one free meal as payment (some pay cash, too). Be sure to thoroughly check out any company before you become an independent contractor or employee for this purpose.