Money-saving Tips When Dining in Restaurants
Many people are put off eating out, as they associate it with spending a lot of money. However, dining out at a restaurant needn’t be an expensive outing. There are plenty of ways in which you can save money when eating out. Here are a few suggestions:
Restaurant selection
The amount you spend will obviously depend on which restaurant you opt for. Cheap restaurants don’t necessarily provide lower quality food, and there are many gems to be found in every city. Look out for small foreign businesses, cooking simple dishes at great rates. Many curry houses have a bring your own beer policy too, meaning you can buy cheap alcohol from elsewhere. Some websites also let you order from these restaurants using credit cards online.
Order cheaper items on the menu
A simple solution is to order inexpensive items on the menu. Meat-based dishes tend to be more costly, so why not opt for vegetarian dishes. This gives you the benefit of eating healthily as well as saving those extra pennies.
House wine
Many people like to drink wine when they dine out, but this can often run the bill much higher. One tip to avoid this is to order the house wine. Most good restaurants will choose an affordable and versatile product as their house wine.
Taster menus
Some restaurants offer taster menus alongside the normal a la carte. These usually consist of anything up to 8 small courses, designed to give you a variety of different dishes in one sitting. These are much cheaper than the regular menu, however the downside is that quite often the whole table will have use the same menu.
Avoid a starter
A good way to save money in a restaurant is to avoid a starter meal. Quite often, the main course is enough to satisfy. The price of a substantial main course will often be less than the price of a cheap starter and main put together. Some people might feel that it is against restaurant etiquette to avoid a starter, however it is entirely up to you how you decide to spend your money.
