Nov 11th, 2008
The Frugality of Eating Out
Is there such a thing as being frugal by eating out? Tough question. There are more frugal places to eat than others (Costco vs. Jack in the Box vs. a five star restaurant, for instance), and places that will give you “unlimited” resources (bottomless cups of coffee, all you can drink soft drinks, or buffets) or will charge you at every turn.
On the other hand, it’s not unreasonable to go out to eat (or at least have some coffee). I often do so on my days off to help stimulate my creative juices and get the blog going (or to take care of lots of other tasks like budgeting and bill paying) that are tough to do at home due to the millions of little distractions I have there. It’s also nice to eat something different once in awhile.
Some tips to try to spend wisely while eating out–
Consider the price: This seems just too obvious, and in many ways it is. Don’t expect to get away with drive in prices at a five star restaurant. If it’s going to be somewhere that’s outside your price range, well, it’s outside of your price range.
Split desserts (or maybe other items): This is something that can be done at a lot of places; I often do this over coffee with one of my lady friends. It can be fun too! One of my friends has four kids and they often will buy, for example, one large order of nachos and split it among all four kids. I thought that was a great idea.
Ask for the doggie bag: Whether you have a dog or not, if you order something you can take for the next day’s breakfast or lunch, take it home. It’s paid for, it’s made, you may as well eat it. Remember: waste is the archenemy of frugality.
Use coupons, gift cards, and gift certificates (but with caution!): if you get gift cards and gift certificates from friends or otherwise, using them is a great idea, of course; however, be wary. One of our local restaurants does a mass mailing of $5 “gift certificates” every holiday season, which is great business for them: it’s substantial enough that people think, “Hey, let’s go, we haven’t been in awhile,” but $5 is basically only as much as your tip. Yes, it’s $5 more than nothing, but it’s not a really great discount.
Think about the freebies: Water? How about iced tea that’s bottomless versus Pepsi which might not be? Bread is often complimentary too. These are all things to think about when you’re choosing a place to eat.
While it’s hard to say eating out is ever really frugal, it can be made into a more frugal experience if you’re wise about it. Next time you decide to go out to eat, consider some of these ideas.
Regarding Coupons and Gift Cards, keep your eye out for holiday specials. A neighborhood restaurant we visit a couple times a year has a holiday promotion of a free $5 gift card when you purchase a $25 gift card. Often, as in this case, you can use the gift cards the same evening you purchase them. As such, you can purchase the gift cards, then immediately use it pay for the meal!
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