Next to housing, food is almost always the largest category in any budget. Whether you count the cost of dining out as recreation or as part of your monthly food expenditure, prices are certainly rising each month.
For years, seniors have found creative ways to enjoy quite a few meals out while squeezing a dime. They're not the only ones feeling the pinch of a good restaurant meal these days, however. The egg that costs you 30 percent more than it did a year ago in the supermarket also means higher prices on your favorite restaurant's menu.
Whether eating out is the highlight of your week or a passion in which you indulge only occasionally, here are some tips to help you save money when you're not the chef:
1. Plan where you're going: The worst possible budget scenario is indecision. Four of you haven't seen each other in a month, and you want to meet for dinner. Since nobody decides ahead of time where you'll eat, you end up driving around on a Friday night, looking for ideas. Eventually, you get so hungry, you just pull over to a new place. The result: less-than-wonderful food and twice as much spent as planned.
2. Use discounts frequently: Local newspapers and mailing inserts have lots of meal discounts. Typically, they offer you a free meal if you buy the first one. Family restaurants such as the Olive Garden and Red Lobster frequently place discount offers in the coupon section of the Sunday newspaper. Even popular fast-food restaurants such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken issue discount coupons. Other than your local newspaper and advertisements in your mail, take a peek at the web site of the restaurant that interests you to find out if there are any current promotions. For some, you can sign up to receive e-mail notifications. Another source is coupons in the current Entertainment Book and restaurant discounts from coupons.com. Telephone directories often include a coupon section bound into the book to spur business to local establishments.
3. Enjoy Happy Hour: Not the one at the bar. If you have favorite restaurants, find out if meals are discounted for certain age groups or whether the price is lower if you dine before a certain time. Seniors have known about this for years. Many establishments, for example, offer huge discounts on dinners to guests who arrive before 5:30 PM on weekdays. Consider these savings your personal Happy Hour.
4. Think smaller: The cheapest meal you can have is an appetizer. Some of them are huge. Consider, for example, an 8-inch-tall shrimp cocktail served in a glass container 6 inches in diameter for $5.95. Even if you split one of the larger and pricier appetizers on the menu with your companion and the restaurant charges a small amount for a second place setting, the cost will probably be less than that of one regular entree.
5. Axe the drinks: You can have that glass of wine or soda at home. If you want to knock a nice amount of your dinner check, just ask for water unless the beverage is included with the cost of the entre.
6. Keep the kids free: If you have several young children, even a trip through the Golden Arches for the whole family is enough to send shudders through your wallet. This is the time to hunt for the restaurants that serve buffets and also allow at least the smallest children to eat free. If you can't find one, consider feeding the youngest who eat solid food some of mom's or dad's meal.
7. Divide and conquer: This is a variation of the doggy bag technique to snare leftovers. In this scenario, you ask the server to bring you the carton with your meal. When the food arrives, you immediately box half of it for later.
8. Try the kiddie menu. Adults with food restrictions have done this for years. Ask the server if you can order off the kiddie menu, which has smaller (and cheaper) portions. If you get a negative response, ask for the manager.
9. Make it a game: You can enjoy more than one nice meal out a month without spending hundreds of dollars. Pick a dollar amount your family should not exceed. Get the kids or adult family members involved in figuring out how to spend the funds. Pick up copies of printed menus or search them on the Internet. For children in elementary school, consider actually using play money to accomplish this. If you spend less than the target, everyone gets to add the difference to next month's meals.
10. Eat for free: There are two easy ways to do this. One is to take advantage of the invitations you receive from local stockbrokers, attorneys, real estate agents and financial planners. They'll give you a nice dinner, often steak or prime rib, if you'll sit through their presentations. Just politely say "no" to services offered. The second method is to become a mystery shopper. These shoppers evaluate tens of thousands of restaurants in the United States every year, from fast food chains to high-end dining establishments. Compensation is typically a free meal, although in some cases, the mystery shopping company also offers a fee. For more information, visit volition.com.