A lot of us enjoy eating meals out. However, they can be expensive. If we are trying to stick to a budget or just to cut down a bit on how much we are spending, then cutting down on the cost of eating out can make a big difference. There are some things that you can do which will help.
Cut down on Drinks
Drinks can add a lot of money to a meal out. Whether that is an alcoholic drink or soft drink you have at the beginning of the meal of a coffee you have at the end. It is wise to think about the cost of this. You should be able to order tap water for free and this might help to keep those costs down if you are happy with drinking water. You could also use the tap water to water down juice so that you do not have to buy so much of it. You could go home and have a coffee there rather than having one out. Perhaps have a drink before you go and then you will not be so thirsty during the meal.
Have Less Courses
It can be a good idea to try to cut down on the number of courses you eat. Although puddings and starters are cheaper than main courses, the prices of them do add up. Perhaps just have two courses, so cut out the unhealthy pudding or have a starter and a pudding so you can still have the pudding but you are not paying so much. Most of us are not used to having three course meals all of the time and we certainly do not need to eat that much so it could be wise to cut down for health benefits as well.
Eat Out at Lunchtime
If you eat out at lunchtime you will often find that there is a lunchtime menu which has smaller sized meals at lower prices. This can help to save money. If you are used to eating less at lunchtime, then this should satisfy you and you will still enjoy eating out and feel full but you will not have to pay out so much money to do so.
Choose Cheaper Places to Eat
It can be a wise idea to see if there are cheaper places that you can eat out. Prices vary considerably between different restaurants and you will find that you can probably find a cheaper one than the one you normally go to. This could mean that you will still be able to eat out but you will be able to save money.
Eat Out Less Often
If you are not prepared to cut down and want to eat out, then you may need to consider eating out less often. It can feel difficult to do this but you might find that you will appreciate eating out a lot more if it is more of luxury. You may think harder about where to go and make sure that you enjoy it more because you are going less. You could always replace eating out with supermarket ready meals if you do not want to cook. You will find that these are cheaper than eating out (although not cheaper than cooking from scratch) and so you can save some money. Another alternative is to learn some new recipes and cook things that you really enjoy without having to eat out to get them. This can be a fun thing to do and you could learn it with other people, perhaps those that you would have eaten out with otherwise, or have them round to eat with you to try your new recipes.
