Going out to eat is something that many of us enjoy.
I am one of those.
However I very seldom pay normal market prices for the meals I eat in restaurants.
In most cases I would rather eat at home then pay what it normally costs to eat out.
Since it is just my wife and I, we do eat out often.
If I had kids to pay for, it would be much more rare.
Eating out can be big money when done normally, especially when there are more than two in the family.
There are ways however to drastically reduce the cost.
Let's take a look at some ways to do just that.
It is almost always more expensive to eat out than to eat in, so even though this may be common sense and not something most articles about eating out will say, I'm going to go for it anyway.
The most powerful tactic to save money on restaurants is not to go out at all.
But wait! Before you write me off lets look a little deeper.
The main focus of this website is not to keep you from getting what you want, but rather to think of how you can get want you want, but for much less money.
In many cases it is just a matter of thinking outside the box.
You may be able to do a public service in the process.
First lets take a look at what you are trying to get by eating out.
Some possible desires include:

1. Change of scenery.
   
2. Better tasting food then you can get at home.
   
3. Not needing to do the cooking.
   
4. Not needing to do the clean up.
   

OK lets explore how you can get what you want and spend less money to get it.
Before I continue let me just say that later in the article I will discuss how you might actually go to a restaurant and spend less money there.
Now let's look at getting what you want but not actually going to a restaurant to get it.
If you're looking to go to the restaurant for a change of scenery or for the ambiance, then you probably do need to go to the restaurant, you'll just want to look at some of the tactics later in the article on how to do it for less.
In many cases however that is not a significant part of the reason people go out.
What if the main reason is because you like the food better than what you or your spouse prepares.
Here is a thought.
Have you considered simply taking a more serious attitude about learning to prepare some great dishes? With the advent of the internet unlimited amounts of information are available for free.
If you go out with a family of five and the average person spends $12 you're looking at a bill of $60.
If you can make the same quality of food for $12 you're looking at $48 after tax money still in your pocket.
So you have to ask yourself, is the effort of going from making the average meal to making one that everyone enjoys as much or better than the one from the restaurant worth the savings? If you think of it in those terms you may in fact say to yourself, "you know, if I spend an hour and a half making an exquisite meal instead of the half hour I normally would just making simple things hot, or instead of the 0 hours of cooking, but adding time and expense of travel, I gain $48.
So basically you're paying yourself $48 an hour to cook, (and clean up).
You have to judge for yourself if it's worth it.
Lets look at a little different situation.
Sometimes you have poor quality food at home because you are trying to save money and you get to feeling like going out, because you want to "splurge" for some good stuff.
Is it possible to get the good stuff but at home? Let's say you like prawns.
You have a craving for some big juicy shrimp.
If you go out to a restaurant and you and your spouse get shrimp but the kids don't want shrimp they get personal pizza and Spaghetti.
Look at the cost of the whole meal.
You would have done much better to buy the kids a pizza and go to the grocery store and buy shrimp.
Even if the shrimp are $10 a pound you are way ahead.
After all you only need to boil them.
Let's change gears a little now.
What if you not only want a great meal, but you don't want to have to cook it, or clean up the mess.
Consider who might give you what you want for less money.
First lets consider your kids, let's say that you have three.
Ages 14, 10 and 9.
Let's say you don't feel it is their job to do this work, or that you think they deserve a break like you do.
What if you pay them to do it? You could find a recipe on the internet and ask the 14 year old if he/or she is up for the challenge.
May be since he/she is learning it will take 4 hours to complete a wonderful labor intensive type meal.
How much would they want? Kids work cheap.
If you pay the 14 year old $15 your going to be way ahead.
Give the 9 year old $2 to set the table and the 10 year old $4 to wash all the dishes.
Dinner for 5 of a labor intensive dish for $21 plus the cost of the food.
This plan is most favorable for dishes where the cost of the food is not high, but there is a lot of labor involved.
This plan of course has the advantage of keeping the money in the family.
Even though in theory you are paying the kids money they would not otherwise have, in reality if you don't pay them so they can buy what they want, they are going to ask you to give them the money anyway.
I don't know if you're going to give it to them, judge for yourself.
There are people out there that are in great need of money.
If it is you, you stay home and effectively pay yourself not to go to a restaurant, as discussed above.
What if you in fact have a modest but fair income, but both parents work to provide it.
Perhaps you are a single parent.
You make a living, but come home tired and sometimes you just don't want to do the work.
Consider finding someone who needs money and is a great cook to make you dinner.
If the person is in desperate need of money you will be doing them a favor.
What if there is an elderly person who is a great cook and has nothing to do all day and needs cash.
This could be win win.
If you pay them to cook a wonderful meal and let them eat with you, the day they get to eat with you may be the highlight of their week, and if they make a desperately needed $20, all the better.
If they make things you really like and they live close you may be able to order the stuff just like from a restaurant Another source of a great and cheap cook could be a culinary school (cooking school).
If you find a student who is, lets say, in the third year of study to become a chef, chances are that he/she a great cook who is passionate about their art, and can use the practice as well as the money.
If You Do Go to a Restaurant So now you have decided that you are actually going to a restaurant.
Let's look at some tactics to spend less money.

1. One of the most powerful and easiest tactics to cut the bill, that my wife and I almost always use is to ask for water.
   I like water.
   I drink it at home.
   For me to drink water when at a restaurant and other things at home instead of vice versa is a no brain-er I'll bet if you're going to a restaurant where the drinks are $2 each and you ask your kids if they would rather have a soda or drink water and have you pay them a dollar they will take the dollar.
   5 people at $2 each plus 15% tip is $11.
   50
2. Deserts are simply crazy! At $4-7 dollars each in my opinion it's simply not worth it.
   If you really want desert...
   have desert, just not there! Got a hankering for some pie or cake? Buy some! Stop at Walmart on the way home and buy the cake or pie of your choice, take it home and eat it.
   If you want it Ala' mode, then buy some ice cream.
   If you're still deciding to buy desert, consider splitting one.
   
3. If you are not a big eater and just want to get out, or just don't feel like cooking today, consider splitting a plate.
   Maybe you're an elderly couple, or on a diet and you just don't eat that much.
   It's OK to split the meal.
   If you go somewhere where the portions are big, you just ask for a second plate.
   Sometimes, and I would never ask for this, I have had the help, of there own accord bring the second plate with it's own potato, and or vegetables for free.
   Again, I would never ask for that, but if they do it, I make it worth there while.
   By the way I always tip well.
   One reason is that I think it is the right thing to do, but also so you can get what you want.
   When the help first sees you using these tactics you may feel like they don't like you.
   That is because their assumption is that you are cheap and are not going to tip them well.
   As a person who has been a professional food server before, let me let you in on a little secret.
   People who work for tips like people who tip them well.
   Shocking I know, but it's true.
   So there you are at the restaurant, the meals are lets say $15 each.
   So if you buy 2 + 2 drinks + 15% ($6) tip your looking at around $45.
   Instead you order 1 meal and 2 waters.
   The help gives you a look.
   He's thinking these cheap skates are going to stiff me.
   When you get the bill for $15 you give him $8.
   He's going to love you again.
   It's only $2 more than the $6 in the first scenario but he knows that it is 55% tip.
   The next time you come back and order the same way you will get no look from that person I assure you.
   Now lets look at the bottom line.
   You went out with your spouse had a good time and instead of paying $45 you paid $23.
   There's a good chance when you go back the help will throw you extra sides, or salad, or bread, without you even asking.
   By the way, I don't ask waiters for stuff I didn't buy to save money.
   I think it's unbelievably tacky, but if they lay it on the table, then no problem.
   If they bring just water because that's how they do it there, then that's it, but if they bring water plus lemon, then I have lemon.
   If they bring water plus lemon, and they have sugar on the table, I'm making lemonade, but discreetly and only if I don't have to ask for the sugar or lemons.
   If one plate is not enough food, consider eating some left overs before you go.
   I know how it sounds but look at this scenario.
   I know half a meal is enough for my wife, but not for me.
   Looking in the fridge I see a small bowl of left over spaghetti from yesterday its only maybe 10 to 12 oz.
   Of spaghetti, but it's enough to make the difference.
   I heat it up and eat it.
   Then when we go out and split the meal I'm quite satisfied.
   

Coupons Most of the time I simply will not pay full price for a meal.
Where I'm at there are many restaurants that sell sheets of coupons.
It's something like $10 to $20 to buy a sheet of 15 to 30 coupons for a certain restaurant for each coupon you get buy 1 get 1 free.
Some times they're called supper clubs.
I have had such coupons from Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, and St.
Louis, as well as many single non franchised restaurants Almost any sizable city has an Entertainment Book for it's metro.
area.
When I lived in such a city I would usually buy 3 per year.
As I said before, I eat out all the time and seldom, if ever, pay full price.
If you are trying to find out what deals are out there don't hesitate to call the restaurant and ask.
Often times the person who works there will tell you what deals are out there and where you can get the coupons.
Some times you can buy them at the restaurant itself.
So you go to a restaurant where you are going to pay 10 to 15 dollars for each person.
You ask to buy the dinner club card, its $20, you buy it.
Now you sit down and use it, saving yourself $15.
So you're only down $5.
The next time you come back it's saving time! As you can see saving money on restaurants is much like most other subjects.
It's mostly just deciding you're going to do some thinking, and then take the necessary actions.
Shop Around This is to some degree a no brain-er but let me expand a little.
When I'm deciding if I'm going to pay the price for a restaurant, I have the best deal I know of without coupons as my worst case scenario.
In effect it is my "fallback position" In our case it is a buffet named Sirloin Stockade The food is awesome and includes salad bar, main bar, desert bar and coffee, tea or iced tea for around $9, other soft drinks are an additional $2.
50, so we don't buy them.
So if I'm going out to eat and not looking for a romantic ambiance or something like that, but just all the great food I want, my outer max is $9 + $1 tip each or $20 for two.
Note: the tip is low because it is a buffet.
If I know I'm going to a regular restaurant I'm figuring 15%.
It doesn't matter where the money goes if going to a restaurant is going to cost more than $20 out the door for two people I'm probably not going there.
Of course if someone else wants to go somewhere else or it's a party or its a romantic thing that's all fine.
I'm just talking about getting a meal.
Therefore if I'm going to go anywhere else I'm going to need to get both meals with tip for less than $20.
In nearly all cases except value menus at a fast food place, this will require the competition to be offering a buy one get one free offer.
Entertainment books are awesome for getting to go all around trying different places on a buy one get one free deal.
The only way I go back to a restaurant without the buy one get one free coupon is if it is so great that it takes the place of my current favorite (not likely but I'm open minded) In many cases I would not go back even for half the full price.