Ways to Save Money Dining Out

It can be done! But before you venture into the world of discount dining out, it may be advisable to heed the warning spending while saving is a bit of an oxymoron. Having said that, the key to eating out and spending less it to have the goal of keeping the cost as close to what you would normally pay for groceries eating the same meal at home. Some tips in achieving this are offered below:

• Mystery shop

After registering with mystery shopping companies such as Jancyn, one may receive invitations to dine out as a mystery shopper for local restaurants. In this case, much if not all the dining out expense will be reimbursed by the mystery shopping company providing the assignment. Sometimes it may take a while to start receiving assignments and the reimbursement may take a little time but in the long run, if one is going to eat out anyway this could be a good way to minimize the expense.

• Diners club and business expensing

For the serious diner outers, diners club might be worthwhile. These kind of cards tend to be for professionals and encourage dining out more than may be desirable. However, for individuals who travel and need to network a lot, it might be worthwhile to consider this option as one can also get travel rewards as part of the membership. Additionally, if the meal is business related, it may submitted to an employer as a business expense especially if it involves generating new business and sales.

• Coupons

Scrolling through the free coupons that get dumped in the mail may come in handy if you are planning on dining out. The coupons ideally shouldn't make you want to go out to eat, but if you must eat out, yellow pages coupons, free newspaper coupons and coupons that come in the mail often have a fair selection of restaurants to choose from. The coupons may include a half price entree with the purchase of two entrees or a free desert.

• Soup kitchens

Soup kitchens do qualify as dining out if you don't live in facility. While this really is a little extreme, one can actually profit by eating at soup kitchens. If you can afford the food at a soup kitchen it might be advisable to give someone a dollar or two while you are there because it is quite unethical to do this.

• Buffets

At a buffet, no tip or a minimal bus tip is all that is required. Tips typically cost between 15-20% of a dining out meal so eating out at a classy buffet can really be a cost effective compromise. Not all buffets are that great to eat in but there really are some upscale buffets out there, some of which include professional chefs that cook the meals right in front of you.

• Take out

If you don't mind eating in the car or SUV, then take out is also cheaper than eating in the restaurant. Take out menu items are sometimes cheaper than in house items and no tips is required. This option gives you the pleasures of eating something different and avoiding cooking and dishes for less cost.

• Exchange favors for meals

If you have something that someone else wants, it might be worthwhile to barter your services for a meal at a restaurant. The better the service is , the more expensive the meal should be. Services to trade for food may include babysitting, tax preparation assistance, dog walking, pet and house sitting and lawn care among other things.

• Choose restaurants carefully

Some restaurants are overpriced due to their location. A restaurant in a trendy part of town is likely to be more expensive than a similar restaurant offering similar food in a different part of town. To keep the costs lower survey the restaurants in your town or city to get an idea which one's have the best prices for the same food and atmosphere.

Eating out is likely to cost more of a budget than cooking. However, by following the above tips this expense can be reduced and in some cases eliminated entirely. Being resourceful is the first step into saving money while eating out. The goals of eating out while spending less include maximizing on food quality, and dining experience while at the same time minimizing the expense and/or keeping as close to at home meal costs as possible.