However, eating is a social activity for us humans, and it is almost impossible to avoid invites to birthday dinners, catch-up brunches or drinks with your partner - and why would you want to avoid them? With a few handy tips, you can make room in your life for dining out on a budget.
- Ditch dinner for earlier meals
Dinner menus can far surpass the prices of their lunch and breakfast equivalents. If your friends or family suggest meeting up for dinner, try to cajole them into opting for a lunch meet-up. The prices will be cheaper and there isn’t the same temptation to treat yourself to some pricey alcohol with the meal.
2. Forego alcohol
Speaking of which, alcoholic beverages can often bring a bill from reasonable to astronomical.
Stick to sipping on tap water during your meal, and cut back on calories if you’re watching your figure as well as pinching those pennies.
If you absolutely must indulge, look to the drink specials where you can sometimes get a discount, or opt for a small glass of the house vino.
3. Always share dessert
Dessert is one of life’s simple pleasures, but splashing out on a gourmet slice of cake can push the bill up into the next numeric bracket. However, if you’re splitting the bill, sharing a dessert can satiate a sweet tooth while saving you money.
Alternatively if you want your own, get it on the go. Don’t bother with the potentially overpriced dessert menu after a meal, settle your bill and then walk around the area, grabbing a dessert on the go. This prolongs your outing, stretches the legs and could lead to you discovering a cool new food stall or shop. Doughnuts or a scoop of ice cream are perfectly transportable, so you can tuck into them while embracing the environment around you.
4. Always accept the loyalty cards
Most coffee shops have loyalty cards these days, and many of them allow you to get a free hot drink or snack if you’re a repeat customer.
While it might take a while to earn a free beverage,, that sweet free coffee could allow you to go for a coffee date with a friend (or alone with a good book) when your finances might not have ordinarily stretched for it.
5. Sign up for newsletters
A cluttered mailbox might not be the most desirable thing, but some of those newsletters contain good deals. If you sign up with a restaurant website, you could be on the receiving end of some exclusive discounts. If you plan on signing up to lots of them, creating a specific ‘throwaway’ email account could be of value so you don’t have newsletters filling up your regular or professional emails. Alternatively, following your favourite eateries on social media means you can see when they are offering an affordable deal, or slashing prices on set menus during the week.
6. Make food markets your meal out
If it’s a nice day, try out a food market for your meal out. A farmer’s or food market is a delicious source of fresh, local ingredients. Bring a picnic bag complete with plates, cutlery and a blanket.
That way after you snag yourself some cured meats, fresh cheeses and fruit, you can set up a little picnic for yourself. Local food festivals are another great resource, where there are affordable small plates aplenty.
7. Don’t forget about pub grub
A somewhat overlooked option is tradition pub grub. While it may not sound very glamorous, plenty of pubs have beautiful lounge areas or beer gardens where you can have a delicious, comforting meal.
Many pubs also have great value options, and will have kid friendly options too.