Eating out is my biggest weakness when it comes to saving money. I eat out a few times a week. Do you eat out? If so, how often? Eating out is considered impulse spending when it is not planned. It may also put a damper on your savings. In this article, I will let you in on some of my money-saving secrets while eating out.
Reward cards are the best thing since the invention of Caller ID, lol. I have a reward card to almost every fast food chain, grocery store, and coffee shop there is. These cards are normally free. Some offer exceptional deals on their products. Many reward programs also offer free items for a certain amount of items purchased.
Dine in restaurants and fast food restaurants also offer coupons. You can find the coupons online, on the company’s app, and in the restaurant. Sometimes the coupons are free, but places like McDonald’s and KFC offer coupon books starting at $1. These books are totally worth it! They contain high value coupons and coupons for free items as well.
When my family eats fast food, I try my best to keep the total around $20, but this can be hard with a family of five. Here are a few things I do to achieve my budget goals; I do not order combo meals. Often buying a combo meal is more costly than buying the items separately. I will order sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and fries from the value menu and one cup of water for each person, if we are traveling. If are going home, we do not need any drinks with our meal.
There is nothing wrong with indulging every now and then. Setting limits and planning are best when deciding where, how often, and how much to spend when you eat out!