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Ok, now that they no longer eat off the kids menu, it can easily come to $100+ for all 4 of us, and they are at that stage they don't want to be seen with their parents, anyways. Then, just split an entree, the "old folks" don't eat so much anymore but do make sure to leave a decent tip, the server works just as hard if you get one entree as two.....
I've never found those Restaurant.com coupons to be for anything in our area, usually they are for places on their last legs and going out of business. You wonder if they are thawing their last ice box?
yeah magianos is kinda on the expensive side but has been running this special forever buy one pasta dish get a second free and 2 pasta dishes from there is like 4 meals
Yeah, I eat at Maggiano's sometimes too. Lots of leftovers.
I have a request for those of you who are splitting meals and not ordering drinks.
Please leave a generous tip for the server. She's done just as much work, or more (probably more), to serve you and a percentage of a cheapskate meal really isn't enough to leave her. Figure your tip as a percentage of what it would have been if you'd ordered a full meal.
I am really gung-ho to save money, but I won't do it by taking money out of a working person's pocket.
For traveling, to save money, the supermarkets on the left coast all have very good delis. That might be true all over the country. I can get better fried chicken for less than 1/2 the price of the fast food restaurants, and they sell small servings of good salads. I can go to the produce department and buy fruit.
I have a request for those of you who are splitting meals and not ordering drinks.
Please leave a generous tip for the server. She's done just as much work, or more (probably more), to serve you and a percentage of a cheapskate meal really isn't enough to leave her. Figure your tip as a percentage of what it would have been if you'd ordered a full meal.
I am really gung-ho to save money, but I won't do it by taking money out of a working person's pocket.
For traveling, to save money, the supermarkets on the left coast all have very good delis. That might be true all over the country. I can get better fried chicken for less than 1/2 the price of the fast food restaurants, and they sell small servings of good salads. I can go to the produce department and buy fruit.
I agree about tips. It is wrong to stiff or short the server, unless he or she has been obnoxious.
I live on the left coast and the supermarket delis leave much to be desired, IMO. But this is an option. You can usually buy sandwiches or fried chicken.
If you know of a good supermarket deli, please share. I live in Vancouver, WA.
We go out maybe once a week, the price point varies. But if I go out for a meal, I want to enjoy it just as I do at home. I don't drink water with dinner at home, so I'm not going to order water to save a couple of bucks when I'm out. Same goes for quality - if I want to go out for a pizza, I will spend more to eat a good quality pie as opposed to eating horrible garbage at some place like a CiCi's - I would rather spend more for something I enjoy rather than spending any amount on something I would not. Coupons are usually how we shave a few bucks off the bill.
Wow, looks like we do a combination of all of these. A couple which I have not seen mentioned:
Costco. When my wife and I were dating we used to call this our "cheap dinner date." For $5 the both of us could have dinner - with a drink included. If we wanted to splurge, dessert for both of us was only $3 more.
Our favorite sit-down restaurant has a separate "to go" menu which we discovered has the same items at a cheaper price. The salad and drinks are not included, but who cares. We just "take out" and provide our own. Sit down meal with the family runs around $60 with drinks, salads, tax and tip. Take home entrees for the family $20, that's cheaper than McD's and better tasting.
I prefer to eat more expensive, but healthier meals and take them "to go". It save the costs of drinks and sometimes a tip....depends on where we are eating.
CISCO makes a lot of the prepared foods for the restaurants. Sometimes you are getting the same food regardless of restaurant. I've learned I usually don't even like the taste. If we want a dessert, I have something at home like cake or ice cream. It's cheaper and possibly tastier. If nothing else, we can stop by a grocery store on the way home and pick up something to feed the entire family for less than the cost to eat at the restaurant.
We go out maybe once a week, the price point varies. But if I go out for a meal, I want to enjoy it just as I do at home. I don't drink water with dinner at home, so I'm not going to order water to save a couple of bucks when I'm out. Same goes for quality - if I want to go out for a pizza, I will spend more to eat a good quality pie as opposed to eating horrible garbage at some place like a CiCi's - I would rather spend more for something I enjoy rather than spending any amount on something I would not. Coupons are usually how we shave a few bucks off the bill.
this is my attitude as well. sure be money concious but if your not enjoying your meal and your experience to the fullest because your being "cheap" then you may as well nt spend the money at all. coke goes great with pizza. if i drink a water to save $2 im not enjoying the $10 pizza to the fullest and sorta losing money in away
Our neighborhood Mexican restaurant has half price tacos on Mondays, so we try to eat there on Mondays. Buffalo Wild Wings has half price original wings on Tuesdays, and we normally only eat there on Monday.
If we get Popeye's or Church's chicken to go, even though it's only the two of us we will order 15 or 16 pieces with three or four sides and it lasts for two or three meals or snacks or whatever.
At our favorite barbecue restaurant we will get "ribs for two," which consists of a slab of baby back ribs and three sides. We upgrade the sides to two baked potatoes and a vegetable kabob from baked beans, slaw, fries. It's really filling and we always have leftovers that we eat the next day; not enough for a full meal, but enough for a snack or a small lunch.
We usually get takeout instead of eating in the restaurant. It's usually for convenience because we are tired after working all day and would rather eat at home, but it also costs less. Even though we still tip on takeout, it ends up being less. Even though we normally just get water, for some reason we just spend more if we eat in. Maybe we just order more when eating in and tip a little less on takeout than we would if we eat in; I don't know. I just know it's cheaper to get it to go.
I am signed up online with several restaurants and they regularly send me coupons for $5 off two entrees or a free appetizer, plus they always send a coupon for a free meal on your birthday.
GROUPON! I have gotten so many good deals on restaurant meals from Groupon.
And if you have a Costco membership, they sell restaurant gift cards for $79.99 for $100 value.
Last edited by luzianne; 10-07-2013 at 06:17 PM..
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but do make sure to leave a decent tip, the server works just as hard if you get one entree as two.....
