Nov 26, 2008 10:58 pm US/Central
Smart Shopping: Paying Less To Eat Out
(WCCO)
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Don't forget those happy hour deals -- not for the drinks but for the food. That's when you can find some of the best prices on appetizers or small plates. (File)
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After a long day at work, sometimes it's just nice to leave the cooking to someone else. Eating out can be pricey and it's one of the first things many families have cut out. But we've got some tricks to sink your teeth into.
Restaurant Loyalty Clubs
Many restaurants, even the fast food variety, have loyal customer clubs. Sign up and save with the coupons they'll send you by e-mail. Many of the chain restaurants have clubs, places like Red Lobster and TGI Fridays.
Culver's will occasionally send you coupons for your favorite restaurant. Cold Stone Creamery offers a club card or you can sign up for the birthday club and get a free ice cream on your birthday.
Find Coupons
If you'd rather not deal with all that e-mail, try using sites like Restaurant.com. Here you'll find $25 gift certificates selling for $10. You can also sign up to receive e-mails to get coupon codes. These coupon codes make the good deals you find on this site even better. You can save up to 80 percent more when you use these coupon codes.
The site also has a new dinner of the month club. You buy three $25 gift certificates and instead of spending $75, you'll pay just $30.
A couple of things to keep in mind: The selection of restaurants is limited and you need to think about whether you are spending more than you normally would by buying these certificates.
Here's what we mean. Many of the restaurants require you to spend a certain amount. For instance with a coupon code you can pay as little as $2 for a $25 gift certificate, but the restaurant requires you to spend a total of $35. That means you'll have to doll out another $10 once you get to the restaurant. It can still be a good deal, if it's money you would normally spend. It's not a great deal if you're buying more food just to cash in the certificate.
Kid Friendly Deals
Got kids? Be sure to take advantage of the restaurants that offer kid friendly deals. There are a bunch of them.
Kids eat free every Sunday at D'Amico & Sons. Kids eat free every day of the week at Bar Abilene.
If you are looking for kid -friendly deals near your neighborhood, check out Kids Meal Deals.com. You plug in your zip code or your city and they list the deals closest to you.
Alternative to Coupon Books
Chances are someone in your neighborhood will sell you one of those Happenings Entertainment books. They can be a great deal, $30 for thousands of coupons. However, if you are one of those people who have a tough time keeping up with the book, you might want to check out the online version. An online membership costs less than $5 a month and you can print as many coupons as you want.
You may be used to seeing the blue envelope filled with coupons called Valpak. You can find more great savings on that Web site too. You can even sort by zip code to find coupons for your area. We found a buy one get one free pizza coupon for Green Mill.
Restaurant Specials
Then check out the lunch specials. More restaurants than ever are slashing prices. The Local in downtown Minneapolis has had a $10.99 lunch menu for years, but this summer added other items with smaller portions that sell for $7.99.
And don't forget those happy hour deals -- not for the drinks but for the food. That's when you can find some of the best prices on appetizers or small plates.
Easy Ways to Cook Restaurant Food at Home
You can also ask the chef to share his or her recipe. If you don't find they're willing to do that, check out copykat.com. This site lets you find some of your favorite restaurant meal recipes. You can also check out top secret recipes.com.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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