Dining Out without Breaking the Bank

Ok, so I admit it, we love eating out. But how, in these times, can you do it and still be frugal? Well a lot of the major chain restaurants are running low price specials. Friday’s has a new low price menu as well as a lot of others.

But how do you go to a fine dining restaurant and still be frugal? Well, this takes a little more work. The first thing you need to do is eat a little something before you go so you won’t over order. Once you get to the restaurant just order water. Alcohol can be very expensive at fine dining restaurants; even soda and tea can be expensive. I have had bills in the past where two teas cost $8.50. Try your best to avoid appetizers they have gotten a lot more expensive as well. Though they have gotten big enough that two appetizers could make a meal. It does for us many times.

More then once we have eaten at the California Grill at Disney for under $40 with tip. We have eaten at The Plaza in Magic Kingdom for just over $30 with tip. Now how, you may ask, can we get meals so inexpensively? Do we work there part-time? Have we enslaved a cast member for his or her discount? Well, we are friends with several cast members but we can’t drag one of them along every time we want to eat on property. No, we have “Tables in Wonderland” this is a discount program for Fla. residents and Disney Passholders. You can read details at the link above.

I guess what I am saying is, you can still go out and have a nice meal and not break the bank if you do a little homework and order smart.