Almost any money saving expert will tell you that the first way to reduce your expenses is to cut back how much you go out to eat since it can get pretty expensive dining at restaurants on a regular basis. Learning to save on eating out means you can still enjoy going out without making huge sacrifices.

When we go out to a restaurant to eat, there are a lot of costs other than just the price you pay for food. You have taxes, which in some states you may not normally have on food items. Then you have the cost of gas for driving there. You then also typically have to tip your server, which can be another 15-20% of the price of your bill. (I’m assuming you’re not a lousy tipper). When you think of all of this, it’s not surprising that naturally the average bill for just two people is somewhere between $30-$50.

I agree it is probably best to not eat out as often as you would like to. Sure, it is a lot easier to just order something and be done with it – especially if you are a pretty lousy cook like I used to be. (Now that I cook at home more though I’m starting to get pretty good at it!) Maybe there is some sort of special occasion like a birthday or anniversary that makes you want to go out to eat. Whatever the reason, if you want to save money on eating out, here are some helpful tips for you:

Tip #1: Choose a Restaurant Wisely:

There are a lot of considerations to make when choosing the place you go for your meal. Some of this will depend on whether you are going for lunch, dinner, or breakfast. Picking the place is going to dictate a lot in what you spend, simply because menu prices vary. Don’t assume just because a place has a high priced menu it means the food is good. Some of the best places are actually quite reasonably priced. You can also look for buy one get one coupons or search for places that have lunch or early bird specials.

Tip #2: Stay Away From Fast Food:

A lot of times we think fast food is the cheapest, especially since a lot of them have value meals and dollar menus. However, if you are not getting good food there, then it is not even worth it because eating unhealthy foods is going to make you feel tired, unmotivated, and could even potentially result in health problems later on in life. If you’re going to spend money on eating out, then I suggest that you pick a place that serves high quality and healthy food. It’s the least you can do for yourself.

Tip #3: Drink Water

If you want to save money, you’re going to need to practice a little restraint when ordering. Get water to drink – it’s better for you than soda pop is anyway. Drinks and beverages (especially alcoholic ones) are way overpriced and you may not even drink half the glass before you are done with your meal – so drink water with dinner. Not to mention they add calories to your diet that you don’t even actually need! If you make this a habit, it gets much easier and eventually you’ll find you don’t need anything except water anyway.

Tip #4: Split Appetizers & Entrees

A lot of restaurants may have policies regarding splitting meals, but for the most part you can safely share something with someone without any problem – just ask for an extra plate. Most portions are ridiculous in size, so there’s no harm in sharing it with someone if you both want the same thing. The other thing you can do is split two entrees between the two of you – that way you both get the variety but without having to order more food than you can eat.

Tip #5: Save the Leftovers:

If you save the leftovers, then you’ll have another snack or meal at another time. I’ve yet to go to a restaurant that doesn’t offer some sort of doggy bag or container to take food home in, so don’t be ashamed about asking.

Tip #6: Tip Your Waitress:

Just because you don’t have a lot of money does it mean you should skimp out on tipping your waiter or waitress, especially if they have provided good service and didn’t give you any dirty looks about you wanting to order water, share a meal, and need a bag to take the food home with you. Your bill is likely to be pretty low, so make sure that at a minimum you leave $3 or 15-20%, whichever one is more. I believe in karma – if you give your money to others for helping you, you will get it back. So don’t be cheap about this part, okay? Now if you got crappy service, that’s another story…and I’ll leave that one up to you to decide how much you should tip.

Do you have any additional ideas on ways to save when eating out? Share your ideas in the comments below.