How to cut the cost of eating out
Dining out might be more of a treat these days, but follow our tips and you could save some money.
Tough economic times mean that eating out has become a luxury for many of us. But if you still want to treat yourself, here are some top tips on how to minimise your spending and maximise enjoyment.
Use discount vouchers
Most chain restaurants have special offers on pretty much constantly. We list the latest every Friday in our Food deals round-up.
Newspapers such as the Times and the Telegraph, and many local newspapers, also run discount meal promotions at various times of the year where you collect tokens from the paper.
Use discount websites
There are several discount websites with eating out offers including restaurant specialist Toptable, 5pm and lastminute. Typical offers include 50% off the a la carte menu, a set menu for £15 or less, or discounts on drinks. If you sign up to Toptable, you also earn reward points for every booking you make, which you can redeem for free meals, chef masterclasses or gifts.
There are lots of regional ones as well, if you know of a good one please share it in the Comments section below.
Look at daily deals websites
There's a growing number of these websites, also known as 'group-buying' websites, and most of them have restaurant deals offering potentially big savings on meals. If you want to see deals from several of the sites in one place, sign up to Buyometric or AllDeals, which aggregate the latest offers from the likes of Groupon, kgbdeals, livingsocial and wowcher based on your preferences and location.
Just make sure the deal is really value for money and that you read the terms and conditions of how you redeem it carefully before you spend your money.
Join a discount club
If you eat out a lot, there are a few memberships clubs worth considering. There's the Gourmet Society, where for an annual membership of £69.95 you can get two-for-one meals or 25% off the bill at over 5,000 restaurants around the UK.
Then there's tastecard, which has expanded from just tastelondon to offer 50% off at over 5,500 restaurants across the UK. You can get a one-month trial via this link, with full annual membership costing £79.95.
Meanwhile, the Hi-Life Diners Club offers two-for-one meals at over 3,500 restaurants in the UK and Ireland. It costs £49.95 a year.
The Gastro Card costs £30 but doesn't have anywhere near the same number of places on its books. However, if you live in the West Midlands it might be worth a look as that's where its greatest concentration of restaurants are located.
With all the membership clubs, make sure you've checked any restrictions on using your discount card, such as it not being valid on weekends, before you arrive at the restaurant.
Other money-saving tips
- Even some of the most famous and awarded restaurants in the land offer discounts, particularly during January, which is the quietest time of the year. Take a look at their websites and you might be surprised, particularly if you're happy to go for a lunch sitting.
- If you’re booking for a group, sometimes restaurants will haggle for your custom.
- A painless, guilt-free way to cut costs is to order tap water, rather than expensive mineral water.
- If you can stay away from alcohol, that’s even better.
Do you have any tips for cutting the cost of eating out? Share them in the Comments section below.
More on dining out
How to get the best seat in a restaurant
What it costs to eat at the UK's most-talked about restaurants
Top five restaurant nightmares
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