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Save money on eating out
The cost-of-living crisis is currently impacting millions of people and many of us will be cutting back on nights out and entertainment as a means of saving money. However, as Which? explains, it’s not impossible to enjoy the occasional treat – there are ways to save on eating out or ordering a takeaway from your favourite restaurants while sticking to a budget…
1 Chain restaurant mailing lists: Joining some
chain restaurants’ own clubs or mailing lists can save a lot of money. These tend to be free to sign up for via email and are run by large chains such as Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Pizza Express. Customers on a company’s mailing list often get details of special deals sent straight to their inbox as soon as they are launched. For example, Which? found Pizza Express offered a 35% discount for a local restaurant when signing up.
2 Bring your own booze: On average, restaurants mark up the price of wine by 167%. A typical bottle of house wine starts from around £15, whereas an equivalent bottle from a supermarket can be found from £5 – though some BYOB restaurants may charge a small corkage fee. Customers can search online for nearby BYOB restaurants, or see wine-pages.com/ business-directory for listings.
3. Order direct from the restaurant: It’s often
cheaper to order food directly from a restaurant, rather than through an app delivery service such as Deliveroo or Just Eat.
4. Don’t pay for water: Establishments that serve alcohol are required by law to give customers free tap water.
5. Get paid to dine out: Some companies recruit
mystery shoppers to eat and drink in pubs, cafes and restaurants – often large chains. Mystery diners are usually paid or gifted the cost of the meal in return for an honest review of their experience.
6. Join dining clubs to get discounts: Loyalty
schemes and dining clubs can give diners discounts of up to 50% off at participating restaurants. Tastecard and Gourmet Society both offer a free 90-day trial, meaning customers could get free restaurant discounts for six months by trialling them back-to-back.
7. Find vouchers and discount codes before you
go out: Many restaurants offer vouchers online. There are also a number of websites, such as VoucherCodes and HotUKDeals, that post deals and discount codes regularly. It can be worth checking daily deal websites, such as Groupon and Wowcher, for restaurant offers too.
8. ‘Kids eat free’ offers: If dining out as a family, it is worth checking if nearby restaurants offer discounts for children. Several popular chains offer discounts for children at certain times including Bella Italia, The Real
Greek and Morrisons Cafe.
9. Book online: Websites such as OpenTable,
Lastminute and 5pm specialise in two-for-one offers, 50% off deals and promotions where wine might be included with a meal. Users can search for the deals currently available nearby, then book a table at their chosen restaurant. On arrival, they simply need to remind the server that the booking was a special deal online.
10. Take a doggy bag: Don’t waste leftover food.
People commonly over-order in restaurants, so it makes sense to ask for a box or bag to take your leftovers home. This can also save money on lunch the following day.
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