To date, we have considered 4 of the 10 options for spending our hard earned dollars wisely while feeding our family away from home. In case you have missed the first two segments, here is Part 1 and Part 2. Today we are continuing our series by looking at options 5 and 6 in our 10 ways to cut the expense of eating out.

OPTION 5:  Choose days where the restaurant is offering a special.

Many companies have daily specials. Finding those specials can be as easy as watching signage, listening to others, and searching the web. Here are some different types of specials that restaurants offer:

• Some specials occur each week. The McDonalds, close to our home, offers $.59 hamburgers and $.69 cheeseburgers on Mondays and Tuesdays. On busy days, picking up cheeseburgers is a great time saver and doable financial option.
• Other specials are available for a limited time. Our Moe’s is offering a buy one, get one free burrito every Thursday with no coupon needed until the end of April. My hubby and our son’s school teacher are big fans of Moe’s. We have taken advantage of this deal where the kids and I have delivered lunch to the school and to Dad at work. (My kids are always looking for a reason to visit Daddy at work.)
• Certain specials repeat periodically. Our Olive Garden will run a never-ending pasta bowl promotion for $6.95. This special is very reasonable as the soup or salad and breadsticks are also included in the price. Sometimes we have chosen to drink water and then order the alfredo dipping sauce for our breaksticks. But with the never-ending pasta bowl, we can order pasta with alfredo sauce. Then dip our breaksticks in the alfredo sauce. (My mouth is watering for that creamy taste.)
• Early bird specials can also be a great deal. On date night, Paul and I have dined out at Steak Ale. There early bird menu was available from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. We would make reservations and arrive by 5:45 p.m. We would then take advantage of the early bird special – steak, baked potatoes, salad bar, drink, and dessert for about $11.95.

OPTION 6:      Think outside the box: splitting or ordering an appetizer.

The portion at many restaurants is very generous. Our family can eat at our Japanese restaurant and bring home leftovers for two more meals. Because the portions can be large, you might consider purchasing one entrée to split between two people. My in-laws frequently visit Copper River Grill for their delicious food, large portions, and incredible value. The hamburger is so large that they purchase one entrée, and then add an additional salad. They both will eat their salads and then split the hamburger and fries. The meal is enough to fill them up, and the bill is reasonable.

Another “out of the box” idea to saving at the restaurant is to purchase an appetizer as your entrée. Most appetizers are less expensive than the entrees but are large portions for the purpose of sharing with the entire table.

When your family chooses to eat at a restaurant, do you choose the place based on the specials offered? Have you ever split at meal or ordered an appetizer for your entrée? When we choose to eat out, we do weigh the benefits of a restaurant with a special. For our family, we currently do not order an appetizer. As our children out grow the kid’s menu, ordering the appetizer may be a good option before graduating to an adult meal. When making our choice, we do consider the specials (price), our time, and the location of the restaurant.

As you consider the specials offered and the other options available, I hope you are finding ways to take your family out to eat, giving mom the night off, and enjoying some family time together while keeping your finances in check.