Save Money at Restaurants

    Do you want to save money at our local restaurants?  We don't want you to miss out on the great food in our area, so check out this list of ways to cut your dining bill.

• Coupons, coupons, coupons.  If you're local - you know the Guide.  There are usually coupons along with the ads restaurants place.  Clipper Magazine has recently started mailing to and soliciting advertisers.  They are very strong with local restaurants.  If you are staying in town, check the hotel lobby for coupons AND for copies of the Guide, Sentinel (another local paper) and the Clipper.
   
• Find out if your favorite restaurant has a "Diner's Club".  I recently visited Little John's Restaurant and they had a note about their club at the bottom of their menu.
   
• Order Water - yep, just water.  We all know that it is good for us, but you can save $1-2 per person and $5 or more if you normally consume alcohol.
   
• Can you go out for lunch instead?  If you are flexible about when you dine out, then the lunch menu is usually cheaper - for the same food.  The portions may be a little smaller, but that is good for our health too (along with the water!)
   
• Forget about those fries with your sandwich.  All too often, fries are $1-2 more than just having chips or coleslaw.
   
• Certain nights of the week are set aside for 'family nights', 'kids nights' or another special.  Take advantage of these deals.  Restaurants offer these specials on their slowest day of the week.

This last tip won't save you money outright, but you get a 2-For-1:  Plan on eating only 1/2 of your meal and doggy bagging the second half for another meal.  Don't let it sit in the fridge for too long, or the savings will have been wasted.