Top 15 Tricks and Tips to Saving Money on Food Away From Home

Discover 15 practical tricks and tips to save money on food while traveling or dining out. From early bird specials to BYOB hacks, learn how to eat well for less.

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Top 15 Tricks and Tips to Saving Money on Food Away From Home

Traveling can be very expensive and dining out can really zap your budget. In this article I will get into 15 different ways you can save money when dining out. Saving money on food when traveling can be achieved by planning ahead, packing water and snacks, visiting grocery stores for breakfasts or picnics, and choosing lunch over dinner to take advantage of lower prices. Important strategies include splitting dinners, looking for happy hour deals, using apps like Too Good to Go, and asking locals for fairly priced eateries.

Order Appetizers as the Meal:
You can enjoy eating out while keeping expenses down by ordering appetizers as a meal, which is an efficient approach to save 30-40% on restaurant prices. You may drastically cut your overall expenditure while still having a varied, lower-calorie meal by focusing on sharing starters, happy hour specials, and avoiding alcoholic drinks instead of pricey entrées.
Kids Eat Free:
Target eateries like IKEA (weekdays), Denny's (Tuesdays), and Chili's (Sundays) that have "Kids Eat Free" nights to save money on eating out. Make the most of your discounts by sharing adult entrees, which frequently offer larger portions, phoning ahead to confirm participation, and using restaurant apps for rewards.
Use Happy Hour:
Happy hour is a way to save money on food by scheduling restaurant visits to take advantage of discounted appetizers, snacks, and beverages, which are typically available in the late afternoon, in favor of a full-priced dinner. Ordering several appetizers to share, sitting at the bar for quicker service and special offers, and adhering to the designated early-evening or "reverse" happy hour hours are all important tactics.
Early Bird Specials:
Save money on food, dine between 4 and 7 p.m. to take advantage of early bird deals, which offer reduced-price entrees or prix fixe menus. When compared to usual evening costs, these offers, which are frequently available at restaurants trying to fill seats before the dinner rush, can provide significant savings.
Choose BYOB Restaurants:
Save money at bring your own wine or beer to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle), restaurants to avoid excessive alcohol markups and save 20-40% on your bill. Make the most of your savings by looking for corkage costs (which could be per table or bottle), selecting and bringing more expensive wines to cover the service charge, and so on.
Use Takeout:
Saving money on food while enjoying takeout involves planning meals, making use of leftovers, and selecting pickup over delivery to avoid expensive fees; these are all ways to save money on food while enjoying takeout. Cooking in bulk, restricting takeout to one or two times a week, using apps for coupons, and picking up orders straight from restaurants are some strategies to save 25% to 91%.
Use Coupons and Groupons:
Saving money on dining out is highly effective when leveraging platforms like Groupon, Restaurant.com, and specialized coupon apps to secure discounts often reaching 50-70% off. Key strategies include purchasing discounted vouchers, stacking coupons with cash-back apps, and dining during off-peak hours.

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Buy Your Food at the Grocery Store:
Saving money on groceries involves planning, strategic shopping, and minimizing waste. Key tips include making a list based on meal planning to avoid impulse buys, comparing unit prices, purchasing store-brand products, buying produce in season, and utilizing store apps for digital coupons.
Look Into Specials:
By planning meals around weekly store promotions, utilizing apps like Flipp or Ibotta to locate digital coupons, and giving store-brand products priority over name brands, you may save money on food. To get the best deal, examine unit prices and concentrate on purchasing in bulk, particularly for non-perishables.
Use Loyalty Programs:
Use loyalty programs to get gas rewards or free items, download store apps, and stack digital coupons with sales to save money on food. Activate customized offers, scan rewards cards at the register, and keep track of your expenditures to prevent making purchases purely for points in order to maximize discounts.
Skip the Alcohol:
Since beverages are marked up three to five times in restaurants, avoiding alcohol is one of the best strategies to cut food expenses. You can drastically reduce your costs by eliminating alcohol, drinking water, and adopting smart eating practices.
Share Entrees:
Saving money on food-share-style entrees involves planning meals around weekly sales, purchasing staples in bulk, and reducing food waste by utilizing leftovers. Key strategies include choosing versatile, cost-effective ingredients, cooking at home, and using store brands.
Opt Out for Lunch:
Consistent meal planning, making use of supper leftovers, and stocking basic, non-perishable options at work to prevent impulsive purchases are all ways to save money on lunch. When compared to eating out, packing lunch four or five times a week can cut expenditures in half. Purchasing goods in bulk, including grains and veggies, also lowers prices.
Use Restaurant Apps:
You may drastically reduce your dining expenses by using restaurant apps, which can significantly reduce the cost of pricey takeout meals. You can simply avoid paying full menu costs by using native and third-party apps.
Eat at Buffets:
Focus on expensive goods like meat, seafood, and fresh foods at a buffet to get the most out of it; stay away from inexpensive fillers like bread, pasta, and carbohydrates that are at the front of the line. Use coupons, only drink water, visit during lunch to save money, and "lap" the food before heaping your plate.

Bonus: Here are top tips to get the most for your money at a buffet:

Prioritize High-Value Items: Target the most expensive ingredients first, such as prime rib, crab legs, steak, sushi, and seafood.
Skip Filler Foods: Avoid filling up on inexpensive carbohydrates like rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes, and bread, which are intentionally placed at the beginning of the buffet line.
Do a Pre-Lap: Walk through the entire buffet before picking up a plate to identify the best items and plan your strategy.
Choose Fresh Over Fried: Opt for fresh, high-quality items (like raw bar items, fruits, broccoli) rather than fried foods, which are lower cost and filling.

Disclaimer, Due Diligence Required: Financial markets, tax laws, and economic regulations change frequently and vary by jurisdiction. You should always perform your own independent research, complete thorough due diligence, and consult with a licensed financial advisor, certified public accountant (CPA), or legal professional before making any financial decisions or putting capital at risk. The owners and publishers of this website assume no liability for any financial losses or damages resulting from the use of this information.

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