Smart Ways to Save Money at Restaurants

We all eat to live, but many of us live to eat—especially at restaurants. Though there’s almost nothing like a good home-cooked meal, somehow food seems to taste better when you’re not the one doing the cooking.

Get expert money advice to reach your money goals faster!

The downside? The price tag. Sure, going out to eat saves you from that pile of dirty dishes, but it doesn’t save you any money—especially with inflation making everything more expensive.

But there are ways to save some cash when eating out, whether it’s a super classy steakhouse, a fast-food joint or somewhere in between (hey, those hole-in-the-wall spots can be pretty good too). And we’ve got some great ways to save money right here.

How to Save Money at Restaurants

Here are some of our top tips and tricks that will help you save money at restaurants without blowing your budget.

Save half of your meal.

Before your food arrives, ask for a to-go box. When your meal gets to your table, go ahead and stash half of it in the box to enjoy later. And just like that—you got two meals for the price of one. Plus, you don’t have to worry about what to eat for lunch tomorrow. Boom!

Use coupons.

Sign up for coupons and email alerts from your favorite restaurants. Yes, a cluttered inbox is annoying, but if you get $10 off, it’s totally worth all that email marketing. Pro tip: Create an email address just for coupons! That way, you won’t have to sort through your emails every single day.

Coupons also come in the old-fashioned regular mail too—and just like your email inbox, they can also clog up your actual mailbox. But Lacey, one of the members of our Ramsey Baby Steps Community on Facebook, says that you shouldn’t just throw away those annoying ads.

“Those coupon books you get in the mail that most people throw away because it’s ‘junk mail’ . . . check them out!” Lacey said. “Three [Subway] foot-longs for $18, which will finish out my lunch and dinner through Saturday. I already used the two for $13 coupon on Sunday, which got me through yesterday. So it’s been a Subway week for me. $31 for lunch and dinner for almost the whole week, considering that the sub I get is normally $12. The only con is having to force myself to only eat half in one sitting because I can wolf down a foot-long without guilt.”

Get the apps.

These days, a lot of restaurants have their own apps—usually to make it more convenient to order (either before you arrive or when you get there), to find a location, and to check out the menu. But a lot of places have exclusive in-app coupons and deals that give you some serious savings. For example, McDonald’s app users can usually find deals like 15% off any purchase of $15 or more, or 40% off a double cheeseburger. There are also offers for free food (like free fries on Fridays with a purchase), and we always like free food!

Speaking of free food, restaurants also use their apps to support their loyalty and rewards programs—racking up points to cash in on free stuff. Just remember not to overspend trying to get those points! Only buy what you can eat.

And app-based discounts aren’t just for specific restaurants. Third-party apps like Upside often have deals at local restaurants. It might be 6% cash back at the local bar and grill, 10% cash back at Taco Bell, or 26% cash back at the pizza joint around the corner. All you do is check in with the app, submit your receipt after you eat, and get some cash back. After you’ve banked enough cash, you can have it transferred directly to your account.

Do a lunch date instead.

Lunch out is awesome. Not only is it cheaper, but you can also usually get extras like a soup or salad with your meal for less than the price of a main dish at dinnertime.

Get the birthday discount!

Multiply this deal by however many people are in your family. If you already know where you want to go on your special day, sign up for their online birthday club now. Then, on your big day, you can bask in all the perks. Happy birthday to you!

Skip the appetizer.

If your restaurant of choice offers free bread or chips and salsa, you may not need an appetizer to leave satisfied. Enjoy a generous helping of bottomless bread or chips and put that extra $9 toward your main entrée—or your current money goal! See, you’re saving money already and you just walked in the door!

Share a meal.

Portions are crazy big in America. If you haven’t tried splitting an entrée with someone, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you do. You’ll still get full, and if you need to, you can always order an extra side.

Learn coffee shop hacks.

Okay, this isn’t exactly a restaurant, but if you’re spending a lot of money grabbing coffee from a drive-thru each month, learn ways to cut back on that bill.

We’re talking about splitting the biggest size with a friend (which is way more ounces and often just $1 extra), ordering through the app to score rewards points, and—to be blunt—cutting back and becoming your own barista (at least some of the time!).

Get it to go.

Instead of dining in, get your food to go (through the app if they have one) and rent a movie for a cheap date. Tip the takeout person around 10% rather than 20% of your tab, since they’re spending about five minutes wrapping up your food instead of an hour filling drinks and getting you that unlimited salsa.

Order like a kid.

Consider ordering from the kids menu—just be sure to respect any age limits the restaurant has (some don’t have any!). The portions are often large enough to fuel you for a light meal, and you can sometimes trade in the toy for a bigger entrée. Or an ice cream cone. (No shame here.)

Go on a Monday or Tuesday. 

The first few days of the week are notoriously slow for restaurants. Because of this, they’ll usually offer specials to entice customers to fill their booths. Move your Saturday night hang to the start of the week, and you can eat a meal you already love at a better price. You’ll find $10 pizzas, cheap burger deals, all-you-can-eat wings, two-for-one specials and more!

Avoid major holidays. 

Fixed-price menus are becoming super popular for major holidays. An entrée that would cost you only $15 on a regular day is suddenly lumped into a three-course, $49-per-person meal. If you want to go out for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day but you’re afraid of the sticker shock (and the crowd), try going out the day before or after!

Save your lunch money.

Instead of shelling out $10 for a greasy lunch five times a week, make some budget-friendly dinners and bring leftovers to work. Then, put that money toward a quality meal out with your special someone. This way, you’re still getting to eat out, but you’re just being more intentional about your restaurant budget line.

Avoid the sports bar.

Watch your sports at home, where the snacks are prepurchased for the occasion (from your favorite wings place or from a bulk warehouse store). If you go out, chances are, you’ll end up watching TV and eating (and spending) mindlessly.

Kids eat free.

You’ve got to pay full price for your kids to eat at a restaurant, whether or not they actually eat anything on their plate. And when they pick at just one slice of pizza from a meal that cost you $10, it’s hard to keep that smile on your face.

But when the kids eat free? Well, that puts everyone’s mind at ease.

Plenty of restaurants offer free (or nearly free) meals for kids under 12 on certain nights of the week. Your kiddos can also score freebies at some dining spots by showing off their A/B report card or sporting a team uniform after a game.

And if they don’t eat any of their dinner tonight, pack it up for their lunch tomorrow. Goodbye, stress. Goodbye, waste. Hello, savings.

Hit up happy hour.

Okay, earlier we said to skip the appetizers. And we stick by that money-saving tip—unless you use this little trick. Grab dinner on the early side and eat half-price appetizers as your entrée. (Yep, really.)

Just be sure to check ahead and see what time happy hour prices start. (Every place is different.) Best of all, if you order a sampler platter or a few appetizers to share with a group of friends, you’ll get to sample the full menu for a cheaper price and a shorter wait time (that’s a win!).

Drink water.

Remember that you’re there for the food, not the Cherry Coke. Next time you go out, ask for a cup for water.

We know . . . water is boring, especially at happy hour. But if you’re looking to save some money, beverages make up a big portion of your bill. Soft drinks can cost $3–4 a cup—which adds up quick if you have a large family. And let’s not get started on the price of alcoholic drinks (was that $15 margarita really worth it?).

Water is free, and it’s good for you, so take advantage of it. And if it’s too boring for your taste buds, ask for soda water to get a little fizzy excitement, or add a lemon for flavor. That’s free too.

Prioritize outings based on your plans.

The calendar is your restaurant budget’s best friend—trust us. So at the start of each week, take a look at what you’ve got going on.

Do you have dinner plans with friends on Friday? Does it look like you’ll need to snag lunch out in the middle of a crazy Saturday? Meal plan and eat at home the rest of the week, and you’ll be set! Or pack yourself a meal for Saturday lunch to make room for a Sunday date with your spouse. A little planning goes a long way.

Cut down on convenience buys.

Let’s be real, the biggest drain on your restaurant budget comes from those quick impulse buys. You know the type: easy drive-thru orders, last-minute pizza deliveries, and the inevitable “I don’t feel like cooking” dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. Set yourself up for success by keeping quick and healthy snacks in your car and stocking your kitchen with some frozen pizzas.

Don’t skimp on tipping.

Sure, you want to save money on your final bill, but don’t get stingy and cut corners on the tip. If you’re going out to eat, you need to be prepared to tip, plain and simple. Find other ways to cut back on your food cost (like buy one, get one offers and coupons)—but still be a good tipper.

And if you don’t want to cough up the extra money for a tip, then opt for a restaurant that doesn’t have servers bringing you food (think places like Chipotle).

Just get desserts.

If you love going out but want to spend less doing it, eat at home and go out just for dessert (and maybe a coffee). You can get that restaurant atmosphere with a smaller bill. It’s a win for your budget and your love of fun.

Christina, another of our Ramsey Baby Steps Community members, takes advantage of the amazing (and cheap) desserts available at her local warehouse club store. “We go to Sam’s Club and get their caramel/berry sundaes,” Christina said. “They are huge and we share.”

Take the survey.

At the end of the meal, some places ask you to fill out a survey to rate their service. Now before you throw that QR code away or bypass the survey on the table computer, just remember that a lot of these restaurants reward those who take the time to give feedback. It might be a free drink or entrée the next time you come, or you’re entered in a raffle for a gift card. Either way, you can make out by just giving your opinion. And you’re helping them improve their service. Win-win.

Restaurant Savings: Effort vs. Impact

Money-Saving Tip	Estimated Savings (Per Meal)	Effort Level	Best For
Order water instead of soda or alcohol.	$3–15	Low	Everyone
Split an entrée or save half for later.	$8–15	Low	Couples, solo diners
Eat out at lunch instead of dinner.	$5–20	Low	Day dates, workdays
Go on Kids Eat Free nights.	$10–30	Medium	Families with kids
Skip appetizers and desserts.	$6–12	Low	Everyone
Get food to go instead of dining in.	$5–15	Medium	Date nights
Go during happy hour or early-week specials.	$8–20	Medium	Flexible schedules
Order from the kids menu.	$5–10	Low	Light eaters
Just order desserts or coffee.	$10–30	Low	Date nights
Bring lunch from home.	$8–20	Medium	Everyone

Start With a Budget

As you can see from the table above, many of these money-saving tips have one thing in common: They don’t take a lot of effort to pull off . . . in the moment. But they do require planning and intentionality on your part—and that means having a plan. Translation: You need to get on a budget.

You may not be able to swing by the coffee shop every day on your way to work, accept last-minute lunch plans with friends, and take the kids out for pizza after soccer practice.

But that’s okay! You’re still the one in charge of your money. You’re still the one deciding to tighten up some here and there. And you’re still enjoying that restaurant life sometimes.

The biggest tip we have for restaurant savings is this: Budget. Each month before the next month begins, sit down with your spouse or accountability partner and make a zero-based budget. Look at your month realistically and create a line item for everything—including eating at your favorite restaurants.

And guess what? If you use an on-the-go budgeting tool like EveryDollar, you can set up a zero-based budget and keep on top of your spending with ease.

Hey, with EveryDollar and all these tips, you can find the balance you need with your food spending so you can start saving more.

Bon appétit!