Saving Money With Restaurant Coupons - Dine Out & Save Cash With These Tips

Saving Money With Restaurant Coupons - Dine Out & Save Cash With These Tips
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The holidays coming up combined with the current state of the economy has families trying to cut unnecessary expenses. One area families are cutting back in is dining out. The reality is that families don’t have to cut their dining out completely but look for ways to do it more frugally. Dining out frugally means using restaurant coupons. There are several types of restaurant coupons including discount savings books with coupons, coupons on the internet, and cards that offer repeat discounts at one restaurant.

Discount Books

When dining out using a discount savings book, sort through the coupons carefully. Most of these coupons offer the opportunity to order one entree and receive a second one for free. To use these coupons effectively, do not spend more on the meal than you normally would. The savings are only savings if you pocket that money instead of using it to buy an appetizer or dessert you normally would not order. When planning to use these coupons, make sure you note the fine print. Many coupons in discount savings books for restaurants limit the time-frame that your coupon can be used. This includes an expiration date as well as specific days of the week and times in the day or evening that the coupons can be used.

Online Coupons

Purchasing restaurant coupons on the internet is another great way to save at a restaurant and enjoy dining out with your family. One popular website is Restaurant.com. Typically shoppers can purchase these coupons for anywhere from 60 to 80 percent off their face values.

Just like discount savings books though, there are restrictions. Many of these restaurant coupons restrict the days of the week they can be redeemed. Ones that can be used any day of the week usually require a minimum purchase. Even with the minimum purchase requirement these coupons can save the average family 60 to 80 percent off their meal expense. To manage this make sure you do not purchase a coupon with a larger minimum required purchase to receive the discount than you would normally spend on your meal. One final restriction to be aware of with coupons from Restaurant.com is that customers can only use their coupon at any specific restaurant once per month.

Discount Cards

The final type of coupon you can find are discount cards that give you multiple discounts at the same restaurant. These can be bought from online retailers and also through local fund raising programs. Typically these discount cards allow you to have one meal at 50 percent off the price of your final bill. There is a limit though, usually somewhere between a $50 and $80 discount maximum.

These discount cards also allow you to receive anywhere from five to ten more “buy one entree get one free” offer in addition to the 50% discount on future trips. As with the discount savings books, make sure you pocket your savings when redeeming those offers. These discount cards typically cost anywhere from $25 to $45. You can save that much on the 50 percent offer alone on the first time you visit the restaurant.

The current state of the economy does not have to restrict your opportunity to dine out with your family. Instead, shop smartly and collect these discounts in this article to use effectively when dining out with friends and family. You will see the savings in your wallet if you do.