Food is my weakness – there, I said it! Some people are into Magazines, some splurge on new clothes, my vice is and always has been dining out. But when you’re on a budget and tempted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee or invited out for dinner with friends, there is a way that you can still stay on track with your dollars and no one needs to know your little secret! But if you’re yet to implement the “B” word and if you’ve been spending a lot of discretionary money on dining out then by implementing some of these steps you will quickly save money and help you live the champagne life on a beer budget!

This year has been a tight one for us, but being a family of 7 we often have social engagements so we’ve found a few creative ways to make our money go even further! Before you get started make a note to keep a visual track on how often you are actually spending money here, as ‘just a coffee’ quickly becomes 20 coffees over the space of the month and can really add up! So the key here is to practice moderation in addition to saving money with these tips. Being mindful of where your money is going really helps to spend the cash where you really want to splurge guilt free like your BFF’s birthday dinner and not on mindless items!

1. Do you have a favourite dining venue, café or takeaway? Firstly download any app, subscribe to their online updates and join any VIP or loyalty club that you can! Some restaurants will shout you a free meal on your birthday, reward you for your patronage or give you a discount off your total bill. Check if they offer an advantage for referring others!

2. Is there an Earlybird dining option at your favourite restaurant or local pub? Perhaps a day that they offer ‘kids eat free’? Plan your outings around this to take advantage of the savings.

3. Check out discount websites such as ‘Cudo’ , ‘Groupon’ and ‘Scoopon’ for some great dining deals in your local area! You can also visit these sites whilst on holidays to take advantage of the savings there too! Make sure you read the fineprint and check any restrictions.

4. The Early Bird catches the …. Dinner! Did you know that if you book through www.firsttable.com.au you can get 50% off your main meal (excluding drinks). Pay a small booking fee to secure your spot from 2 to 4 diners. Check out all participating restaurants on the website. First Table is available in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, Ireland and Indonesia

5. Change up your routine and book a Sunday lunch instead of a Friday or Saturday night Dinner! Lunch menus often contain the same or similar meals but at a cheaper rate (albeit they are sometimes a bit smaller).

6. Eat an Entrée and Dessert instead of the main . Or order a main and split your dessert with your sweetie, kids or BFF!

7. Going out with a group of friends? This is where I often mess up because I’m so busy chatting that I don’t take the time to check the menu properly. Now I’ve started checking out the menu online in advance , pick what I want so when I get there I can just get on with the catch up and know in my mind what I want will keep my purse happy and also my waistline if I’m trying to be extra good!

8. This is a common one, but order your main from the Burger or Salad menu or alternatively order from the Entrée menu or the ‘lite’ cut for the size of your main protein.

9. Meals that can be shared are often more economical. This is where Italian restaurants or places that serve wood fired pizza can be a huge winner!

10. Be a copycat and cook your favourite restaurant meals at home! Check out Copykat.com for some great American chains like Outback Steakhouse (a personal favourite).

11. Order ‘Pick Up’ or drive thru instead of Delivery for your Takeaway meals and save yourself the delivery fee. If the whole family is eating Takeaway from a Major Chain, check to see if a Family Box or Bucket is more economical as opposed to individual meals. Sometimes a $1 Slushee from the Drivethru is enough to satisfy the craving (or nagging) for something on a hot day.

12. More on Takeaway – Check out the Budget or Dollar menu of the Takeaway Chain and see if there are any options here.The key is to look before you leap and don’t feel pressure to keep ordering the same old thing just for the sake of being quicker.

13. Are you a member of the Entertainment Book in your local area? Did you know that Entertainment Memberships help raise $5 Million a year for local Fundraisers? The Entertainment Book offers some fantastic coupons for discounts and additional benefits at local dining and takeaway venues. Check with your local school P&C, Community Facebook Group or Community Centre to see who is selling them and to see what local offers and discounts are applicable. *Extra benefit – there are some great additional shopping discounts in this! https://www.entertainment.com.au/

14. Check out your Insurance or Motoring Association membership benefits such as NRMA Blue. Often they offer dining discounts at selected venues at up to 20% off the bill.

15. Finally, have you checked out our post on Cashback Rewards? There are some awesome ways to score money back on some of your favourite takeaway options including delivery companies such as Menulog and Uber Eats! Extra bonuses also apply for first time orders!

Hopefully these tips will have you on your merry way to some guilt free dining while you help to keep on top of your dollars! I know they’ve certainly been enjoyable for us and kept us on track throughout the year so here’s cheers to another great year! Melissa xx

Note: While this article has been written to include tips for our Australian followers, most of the tips are good for whatever country you are reading from and I’d love to hear what tips you’ve used in the comments below! Please note there are some affiliate links in this post which are at no cost to the reader and may be mutually beneficial.