I love to eat out. Always have. I think it started when my dad would take us to the pancake house after church on Sundays. Oh, the wonderful smells! The perky waitress at my beck and call! The desserts! And then the check. My dad had a rule. “He who looks, pays.” As an adult who’s doing the paying, I understand why. He didn’t want us to be appalled at the bill!
These days, we’re eating out less. I still really enjoy having someone else do the cooking – and love having someone else do the cleanup. But the cost can make it prohibitive. We were using coupons, but found a better way – Restaurant.com. Restaurant.com lets you choose restaurants in your neighborhood. You can choose by location, price, or type. You choose the coupon that fits you best, then pay them. The coupon code is sent to you via email, and you print out the coupon on your own computer. It’s as simple as that!
We’ve been doing this for two years now and haven’t had a problem. Occasionally, some people do report that a restaurant manager has no idea how to deal with the coupon, but I don’t personally know anyone who that’s happened to. You let your server know in advance that you’ll be using the coupon (usually a dollar amount off the total). It’s generally taken off the bill before it even gets to you. Remember, however, that your tip should be based upon the full price, not the discounted price. If you can’t afford to tip your waitress, you can’t afford to eat out.
These coupons typically run $5-$10, depending upon the quality and expense of the restaurant. Right now, they’re running a promotional for 60% off. Just enter MEMBER in the discounts box when you’re checking out. I just got a coupon for $25 off a $35 purchase at our local pizzeria for a whopping $4. (Too bad I’m on a New Year’s diet, but the kids will be happy!) I also bought a similar coupon for a restaurant that I’ve always wanted to try, but figured was probably too snooty for my geeky self. For ~$14 ($4 coupon plus $10 difference), I’m willing to give it a try.
This deal is only good through Thursday (the 11th). If you miss it, bookmark their page and check back near the end of the month. They run 50% off specials quite often in the last week of the month.