Allbeforecoffee’s Blog

Everybody’s in a major panic. Few go around bragging about how much they have cut back but may admit they have made changes. Some of the more bold go on television and share their unique 12 tips to saving money. Most people just institute their own smart calculator and deal with the reality of what works for them. The big question has been, can you still go out to eat? Has that become too expensive to consider during this rough economic period?  High-end dining has clearly suffered. Lots of strategies http://allbeforecoffee.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/fully-non-committed/are in place to get customers.

 Almost all restaurants have decided this is the time to institute smart, clever strategies to get us in to their dining rooms. When you run the numbers of what it costs to feed 2 adults and 4 children, sometimes a restaurant coupon makes eating out cheaper than preparing that same meal at home.

Restaurant coupons have become increasingly more common lately as more people scour the Internet for a way to fulfill a basic instinct. This particular strategy has you spend upfront money for an amount-off coupon which has far greater value than your initial investment. For example, you often buy a $10 coupon for just $2. Sometimes the companies even have double coupon deals that give you an opportunity to dine out for far less than you initially estimated spending. I heard about one program which had a doubling with the only stipulation you had to spend $35 at a particular restaurant. The family in profile spent $40, used their coupons which had cost them $2 for $25 off, and wound up spending an out-of-pocket $17 before tip. That was for pizza, pasta, a salad, a sandwich, and drinks. Hard to top that!

Another restaurant strategy is to follow the incentives listed on Open Table. Each town seems to have a unique approach with the overall intent of getting you into restaurants, helping you earn dining points, and informing you of various promotions such as restaurant weeks. This helps restaurants fill tables!

Sometimes all you need is to type your favorite local restaurant’s name plus the word “coupon” into a google search, and you’ll find a special offer. I tried it with a few well-known national chains and came up with some interesting results. Most want you to sign up for their email program which then informs you of promotions. The email lists are invaluable for the restaurants and prove to be a significant savings for the customer.

One of the older, but still popular, guides is the Entertainment Book. At this time of the year, many of the $35 books are half-price. You can scour a location on the website and determine if the restaurants and the potential savings match the initial outlay. In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes.

Another approach is to try the various “economic stimulus” dining options at individual restaurants. Here is where the web makes such a search easy and dining affordable. Many restaurants have pitched themselves into this category and offer numerous options to fill the dining rooms. This is a positive, immediate stimulus you can digest.

The opportunities are out there. Grab your coats.