Posts Tagged ‘eating out’
Eating Out on the Cheap
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Having a meal out with a partner or friend is sometimes just what we all need to help us wind down from things going on in our lives. I don’t know about you, but typically I find that the times when I need this the most, are usually the times when I’m lowest on cash and can least afford it. Because of this, I thought I’d put together here a few ideas for eating out on the cheap which you can employ when you reeeeally need that time out, but just can’t afford to spend too much.
Look out for discount days
Lots of restaurants and takeaways have days that are quietest (often Tuesdays or Wednesdays), and in order to attract more people in on those days, they offer special deals. These can be things such as 2 for 1 on main meals, or free desert with a main course. One place that’s been advertising something like this at the moment is Pizza Hut, who are offering a free pizza with any order of a pizza and a side for delivery orders
Check online for discount vouchers
There are a number of sites around, including BView, who offer printable coupons that can be taken to restaurants to give you additional discounts on your meals. Quite a number of places also offer vouchers on their own websites, and it’s worth checking for these as offers change fairly regularly.
Picnics & BBQ’s
Of course you could go down the picnic route if the weather is fine enough. A nice bottle of wine, a bit of cold meat, salad and bread, a blanket and a good view can really be a very relaxing way of eating out cheaply, then there’s the humble BBQ. Invite some friends, and eat al fresco. If you do it right, and ask everyone to bring something, no one spends a fortune and everyone has a good time. Just do make sure you cook everything properly won’t you!
Save up points & vouchers
It might sound like an odd way to do it, but saving up points from schemes like the Nectar scheme or Tesco’s clubcard scheme can give you a very affordable evening out, and in some instances these can be used along side some of the deals that restaurants offer. These points can then be exchanged for vouchers to be used in various places including many eateries and sometimes you actually get more for your points this way than you would if you spent them in the store.
My husband and I sometimes like to combine the picnic idea with the spending points one, and we’ll save our Boots advantage card points and go get ourselves a nice sandwich from Boots, then take it down by the river and eat while watching the boats go by.
Tags: boots, eating out, pizza hut, saving money, tesco
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Save Money While You Work
Monday, June 1st, 2009
So many of us go out to work to earn money, and we spend a lot of time at work as well as getting there and back. We think of the time we spend at work as where we’re earning money, but if you’re clever, you can make that time a time when you are saving money too.
Think about what you eat when you’re at work, and instead of buying food from the store there, or eating in a local pub or restaurant, try buying some extra bits when you go shopping and taking a packed lunch with you – it doesn’t have to add to the time you spend getting ready each day as you can always make up 5 days worth of sandwiches and freeze them ready to grab in the morning. If you prefer, you could invest in a few Tupperware containers and take yourself along a nice fresh salad or if your work provides a microwave that you can use, then there are many things from flavoured rice to ready meals that you can take along to eat for lunch often at a fraction of the cost of buying lunch at or near work each day. You could even take your lunch out and get a breath of fresh air at a local park and watch the birds or squirrels while you do so.
Clothes for work can cost a fortune, especially for women as men often just wear a shirt and black trousers. Well women, don’t forget you could just do similar, invest in a couple of decent skirts or pairs of trousers in black, and then dress them differently each day with a variety of differently coloured blouses and scarves. Your look will stay fresh, and your pocket won’t be as empty as it would if you went for full outfits each time. Sites like undertenpounds.com are well worth keeping an eye on too as they often have special offers of items which can save you money (for example, I once bought a ¾ length leather coat from this site for £9.99!)
The cost of getting to and from work each day is for many people the largest cost of the working week. So why not send out an e-mail to all your colleagues and see if anyone would like to car share. The cost of transport can be cut right down this way as there is only one car to fuel up and one to park instead of 2, 3 or even 4. You can then take it in turns to do the driving as well.
Tags: eating out, packed lunch, save money, shopping, work
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