Frugal Eating Out

In the light of the recent economic events in the United States, many journalists have started to point out the fact that we Americans are still throwing money out the window despite their sensitive financial status. From bottled water and energy drinks to coffee and eating out on lunch breaks all the time, it appears that some people don’t want to give up on the little pleasures.

The good news is that they don’t have to. If you enjoy having lunch, brunch or dinner at the restaurant rather than settle for that notorious frozen meal in front of the TV at home, here are 10 tricks you can employ to shave a great percentage off your bill and even eat for free, in no particular order.

• Purchase gift certificates from your favorite restaurants

Even though it is true that you have to meet a minimum purchase requirement and most of the gift certificates are dine-in only, these setback are minor compared to the advantages. To put it simply, by acquiring a few gift certificates to your favorite restaurants and carrying them in your pocket with you all the time, you will be paying approximately 1/5 of your normal bill on average.

• Use check-ins

By checking into an eating place via various online applications you could benefit from huge discounts and even free meals. All you have to do is check in, mention it to the staff and enjoy your delicious or possibly free meal.

• If you like it, then why don’t you become a regular?

The rule that regulars will surely enjoy perks and freebies is applicable in every industry, not just the restaurants. Without denying the fact that it’s exciting to try out new places, building a relationship with the manager of your favorite restaurant will bring you a lot of benefits in the long run.

• Become friends on Facebook or follow the restaurants on Twitter

With most of the business going online, chances are that the majority of the eating places you enjoy can also be found on popular social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Once you like their page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, you will discover a whole new and amazing world of discounts, freebies and deals you cannot find somewhere else.

• Take advantage of the online coupons

If you truly enjoy eating out and trying a different type of dish each night, then the online coupons sites are an excellent cash saver. In addition to allowing you to pursue your hobby, online coupon sites will bring you the hottest deals and the largest discounts and freebies without having to lift a finger. Furthermore, they also save you time since you only have to register to their newsletter instead of the hundreds of email club restaurants from your town. In general, if you sign up with a professional online coupon site you can be certain about the accuracy of the information you find there.

• Ask for special event deals

What happens if your favorite restaurants in town do not have a mailing list? In this situation you have two alternatives, namely to ask the online coupon site to help you out or to ask the manager or staff if they have special occasion deals. Rest assured, most of them have great deals and freebies ready for special events.

• Don’t fall for the most famous restaurant in town trick

If you are traveling to a new city, then dining at the most renowned restaurant in town is not a good idea. In case you want authenticity, a nice dining experience and a better price, then try the smaller eating places in the city.

• Consider splitting your meal in half

Here is a nice trick that does not only save you cash, but it is also great on your silhouette: consider splitting your meal in half. Considering that the meals in most restaurants across the US are over-sized, you could have half of your meal at the restaurant and take the other half in a doggie bag.

• If possible, visit the restaurants in the off-time

In case you enjoy eating out or you are accustomed to having a cup of coffee during your lunch break regularly, then you are probably familiar with the notion “happy hour”. Simply put, during the off-time the restaurant, bistro or café has lower prices, sometimes even at 50% less. While it is rather difficult to visit these places during your brief lunch break, you can still take advantage of the great deals by having dinner early for instance.

• You could always have the after-dinner drink somewhere else

Granted, after a nice and delicious dinner you might feel kind of sleepy and will most likely be in the mood for a drink. Since most of the restaurants overcharge for alcohol, you could end up paying just as much for a couple of drinks as for the entire dinner. Or perhaps, you should have those drinks somewhere else where the prices are more reasonable.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Art enjoys blogging about frugal yet stylish ways to celebrate birthdays and he has taken this a step further through his FavoriteCandle website where readers can get free birthday meals.

Valentines On A Budget

Sometimes a person can be low on money when a special day comes around.  Valentine’s Day is a day that is for two people who are in love and the tradition is that gifts be exchanged.  However, what is one to do when the bank account is low and Valentine’s Day is only a few days away?    Believe it or not, two people can have a wonderful day even if they do not have a lot of money to spend on one another.  Here is more information on how to do Valentine’s Day on a budget.

Cheap Flowers

There is no day better for overindulgence then Valentine’s Day, and people really tend to blow big bucks on a lot of gifts. However, the idea is quality over quantity when you do not have a lot of money to spend.  Roses are a wonderful and beautiful gift, but some florists sell a dozen of them for at least one hundred dollars.   A great place for a low cost bouquet of flowers is a grocery store.  Many famous grocery chains have an on-site flower shop, and you can get a nice bundle of flowers for less than twenty dollars, and these flowers are just as beautiful as ones from a florist.

Romantic Dinner at Home

Another popular way to have a great Valentine’s Day is to go out for that special dinner.  However, that can turn into a big bill that can run as high as one hundred dollars.  A man or woman can take half of that, which is fifty dollars, and go to the grocery store to get that exact same meal.  With the money saved in preparing that delicious dinner at home, you can even get a nice bottle of wine and include a wonderful dessert!  Light a few candles, put on some soft music, and enjoy a meal at home with the one you love that cost a lot less, but will mean so much more.

Love

Making love is the way most couples end their special romantic day.  However, this is a great way to make it even more beautiful and special.  With the use of candles, massage oil, and a romantic fire, a couple can have a wonderful night that no one can put a price tag on.

Valentine’s Day can be expensive, but this does not have to be the case if you and your spouse are low on money.   Anyone can figure out how to do Valentine’s Day on a budget if they sit down and plan things out very carefully.  Love has no price tag, and anything done on this day can be priceless if someone puts their heart and soul into it.

Citations:

• Image of Thai Flowers

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Image author owned

John is an experienced florist who has been designing and delivering flowers for www.gogoflorist.com for 22 years in Thailand.

Use More Spices

Use More Spices

We love to have delicious food, which not only tastes good but looks awesome and has got superb flavour. Well, when it comes to combine taste, odour and colour to your cooking, nothing is more important than the spices. Yes, a pinch of spices added to your food can bring miraculous taste to it. However, spices are not only important for turning the food more mouth-watering, but it has multiple health benefits that we are not aware of. Many spices even have miraculous healing capacity and you must be aware of the health benefits that you get from spices, like-

With chilli peppers add some heat to your food

Chilli peppers not only make the food spicy, but also has medical benefits, like it can heal pain and take care of the health of the heart. People fighting with prostate cancer can be benefitted by having these spices. It even helps in curing ulcers. Some of the different kinds of peppers are- habanero, jalapenos, Spanish pimentos, cherry peppers, etc.

Use the power spice cinnamon properly

You might have already had cinnamon in different forms of food, like raisin bread, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon sugar topping, etc. However, there are healthier ways to have it. By adding it to your coffee or sprinkling it on your oatmeal you can go for having better benefits from it. You can also stir it with peanut butter to use foe celery sticks or can even dash it on carrots or sweet potatoes. It helps in managing the blood sugar level, keeps the arteries healthy and maintains the cholesterol level.

Use the bright-coloured turmeric in better way

The turmeric belongs to the same ginger family and helps in reducing inflammation for the patients who are suffering from arthritis. It can be consumed raw with milk to keep the internal system clean, which effects in making the skin bright. Even, it heals pain and gives strength. It can be put to skin directly also to make it glow better. If applied with sandal paste upon skin, can miraculously help you get cleaner skin.

Parsley is always more than a decorative ingredient

This spring green ingredient, if added to the food, not only brings flavour but also makes it healthy. It helps people suffering with kidney stones to cure it. Even it battles deafness and keep the arteries cleaner.

Therefore, use these spices adequately in food, not only to cater your taste buds but to live a healthy life. You can also order the spice kits online from an Indian food store to get the best spices at ease.