Eating out is becoming a normal part of life for many, but eating out can be more expensive than you are used to.
According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), inflation rose to 3.2% in August 2021, partly due to increased restaurant costs.
Last August, guests were able to enjoy the government’s Eat Out to Help Out program, which offered customers half price food and drinks (up to a value of £ 10) between Monday and Wednesday – and some restaurants continued the discounts until September away.
Even if another nationwide discount system is not planned for this fall, you can still go out to eat without breaking the bank.
Here are some ways you can stay cost conscious as you go to your favorite restaurants, including tips suggested by our readers.
1. Join a restaurant club
With restaurant discount programs you can save up to 50% with some chains.
Tastecard and Gourmet Society both have a 60-day free trial. That means you can get free restaurant discounts for four months – a third of the year – by trying them out one at a time before settling on one or the other if you like.
When your trial expires, the Tastecard costs £ 19.99 for six months or £ 34.99 for one year. Gourmet Society costs £ 6.99 per month.
2. Search for coupons and discount codes
Check for coupons before going to a restaurant.
You can find them online through sites like Groupon, VoucherCodes, HotUKDeals, MyVoucherCodes, and Wowcher.
However, be aware that some coupons may have expired or have conditions that you must meet in order to use them.
It’s also still worth checking out coupons in newspapers, just in case.
3. Share your food
Buy a meal / drink and share it
– Jacqueline on Facebook
Everyone can have their own menu, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs their own meal.
Sharing a dish between two people is an easy way to cut costs in half. It works well if you just want a light bite to eat or if the restaurant you are in serves large portions. You could even order a few extra side dishes to spice up the food and still save money.
As Jacqueline told us on Facebook, it’s a great way to get the most out of a meal.
4. Create your own head
When I go to a decent Italian, I usually go to the starters and eat a couple of dishes from there. If the portions are generous, you can skip the main course and go straight to dessert! !
– Philipp on Facebook
Order a starter or side dish instead of a full meal.
– Paul on Facebook
This is another tip that is all about getting creative with the menu. Instead of sticking to the prescribed “starters”, “main courses” and “side dishes” menus, you can order starters or side dishes to put together your own, cheaper main course.
5. BYOB to save drinks
When eating out, the price of alcoholic beverages is sometimes a large part of your bill. You can avoid this by bringing your own alcohol to one of the many BYOB restaurants in the country.
Since alcohol from a supermarket or unlicensed is likely to be much cheaper than a restaurant, bringing your own alcohol can cut your bill significantly.
You can search for BYOB restaurants in your area online or search for listings in Wine-Pages’ BYOB directory.
Note that some restaurants will charge you a cork fee so it may not be entirely inexpensive.
6. Book your meal online
Many restaurants have been taking online bookings since the pandemic began. Sometimes you will find 50% offers or free drinks promotions on booking sites such as OpenTable, Lastminute and 5 p.m.
So if you book online it is worth checking out.
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