How to Eat Like a King on a Limited Budget

How to Eat Like a King on a Limited Budget
Image by FotoosVanRobin

According to the website restaurant.org, 88 percent of adults reportedly enjoy eating out at restaurants, and 74 percent of adults agree that going out to a restaurant with family and friends gives them the opportunity to socialize and spend their leisure time better.

Indeed, eating out in a restaurant can sometimes be a welcome change from the repetitiveness of everyday life. The ambience, trying out new cuisines, live bands and music are some of the perks you can enjoy with your friends and family that an ordinary meal at home cannot match. Not to mention you don’t have a bunch of kitchen utensils to wash after, too.

However, with the current global economic climate and the price of almost everything skyrocketing, menu prices included, it is not always advisable and definitely not practical, to dine outside every chance you get when you could just cook your own meals and save a few extra dollars.

But don’t fret, you can still have your cake and eat it too. With restaurant vouchers, you are sure to you enjoy your restaurant experience without breaking the bank.

1. iPhone Apps

The iPhone is a funny little gadget. Yes, the price tag is quite hefty, but your iPhone can save you tons of money especially on restaurants when used with these clever apps that bring you the digital vouchers right at your fingertips. Here they are:

A. Yowza

Yowza works in finding discounts as soon as you open the app. It discovers vouchers, coupons and deals near your location not just on restaurants, but also on other things you may want to purchase like clothes, gadgets, shoes or books. Just show your digital voucher to the cashier at the restaurant of your choice so they can render your discount vouchers. Voila! Instant savings!

B. Mealticket App

Mealticket app works just like Yowza, but this app also doubles as a restaurant directory for those times you’re not sure where to eat or just want to try some new cuisine. You just pick what deal interests you the most and this app will show you the location of that restaurant.

You can even save your favorite restaurants and receive alerts when they post new deals. If you’re feeling a little generous, it is also possible to share the savings to your love ones via Tweeter, e-mail and Facebook.

2. Coupon Websites

In the off chance you don’t have an iPhone just like me, don’t worry. There are websites that provide you discount vouchers and coupons on numerous restaurants and eating establishments.

A. Printable-Coupons.Blogspot.com

Printable-coupons.blogspot.com is not just a great resource for restaurant vouchers but also for other vouchers and coupons when you want to save some money on groceries, pet food, beauty and make-up and a lot more. It also has a load of cool features like sweepstakes you can join, coupon codes for almost anything and bargains and deals. You can even have a request for vouchers, coupons and discounts on items you can’t find. Cool right?

B. BunchBite.com

This website is not only for restaurant lovers who love to save cash every chance they get, but also for people who love doing charitable deeds. At Bunchbite.com, you can do both. Whenever you buy a discount voucher from them, a portion of the money will go to the local charities in your area.

C. Kidsmealdeals.com

With Kidsmealdeals.com you’ll never have to worry about where your kids could eat for free or on a discount. Just type in your location or zip code and it will show all the restaurants in your immediate area that offer discounts or free meals for your picky eaters. This website is a must-visit for parents who have many children and are a little tight on the budget.

3. Join the loyalty program of your preferred restaurants.

Joining a restaurant’s loyalty program is sure to reap rewards for you in the end if you frequent restaurants many days a week. Most of the restaurants nowadays offer loyalty programs to make sure they attract and keep a loyal base of customers, and reward them with vouchers, coupons and discounts. However, these rewards can also be in the form of randomly given extras or gifts on your special occasions.

Mark Biden the author of the “How to eat like a king on a limited budget” is restaurant entrepreneur and a blogger who likes to write about food and travel around the world.