Going Out To Eat (On A Budget)

Anyone that knows me well, knows I love going out to eat. It's not so much that I love it, but sometimes it's a necessity. Either I didn't make a plan as to what we would eat that night at home or I'm just being extra lazy and whiny so my husband says, "Fine, let's just go out." One of our favorite places to go is Carino's on Monday nights because they offer 1/2 price family platters. We order a family platter (usually one family member gets to pick what we are eating that night), eat unlimited salads and bread and order water (which refers back to the very first blog I wrote). Our bill will be under $16 for a family of four! For all the food we get to eat, I can't cook that cheaply. Probably the best bargain is the family platter of lasagna. Last week, three out of the four of us ordered it. We ate it Monday night and then all three of us took it in our lunches the next day. Not bad for a bill that totaled $15.13! Check restaurants in your area. Where I live, there are several places that offer inexpensive eating options Monday-Wednesday. Sonic has 1/2 price hamburgers after 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. Rosa's has "Taco Tuesdays." Mamaritas in Lubbock has $5 nachos on Wednesdays. There are several ways you can find out about these deals: 1) Check out the restaurant's website. For a prime example, I visited Sonic's site and today is "National Back to School Day." It is half price breakfast burritos all day today (September 4); 2) Become a member of Groupon and/or Living Social. Be careful with this. Do not buy from a place you don't eat; 3) Google your favorite restaurants. There may be several sites that offer coupons; and 4) Ask around. Talk to your friends. They can give you advice on good restaurant deals. Now, I must go to Sonic's Happy Hour to get a 1/2 price cherry limeade!

Beware of Clearance Items

Target is one of my favorite stores. Target probably loves me back because I usually can't spend less than $100 each time I visit. One of my downfalls is clearance items. In my mind, I am getting a great deal because I am spending less on something that I am sure will absolutely be used! Well, that is not the case. What can I do with 30 packages of thank you notes? There are only so many of those that can be written. Currently, I am looking out into the sun room, which has become our storage room. There are the cutest plates, bowls and wine chiller that was purchased from a Hobby Lobby clearance aisle. They have been sitting in that room for one year. I didn't spend much, but in the end, has it been such a great deal? No! The whole point of this is do not go shopping (grocery, clothing, decor, car, anything) without a plan. It's great to hit the clearance aisles when you have a plan, but without one, it can be very dangerous...and wasteful. Thank you for reading my blog and if you leave a comment, maybe I will write you a thank you note- I have plenty.

Drink quality H20

The average American goes out to eat 4 to 5 times a week (http://ucsdnutritionlink.org/articles/archives/fastfood.pdf) Think about this- if you go out 4 times a week and spend $2 on a tea or soft drink, that equals $8 per week. Over a year, you would spend $416 just on drinks! DRINK THE FREE H20! I'll admit, this is one I haven't done for very long. It truly hasn't been that hard to change. The hardest part is getting out of the habit of ordering tea (or your drink of choice) as soon as the waiter asks (it's been my habit for about 40 years). Think about this, too. The example above is for one person. If you happen to be a family of four, you could spend $1664 a year! Some of you may not like the taste of plain water so add some lemon and sweetener to it. My kids love to make their own lemonade.