Small Tip for Big Restaurant Savings

Americans spend a lot of money eating out at restaurants. According this article, the average American spent an astounding $2,500 on food outside of the home in 2010! That is a lot of money. That’s $200 per month spent inside restaurants!

While I would consider seriously curtailing the amount of money spent eating out in order to meet a serious financial goal, there’s one little thing that you can do each time you eat out that can save you a lot of money in the long run. It’s very simple.

Order water instead of soda, tea, alcohol, etc.

Not only is drinking water significantly more healthy, but you’ll have a happier wallet at the end of the day if you order that instead of other drinks at restaurants. Let’s take that $2,500 figure from above that equates to about $200 a month. Let’s assume that each meal is $20, which would result in eating out ten times per month. If the drink is $2.00 per meal, that means you are spending $10 per month on it or $120 per year! When it comes to ordering alcohol, the costs are even greater.

Ten dollars per month may not seem like a lot of money, but when you’re trying to make drastic changes to your financial lifestyle, every little change counts.

Though I would consider cutting down a significant amount of eating out when trying to accomplish a huge financial goal, finding ways to make those seemingly inevitable restaurant visits cheaper is an acceptable compromise. You may think the food may not be as great with water as it would be with a fountain drink, but you’ll get used to it, and your wallet and body will appreciate the change.

Question: What money saving tips do you have when dining out?