Five Savvy Ways to Save Money When Dining Out
Good heavens—dining out has become so expensive. Here are five ways to bring the costs down.
Lately, diners have been hit with a double-whammy. The pandemic took a heavy toll on restaurant staffing, leading many of us to be more flexible and understanding when dining out. (That’s a nice way of saying that we’ve had to lower our standards). Meanwhile, inflation has made dining out crazy-expensive.
Some restaurants are getting back into the groove, but others are not. In some cases, that means we’re paying more money than ever for subpar experiences. I know this first-hand: For every restaurant I write about here, there have been three or four I’ve been to that simply aren’t worth featuring in this newsletter.
What’s a diner to do? If you enjoy dining out, but you’ve found yourself wincing when you see the bottom line (and wincing even more when you see tax and the credit card service fee and then figure in a tip), consider a few of my favorite ways to make sure I get my money’s worth. These go beyond the usual ideas (splitting entrees or making a meal out of appetizers—both good options).
1. Don’t Hand People More Money Just Because They Ask for It
When the bill arrives, it often includes a suggested tip amount. Recently, I dined at a restaurant where the suggestions were 22%, 25%, or even 30%. While it’s essential to tip for table service, don't feel pressured to adhere strictly to these recommendations.
Given that tips are generally based on a percentage of the total bill, servers’ wages naturally increase as menu prices rise. I’m pleased that servers benefit from this, and I wish everyone’s compensation adjusted similarly with rising costs. If you choose to tip more than usual, let it be a gesture of generosity and goodwill and not because you feel coerced by a point-of-sale system.
While many of my posts are free to everyone, the rest of this post is for paid subscribers only. As you can imagine, it takes time and money to review and report on restaurants.
You can subscribe for as little as $5 a month. Please consider joining this community of readers who support my food coverage in Des Moines.