Thrifty Thursday: Eat Out for Less

My husband has this idea that every new job deserves a dinner out. That would be a fine policy, in my opinion, if we weren't both self-employed and our new "jobs" weren't temporary and frequent. With a family of five, we could break the bank if we splurged for a fancy dinner every time one of us got an assignment.

But then again, I do like to eat out too. So we've struck something of a compromise. When either of us gets a significant or unexpected assignment, we go to Restaurant.com and download a discount restaurant certificate and have a deeply discounted dinner at a moderate restaurant.

The way Restaurant.com works is that you buy a gift certificate for a specific restaurant and amount but pay a discounted rate for the certificate. For instance, a $25 certificate usually cost only $10. Sometimes there are coupon codes with additional discounts for the restaurant coupons. Yesterday, we knocked $20 of the cost of a dinner for five, spending only $40 for a meal that included a cocktail. Not bad!

Right now, get a 70 percent discount on $25 certificates (these are usually $10 so you pay $3) using the coupon code SEVENTY until July 13, 2009. After purchase certificates are good for a year.

More Thrifty Thursday Ideas:

• Teach Your Teens to Carpool
• DIY Family Portraits
• Roundup of Summer Learning Activities
• Save on Housekeeping, Put Your Tween to Work
• The High Cost of Parenting
• File Your Family Court Papers Pro Se
• Encouraging Recycling at Home
• Fun With Shaving Cream
• Previous Thrifty Thursday Tips