Dining out on a seriously tight budget

Even when the dollars are scarce you can enjoy the occasional restaurant meal. Clip restaurant coupons out of the paper or from the back of your shopping dockets and keep them in the back of your purse or handbag for future use.  Also make a note of any specials like "$9.95 all you can eat pizza and pasta" or "buy one main course get one free " nights at your favourite restaurants. If you have children, look for "kids eat free" nights. Many restaurants will have specials to attract business on otherwise slow nights, such as Mondays and Tuesdays. Be sure to check your bill to make sure the discount was included. One of our local restaurants advertises "all mains $9.95" on Wednesday nights, but they only give you the discount if you specifically ask for it when ordering.