It’s definitely cheaper to cook your own meals at home, but sometimes you simply want to enjoy the experience of dining out. Eating out, however, doesn’t have to break the budget. Here are some tips that will help you save money.

1. Eat from the lunch or early bird menu.

Because of significant overhead costs, restaurants must keep their tables full in order to remain profitable.  As a result, many offer great lunch and early evening deals when fewer people are eating out.  This is a fantastic way to get a great dining experience on the cheap. Portions are generally smaller but the prices can be significantly cheaper.  You’ll get to enjoy the same dining experience but pay less money for it.

2. Watch out for menu tricks.

Restaurants frequently emphasize menu items that bring the restaurant the greatest profit. They may place a box around a high profit item, feature it with larger type, or place it near the top of the menu.

They also love to pile on the descriptive language when describing higher margin items. Studies have shown that we’ll often pay more for food with more elaborate descriptions.  Which would you be willing to pay more for: “Delicious 10 ounce filet mignon” or “Succulent, large filet mignon grilled by our renowned chefs to the brink of mouth watering perfection?”

3. Ask for drinks to be served with your meal.

Wonder why restaurants are so quick to bring your drinks to your table? They know that you’ll continually sip while waiting for your meal. By time your meal does arrive you’ll most likely need to order more drinks. Ask your server to bring your drinks with your meal.

Better yet, skip the overpriced drinks and ask for water instead. Consider, for example, that the $2 coke you pay for costs the restaurant about twenty-five cents in raw materials, a nearly 800% mark-up! Adding insult to injury, drinks are often full of ice, making it necessary to order more than one with your meal.

4. Visit during the restaurant sweet spot – Tuesday through Thursday.

Fridays and Saturdays may not be the best time to visit your favorite restaurant. The fact that many people dine out on the weekends is the exact reason you may not want to. Restaurants packed to capacity may be prone to poor service  and it may take longer for you to get your food.

Many experts claim that the most optimal eating experience can be enjoyed by eating Tuesday through Thursday. You’re served food that is delivered closer to the time it’s prepared and the restaurants are usually less crowded. Additionally, many restaurants offer mid-week specials to attract more diners.

5. Ask if that’s real Maryland crab.

To save money restaurants sometimes substitute more expensive foods with less expensive alternatives.  This happens, for example, with seafood. Some restaurants will substitute Maryland crabs with crab species from other areas of the Atlantic ocean or, worse yet, import crabs from other countries.  If the menu lists “Maryland-like” crab be very suspicious.

6. Always examine your bill.

Many restaurants tack on mandatory gratuity fees to your bill. Usually these mandatory gratuity fees are only for large groups, but restaurants may have policies that apply a mandatory tip for groups as small as four or six people. Check your bill before you pay to make sure that you don’t pay a gratuity twice.

BMWK, what are some of the ways that you save money when eating out?