Save Money on Dining Out! (The Frugalicious Show)

[music]
BITSY: Hi everyone I'm Bitsy Jennings from The Frugalicious Show, and I
have a special guest with me today, please welcome my friend Monica from
365 Guide. Welcome Monica!
MONICA: Hi Bitsy I'm happy to be here.
BITSY: And we're really happy to have you. Now today Monica is here to talk
to us about dining out on a budget.
MONICA: I'm here to tell you that yes it is possible! Sometimes people feel
guilty about going out because it's so expensive compared to staying at
home, but you just need to know where to go. And most people need advice
which is why I started my website.
BITSY: Right, and you're coming out with a book. Tell us a little bit about
that.
MONICA: Yes it's called 365 Guide Drink Eat Save Every Day of The Year. And
it's basically packed with and eating and drinking deal for every day of
the year in New York City.
BITSY: That's awesome.
MONICA: So your fans can find 365 Guide on Twitter and Facebook as well as
My365Guide.com I'm on there every day giving you a deal a day.
BITSY: Of course My365Guide.com is a great resource for all those dining
deals in NYC, but what are some of your other favorite websites?
MONICA: I really like Yelp and Citysearch. They are national websites and
Yelp has a lot of really honest reviews, I love that. Citysearch has useful
information like whether they take credit cards or what their happy hour
specials are.
BITSY: Ahhh, Happy Hours make me so happy. For hours! Actually, you know
what, I did just download this amazingly Frugalicious app, which means it's
free, and it's called Drink Owl, and it allows you to find happy hour deals
in your city so check it out. Now let's get down to the brass tacks of this
whole thing. What are your tips for saving money while dining out?
MONICA: My first tip is to follow your favorite restaurants online. Even if
you're traveling find out where you're going and find some restaurants you
want to try and follow them on Facebook and twitter and often this is how
you'll find out about special offers or coupons that could be available.
BITSY: There you go and that's a great tip and I've seen where a lot of
restaurants and business will ask you to like them on Facebook and just for
doing so they'll give you a special discount or a coupon.
MONICA: That's true, a few months ago Haagen Dazs was giving away free
Dazzler sundaes and Chipotle had a buy one get one free burrito deal, just
for liking them on Facebook.
BITSY: That's awesome. What's your next great tip?
MONICA: Well don't be afraid to ask. You know a lot of times you'll go into
a nice restaurant and you'll feel kind of "cheap" like i shouldn't be
asking if there's a happy hour here - They have them! Why not take
advantage of them? And if you're in a city with a theatre district, a lot
of times they have a price fixed menu before and after shows.
BITSY: That's a great idea and what a nice evening out that would be. Tip
Number 3.
MONICA: well consider the timing of going out.
BITSY: YOu mean like the day of the week?
MONICA: Yes, you know sometimes earlier in the week say Monday through
Wednesday restaurants aren't as busy and you might find that you get to eat
free with the kids or have a free drink or a free dessert. You just never
know what you might find.
BITSY: You'll never know unless you ask. And you'll have the added bonus of
not having to deal with crowds or reservations that you might need for a
Friday or Saturday.
MONICA: Definitely, and also consider the time of day. You know, these same
restaurants have lunch specials, and sometimes they might go till 4 or 4:30
so if you can get in there a little early you can linger into the early
evening, you will save 20% on the same exact food.
BITSY: That is awesome. And speaking of timing let's not forget about
Restaurant Week!
MONICA: Absolutely Restaurant Week is a great way to try out some fancy
restaurants without spending a lot of money! And there are forty cities in
the US and Canada participating in restaurant week. They'll offer three
course dinners and lunches between $20 and $35! And we actually have a link
below with a list of the cities so make sure you check it out.
BITSY: Fantastic. Monica you have given us such great information I'm so
excited to have you here because really it's a lot of food for thought.
MONICA: Well thanks for having me.
BITSY: And thanks for watching everyone, we've got the links below so you
can check out all of Monica's great information, and we'd love to hear from
you. How do you save money when you eat out? Leave us a comment and let us
know. And don't forget to like us on Facebook because we share some great
deals with our fans too! Bye now! And make sure to check out Monica, what's
your deal for tomorrow?
MONICA: Well my deal for tomorrow is a place in NYC
BITSY: Oh check it out, don't tell them!
[laughing]
MONICA: You have to get online to find out.
BITSY: We're going to pull you in.