Dining Out

I love to eat out and even when I can't really afford it, I still know I can have a good time for less. First of all I look for newer places that don't have a liquor license, they allow you to bring a bottle of wine or a large can of beer. Drinks can run up a tab pretty quickly. I can also have cocktails at home. I'm not a big drinker. I throw in some cheese and crackers so I don't overeat at the restaurant or drink on an empty stomach. I'm a lightweight, two glasses of wine and I need a nap. Sometimes we split the glass of wine at the fancy restaurant since I dilute my portion with water anyway. I also look for places that include a salad with entree, that way I feel like I'm getting an appetizer. Another trick is to have the appetizer as a meal. This saves on money and calories. An appetizer is the perfect dinner size for me. You can also split an entree, I find the entrees in most places overwhelming. I always take home a doggie bag with leftovers for lunch the next day. The portions are just too big at most places these days. We sometimes share an appetizer and order two cheap meals and sample each others food, and take the extra home. My husband eats a lot more than I ever could. Finally I tend to have dessert at home. I started doing this because I had a terrible dessert at a chain restaurant and I vowed never again to have dessert at one of those places. Better to have cookie or a scoop of ice cream than have something stale covered in syrup. And I never have coffee after six pm.