My husband and I used to eat out frequently, but these days we’re really trying to scale back. Not only are our kids eating more (they can still usually split a kid’s meal, but it depends), but in these economic times I think that everyone is on a tighter budget.

I’ve already mentioned my love for restaurant.com, but there are even more options out there than that. Something I was not aware of –

“These days, even restaurants are on Facebook. Take advantage of the social networking trend and friend or fan your local restaurant chains. TGI Friday’s is just one example that recently offered up menu coupons for the first 500,000 people who signed up as fans of its advertising spokes-character online. Once you sign up and register your email, the restaurant will likely enroll you in their rewards program and update you with any deals or promotions.”

Check out more good tips from the link below, and enjoy your weekend!

7 Small Ways to Save Big When You Eat Out [savvy sugar]

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Let’s face it – having kids makes going out with your spouse a bit of a hassle, if you can get out at all.  First of all, having kids mean spending your money on diapers, extra groceries, etc (leaving less in the budget for romantic evenings out).  And even when you do have some extra money for a night out, you have to factor in the cost of child care.   I am always on the lookout for inexpensive ways to enjoy a date with my husband, so I thought I’d compile some of my ideas to share.

• Take turns babysitting your friends’ kids. One set of parents will watch several kids (who can all play together, watch a movie and enjoy popcorn, etc) while the other parents go out alone.  Your kids are in good hands, are able to see their friends, and you don’t have to pay a sitter.  For more on this idea, see my post on Joining Forces With Other Parents.
• Put the kids to bed, and order in. One thing my husband and I love to do is to enjoy Olive Garden take-out once the kids are asleep.  Light a candle, put on some jazz, and enjoy your favorite dish while you catch up with your hubby.  We usually split an entrée, which is plenty of food since Olive Garden provides salad and breadsticks for to-go orders as well as when you dine in.
  
• Check out Restaurant.com. This is a great way to save on the cost of dinner at a nice restaurant.  Haven’t heard of this site?  Check out my post on Enjoy a Night Out – For Less.
  
• Go out for dessert or a drink instead of dinner. Have the sitter come over as you are putting the kids to bed, and slip out for dessert and a drink.  By skipping dinner and going straight to dessert, you are saving money on both your bill as well as the total for the babysitter.  Saying, “We’ll go out every other Friday for dessert,” is a much more attainable goal than saying, “We’ll go on a date every Friday night.”  Couples often fall into a run where dating seems to just stop, simply because expectations are too high and it seems impossible to get away.   Set reasonable goals, and go on smaller dates more frequently.
  
• Rent a movie or TV show. I’m the first person to think of this, right?  Still, it’s worth noting.  A simple, cheap date is to rent a movie, or better yet – rent a TV show on DVD.  When my second daughter was a baby, it was basically impossible to go anywhere at night.  Not only did our toddler need to be in bed by 7:30, but our newborn was nursing constantly.  We ended up getting into “Lost,” which was a blast.  My husband and I looked forward to watching an episode (or two, or three…) each evening once the kids were in bed.   Not only did this give us something fun to do together, but a show like “Lost” gives you a lot to talk about.  And after a long day, I’d much rather spend my time with my husband discussing our theories about the show’s plot, instead of discussing which brand of diapers to switch to.
  
• Whenever it’s time for Christmas, birthdays, or other events, ask your family for gift cards and babysitting. My in-laws did this for us last Christmas, and it was awesome.  We received several gift certificates to local restaurants, and the promise of free babysitting whenever we decided to use them.  My husband and I were able to go out to a nice dinner, our kids were taken care of, and we still had money in our pockets.
  

What about you?  What are your tips for cost effective dates?  I’m always on the look-out for ways to enjoy an evening without going broke, so feel free to share your ideas!

- Grace

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When my best friend told me about a website she had found, I thought it was too good to be true.  When I did check out the site, I was flabbergasted.

Restaurant.com is something you can’t afford not to do.  The basic principle you purchase gift certificates for local restaurants (the amounts vary based on the restaurant) at discounted prices.  An example would be paying $10 for a $25 gift certificate.  Even better, certain coupon sites offer coupon codes that enable you to receive up to 90% off.  You would spend $1 and receive a printed out gift certificate for $25.  I am on a mailing list for couponmom.com, and I received an email today with the coupon code “NINETY” which will give you 90% off gift certificates until Sept 13^th.

To get started, visit www.restaurant.com and enter your zip code.  You will find a list of the participating restaurants, and the gift certificates available.   Make sure and read the details, since some are only valid with a minimum purchase, will include 18% gratuity, etc.

For those of you in my area, I highly recommend Mimosa, the Asian Fusion restaurant on the east side of town.  It’s fabulous, and the coconut shrimp are out of this world.

- Grace

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I’ve been bugging my husband for a month now to take me out to my favorite Asian restaurant. All we need is to line up someone to watch out kids, but our families are busy and we don’t want to shell out money for a sitter. What ends up happening? We keep putting it off, weekend after weekend.

If you need a night out but don’t know where to turn for childcare, check out this article.

Your Kids or Mine? [Chron.com]

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