Top Tips For A Cheaper Evening Out
While bad news about the economy continues to roll in, many of us are still looking for ways to take a night off from worrying with a much-needed evening out. However, to have a nice relaxing night many of us need to make sure it’s a cheaper one than we might have been used to! These are some top tips to make sure that you can have an enjoyable night out for a bit cheaper.
Bin the booze
It’s a well-known fact that many restaurants make the majority of their profits from drinks. While you might enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with your meal, if that turns into a bottle of wine or several bottles your bill will quickly swell. Ask for a jug of tap water or some soft drinks to make sure that you keep thirst at bay, and enjoy any alcohol with your meal sensibly – this is also a much healthier solution!
Change your transport plans
Taxi metres rise quickly while parking fares in the city centre are more expensive than ever, so it’s time to think about just how you’re going to get to and from wherever you’re going. Going to an out-of-town restaurant with free parking or getting a lift from someone are a couple of ways to keep costs down. While taking the bus might not be the most romantic solution, if your partner is as pragmatic as you are they probably won’t mind public transport if it ends up saving them money.
Bring your own when possible
If you’re going to the cinema or theatre why not bring snacks with you rather than paying extortionate prices once you’re there? Also, don’t be so hasty when it comes to throwing your cinema ticket stub away – the back of the tickets often offers special deals. Whether it’s a half price cinema ticket on your next visit, or a two-for-one offer at a local restaurant, that ticket stub could give you a cheaper evening out in the future.
Search through Groupon
Sites like Groupon often have plenty of offers for cheaper evenings out, from reduced theatre tickets to restaurant vouchers for discounted meals or free drinks. It’s important that you always read the details for any offer you purchase – for restaurants you often have to phone up to make a booking, and you might find that some restaurants won’t accept vouchers on weekends for example – but otherwise you can look forward to a great night out knowing that everything has already been paid for.
Leave the kids at home
If your kids are old enough to stay home alone and you trust them not to destroy the place leave them at home. Even if the kids are too young, it’s often cheaper just to pay for a babysitter and letting them stay at home while you go out – plenty of people will also find that they’re much more likely to have a good time. If you do take the kids with you make sure you go somewhere that offers free or reduced meals for kids to make sure your cheap night out doesn’t end up being more expensive than you planned.