Dining Out on a Budget

Suggestion #1: Order Water

I realize that this may seem obvious to some of you and out of the question for others, but just hear me out. I'd say the average cost of ordering a soft drink with dinner is around $2.50 per person. At that rate, you and your spouse will save $5 per dinner just by ordering water instead, even if you still allow your children to order soft drinks. If you go out to eat twice a month, that's a savings of $120 in a year! That's enough for anywhere from 3 to 6 more family dinners out. So, which do you prefer? Paying for overpriced soda or having more money for dining out? I'll take the extra dinners, thank you very much.