Cash advice
While there’s no such thing as a free lunch, it is possible to eat out for less. And with the festive season on its way, there’s no shortage of mates wanting a meal out. Here are five ways to reduce your bill...
1 WATCH THE FREEBIES You know the complimentary olives and tortilla chips offered by many high street chains? They are there to ensure that you order more drinks as the salt makes you thirsty. While it may be nice to have a server, who fills your glass before you even ask, bear in mind that they may be trying to sell another bottle of wine by timing it so it is empty in the middle of the meal when you’re likely to order another.
2 MAKE THE MOST OF OFFERS
If you like a meal out, but hate the hefty bill, sign up for Meerkat Movies to get 2-for-1 meals. To qualify, you must buy an insurance policy through comparethemarket.com, and you can buy the cheapest product – one night’s travel insurance policy – for just £1.
3 BAG FREE BOOZE
If you have a birthday coming up, you can cut the cost of your celebrations by signing up for freebies ahead of your big day. At Pizza Express, Strada and Café Rouge, for instance, you can get your hands on some free fizz simply for signing up for their newsletter. Similarly, join TGI Fridays’ celebrations club to get a free cocktail for you and up to 11 friends. Cheers!
4 AVOID MENU MISTAKES
Whenever we go out for a meal, we’re encouraged to spend more by restaurants’ clever tricks. If you know their tactics you can cut your bill considerably. For instance, most of us assume that we read a menu from left to right. But studies show our eyes gravitate toward the upper right-hand corner first, which is where the most profitable items are.
5 DON’T SETTLE
Are you getting fed up searching for online voucher codes, only to find they’re invalid? Vouchercodes.co.uk now guarantees all of their codes will work or they will buy you dinner. To claim, send your receipt by email to claims@ vouchercodes.co.uk within 24 hours of purchase and they’ll send you a £20 Pizza Express gift card.