Liberated Traveler Series #5 - Dining

TWiBT Presents

Liberated Traveler Series - Dining

Chapter 5

Be sure to read Chapter 1, Chapter 2,  Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 of the Liberated Traveler Series to help yourself get started.

Whether at home or abroad, dining out can be a major expense!  I like to eat at a restaurant about once a week or so, but love being able to pay less than the other patrons in the restaurant.  This article is about saving money feeding yourself both when traveling and at home.

TWiBT's Foodie Savers

1.)  South Florida Dines
If you are not in South Florida or not planning a trip here, skip to #2.
I usually go out to eat once or twice per week, always getting 50-75% off.  You can get gift certificates to local restaurants for half price or more.  You're not gonna find any big chains on there, but that works for me because I always want to eat at a new restaurant.  You just need a free login/password with them.  By doing this, I get a credit for referring you.    You get the certificates on the site and print them out to take with you to the restaurant.  You can even get more than half off, but you'll see those on the site as well.  I usually get 75% off, but 50% is the minimum.  I eat out at a different restaurant every week on my date night and rarely ever spend more than $5-$10, sometimes including drinks too.  Sometimes we go out to eat because it just ends up being cheaper than going to the grocery store.  It will literally change your culinary life!  All I ask is that you sign up with my link, they give me a credit everytime I refer a friend (and I love to eat).  :-)

Here's how it works, just do it in this order.
1.)  Click here:  http://www.southfloridadines.com/?ref=92338
2.)  Click "REGISTER HERE" at the top
3.)  Enter your Name, Email, Password, etc.
4.)  Just below that, it asks "How did you hear about us?", PLEASE click "Friend Invite" then my referral code should be in that box, but if its not there, its 92338.

Thats it!  Once you're signed up, you'll see a lot of the gift certificates get sold out, but they are restocked the 1st of every month.
At the start of the month, be sure to check out all the new inventory and buy away!

2.)  Groupon & Living Social sites
As you may have seen, there are countless deal-a-day sites out there.  The biggest ones I've found are Groupon and Living Social.  These cities have different sections for different cities around the country and the globe.  It is good to scan the sites often in case there's a really good deal of something you wanted.  It is not only restaurants, it can be anything really.  I would advise TWiBT readers to monitor the site of places you are planning to visit.  For example, if you are going to Miami in a few months, start checking it daily because you might see something you can use on your trip to Miami.

3.)  Restaurant.com
Personally, I hate this site.  I'm going to list it on here anyways because some people like it.  Restaurant.com sells gift certificates for various prices, but normally expect something like this:
"$25 Gift Certificate | Your Price $10 Minimum purchase of $35. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dine In ONLY. "  If you do the math, that's really not a good deal.  Think of this site more as a way to get coupons for somewhere you are ALREADY going, but I don't jump at anything on that site.  Also, if you google "Restaurant.com 80% coupon codes" you'll find that they pretty much ALWAYS have an 80% discount going.  Perhaps that should serve as proof as to how worthless these can be.  Always read the fine print with these.

4.)  AAdvantage Dining
This site allows you to earn large amounts of American Airlines miles per dollar at many restaurants after signing up.  Excellent choice.  It's a good idea to sign up as you will most likely find yourself at one of these restaurants.

5.)  Chase Sapphire
Chase Sapphire Visa card earns 2x points per dollar on dining out!

6.)  Plan your meals smarter
One thing I learned from frequent visits to Miami Beach (or other hot spots) is to plan your meals smarter!  Many restaurants have less expensive lunch menus, early bird pricing, or other hefty discounts if you avoid the typical dinner hours.  Sometimes it might be smarter to make lunch your big meal of the day, rather than spending more for the same stuff at dinner.  Also, stock up on the free breakfasts at your hotel or hostel.

7.)  Don't eat at tourist restaurants!
In foreign countries, if a place has English signs all over it, they aren't trying to save you money.  Ask a local where they eat.  I find that asking people who actually work in the area can give you the best idea.  Besides, don' you know the best places to grab a quick and inexpensive lunch in your area?

There ya go!  Some ideas to save you $$$ on your grub.  I'd appreciate if you used the links within this article, as many of them are referral links that will give me a small bonus that allow me to keep eating.  I like food.

-Jason of TWiBT