Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. A few weeks ago I shared a few small ways our family uses to save money. One of those ways was to eat at home, of which we do a fair amount. However, while we love to eat at home, our family really enjoys its fair share of restaurant dining.

I am stunned when I hear these figures. Where are they eating and WHAT could they possibly be ordering?! I imagine that they go to full service restaurants, order drinks, appetizers, and desserts, and live it up. We rarely, if ever, do any of the above.

At least not all in one night. We might go full service, but we drink water and order simple entrees. Or we eat dinner at home and go out for dessert. Enjoying a meal out for our family of 8 meals requires compromising in small ways, but still achieving the end goals:. We tend to be creatures of habit.

There are a handful of places we go as a family that we know everyone likes and that we can afford. These would include: Del Taco, Taco Bell, Costco, In-N-Out Burger, Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle, and Panda Express. We know that we can get in and out the door of these places well within our target range.

Del Taco, in particular, offers regular taco specials, where I can, indeed, feed my family for ten dollars or less. At least not usually. Vacations are a different story.

We want it to be enjoyable for as many of our crew as possible. In fact, recently when we did the round of hot dogs and sodas at Costco, the kids and a certain papa went whole hog on the pop. They were feeling it within the hour.

No one felt that great after drinking so much soda. Preferring to drink water is a great way to save money, as is bypassing the dessert and apps. When we do splurge, we usually split a couple orders. Enough is as good as a feast. Kids meals are a unique experience.

However, when the numbers crunch appropriately, we go for it. However, FishBoy7 thinks that both the rice and beans are too spicy. I could buy him two quesadillas for two bucks instead.

In our days before children we might have bought the biggest meal possible with all the extras. These days, we go for enough to feel satisfied without having too much. How many times have you ordered a full meal for your kids only to find out that they only picked at it?

What a waste! I can usually order a large salad with chicken and share it with them and all three of us are happy. Dining out, obviously means different things to different people.

Granted, I can understand spending more money less often and enjoying a nicer dining experience. We save those for date nights. But at the same time, this is a way that works for us. Wife to Bryan since , mom of 6, cookbook author, writer, home educator, and to-do list maker.

Learn more about Jessica. Preplanning will help avoid high costs later and allow…. Or at least with a few too many bills and too little money. Managing a home and family takes money. Often times in our endeavors to save money, we can get tunnel vision. A local store has a really great deal on pepperoni.

It will save you fifty cents per package over the store right around the corner. But, Store…. One of our very favorite family outings in a trip to Costco.

We love it for the samples, for the buck fifty hot dog and soda, for the gourmet food at lower prices, and for regular old grocery shopping. Awhile ago…. A few weeks ago I offered up an exhortation for you to get out of debt.

Some folks make the conscious decision to use credit and carry debt and believe they have good reasons to do so. But, I would…. Your email address will not be published. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Today at Chipotle whilst eating out with only 2 out of my 4 kiddos — I realized I could share a little, and actually hubby and I could share a little, to shave off money when eating at Chipotle.

First is, I love their food, but their burritos are SO large I could never finish one. I put all the ingredients I want in the bowl, request two tortillas wrapped to go. It costs me a bit more, but I get 2 meals out of it.

Another tip I learned recently was to just order a side of rice. We finally found that we could order a side of rice 1 — 2 scoops, you can always ask for a bit more if needed and 1 lg cheese quesadilla per 2 kiddos!

Throw in a bag of chips, ask for a water cup their smallest size and you have a pretty inexpensive lunch Split the rice and quesadilla between 2 kids, 1 bag of chips for the whole family for many people with kiddos.

If my hubby and I really wanted to cut down our costs we could order 1 bowl with the extra rice and chicken and split it between us! We often share meals as well, being that the 2yr old will never eat a whole meal by herself.

The reason I am comenting is that at the bottom of your article you mention Chipotle. I had never eaten at Chipotle until a couple of months ago when out with a couple of moms on a errand for cubscouts when one mom generously bought us all dinner from chipotle.

It was soooooo good!! But I am a budget mom so being able to eat out again there would probably not happen anytime soon. I had spent not a whole lot and had TONS of food, so it really was economical and we all agreed that was awesome that the crockpot did all of the work!! I put the Barbacoa beef recipe in one crockpot, dry beans to cook in another crockpot and 20mins before we were ready to eat I made the rice while another mom chopped up the lettuce, tomatoes and made pico de gallo.

Sooo good!! There was a time when we could use these tips. but then my kids grew into teenage boys. There is no cheap way to feed teenage boys. So strange reading this post because WE DO THE SAME THING!

Chipotle, Rosines a local place and Costco are all places we hit up regularly. Great post! I second everything you said. We have also found eating at IKEA to be pretty inexpensive for a variety of foods.

I know not everybody has an IKEA nearby, but they have deals in their restaurant pretty frequently for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. eating out, I love sweet tomatoes KIDS EAT FREE!

and Ihop Kids occasionally eat free! Date night I like Applebees where we can get an appetizer and two entrees for 20 bucks! So, we scour whatever coupons we have, come up with a game plan of who gets what and what the best deal is while still catering somewhat to preferences, and one of us goes through the drive thru and brings it home.

Yeah, my kids are 5 and under, but no one is a little eater in this family. Wish we had the great portion control that everyone else seems to have, but we are a tall family, and the kids keep going through these crazy growth spurts and some days I feel like they are already eating us out of house and home, I can only imagine what it will be like when they are teens!

I like all of your suggestions and sometimes these ideas work really well for me, my husband and our family of 4 kids. When I was a child, my parents were on a super tight budget. They would take us out to the Ground Round where the 4 of us kids ate free and you could throw your peanut shells on the floor.

They were very strict about water-only and no desserts. While I appreciate their efforts and understand their thinking, I developed serious eating-out issues!

Once on a date in college, I ordered only water — no food or drink. Needless to say that guy never invited me out again. I can totally get that. But, you raise a good point. I struggled with that at different points in life, too. I think one of the things that helped was having a budget that was big enough that we felt freedom to splurge or freedom to spend less.

My 3 year old and 9 month old share. Big boy eats most of the quesadillas, the rice his fav and shares the chips with me.

Little Miss loves the black beans and some quesadillas. We use kidsmealdeals. com to see what deals kids eat free or other specials are available in our area it is by zip code. I liked Chik-Fil-A, too! The play area was nice, and the service was absolutely wonderful though we were there at lunchtime, not dinnertime.

Such great suggestions! They allow up to 2 free kids meals per adult entree, so all three kiddos can get their own meal. This Haitian meal consists of sos pwa nwa, black bean sauce enriched with coconut milk, served alongside mayi moulen, a creamy cornmeal porridge flavored with garlic and herbs.

Nothing is cozier. This family-friendly weeknight dinner takes a cue from Japanese grilled chicken meatballs called tsukune as well as the glossy, sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with them. A classic Italian pesto , this is not. Spinach, cilantro, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which dresses, of course, springy ramen noodles.

In this brothy beans recipe, caramelizing fennel, shallots, and lemon builds a base layer that is sweet, tangy, and bright. Tinned sardines add protein and a briny flavor. A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp.

Its silky texture comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream. Well, this is the salad version, with noodles in addition to pink radishes , orange carrots, purple cabbage, and green cucumbers.

One head of cabbage goes a long way. This recipe, where wedges are bathed in turmeric-accented coconut milk until meltingly tender and sweet, uses just half of one to feed four. The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory glaze.

We like to turn leftover tofu into tacos, for some Japanese-Mexican fusion. Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. And no, it will not break the bank. This budget meal is about turning leftover side dishes into something totally new.

Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method. This looks like something that took hours in a crockpot to make, but in reality, the black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based gravy in under 30 minutes.

Tuna salad deserves to be considered a dinner dish, not just a sandwich filling. Let the pan-fried chickpeas and red endive in this recipe convince you.

Pan-crisped and glazed sweet potatoes. With hearty, almost meaty lentils. And pistachios. Purchase lasagna noodles, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The rest of the ingredients for this cheap dinner recipe are already in your fridge or pantry.

One style of cheap meals: recipes chosen with their leftovers in mind , making two meals out of one. For example, these ground beef meatballs and their tomato sauce make for a great hoagie filling the next day.

If you've already got miso in your fridge and don't want to spend on something new, you could use that in this stew recipe instead of gochujang. It will be a whole different vibe, but a vibe nonetheless. Serve it with a poached egg and a slice of bread for a good cheap meal.

Easy homemade tomato soup is an upgrade to the canned stuff, but we don't judge. Try pouring the soup directly over the sliced sandwich for an irresistible comfort food. Consider this roast chicken your Sunday dinner. And then your Monday lunch, too. You can turn the leftover meat into pulled chicken sandwiches or a chicken noodle salad.

Do not underestimate the potential of the often underrated legume, the lentil, a key ingredient when it comes to filling but cheap meals. Our creamy, almost Alfredo pasta -looking stovetop mac and cheese is about as easy as opening one of those little boxes of shells and powdered sauce —but a lot more delicious.

Freeze half of these burgers to pull out during those times when you get the craving for fast food. Just add heat; you already paid. Here are our favorite ways to prove that a cheap meal can also be the best meal. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness.

View Recipe. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua. Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou. Photo by Emma Fishman. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua.

Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley. Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht.

Photography by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Christina Allen. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling Sean Dooley.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen. Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones. Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen.

Photograph by Julian Cousins, Food styling by Adriana Paschen. Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones.

Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophie Strangio. Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog. Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova. Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou.

Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Heather Greene. Alex Lau. Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props by Meilen Ceramics.

Cheapism may earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site. Leer en Español. All Gift Ideas Gifts by Interest Gifts by Price Gifts for All Gifts for Her Gifts for Him Gifts for Kids. Sign up for our newsletter. Score the Best Value Meal Deals at These Chains.

January 05, by Lacey Muszynski. updated by Lacey Muszynski. fact checked by Erin Kuschner. Cheapism is editorially independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location. Christian C. Kathy S.

Focus on Burger King Large Fries on Serving Paper, a Whopper Jr. on the Right Side by yum9me CC BY-NC-ND. Henry C. Closeup of Domino's Medium Pizza with Pepperoni, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Green Bell Peppers by Nadir Hashmi CC BY-NC-ND.

Among the big pizza chains, Domino's has some of the best long-running deals. Trending on Cheapism. Free Burgers, Free Pizza, and More Bonkers Fast-Food Deals Near You.

These Are the 7 Cheapest Fast-Food Joints To Try Right Now. Cindy C. Kim T. Miori I. Torya M. Daniel K. to 11 p. The waffles are good but,next time I will get a half of a waffle good price The egg breakfast with sausage links an We stopped by Green Blade and were overwhelmed with their selection.

We bought We took these up to Crater Lake with us and had a picnic. Really nice people, great service, nice Sunday Breakfast. Did a little asking around at the hotel She has worked hard to not only return to the bagel recipe of Donna, the Have a Bagel and coffee in the morning.

Best burgers in area-bar none- for entire basin. Great for such a tiny little Best around. Love the food and the great service. Three incredibly hard working, polite young men working. Incredibly generous the Korean chicken was the star.

The coffee was also excellent. Serious about their coffee but not pretentious Very Nice Experience. I like the the fried chicken sandwich best bit the wings and fingers are good Favorite lunch stop. Excellent burrito! Meaty, cheesy, flavorful and fast- great job We look forward This is a local favorite - plentiful portions!

Once you buy your container, you fill it with your choice of available flavors Super friendly staff! a great burger made with homemade buns, and fresh veggies, good flavor and i Best Burgers in Klamath Falls. Great coffee, always super friendly baristas.

I love being able to get coffee coffe break. He devoured it. The only fancy thing about this place is the name. If you're a Give this place a try! Really received a warm welcome and wish for us to return. Now everytime we pass A good stop.

We happened in about pm and the bar was pretty quiet. I really enjoyed this establishment. If you can swing it, add a big pinch of asafetida for an extra savory note. Quick-cooking, budget-friendly, and pretty hard to screw up that dark meat is automatically juicier , chicken thighs are our default weeknight dinner—and this is our simplest way to prepare them.

These battered, oven-baked florets come out crackly before getting bathed in a sticky-sweet gochujang glaze. It means you have croutons. Ground turkey is a lean protein that, when simmered with white beans, seasonings, and chipotle chiles in adobo and topped with Greek yogurt, delivers major body and richness.

The key to stress-free stir-frying is in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove.

Once you do, it comes together in 15 minutes. A little bit of flour and butter, garlic, lemon juice, and capers , and you've got a super savory supper.

Say that three times fast. This cheap recipe leaves out the smoked pork or turkey, which is typical in the American South, and goes heavy on garlic for flavor. This all-star easy dinner recipe will work long after corn has gone out of season.

In the winter, just sub in shaved cauliflower or torn kale. This soup packs in all the ingredients that would make your doctor happy—lentils, sweet potatoes, leafy greens—but the fiery Thai green curry paste keeps things interesting.

This Haitian meal consists of sos pwa nwa, black bean sauce enriched with coconut milk, served alongside mayi moulen, a creamy cornmeal porridge flavored with garlic and herbs.

Nothing is cozier. This family-friendly weeknight dinner takes a cue from Japanese grilled chicken meatballs called tsukune as well as the glossy, sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with them. A classic Italian pesto , this is not. Spinach, cilantro, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which dresses, of course, springy ramen noodles.

In this brothy beans recipe, caramelizing fennel, shallots, and lemon builds a base layer that is sweet, tangy, and bright. Tinned sardines add protein and a briny flavor.

A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp.

Its silky texture comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream. Well, this is the salad version, with noodles in addition to pink radishes , orange carrots, purple cabbage, and green cucumbers. One head of cabbage goes a long way.

This recipe, where wedges are bathed in turmeric-accented coconut milk until meltingly tender and sweet, uses just half of one to feed four. The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory glaze. We like to turn leftover tofu into tacos, for some Japanese-Mexican fusion.

Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. And no, it will not break the bank.

This budget meal is about turning leftover side dishes into something totally new. Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method. This looks like something that took hours in a crockpot to make, but in reality, the black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based gravy in under 30 minutes.

Tuna salad deserves to be considered a dinner dish, not just a sandwich filling. Let the pan-fried chickpeas and red endive in this recipe convince you.

Pan-crisped and glazed sweet potatoes. With hearty, almost meaty lentils. And pistachios. Purchase lasagna noodles, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The rest of the ingredients for this cheap dinner recipe are already in your fridge or pantry.

One style of cheap meals: recipes chosen with their leftovers in mind , making two meals out of one. For example, these ground beef meatballs and their tomato sauce make for a great hoagie filling the next day.

If you've already got miso in your fridge and don't want to spend on something new, you could use that in this stew recipe instead of gochujang. It will be a whole different vibe, but a vibe nonetheless.