Eating Out: The Thrifty Way

I'm going to give myself a little pat on the back here: I have successfully cooked dinner for 4 weeknights in a row! (More on my freezer meals later.) I know, I know, not that big of an accomplish, right? But for a working woman who cooks only for two, it can be quite tempting (and sometimes even less expensive if you know where to eat and what time of night) to go out to eat.

Some of our favorites are Applebee's and 54th Street. Seriously, we should probably buy stock in these places. If you can wait until after 9 to eat, and if you can split a meal, you can both eat for $9 or less plus tip. Obviously it's a little harder if you have kids, but you can still take advantage of these deals on a date night. If you're like us, and you like to eat out, you CAN do it without breaking the bank!

54th Street
"Half-Price" Apps After 9

You have to purchase a drink, then you can get any appetizer for $4.99.
Want to make the most of your money? Get the super nachos. You can split it and order one drink (to qualify for the $4.99 app price.
If you get the Front Flip app, you can save even more money. You can win anything from a free drink to a free entree, and the servers are really good about letting you use the deals even during half-price app time.

Aaron and I can both get a full meal out of the super nachos, and we usually have leftovers. You can get guacamole and sour cream, multiple meats, and we love it with the original Gringo drip (instead of the cheese sauce).

Total Price with generous tip: $13

http://www.54thstreetgrill.com/happy-hour-specials-6059.html

Applebee's
Half Price Appetizers After 9, No Drink Required

You can really go cheap at Applebee's. All of their appetizers are a full 50% off, so you can each get a  meal for $3-4. We like to get a couple and share. For the best meal options, go for the Chicken Quesadillas (which you can order even if they aren't shown on the menu) or the Buffalo Wings. The cheeseburger sliders are also good, and come with fries. Drink water!

They used to have Applebee's Perks with $5 off any meal, so Aaron and I were literally eating for $2 plus a tip, but they have stopped sending those coupons. Sad day. Feel like splurging? Get the $1 brownie bite for a sweet end to your meal :)

Total Price with generous tip: $12

http://www.applebees.com/menu/appetizers/appetizers

We love the "splurge" of going out to eat when it costs us less than $15. We're enjoying the freedom in this time of our lives to take advantage of these meal deals whenever. Happy Eating!

Currently,
Kelsie