Nights Out: How to Save

Going out on a date or to dinner with friends can be an opportunity to impulsively drain your wallet or to take the steps to plan ahead and save! The wiser approach would, of course, be to plan ahead to make sure you can get the most out of your experience, while keeping the most in your wallet. There are several tips and tricks that you can take advantage of when trying to save on nights out with friends or dates.

The first is pretty simple and involves picking a place that is within your budget, by looking online at reviews and menu items and evaluating the total cost of your meal. Another trick is the timing of your outing – look into Happy Hour events or other deals based on the time of the day or the day of the week and plan your outing accordingly to save. Make sure to factor in the cost of transportation and any other additional costs, so that you can get a true sense of how much the night will cost you ahead of time, and adjust your plans as needed. Another tip you can use to regulate your own spending while out is to bring a certain amount of cash that you are willing to spend and try to only use that designated amount rather than getting swipe-happy with your credit card. At the end of the night, opt to take that box of leftovers if you have any so that you can get your full money’s worth and bring them home if you get hungry later or the next day. Using these simple tricks on nights out will make sure you save a little extra cash each time, which will add up to big savings over time!