Tips to keep your wallet (and your stomach) full

Everyone loves the convenience of restaurants: no grocery shopping, no prep time and no dirty dishes. But ordering out can quickly get expensive. Here are a few tips to help you save the most money, so you can eat out guilt-free.

Keep an eye out for coupons, deals and loyalty programs

Most restaurants feature some sort of promotion to make their services more enticing. Common promotions you’ll see are coupons, deals and loyalty programs. Here are some examples:

• Jimmy John’s offers a coupon for a free eight-inch sub when you sign up for emails.
• Culver’s gives you a free scoop of custard when you complete their performance survey linked on each receipt.
• Chick-fil-A lets you rack up points toward free food when you download their app.

Use a cash back credit card

If you have a credit card that offers cash back on your purchases, use those funds to pay for your meal. You can avoid the kitchen clean up and earn rewards at the same time.

Don’t have a cash back card with Consumers? Check out the Consumers Cash Back Mastercard® to earn 1.50%* cash back on all your purchases.

Eat before going out

It may sound counterintuitive, but having a quick bite before going out to eat is a great way to cut costs. You’ll avoid over-ordering and over-eating, saving you money and reducing food waste.

Skip the appetizer

A similar trick is to pick restaurants that offer complimentary starters. Skip the appetizer and find restaurants that offer bottomless bread or chips and salsa. You can put the money you would have spent on appetizers in a Special Savings account. Assuming you eat out twice a week, you can save upwards of $1,000 a year by only purchasing entrées.

Once you’ve saved up to your goal, treat yourself to a fancy dinner. No need to skip anything— you’ve earned it!

Order Takeout

Sometimes you choose a restaurant for the experience. Other times you just want to eat tacos on your couch. Turns out, eating from home can be the better deal. You save on your tip, skip the line, and avoid the crowds. Order pick-up instead of delivery to save even more.

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Earn 1.50% Cash Back for every one dollar spent on purchases less credits, returns, and adjustments during a statement period. Cash advances, balances transfers, fees and finance charges do not earn Cash Back. Cash Back earned during your billing cycle will be disclosed on your credit card statement. Cash Back is available for redemption as transactions post. Members must redeem Cash Back in $1.00 increments. Cash Back redemptions to a deposit account or for statement credit will not satisfy the minimum payment due. This product is limited to personal credit cards. Approval subject to credit review. For more information, please refer to your Truth in Lending Statement or Cardholder Agreement accompanying your card. Federally insured by NCUA