Let’s face it; we all get tired of cooking for ourselves. The endless rotation of microwave meals, sandwiches and chicken fingers leaves many of our taste buds crying out for more, and sooner than later the idea of going out and having someone else do the cooking – and frankly the cleaning – becomes all too appealing. We long for the bread baskets, the endless fountain pop and, most importantly, a dish completely and utterly different from the food that we have been eating for the past semester.
Yet, there is a looming danger that comes with eating out. Cleverly disguised in a slimming black pocket and accompanied by assorted candies to lessen the blow, the cheque that arrives at the end of your meal brings forward a grim reality. Dining out is expensive. However, by following these simple and easy tips you can take steps to save yourself some of your hard-earned dollars and ensure that the only bad feelings that you have at the end of the night are due to the fact that you have to return to cooking for yourself tomorrow.
1. Take Advantage of Student Discount Cards
As students, we are presented with a plethora of discount cards that are designed to ease our everyday expenses. From the Student Price Card to the International Student Identity Card (conveniently built right into your University of Ottawa Bus Pass) there are a variety of programs that are specifically designed to help us save money when dining out. Finding out what places offer these discounts is as simple as a quick internet search, and the money you spend on signing up with these programs is often returned with as little as one purchase.
My personal favourite? The 25% percent you get off at Richtree Market right in the Rideau Centre with your ISIC card.
2. Spend a Little Time Looking for Deals Online
There are numerous ways that you can save money on eating out if you take some time to plan ahead. Here are some of my favourite websites:
Groupon: Designed to provide users with coupons that they can purchase for large discounts at various establishments, Groupon is perfect for any student looking to save some money at the register! Offering everything from half-priced frozen yogurt to gourmet dining discounts, Groupon is an essential tool for any girl looking to save some serious cash.
Specials Today: Designed as a website dedicated to providing the user with all the daily deals occurring in the restaurants in their area, Specials Today is the ideal tool for finding out where the most affordable prices are each day. Specialized for the Ottawa area, this website is also great due to the fact that it provides coupons for many of the places it suggests.
Facebook\Twitter: This tip is simple and yet completely and totally effective. Follow your favourite restaurants on Facebook and Twitter! More often than not, establishments post deals and coupons on their social media sites, and quick deals can be found for those savvy enough to know where to look.
Restaurants’ Personal Sites: Have an email that you never really use? Well this is the perfect time to break it out! Log onto your favourite chain restaurant’s website and sign up for their email newsletters. Regularly, the first email they will send you will be a coupon for a free appetizer thanking you for joining.
3. Be Open to New Things
This is one thing that I cannot stress enough! If you are looking to save some money when eating out you need to be open to trying new things. Often times the best deals are to be found at places you have never tried or on days not usually considered prime for dining out. As long as you are willing to be a little open to what you are going to eat or when you are going to go I ensure you there are deals to be found.
Hopefully these tips will ease the pain of paying for those much enjoyed meals and leave a little spending money in your pockets for expenses in the future! As a parting gift, here’s a link to a great deal I came across when researching this article. If you love pasta, this East Side Mario’s coupon allows you to purchase $25 worth of food for only $12! Good until March 14, 2014, this is exactly the kind of deal that allows the Poor Girl to enjoy dining out. (Especially if you fill up on the bread and salad and save the pasta for dinner the next night!)
Photo Credits:
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1357304
http://www.isic-academic.org/p-EN-carte_etudiant_isic.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_cuisine